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Hello all,
I'm having a routing issue with my motu 8m. I have my DAW routed so my interface's analog outs feed my two monitor speakers. How come when I turn down the volume on my desktop it doesn't affect the output of the monitors? I could mute the desktop volume and it still plays.

In Mac OS think there is a "Core Audio Volume Control Enable" setting in System Preferences or the MOTU driver that does the trick. Look for something similar in your system.

Best solution IMO is a dedicated monitor controller on your desk that puts volume control at your fingertips.

Does anybody know what this control would be in windows?

highpark wrote:Hello all,
I'm having a routing issue with my motu 8m. I have my DAW routed so my interface's analog outs feed my two monitor speakers. How come when I turn down the volume on my desktop it doesn't affect the output of the monitors? I could mute the desktop volume and it still plays.

In Windows you have several audio subsystems in play simultaneously.

Your system audio uses the old (since Win98) MME system, OR the since-XP WDM/Kernel Streaming (WDM/KS) OR the since-Vista WASAPI. WASAPI has been greatly modernized in Windows 10 to be nearly ASIO-like. One selects in the Windows Audio Control Panel which is the default used for system sounds like the browser audio and media players (though many media players can be set to use a different output device than the default device via their settings).

Your DAW is likely setup to use the most direct avenue to your interface, ASIO, which requires special drivers be written by the manufacturer since it bypasses all the general-use Windows drivers mentioned above. ASIO is not affected by the other Windows systems (since it bypasses them) and so the volume control and mute in the Windows system audio have no effect.

I hope that clears that mystery up for you!

Terry

You rock! Thanks so much!