Analog Lab not outputting audio. Keylab 88 Mkii

[brettregan6]

I just received my Keylab 88 Mkii today and went through the entire process of registering it online, getting everything downloaded, etc. Everything has worked perfectly and it interfaced properly with my new, quite powerful laptop to where the firmware updated without issue when I needed to do so. I started running into issues once I started up Analog Lab (or any of the other VIs for that matter). No matter what I've tried, I can't get any audio out of the instruments. I can see the keys and faders being detected, and they move accordingly on my laptop screen whenever I touch them on the keylab, so I know that the keylab is interfaced correctly, and it's almost definitely a problem with the VIs or something about the audio flow.
One thing I used to test different things out was to turn on Spotify playback, and the sound would work normally, then when I opened Analog Lab, Spotify was still working, but once I hit a key on the keylab, the audio stopped, there was a loud buzzing, like a really hard and dissonant sawtooth wave, and that sound stopped when I closed Spotify. When I then opened Spotify back up and tried to play songs, there would be no audio coming out, even though the time on each song was moving.
I have an ASIO downloaded called Voicemeeter, which is literally the only thing that would allow ProTools to run on my Windows laptop, because my professor and some other people in one of his Logic forums recommended it, so uninstalling that is not an option. However, I undid every setting that I had done with Voicemeeter, so that it wasn't being used at all, and I made sure that the default audio output device was the speakers on my laptop. I am almost certain that my audio devices are all set up properly so that it should be going straight from the controller, to Analog Lab, and to the speakers, but I'm still having issues.
Other issues I've seen people mention, and I have tried:
My volume fader is up, so it's not just quite
The "Test Tone" that you can play in the Analog Lab settings doesn't make any audible sound
I've tried in "Analog Lab" mode, and "User" mode, which people have been calling standalone mode even though there's no mention of the phrase "standalone" in the manual.

[LBH]

Hi and welcome to Arturia forums.

Which soundcard doo you use?
Which soundcard driver do you use?

Please post a screenshot of the Audio and Midi settings in Analog Lab standalone application.

[brettregan6]

I'll preface this with the fact that I don't have a very comprehensive knowledge on the fine stuff like this on my computer, but I searched around online for how to effectively find this info, so here it goes.

I'm not positive which one of these is my soundcard, I looked under device manager, and Sound, video, and game controllers, and I'll list what I see (I'm more confident that it's the Realtek one because of the Driver name):
Intel(R) Display Audio
NVIDIA High Definition Audio
NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM)
Realtek(R) Audio
Then the last one it lists is my Voicemeeter application's virtual input, a VAIO

My audio driver, as shown by on ASUS's website, is Realtek Audio Driver, and when I went to the ROG section, found my exact model number and OS, this was listed as a download option, so I only now just downloaded this. However this leads me to believe that I already had an audio driver working that was already on my computer, tied to one of the devices I listed above. After I downloaded that, I went and tried Analog Lab again and the same thing was happening.
Each of those devices I listed also said they had up-to-date drivers when I looked in their preferences.

Here is a Google Doc with the screenshot of my Audio and MIDI settings

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HpmV0mugjQ0gMLmKyBnEHBkjQYyr83qyt2srbWrKbtQ/edit?usp=sharing

[LBH]

Be sure your controller is connected correct.

Windows Audio and Realtek is quite normal.
I use a external USB soundcard that has it's own ASIO driver.

But you should get sound with the settings you show in your posted image, if you run the application in standalone mode (not inside a host like your DAW.), and if you controllers USB cable is working and connected correct.

If you does'nt get sound this way, then it's possible, that you have done something, that make it not work.
Have you changed any settings or uninstalled anything on your PC when installing and using VoiceMeeter? In that case, then i suggest you set everything back to normal standard.

I don't know about VoiceMeeter. Why should you have that installed?

[brettregan6]

I am almost positive that my controller connection through the USB is proper, and that everything on that end is fine, because I am getting the visual feedback from it in Analog Lab, and the MIDI control center, and the other VIs. I thought I should also bring up that the audio on my computer (Spotify, YouTube videos) is only messed up when Analog Lab is open and I try to play sound in it. When I first open it up, everything is normal on the rest of my computer, when I try to play a note or any other sound in Analog lab, all of my computer audio stops working, it stays like this until I close Analog Lab, which then fixes the audio problems (Spotify will make sound again, etc).

I just tested the keylab as a controller in Ableton, and it was working perfectly.

Oddly enough, I tried using Analog Lab and the other VIs as plugins in Ableton, and the same issues were happening, BUT THEN I restarted my laptop again (I've been doing it incrementally when it seems like it might be a good thing to try) and the plugins are working as intended in Ableton. Perfect sound, I'm able to adjust parameters and buffer size between Ableton and Analog Lab, I'm getting sound normally, everything seems to be working properly. I naturally checked them in standalone mode after this, and the same problems persist. HOWEVER, after I try to start up the standalone mode, the plugin versions no longer produce sound in Ableton, so I assume that after I restart my laptop, the plugins will work fine UNTIL i try to use one in standalone mode.

After testing all these different methods and finding such weird results, I'm pretty sure that the main (and possibly only) problem stems from the standalone mode in any of these VIs. I'm not sure what it is obviously, but the problems start immediately when I start up any of them, which in turn messes up ALL of them from that point on until I restart my laptop.

On the topic of that Voicemeeter ASIO I have. I only utilize it for ProTools, because on my laptop and OS, it is the only thing I could find in about a month of trying different options that would allow ProTools to run. This is because ProTools won't even let you start it up without a perfectly set up and immediately compatible ASIO, and this one has worked well. I've always triple checked since I've had it downloaded that main audio is not running through it, and that only ProTools is. Ableton is set up to run directly to my system speakers, same with every other app. (I also can easily make sure of this by seeing if there are any meters moving when audio comes out of any other app, which it hasn't, so Voicemeeter shouldn't be interfering.

Thanks for your help! If we could get more eyes on this and more opinions, that would be very helpful.

[LBH]

I'm not giving you an opinion. I'm trying to help you to troubleshoot. Don't you wan't that?
I can tell, that i have no issues on my Laptop using Windows Audio or ASIO4All for that matter with RealTek using my Arturia applications.
So why can't you?
(I btw think at least ASIO4ALL can be used for Pro Tools, perhaps unless you have a full professionell ProTools system that's very very exspensive.
https://avid.secure.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/how_to/How-to-use-Pro-Tools-and-ASIO4ALL
It's a one client driver.)

Perhaps try to click inside Analog Lab to be sure it's in focus, just in case.

If your issue is about the instrument applications, then a reinstall of the application should be able to fix it, as this issue clearly is'nt a generel issue.
And if a reinstall does'nt fix it, then you have to troubleshoot in one way or another.

If you can select VoiceMeeter in Analog Labs Audio settings, then you can try that.

If you also use Windows Audio and RealTek for Ableton Live, then it should also work with applications like Analog Lab standalone.
Keep in mind, that plugins use the driver and audio settings you have set in your DAW.
Also keep in mind, that some drivers can only be used by one active application at a time. (Like ASIO4ALL.)

I understand that you have set ProTools to use VoiceMeeter. So if that's true, and the plugins work in that, then that also give some useful informations, if one also know which driver VoiceMeeter is set to use.
Having done a quick google search, then i don't understand VoiceMeeter is a driver, but that it's a mixer of some kind. I think it can be set to use different drivers it self.
I wonder if VoiceMeeter can contribute to latency issues.

[brettregan6]

I think you misunderstood my comment about opinions and such, I only meant that the more people the better just in case someone else could give any helpful input. You're taking time that you don't need to be in order to help me, so I'm VERY grateful for it .

On the Voicemeeter topic, ProTools is just a little finnicky with Windows, and my professor said he's seen stuff like this go wrong with it before, where getting something like ASIO4ALL (which I tried) won't help but for some reason this Voicemeeter thing makes it work. Even though, you're right, that it's not even a driver, just a mixer. I did some more testing around with it, and figured out that 100% Voicemeeter isn't affecting anything currently.

I fished out a Focusrite 2i2 that I borrowed from my university, plugged it in as the driver, and was able to start hearing sound out of the VIs!!! I suppose this means that the driver on my computer was not compatible with them for some reason? I'm just confused why Ableton is able to run fine on the base driver, and able to run them as plugins THROUGH that same base driver, but the standalone mode cannot run on it. I also wonder why attempting to use Standalone mode then caused the plugin versions to stop working. I guess that issue is solved now, unless you know of a way I can get another audio driver to work with this so that I don't have to have another piece of hardware to worry about when I'm just practicing. ( Should I try downloading ASIO4ALL and using it for this only?)

I still have one issue though with the standalone mode using the Focusrite USB ASIO. I'm receiving an echo/delay as I play, no matter what the instrument or sound or effects. I've seen people talk about a Doubling effect online caused by direct monitoring, but that's not what this is. I hear the echo about 8-10 times everytime I play a key before it fully fades out, while the people online only reported hearing two sounds with one input. If you know what this issue is, that would be very helpful. It seems like a simpler fix than my other issues..

[LBH]

I don't think i misunderstood anything, as you allready ask everyone, when you post in a forum the first time. Everyone is and was free to reply.

I think we can conclude, that your issues is'nt about anything is wrong with your Arturia products.

I can say, that unless the echo you hear now is a part of the sound it self, and you does'nt have an effect added somewhere somehow in the audio chain, then you have some kind of connection and/ or routing issues somewhere somehow.
As i don't know about your connections and settings, then i can't tell where. I don't even know, if VoiceMeeter somehow capture the sound and is causing this delay, and if it somehow take possession over audio units, inputs and outputs in Windows. You have'nt told. But it can be the case.

As said, then everything normally work out of the box in Windows, with the settings you showed you had for Analog Lab. Very simple. Something else make it complicated.

[brettregan6]

Not trying to offend you, man. I really just wanted to get this figured out as best we could. I'm gonna stop looking for help here now, don't wanna step on any toes.

[LBH]

When people ask for others opinions twice as tghe first post is asking anyone, then it's usually because they don't wan't more from the first person in the moment or don't wan't to follow the given advices or don't feel helped. So clearly i ask, if you don't wan't my help. That's a fair question and not about misunderstanding anything or about feeling offended or stepped on toes, so i simply tell you that. It's just about i will stop posting in the thread for the good of us both, if you din't wan't my help.
You shoot in the wrong direction.

You have been given all the help you can get from a none VoiceMeeter user like me, when you have not been given me the informations, i have asked for. I have even provided a full troubleshooting guide, that - if you follow it - can make it possible to find where your issue is and to find a possible solution.

I can add, that if you you think Arturias standalone applications should work in VoiceMeeter - but can't, then you can report this to Arturia support. I have no knowleadge about it, and i can't guess what VoiceMeeter can - especially not without the informations i have asked for.

[michaelorbit]

I'm late to this topic I know, but for what it's worth I had the exact same problem and no amount of messing around could fix it. Then I noticed the Arturia Software Centre was nagging about a firmware update for the Keylab Essential 88. As soon as I updated, everything worked as expected.

Sharing my experience, just in case it helps out anyone else.