Virtual audio driver for Windows?

Question

Is there any (possibly free or open-source) virtual WDM audio driver for Windows, with additional processing plugins, which would add one more layer between windows applications and actual sound card's audio driver, allowing to:

• Add software DSPs to general audio output. I would like to be able to use custom effects, like compressor, or stereophonic-to-binaural converter for listening online streaming media on headphones, etc.

• Connect its output to some custom buffer instead of the sound card. For example, to be able to record audio, or to send audio via wireless connection to some other wireless source?

I know only about VAC driver, but don't know how I would use it to do any of these tasks. And unfortunately it is not free.

Also, audio driver was just my idea how to solve these issues - if you know other way, please share your knowledge.

I need this for Windows 7 and/or Windows XP.

Answer 1

I've found a free open source API called Jack that appears to allow for both of what you've requested.

There are a number of applications that make use of Jack that offer what you've requested.

From their site:

JACK is system for handling real-time, low latency audio (and MIDI). It runs on GNU/Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, OS X and Windows (and can be ported to other POSIX-conformant platforms). It can connect a number of different applications to an audio device, as well as allowing them to share audio between themselves. Its clients can run in their own processes (ie. as normal applications), or can they can run within the JACK server (ie. as a "plugin"). JACK also has support for distributing audio processing across a network, both fast & reliable LANs as well as slower, less reliable WANs.

I'm interested to know if this works for what you are doing.

Answer 2

Non-free but maybe useful for effects -- DMMF Virtual Audio Stream:

http://www.virtualaudiostream.com/

Also there is Dante Virtual Sound Card:

http://www.audinate.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=238&Itemid=243

Have you found anything useful by this time?

Answer 3

Then there are several drivers working even without any physical sound card present:

• e2eSoft VSC - Virtual Sound Card http://www.e2esoft.cn/vsc/
• ShiningMorning's Virtual Audio Streaming http://www.virtualaudiostreaming.net/

but these two have no ability to apply effects, AFAIK.