Topic: Issues when recording with Razer Blackshark v2 Pro at 44100 or 22050 Stereo

[Gazoo]

Hey Forum-goers,

I was recently gifted a lovely Razor Blackshark v2 pro headset and proceeded to test it with the audio software I'm building using BASS. To my surprise, recording with it doesn't work as intended. I call BASS_RecordStart() with 44100 Hz and 2 channels, i.e. Stereo, and the playback sounds like I'm speaking super slow and low. Almost as if the recording is occurring at a much faster Hz and being played back at 44100.

I figured I was missing something, so I investigated, and have found:

• Other tested recording devices appear to work fine.
• I can replicate the behavior in the latest BASS' (2.4.17) rectest program. All Mono recordings sound fine regardless of Hz with the headset, e.g. 22050, 44100, 48000, all work. But in stereo mode, only 48000 sounds fine. Both 44100 and 22050 Hz sounds super slow.
• Recording in audacity with the headset set to stereo in either 44100 or 22050 Hz sounds fine.

Open to any ideas/suggestions!

Thanks in advance,
Gazoo

[Ian @ un4seen]

To perhaps narrow down what the problem is, please see if it still happens when using DirectSound for recording instead of WASAPI. You can do that like this (before calling BASS_RecordInit):

Code: [Select]

BASS_SetConfig(BASS_CONFIG_REC_WASAPI, 0);


[Gazoo]

Thanks Ian - I can confirm the problem is not present when using the suggested config, i.e. when using DirectSound.

I dug into the matter some more and found that Audacity forces the Razer Blackshark microphone to Mono when recording using WASAPI. I dug a little into BASS' WASAPI library and can see that the BASS_WASAPI_GetInfo() call yields a BASS_WASAPI_INFO struct which - for the Razer Blackshark - denotes one channel (as opposed to say my logitech BRIO camerea which yields two).

I guess this means that the driver the Razer Blackshark headset is less flexible? Not in terms of having fewer channels, but more in terms of returning less useful data when asking it to record outside its means. I wonder if is there anything to do apart from asking Razer them to make their drivers friendlier?

The simplest course of action - currently - seems to be to fallback to using DirectSound.

In terms of detecting this issue, relying on the WASAPI BASS library appears to be a must, unless you've got any alternative ideas?

[Ian @ un4seen]

Interesting that using DirectSound prevents the problem. I'm not sure it's related to your issue, but there was a resampling bug affecting WASAPI recording found in BASS, so please try this update and see whether it helps:

   www.un4seen.com/stuff/bass.zip

If that doesn't help then I will probably need to send you a debug version to get more info on what's happening.

[Gazoo]

It would appear to be 100% related as using the BASS version you just provided in that zip solved the problem. Much obliged.

Any idea of when this version will be officially released for public consumption?

[Ian @ un4seen]

Great to hear that the update helped. There should be a new BASS release fairly soon, but this update is a "release" build and it should be fine to use in the meantime.