ok jake_syd. points noted. although you didnt have to be such a jerk in replying.
i would like to detail my ASIO problem a little bit more here since i didnt make it absolutely clear why i think the ASIO drivers are the problem. if i use delta 1010 multi out drivers i get no problems whatsoever but i have to use very high latencies b/c my CPU is not that fast and really grinds after a few plugins are added. switching to ASIO changes the sound (i dont know why but it is noticeably much louder and sounds more echoey, this really threw me off when i programmed patches on the virus using the ASIO drivers then switched to the multi out when CPU load got high enough for my PC to start crashing). but the main point of this is that using ASIO i can get 1ms latency. so i use this up until i get into the 80% region. when i start getting into this CPU load range, pressing play in fl studio causes my PC to start grinding and my mouse becomes choppy and difficult to control. if i can quickly move the mouse over to the stop button and quickly click it, i can save it from locking up completely, otherwise it locks up and i can hear my song looping incorrectly in this loud out of sync mess. switching to multi out drivers eliminates this problem. switching to the default drivers eliminates this problem. reverting to my integrated sound card eliminates this problem. however i feel i have to use those ASIO drivers because i cannot play keyboard with 100 ms+ latency.
i think its fair to assume that given this, it would not be too illogical to assume that the ASIO drivers do not like my PC at high CPU loads since all the other driver options are cool with it. how can it be a fault with my PC if i can use the delta's multi out drivers and it doesnt lock up?
i know i dont need a preamp. however, my virus does not go very loud and it distorts when i max it out. and to top it off, changing the input source in fl studio's mixer from 'none' to 'delta 1010 analogue in 1/2' changes the sound of the virus playing back, quite drastically. ive removed the midi out from the virus to the midi in on the delta. nothing changes.
pardon me but why do you recommend i pick up a 2 in/2 out USB midi interface? you mean like motu fastlane? i have a wordclock in/out on my delta. i know what wordclock does, but if at some point i plan on replacing my delta, some of the options i considered do not have wordclock. would a midi interface function in a similar capacity? basically send fixed midi clock to all devices so it reduces possible sync errors?
me not adding parapgraphs and formatting to my email has nothing to do with me having to 'educate' myself in the ways of using my PC, except that you can put both in the same sentence for a cheap shot at me. whatever. whether you acknowledge it or not, PCs crash. even the best of em and even the well maintained ones and sometimes, yes! its partly to do with the way they interact with software or external hardware through their drivers. googling 'm-audio delta 1010' or 'm-audio delta 1010 ASIO +problem' returns hundreds of sale sites and review sites. im sorry i couldnt find musicxp you know, i guess i must just a newbie - feel bigger now?
the forums i did find pointed to lots of problems with firewire 410 drivers. couldnt find much on the delta except someone on kvr had a similar problem to me with a 1010 but the thread had zero replies. oh well.