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If I were Building a System Today... Windows Drivers: VXD vs. WDM: SeaSound Update: WDM - One Driver Model Sound Cards - From The Applications' Point Of View!
www.microsoft.com:  Audio Technology See: Presentations, WDM Audio Drivers

Windows Audio Driver Model Information: 

WDM - A Common Driver Model.
Goal: "Lower Latency and much improved robustness (Especially under heavy system loads)." www.purebits.com

"WDM - (Windows / Win32 Driver Model) A device driver architecture from Microsoft that consolidates drivers for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT. WDM allows a hardware vendor to write one Windows driver for its peripheral device that works with both Win9x, WinNT / Win2000 and WinXP versions." Paraphrased from www.ComputerLanguage.com.

"WDM audio on Windows 98 and Windows 2000 provides support for digital audio on personal computers, which facilitates a model where all audio mixing and routing is done in the digital domain. One of the primary benefits of WDM is the ability to accommodate numerous streams of real-time audio with the high quality possible with digital mixing, processing, and transmission. Under the new system architecture, it is possible to perform audio management using a software-controlled model, with multiple benefits. For an overview of the issues and benefits related to the digital audio initiative at Microsoft, see Introduction to Digital Audio." From www.Microsoft.com. 

1. msdn.microsoft.com - Types of Windows Drivers: User-mode drivers & Kernel-mode drivers - "All WDM drivers support Plug and Play, and Power Management. WDM drivers are source-compatible (but not binary-compatible) across the Microsoft Windows 98/Me and Windows 2000 and later Operating Systems." (3/24/2003).
2. msdn.microsoft.com - Windows Driver Model: Kernel-mode drivers that follow WDM rules are called WDM drivers (3/24/2003).
3. Improving digital audio quality through system settings - Win98.
4. WDM Audio Drivers
5. Sound Technologies
6. Non-PCM Wave Formats and WDM Audio Drivers
7. Cakewalk - Creative Labs WDM drivers: "Due to a bug in the current Creative Labs WDM drivers, we recommend that users revert to the Microsoft WDM driver that ships with Windows 2000 and XP." (12/7/2002)
8. msdn.microsoft.com:  Windows Driver Model (12/7/2002).
9. The Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation Extensions to the Windows Driver Model: "This white paper provides an introduction to the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Extensions to the Windows Driver Model (WDM)." (September 1998)
10. www.cmkrnl.com:  NT Drivers - FAQ - WDM (12/7/2002).
11. Cakewalk Hosts Third Annual Windows Professional Audio Roundtable at Winter NAMM 2002 (1/22/2002 - Link Revised 8/29/2002).
12. EgoSys.net - E-WDM Technology, World-first E-WDM (Enhanced Windows Driver Model - Enhanced Audio MIDI Driver) driver for Windows 2000/ME/98 offering better performance with Cakelwalk's Sonar (Link Revised 8/29/2002).

    EgoSys originally claimed EWDM was the first & ONLY solution for GigaStudio under a Win 2000 environment.

13. Aardvark Pro Audio Solutions: New Low Latency Drivers, A|WDM™ (Aardvark Windows Driver Model), a new multi-client, low-latency driver for Windows XP and Windows 2000 (04/09/02).
14. Harmony-Central.com: Creative Announces Sound Blaster Audigy Sound Cards with WDM Drivers ...more (August 22, 2001).
15. Audiotrak - Press Release... Dateline, November 2nd, 2000 from Seoul, Korea

    Quote: "AUDIOTRAK has succeeded developing the one driver model for DirectSound, ASIO, GSIF, and Multi-client under Windows 2000/ME/98 environment. AUDIOTRAK named it Enhanced Windows Driver Model (EWDM) and is expecting to adapt it to all of AUDIOTRAK products in a couple of months. Until now, adding Plug and Play to NT 4.0 and ASIO 2.0 model by Steinberg and working around WDM by Cakewalk, Sonic Foundry, and Nemesys are two major developers.

    Hardware manufacturers work to add ASIO 2.0 to NT 4.0 driver but have problems with software benders. Therefore, it seems that supporting WDM and ASIO altogether is impossible. Windows 2000 driver developing has this limitation even with all the efforts by the software and hardware companies. Even Microsoft who has intended to support Windows 98/Me/2000 does not have solution for these problems.

    The EWDM driver by AUDIOTRAK will change the audio experience of users radically. It is not far from today that the AUTIOTRAK MAYA users can work under all Windows environment with EWDM driver." ...link (11/02/00).

    AudioTrak & EgoSys are one in the same. Don't bother purchasing products from EgoSys in Korea. EgoSys dos not respond to email product inquiries either! Don't know about the AudioTrak moniker (8/29/2002).

     

Windows Internals and Device Drivers:

1. W i n S u M M i t 2 0 0 0: WDM - Windows Driver Model from Microsoft, Windows Internals and Device Drivers, Tracks (detail) ...link (10/03/00).

First, in defense of us all, the Win32 Driver Model IS a good idea. One driver model for all Windows flavors. Makes sense if your audio gear (hardware / software) can handle it. Problem:

WDM, backed by Cakewalk.com which relies heavily on DirectX. DirectX is who - Microsoft. Where does Microsoft want to be, besides in our pockets all of the time... Getting everyone into WinXP. WDM drivers may be a good idea, is WinXP? Think before you invest your Studio. Our problem with WinXP - What we call Challenged Response Installation. Anyone ever upgraded or changed a PC Configuration?

Win2000 - If your audio interface & hardware supports the O/S, should be safe for us as an authoring environment for hopefully the next 2 years. Meaning, if DirectX upgrades will ONLY be available to those using WinXP, we don't have to be held hostage! Steinberg is looking better all the time... We ask, DirectX or VST? What do YOU think? Email Us!

Right now, depending upon your Studio configuration, expect to work with more than one PC. NemeSysMusic.com, GigaStudio 160 does NOT have Windows 2000 Drivers yet! Aardvark Professional Digital Audio, same story. Windows 2000 for this and Win98 for that. Hassle? Yes.

Update: SeaSound is Out Of Business!!! Please visit the SeaSound Users Group Audio Forum. SeaSound Audio Forum WDM driver History. (1/22/2002)

www.byteheaven.net: For SeaSound Pro Audio, WinXP Drivers

SeaSound Pro Audio

1. Cakewalk.com: Audio I/O, Today and Tomorrow by Ron Kuper, CTO - Cakewalk - Audio I -
2. Cakewalk.com: WDM Adoption - Audio 2 -

3. Microsoft.com: WDM Audio Drivers for Windows 2000 -
   

4. Supporting Non-PCM Wave Formats in WDM Audio Drivers -
   
5. Microsoft.com: Windows Driver Development Kits -
   
6. OSR.com - WDM Audio Drivers -

   Developers - Use Windows 2000 DDK to create WDM audio drivers for Windows Me, Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), and Windows 2000.

7. OSR.com - WDM Audio Platform Differences -
   

8. Microsoft.com: WDM Driver problems on Win98 -
   
9. Microsoft.com: Windows Millennium Edition Does Not Hibernate with Non-WDM Audio Drivers -
   
10. IntelliGraphics.com (Device Drivers) - WDM Audio Design Considerations -
    
11. Audio Driver Development -
    
12. BioStar-USA.com Onboard Audio Drivers - WDM -
    
13. WinBookCorp.com: Tech Article - VIA AC’97 Audio Controller (WDM) Drivers -
    
14. WDM Audio Architecture Slide -
    
15. Discussion group for WDM audio driver developers -
    • Subscribe:  wdmaudiodev-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - 
16. WDM: Introduction to Windows Driver Model - (12-4-1998)
    
17. Microsoft DirectX - What's New -
    
18. Q264546 - Sound Card Drivers Are Upgraded After You Upgrade to Windows Me -
    
19. Windows 98 and Windows Me Hardware/Device Driver Troubleshooting Resource Center -
    
20. WinXPWORLD, A World (of) Experience - WDM Audio Drivers
21. PureBits.com - WDM Drivers

From The Applications' Point Of View! 

1. Sound Cards

2. Cakewalk.com: - Using SONAR with the audio card you already own

   • Cakewalk.com - SONAR WDM for Optimal Performance - Sound Cards - This Link No Longer Works! Thanks Cakewalk!
     

3. NEMESYS - Recommended Hardware - Sound Cards: GSIF drivers & Multi-Client capable.
   
4. Sounds Great! TheKidd.com & Sonar - !!! ACHIEVED WITH WAVEPIPE CAKEWALK SUPPORTS ADVANCED AUDIO CAPABILITIES !!!