SL500, Windows 7: Problems with external Firewire audio interface and Digitus USB KVM switch [ Edited ]

[belochim]

Hi,

I have a Presonus Firestudio Project audio interface which connects via Firewire to my Lenovo SL500. On the Sl500 is Windows 7 x86 installed. I also have 2 control surfaces (Akai APC20 and M-Audio UC33e), 1 Midi Interface and a kvm-switch connected via USB.

Almost each time I make music with Ableton Live or Cubase I get gaps in my audio stream. The audio playback just stops for 1 to 10 seconds and the surface of my DAW freezes. This gets especially awkward when I am recording.

Recently I deactivated all devices in BIOS except Firewire and USB but I am still running into the same problem. Then I had a look at the Windows 7 system information and saw - section Problems/Sharing - that USB and Firewire share the same IRQ. I am almost certain that this is the problem causing the audio gaps.

Is there a way to chanmge the IRQ settings in Lenovo's Sl500 BIOS?

Best regards,

belochim

[belochim · Accepted solution]

After plugging in and installing an USB audio interface that I borrowed from a friend I noticed that each time I switched my KVM-Switch to the other PC Ableton's surface froze for a second. The audio stream on the other hand kept going and going just as it was supposed to.

The KVM switch is a "Digitus 2-Port Pocket USB KVM switch", model No. "DS-11402-1". This KVM switch seem to make a kind of broadcast within the USB bus which then interupts the audio stream running on Firewire.

[belochim]

...seems I need to buy a USB audio interface now :/