When a game pushes your graphics card to nearly 100%, other programs, including Atout APO, may not get a chance to redraw their windows on time, so they can stutter or freeze. If a YouTube video on another monitor stutters at the same time, the cause is graphics card load, not Atout APO.
Audio processing is not affected. The EQ, Dynamic EQ and Compressor run separately inside the Windows audio system, so they keep working normally even while the app window is frozen.
Try the following steps in order:
- Update your graphics driver to the latest version.
- NVIDIA: NVIDIA App → Drivers → install the latest Game Ready driver
- AMD: AMD Software (Adrenalin) → update driver
- Restart your PC after installing. An outdated driver can cause the screen to freeze for several seconds or longer.
- Turn on upscaling (DLSS, FSR or XeSS) in the game.
- Choose Quality or Balanced mode in the game's graphics settings. This greatly reduces graphics card load.
- If it still stutters, lower the game's graphics preset by one step.
- Shadows, lighting/fog effects and view distance are usually the most demanding.
Tip: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) → Performance while gaming. If GPU usage stays at 98–100%, steps 2 and 3 will help.
If "Disable all sound effects" is turned on in Windows (Sound settings → your output device → Properties → Enhancements), no system-level audio processing — including Atout APO — will take effect. Check that this option is switched off (i.e., enhancements are enabled). If it's off, Atout APO will show an on-screen notice while running to let you know.
Still not working? Email us at support@atoutaudio.com. Attaching the log file below helps us diagnose faster:
Still not working? Email us at support@atoutaudio.com. Attaching the log file below helps us diagnose faster:
%APPDATA%\Atout APO\crash-log.txt
Yes. The first time you launch Atout APO while online, a 7-day trial starts on that computer. It is recorded on our servers by hashed hardware ID, so reinstalling or deleting app data does not reset it. The trial banner shows remaining days rounded up, and the last 24 hours as Last day, with Buy and Enter License Key. You can also Buy from the license screen. You can enter a license key anytime during the trial.
No account or login is required. An internet connection is required to start the 7-day free trial. After that, a paid license is checked briefly at each app start; if the server cannot be reached, a paid license keeps working for 7 days after the last successful check. The first start of a trial cannot be done offline.
A license key can only be used on one computer at a time. When switching computers, use the Reset Device feature — see License & device change in the guide.
It applies to any audio that plays through the selected playback device in Windows' normal (shared) mode — games, browsers, media players, and so on. Apps that use WASAPI Exclusive Mode or an ASIO driver bypass the Windows audio engine, so Atout APO is not applied. That is expected Windows behavior; see the ASIO question below.
Atout APO uses a Windows Audio Processing Object (APO) slot on your output device. Because of how Windows is structured, only one program can occupy that slot at a time, so Atout APO can't run at the same time as other system-level audio programs that use the same APO mechanism (manufacturer sound-enhancement suites, virtual surround software, etc.). Installing Atout APO temporarily disables the other program's processing, and uninstalling it automatically restores your previous settings. Programs that route audio through a separate virtual audio device instead don't conflict and can be used alongside Atout APO. Atout APO only reads and writes standard system audio — it never inspects or modifies the memory or files of any other running program.
Programs using Windows' WASAPI Exclusive Mode or an ASIO driver bypass the Windows system audio engine entirely and send signal straight to your sound card. In that case, no system-level audio program — including Atout APO — will be applied. This is expected Windows behavior, not a bug.
Atout APO automatically detects and registers active output devices, including ones connected through a USB hub or a different port. When you move a device to a new port, it may take about 10–30 seconds to attach — give it a moment before launching your game or audio program so Atout APO has time to pick up the change.
No. Your audio settings — EQ, Compressor, and the rest — stay on your system, so reinstalling picks up right where you left off.
Before starting an uninstall, close any programs that are playing sound — browser tabs with video, music players, voice chat apps, games, etc. Uninstalling while audio is playing can leave system audio silent until you restart Windows.
AtoutAudio does not collect usage analytics or listening data. See our Privacy Policy for full details, including what limited information is processed at purchase, at activation, and each time the app starts to verify your license.
An APO is a Windows-native audio plugin format that runs inside the OS audio pipeline for a given device. Because Atout APO runs as an APO, it can process sound in real time for anything played through your chosen device, without needing per-app plugins.