Universal Audio Volt 1 Audio Interface with Ableton 10 Suite DAW software

Question

G'day from Down Under, I just purchased the new Surface Pro Laptop, and I hope you can help me.

Processor: Snapdragon(R) X 12-core X1E80100 @ 3.40 GHz-3.42 GHz

Installed RAM: 32.0 GB (31.6 GB usable)

System type: 64-bit operating system, ARM-based processor

I’m an amateur musician and use Ableton Suite 10 in conjunction with Universal Audio Volt 1 Audio Interface.

I contacted Universal Audio for a new driver and their reply is below:

“Universal Audio does not support Windows systems with ARM processors.
 We don't have any information to provide regarding the possibility of future support at this time. Volt interfaces are class compliant USB and do not require a driver, so those could potentially work with a Windows based ARM processor, however no plug-ins, software, and the ASIO driver would not function. Volt System Requirements.”

I contacted Ableton 10 Support if they were able to assist and their response was:

“Thanks for getting in touch with Ableton. I'm not sure if I understand where I'm supposed to help here? If UAD says that it might not be compatible, I'm not sure if I can help. Have you done all the troubleshooting to make sure it's not a user error? Check the cable, Mic, Input, Record enabled, Routing.” All connections and settings were correct,

I then proceeded to download the “Asio4all driver”, but this causes windows 11 to crash.

I’m obviously disappointed that I’m unable to record music with the Surface pro Laptop. Do you have any way you could assist me with this problem please?

Answer 1

Thanks very much Arthur. I guess I'll wait for the Volt 1 updated driver and record on my old Laptop for a while.

Cheers

Henk

Answer 2

Hi Henk1208

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Based on your description, I understand that you have purchased a new Surface Pro laptop but are unable to record music without problems due to the inability to use the Ableton Suite 10 and Universal Audio Volt 1 audio interfaces, and I understand how you feel!

In any case, I wish you all the best in your music endeavors! Since I'm personally an amateur musician and have produced some beats myself, I really understand your situation.

I will explain the situation you are currently experiencing and give you some advice on each, and I hope this information and advice will help you!

1. Compatibility-related situations. (Since I have encountered this problem myself, I would like to explain it to you through different aspects so that I can give you a better understanding of the cause)

1. Unfortunately, many audio interfaces and software are not optimized for ARM-based processors. And Universal Audio's technical support has confirmed that their drivers do not support ARM, so your options are very limited.

Since the Volt 1 is Class compliant, it will run without a dedicated driver. However, you may miss out on some features and ASIO drivers, which are critical for low-latency audio processing.

2. Since this is an issue I've encountered as well, I did some in-depth research and found that there are some fundamental differences between ARM architectures and traditional x86/x64 architectures that may cause certain software and hardware to be incompatible on ARM devices.

(1) ARM and x86/x64 use different instruction set architectures (ISAs). x86/x64 architectures are typically used in most PCs and laptops, while ARM architectures are widely used in mobile devices and embedded systems. This difference means that software written for a particular architecture cannot run directly on the other architecture.

(2) Developers may prefer to develop and optimize software for x86/x64 platforms, which have a higher market share, resulting in a chronic lack of support for ARM platforms in some software. While some software is starting to adapt to ARM, this usually takes time.

(3) With the enhancement of ARM support in Windows 11, some software developers are working on adapting their products, but the process is still ongoing and not all software may be updated simultaneously.

But I'll be honest, it's still mostly the case that most developers or publishers of audio interfaces and audio-related applications, and even some other applications, have not adapted their products for the ARM architecture.

3. Growing user demand for ARM devices may force developers to consider adding support, but it remains unbalanced for now.

And developers may simply choose to give up on adapting ARM architectures because of the relatively low usage of ARM devices. After all, adapting ARM architectures again requires rewriting the underlying code of the application, which may increase the development cost for them.

But for us consumers and users, this is really very irritating!

2. I see that you are currently using ASIO4ALL, which is usually a workaround for audio problems, but since you mentioned that it crashes Windows 11, it may not be stable on your setup.

If it still causes crashes, consider uninstalling it.

3. If Ableton 10 is giving you trouble, you may want to test other DAWs that run better on the ARM architecture. Some users have reported success with BandLab's “Cakewalk”, which is free and may provide a more stable experience.

I tested this software on my grandfather's laptop (an ARM laptop), and I compromised by purchasing a new laptop with an AMD CPU and refunding the previous ARM architecture.

Due to the community rules, I can't provide you with specific third-party tools, you can check out Github, Reddit, and other tech communities for information and options for reliable and safe third-party tools.

Normally, community rules don't allow us to provide third-party apps or tools, but it's rare to see people on the community who have the same music hobby as I do, so I've described some of the choices and I hope it can help you. Of course you can also choose a more reliable brand through some related forums.

4. If you are still having problems, consider using another audio interface that is more compatible with ARM-based Windows devices. Brands like Focusrite or PreSonus may have options that work more seamlessly.
5. I recommend that you keep an eye on Universal Audio and Ableton for updates, as they may eventually provide support for ARM processors. Joining a forum or user group will also keep you informed of any developments.

I have not personally used Universal Audio or Ableton, but from what I've heard so far, the number of ARM-based devices is increasing, so I think they will be looking at supporting ARM processors and adapting apps and drivers for them.

6. If you need to record music urgently and these problems still exist. Perhaps you can do what I did and just return and buy a new laptop with an Intel or AMD processor, as they usually have more extensive support for audio interfaces and DAWs.

I personally recommend that you do what I did and get a laptop with an AMD processor, which I've had no problems with for four years now.

I sincerely hope that the above information and programs will help you! Please feel free to contact me  (Photos related to the question would be great!).

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best Regards

Arthur Sheng | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 3

Thanks for the quick reply! It's great to hear from you.

Waiting for the Volt 1 update is also a good idea, and I'm glad to hear that you still have an old laptop you can use for music recording, which at least helps us with the task of recording music.

I submitted your request through my own private account (not this work account on the forums) and the team involved.

I feel sure that as the number of users using devices with ARM architecture continues to grow, the development teams of similar applications or drivers will put adapting to ARM architecture on their agenda.

It is an honor to assist you and I hope my efforts have been helpful.

If you find my support helpful in some way, I kindly ask you to log in to the account where you posted the topic and select “Yes” under the post that offers a solution or “Mark as answer” my reply via “Advanced Tools”.

This small gesture will not only help other users to find useful information and solutions more easily, but also build a friendlier and more useful community for everyone.

Perhaps if more ARM users come across this issue and report back to the development team, I think an update will be coming sooner rather than later.

Let us look forward to the day when the ARM architecture is adapted to audio interfaces and software! :)

Cheers

Arthur