I don't know much about the original example :) With DS, I have a playback/capture offset of about 500 samples in a release build (this includes codec delay, but not playback latency - but that's a few ms) There might be some processing in the default sample (e.g. capturing 1 s of data, processing it, and playing it back), some bad SC config or whatever. DirectSound shines for playback when you are mixing multiple buffers, do 3D sound effects, etc. Capture is a bit neglected in the DirectSound API. I am not sure if the waveOut API supports more than the 2 channels / 48kHz API - check that if you need it! OTOH, the waveI/O is extremely simple compared to DirectSound. In DirectSound, you cannot get robust duplex without running your own threads. You need some basic understanding of COM, and you have gazillions of soundcard configuraiton options, which you will spend a lot of frustrating time fine-tuning them. Pandoras Gift #44: Hope. The one that keeps you on suffering. aber.. "Wie gesagt, der Scheiss is' Therapie" boost your code || Fold With Us! || sighist | doxygen