Subject:Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Posted by: luces

Date:6/2/2003 10:05:01 AM

Hey there. I tried installing AP4.0c and I get really bad playback sound quality now. In 4.0b I can record and playback at 24/96, but in 4.0c it is bad sounding at any playback rate. I have notified the SOFO techs and they(as usual) are very helpful and are going to look into it, but I just thought somebody might have had a similiar issue that they didn't report to SOFO and they have figured a work around.

I don't want to download version "d" just yet b/c I have dial-up and it takes about 3 hrs and as the release notes don't state that my particular issue has been addressed in that version, I think I might wait.

I am usin Win98se and an Audiophile 24/96 card. The SOFO team said that they didn't do anything that should affect the soundcard drivers, but computers are mysterious creatures. Also, just so you don't suggest this....I tried every possible combination of play back buffering in both Acid and my Audiophile control panel. Also I have installed and uninstalled both versions 4 times and I still get the same result. Just wondering if anyone might have a clue.Thanks, Luces.

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: salad

Date:6/2/2003 10:20:17 AM

...Probably for different reasons, I noticed that this weeks 8 pack started playing back all distorted with the AP4c/d
The fix was to select a diff. playback device/apply, then reselect my default device/apply.

Hey Peter, did you guys ever get a hold of a M-Audio Quattro to check out?

If not, would you like to borrow mine? I would be willing to send it to you guys.

Pat

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: glyptic

Date:6/2/2003 7:11:28 PM

I am having that problem with XP on a new system. I experimented as Acid seemed to be sucking up all my system resources to playback my songs. I found that when I removed all of the DX plugins from my master buss and any additional busses, it played back fine. Why this is happening in 4.0c and 4.0d, I don't know. But I do know that upgrading to 4.0d did NOT fix my problem. Anyone else having this issue? Oh, yeah, I am also using an Aardvark Q10.

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: glyptic

Date:6/4/2003 2:03:27 PM

I fixed my problem yesterday. I was having the playback problem using additional busses all routed to the master buss. When I re-reouted the busses to Additional outputs the playback was fine. In Fact all I had to do was route one additional buss to another output and it solved my problem also. Try it and see if it fixes your playback problem.

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: luces

Date:6/4/2003 10:57:13 PM

Thanks. WIll do!!! luces

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: SonyJennL

Date:6/5/2003 12:30:19 PM

Hi salad-

We did get the M-Audio Quattro in the house and are doing extensive testing with it.

I can repro some of the problems (I haven't seen the distorted playback, yet- I'll give this week's 8 pack a try).

-Jenn

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: salad

Date:6/5/2003 5:13:33 PM

Thanks Jenn!

Known problems are: No ASIO 24 bit recording in Vegas and Acid Pro, frequent problem playing back projects that are set at 44.1KHz/16 bit using ASIO (unsupported sample rate/bit depth error message), and now the 24 bit WinClassWaveDriver issue in AP4.
Acid is still quite functional otherwise.

The distorted playback issue......
I'll try a few things here. I'll be restoring a ghost image this weekend which has 4.0b installed. I'm wondering if it's from using 3 USB devices simultaneously on 2 USB Host Controllers(Quattro, S90, and PCR-50). These devices along with an Audigy are all sharing the same IRQ.
This is why I was willing to let Peter have(I mean borrow ; ) the Quattro.
I should just go ahead with a pro level PCI soundcard which has s/pdif, and I can pull the Quattro and Audigy both.

Pat

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: SonyJennL

Date:6/6/2003 1:58:08 PM

Hey Pat-

I would venture to guess that the 3 devices all sharing the says IRQ is going to be a big part of the problem you are seeing.

I can't repro the distorted playback issue here. Try the Quattro by itself and see if that goes away.

The 24 bit recording problem I can reproduce as well as problems running 24bit projects in general. Keep in mind that if you have your Quattro mixer set to 24 bit then that may be what is causing the 16bit project playback problems. You need to have the Quattro mixer matching your project settings.

Try separating the devices let me know how it goes.

Thanks,
-jenn

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: dkistner

Date:6/7/2003 6:50:54 AM

On the issue of IRQ sharing: I've done some reading on how to tweak XP to get it to work well for digital audio (what was posted here a while back), and although there are ways to manually change IRQs, mostly it seems the recommendation is NOT to do it; to let XP manage the IRQs. Well, you know how that goes!

I kind of wish drivers could be written to be greedy and seize/lock in their own IRQ if that's what the hardware requires, thereby forcing XP to leave them alone automatically so we non-techies wouldn't have to think about it.

In the interim, I had to set up two different hardware profiles in XP (not hard to do), one that's got all my USB ports disabled and only my Echo Mia card (which requires its own IRQ) enabled for digital audio work. I have a general hardware profile set up that has my general-purpose SB Live and some of the USB ports enabled. But the hardware profiles seem to go hooey from time to time, usually in connection with my installing some update, and I don't understand why. It can be maddening.

SoFo, can you advise us (or point us to good, reliable help) on the IRQ issue as it specifically applies to Acid?

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: salad

Date:6/9/2003 9:00:38 AM

Jenn,

The "distorted" playback mystery seems to be solved.
False alarm.
I didn't bother with a ghost restore, but did do some uninstalls/disconnects of hardware.
Seems I don't have any problems at all with IRQ sharing or USB bandwidth. Here's what I realized I was doing, and can repro this every time:

Cycling thru a larg collection of 8 packs, I noticed some open up with the sample rate at 44.1 and others at 48KHz, but they always play back OK.
It's only when I try to change the sample rate of an open project, from 44 to 48, or 48 to 44KHz, that I would hear the "slow-distorted" or "fast-distorted" playback. This makes sense.

In AP4.0 - 4.0b, if I tried to change the sample rate of an open project, I would be greeted with error messages about unsupported sample rate, and it would just NOT play back. These updated versions(C/D) don't display the error messages anymore, and Acid allows you to start playback.....it's just - "funky".

Well, I read that you're NOT supposed to be changing the sample rate of a project anyway, just the bit depth as needed. So, I won't be doing that anymore.
Releasing the Quattro by selecting a diff audio device / reselecting Quattro fixes the playback.
So, no biggie! Acid 4.0d will reamain installed. I don't use CWD, but with ASIO 24 bit not working in AP4 or Vegas......it would be cool to see one of those fixed if possible. Sounds like you folks are able to repro this. Good luck & Thanks! I'd like to try and put up with the Quattro until Firewire/mLan becomes more affordable and widely accepted.
I should have gone for the Delta 66 ; )

Diane,
Cool idea about the diff profiles.
In 98SE and especially XP, I have yet to encounter any IRQ conflicts.
I couldn't find anything in the Echo manual about the MIA requiring it's own IRQ.
Here's an interesting quote directly from the FAQ's in the Aardvark Direct Pro LX6 manual:
Q: "What's the deal with the LX6 and IRQ's?"
A: "Although it may look like it, we do not use IRQ's. Windows will assing your Aardvark card an IRQ because it is a PCI device. However, we do not actually use the assigned IRQ, allowing other devices to share."
....Whatever that means.....

Pat

Subject:RE: Playback crackles and pops in 4.0c

Reply by: dkistner

Date:6/10/2003 6:33:02 AM

Pat, perhaps it was in the installation instructions I received with my Mia that insisted on the separate IRQ. In any event, when I first contacted Echo about problems I had with installation, they told me I had to get it on its own IRQ. When I did, it worked.