Companion's sound is output on a different device

This forum is for discussing Reason. Questions, answers, ideas, and opinions... all apply.
Post Reply
User avatar
jamierichards
Posts: 8
Joined: 01 Jul 2021
Location: Grand Prairie, TX
Contact:

01 Jul 2021

Hello,

This is such a strange issue. I have a Win 10 system using the ASIO driver with a Realtek sound card. I have a Speaker & Headphones output like everyone does using Win 10. For some strange AND VERY FRUSTRATING reason, Companion will only play through the Speaker output NO MATTER HOW I HAVE IT SET IN WINDOWS. The Win sound settings lets you assign a specific output/input per app - which is great. I use my headphones at night, which is when I do most of my writing. And Companion REFUSES to play through them. So I launch Reason after a day or two and I've got new Sound Packs to check out. AND it won't preview them!! I HATE IT!

I've been in IT for 20 years, so I've pretty savvy when it comes to troubleshooting - but this issue makes no sense. Since there are no Preferences or Settings in Companion, I have to rely on the Win 10 settings to set a default output device for Reason - which works awesome on any app I set up but Companion.

Here's what I've done so far to attempt to fix:

1. Confirmed Win Updates were current
2. I have a Dell - so I downloaded the latest Realtek Drivers
3. Made sure ALL my drivers on my system were current
4. Made sure my BIOS was current
5. Uninstalled & Reinstalled Reason & Companion
6. RESET WINDOWS! (I hated to do this, but I thought if there was ANYTHING that would fix this, that would. And I did a FULL RESET. Took me 3 hours to set everything back up)
7. Updated my ASIO driver to the ASIO4ALL driver. Created a restore point before doing it, saw no change in Companion, so I restored it back.

I also have a MAC and run Logic with Reason as a plugin, and I have ZERO problems on it with the sound from Companion. SO, as a workaround, I remote to my MAC, listen to Sound Pack previews in Companion there, then jump back to my PC to install if I like it. This is ridiculous. There's NO reason Companion shouldn't work.

If anyone has the golden answer, PLEASE SHARE IT WITH ME! I'll send you a $10 Starbuck's card! :)

Thanks!
LATEST TRACK - Something For Me (Furious Mix)


Steedus
Competition Winner
Posts: 1009
Joined: 31 Aug 2015
Location: Melbourne, AU

01 Jul 2021

It sounds like it may be an issue with your headphone jack not muting the speaker output (ie a hardware / OS software issue, rather than a problem in Companion as you say). As Companion isn't strictly an audio producing program (that requires it's own audio settings), it should be just like any other app/program that outputs sound. The audio should be governed by your OS's audio settings. Does this same issue happen with youtube or other audio producing programs?

jamespember
Reason Studios
Posts: 1594
Joined: 05 Feb 2020

02 Jul 2021

Hi there

https://help.reasonstudios.com/hc/en-us ... what-s-up-

We know this is an issue some users are having. Please see the article above for a workaround. We absolutely want to build a better solution for this, will try keep everyone in the loop.

User avatar
rgdaniel
Posts: 592
Joined: 07 Sep 2017
Location: Canada

02 Jul 2021

I don't have R+ or Companion, but have also had a similar problem of ASIO not playing well with others. The described workaround linked above is exactly what I've been doing for a year or two now - using standard Windows audio drivers almost all the time, only flipping over to ASIO4ALL in R11 settings when I need better latency for recording, knowing that if I forget later, and fire up youtube, I'll get only silence. Awkward but I can live with it.

User avatar
jamierichards
Posts: 8
Joined: 01 Jul 2021
Location: Grand Prairie, TX
Contact:

03 Jul 2021

Steedus wrote:
01 Jul 2021
It sounds like it may be an issue with your headphone jack not muting the speaker output (ie a hardware / OS software issue, rather than a problem in Companion as you say). As Companion isn't strictly an audio producing program (that requires it's own audio settings), it should be just like any other app/program that outputs sound. The audio should be governed by your OS's audio settings. Does this same issue happen with youtube or other audio producing programs?
Thanks for your input - but it's not a mute issue or my OS settings. I have no other audio issues with any app- and I use a TON of audio editing and mastering applications. It's JUST Companion on my Win 10 PC - my Mac is just fine.

Thanks again!
LATEST TRACK - Something For Me (Furious Mix)


User avatar
jamierichards
Posts: 8
Joined: 01 Jul 2021
Location: Grand Prairie, TX
Contact:

03 Jul 2021

That was it, James! I can't believe I missed that in my research. I had read that the ASIO driver can weird things. Sometimes I wish Microsoft would catch up with Apple when it comes to simple audio configuration with stellar output. That's one thing I REALLY hate about the PC. So I do all my recording on my Mac - I would use Reason exclusively on it if it wasn't 7 years old. Doing ANY audio file editing or manipulation is so slow I cant' deal with it. I'm buying a brand new Mac in August so all my worries will fade away!

Thanks for responding!
jamespember wrote:
02 Jul 2021
Hi there

https://help.reasonstudios.com/hc/en-us ... what-s-up-

We know this is an issue some users are having. Please see the article above for a workaround. We absolutely want to build a better solution for this, will try keep everyone in the loop.
LATEST TRACK - Something For Me (Furious Mix)


User avatar
jamierichards
Posts: 8
Joined: 01 Jul 2021
Location: Grand Prairie, TX
Contact:

03 Jul 2021

Thanks for responding RG - it was an ASIO issue. James post right before yours had a link to the article I needed!

Have a good one man!
rgdaniel wrote:
02 Jul 2021
I don't have R+ or Companion, but have also had a similar problem of ASIO not playing well with others. The described workaround linked above is exactly what I've been doing for a year or two now - using standard Windows audio drivers almost all the time, only flipping over to ASIO4ALL in R11 settings when I need better latency for recording, knowing that if I forget later, and fire up youtube, I'll get only silence. Awkward but I can live with it.
LATEST TRACK - Something For Me (Furious Mix)


User avatar
jamierichards
Posts: 8
Joined: 01 Jul 2021
Location: Grand Prairie, TX
Contact:

03 Jul 2021

ISSUE IS RESOLVED

Image

Heard from James at Reason Studios - it's a common problem. See below:
jamespember wrote:
02 Jul 2021
Hi there

https://help.reasonstudios.com/hc/en-us ... what-s-up-

We know this is an issue some users are having. Please see the article above for a workaround. We absolutely want to build a better solution for this, will try keep everyone in the loop.
THANKS, JAMES!
LATEST TRACK - Something For Me (Furious Mix)


jamespember
Reason Studios
Posts: 1594
Joined: 05 Feb 2020

03 Jul 2021

jamierichards wrote:
03 Jul 2021
That was it, James! I can't believe I missed that in my research. I had read that the ASIO driver can weird things. Sometimes I wish Microsoft would catch up with Apple when it comes to simple audio configuration with stellar output. That's one thing I REALLY hate about the PC. So I do all my recording on my Mac - I would use Reason exclusively on it if it wasn't 7 years old. Doing ANY audio file editing or manipulation is so slow I cant' deal with it. I'm buying a brand new Mac in August so all my worries will fade away!

Thanks for responding!
jamespember wrote:
02 Jul 2021
Hi there

https://help.reasonstudios.com/hc/en-us ... what-s-up-

We know this is an issue some users are having. Please see the article above for a workaround. We absolutely want to build a better solution for this, will try keep everyone in the loop.
Glad to hear it worked for you! Enjoy those Packs! :)

Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 25 guests