Possible issue with Windows 7 regarding sample rate conversion in YouTube

[sullivang]

There appears to be a problem with YouTube in Windows 7. (may affect Vista too)

If the audio interface is set to a different sample rate to the YouTube content, aliasing may be audible. For example, if you set your audio interface to 48kHz, and listen to this test tone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGlCdZ0j2FQ you will probably hear aliasing.
(a faint high pitched tone that should not be present)

This issue is being discussed at this blog:
http://blog.szynalski.com/2009/11/17/an-audiophiles-look-at-the-audio-stack-in-windows-vista-and-7/ and it seems that the problem occurs if the application uses the "WaveOut" API rather than Directsound.

It may affect other apps too, but at the moment my main concern is YouTube.

Greg.

[sullivang]

I've reported this in the Microsoft Pro Audio Developers forum:
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/windowspro-audiodevelopment/thread/725546ce-57bf-40d0-b7aa-47e51de9c3ae

I'm hearing the resampling artifacts everywhere. For example, on the Native Instruments site, listen to the "Alright Solo" demo track from the Scarbee MM Bass:
http://www.nativeinstruments.com/#/en/products/producer/powered-by-kontakt/scarbee-mm-bass/ (click on Demo Tracks, and then click the right nav button to go forward one track). I picked a bass instrument because the artifacts stand out more on low frequencies.
Have your audio interface on 48kHz, of course. (sounds clean when set for 44.1kHz).

Windows XP works fine. In fact, I prefer the way XP worked, because it would actually change the sample rate of the hardware to match the content, if it could. (falls back to rate adaption). Windows 7 doesn't do this any more, unless the application is specifically written to do this, it seems.

Greg.