E-MU EMU 1820m "Can't create i/o buffers" message SOLUTION

Hardware
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SYMPTOM: trying to select E-MU ASIO driver causes GP to display error message box “Can’t create i/o buffers”.

SOLUTION: Work around is to add a second physical interface with its own ASIO driver (not ASIO4ALL), which in my case was a Behringer UMC202HD, which for whatever reason allows the E-MU ASIO to be selected and to function as expected.

Interestingly, once the E-MU ASIO is setup in GP, I can remove the Behringer from the system and the E-MU still works as expected after system reboot.

However, if I change the driver type back to Windows within GP, then close GP and reopen, then change back to ASIO again, I get the original error message again. And I have to reconnect the Behringer again to implement the work around.

For those concerned, this work around also works with DaVinci Resolve 17 video editor.

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What version of Gig Performer are you using?

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He is using GP4 on Windows 10 (PA Unlocked version)

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I have an old E-MU 0404 USB and its driver worked great on Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8.

On Windows 10 and Windows 11 that driver (the latest available) is causing occasional crashes with all applications including Gig Performer.

Fortunately, ASIO4ALL is working very stable (i.e. no crashes or any glitches), and I’m able to play using that old interface.

@MWS
Welcome to our community and thanks for sharing this info.

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The 1820m driver using the KVR patch actually works quite well, stable at low latencies, and access to all channels and mixer functionality. Just this single issue in GP so far, which with the work around is just a minor one-time nuisance.

It’s old kit and hasn’t been supported in years, but the hardware in the “m” series is still strong even by today’s standards, and would cost a small fortune to replace with equivalent SQ. Hence why a number of folks try to keep them going.

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Try to run it via ASIO4ALL as @npudar suggested.

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ASIO4ALL doesn’t really work with the 1820m since it has eight I/O physical channels and 32 ASIO channels. I’ve used it with the two channel 1212m and IIRC it locks you in to 48KHz only, but works. The limitations are apparently in the E-MU WDM driver layer. The KVR patch mentioned above works fine with 1820m or 1212m with the single caveat mentioned. I was asked by Deskew to post the information for the sake of providing a work around for anyone interested, hence the post.

3 Likes
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Yes, that was me - and we appreciate your having taken the time to do this

1 Like
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Just a follow up on this topic (since I got a new DAW and ran into the same problem but didn’t remember how I fixed it until I Googled my way back here), using the GP “Export Audio Settings” of the working EMU profile and then later importing it allows to get it working without the need of the second interface being present as described above. But still need to do it as described above if no Audio Settings file to import…