Advanced Audio Settings

The Advanced audio settings screen contains low-level audio engine settings. Power Studio shows a restart warning because changes here are not normal live-operation adjustments.

Plan changes outside live operation. Restart Power Studio after changing these settings, then test playout, PFL, carts, recording and any hardware-control plugin that depends on player state.

Only change these values when there is a clear reason: a new audio interface, a mixer-driver requirement, a latency problem, a stream timeout problem, a recording issue or a support instruction. Do not tune them just because a lower number looks more professional.

Audio Settings

Important audio engine settings include:

• Internal sample rate: 44100 or 48000 Hz.
• Buffer size: main playout buffer in milliseconds.
• Update period: how often player state and timing are updated.
• Update threads: worker threads used for player updates.
• Record buffer size: recording buffer in milliseconds.
• Process recordings offline: applies recording processing after recording instead of during recording.
• Load files async: experimental asynchronous file loading.
• Force DirectSound: compatibility option for older or difficult audio drivers.

The source-code defaults are 44100 Hz, 200 ms playout buffer, 20 ms update period, 2000 ms record buffer, 7000 ms connection timeout and 10000 ms read timeout. The number of update threads is normally adjusted to the computer when the stored value is invalid.

Recommended Starting Points

Sample Rate

Keep Power Studio's internal sample rate, Windows device format, audio interface, mixer and audio-over-IP network settings consistent.

48000 Hz is common in professional broadcast, video and many audio-over-IP environments. 44100 Hz can still be appropriate for installations built around music-library or sound-card workflows. Do not switch sample rate during a live broadcast.

If a station uses a digital mixer or AoIP network with a fixed sample rate, configure Power Studio to match that environment. Mismatched sample rates can cause resampling, failed driver connections or timing differences that are hard to diagnose during live operation.

After changing sample rate, check every audio path. A driver can appear connected while one channel pair is still using an old Windows format or mixer source configuration.

Buffers And Latency

Smaller buffers can reduce latency but increase the chance of dropouts on busy computers, unstable drivers or network storage. Larger buffers are safer but make controls feel less immediate.

Make buffer changes in small steps and listen for:

• late starts;
• clicks, dropouts or short gaps;
• PFL timing differences;
• voice track timing problems;
• recordings that start or stop late.

Use a conservative buffer on an unattended automation computer. Low-latency operation is most useful in a live studio where presenters need responsive controls and the hardware is proven stable.

When diagnosing clicks or dropouts, increase stability first:

1. Return to known-good routing.
2. Use a conservative buffer.
3. Confirm files are available locally or on a reliable network path.
4. Test without unnecessary VST processing.
5. Then adjust latency-sensitive settings one at a time.

Streaming Settings

The streaming settings control how Power Studio handles network streams:

• Connection timeout controls how long Power Studio waits while opening a stream.
• Read timeout controls how long Power Studio waits while reading stream data.
• Process playlists lets Power Studio process playlist URLs that point to a stream definition rather than a direct audio stream.

Use longer timeouts only when the stream provider is known to start slowly. Long timeouts can also make a failed stream take longer to fail over.

See Live Sources and Live Sources And Streams for live stream planning.

If a stream is used in a fixed clock position, balance timeout values against the fallback plan. A long timeout may be useful for a slow provider, but it may also delay the next playlist item when the stream is actually unavailable.

Number Of Players

Number of players controls the number of live Playout Players available to the operator. The screen offers two, three or four players, with four players recommended for full Live Assist operation.

Changing the player count affects the player window and can also affect hardware controllers and plugins that map buttons, faders or GPIO to Player A-D. After changing it, verify any configured mixer, GPIO, MIDI, X-Keys, Companion, REST API or control-system integration.

Use four players for studios that need flexible Live Assist operation, manual rearranging and external control surfaces. Use fewer players only when the station has a simple workflow and the related hardware or screen layout is intentionally simpler.

Compatibility Options

Use Force DirectSound only as a compatibility workaround. If the normal driver path works reliably, keep using it.

Use Load files async only after testing. It is marked experimental in the user interface, so treat it as a troubleshooting or performance option rather than a default station setting.

Change Log Tip

Keep a small technical change log for this screen. Record the old value, new value, reason for the change and the test result. Audio problems can be intermittent, and knowing when a buffer, sample-rate or driver-mode change happened is often the fastest path back to a stable setup.