Software-based audio rendering

1. A computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform acts, comprising:

measuring a first drift rate between an external clock and an audio clock until the drift reaches a first threshold;

responsive to the drift reaching the first threshold and based upon the first drift rate, manipulating the audio clock to achieve a second drift rate having a smaller value and an opposite polarity from the first drift rate; and

further manipulating the audio clock so that the audio clock oscillates at the second drift rate around the measured rate between opposite polarities of a second threshold having a lesser magnitude than the first threshold,

wherein the further manipulating comprises determining a third drift rate which is smaller than the second drift rate and which is sufficiently large so that the audio clock drifts past the measured rate within a predetermined time period.

2. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , further comprising ascertaining a source audio sample rate.

3. The computer-readable storage media of claim 2 , wherein the measuring comprises determining a rate difference between the external clock and an audio hardware clock and adding the difference to the source audio sampling rate.

4. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time period equals 15 minutes.

5. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , further comprising calculating progressively smaller drift rates until a minimum value is established within which the audio clock drift will oscillate around the measured rate between opposite polarities of the second threshold within the predetermined time period.

6. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , wherein the second threshold is at least twice as large as an amount of jittering inherent to the audio clock and the second threshold is also small enough that at the second drift rate the audio clock drifts between opposite polarities of the second threshold in less than one hour.

7. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1 , wherein at the second drift rate the audio clock drifts from a positive polarity of the second threshold to a negative polarity of the second threshold in about the same amount of time as the audio clock takes to drift from the negative polarity of the second threshold to the positive polarity of the second threshold.

8. A computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform acts, comprising:

measuring an audio clock rate relative to an external clock rate;

manipulating the audio clock such that the audio clock oscillates at a first rate around the measured rate; and

further manipulating the audio clock so that the audio clock oscillates at a second rate around the measured rate,

wherein the further manipulating comprises determing a third rate which is smaller than the second rate and which is sufficiently large so that the audio clocks drifts past the measured rate within a predetermined time period.

9. The computer-readable storage media of claim 8 , further comprising selecting a first threshold value and wherein when drift between the audio clock rate and the measured rate equals the first threshold value, adjusting the audio clock rate to achieve a reduced drift rate relative to the measured rate.

10. The computer-readable storage media of claim 9 , wherein said adjusting comprises rendering at least one audio sample twice in a given unit time.

11. The computer-readable storage media of claim 9 , further comprising selecting a second threshold having an opposite polarity as the first threshold and when the drift reaches the second threshold further manipulating the audio clock rate such that the audio clock rate drifts back across the measured rate.

12. The computer-readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein said further manipulating comprises decimating at least one audio sample that would otherwise be rendered.