Question 1

How to set up CPAL with ASIO on Windows?

Accepted Answer

Install LLVM/Clang, set the LIBCLANG_PATH environment variable, and ensure the ASIO SDK is available via CPAL_ASIO_DIR. Enable the 'asio' feature in Cargo.toml and select the ASIO host in your code, as detailed in the README's ASIO section.

Question 2

CPAL vs Rodio: which should I use for Rust audio?

Accepted Answer

Use CPAL for low-level, cross-platform audio I/O with fine-grained control, ideal for real-time applications like synthesizers. Rodio is a higher-level library built on CPAL that simplifies playback and mixing, better for simple audio tasks without custom processing.

Question 3

Why is my CPAL audio stream glitching on Linux?

Accepted Answer

Check buffer size settings; `BufferSize::Default` on ALSA can cause issues like fast-forwarding audio. Configure a fixed buffer size in your code and verify system settings for ALSA, PipeWire, or PulseAudio, as troubleshooting notes in the README suggest.

Question 4

How to enumerate audio devices with CPAL?

Accepted Answer

Use the `host::devices()` method to list all devices, or `host::default_input_device()` and `host::default_output_device()` for defaults. Query supported formats with `device.supported_input_formats()` for precise stream configuration, as documented in the examples.

Question 5

Does CPAL support real-time audio processing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, CPAL provides low-latency streams and optional features like `audio_thread_priority` for real-time performance. However, you must implement the processing logic yourself, as CPAL only handles I/O, making it flexible but not all-inclusive.

Question 6

How to use CPAL with WebAssembly and Audio Worklet?

Accepted Answer

Enable the 'audioworklet' feature, use nightly Rust with RUSTFLAGS for atomics support, and set Cross-Origin headers for SharedArrayBuffer. Follow the README's guide and check the 'audioworklet-beep' example, but note it requires unstable toolchains.

Question 7

What buffer size should I use with CPAL for low latency?

Accepted Answer

Smaller buffers like 256 or 512 frames reduce latency but increase CPU load. Use `BufferSize::Fixed` and query `device.default_output_config()?.buffer_size()` for valid ranges, adjusting based on system capabilities to avoid glitches, as advised in the troubleshooting section.

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