Playback is "chopped" -ACID Product Family - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:Playback is "chopped" Posted by: Djipy Date:10/11/2004 6:18:41 AM I've got a strange problem with Acid on my laptop. Often during playback, the sound is "chopped" as if Acid cannot read fast enough from disk. It happens mostly when many VST are used or when there are 5 or 6 beatmapped (disk-based) wave files. I've never had this problem before. There are more and more data on my hard disk : could this be the problem ? The hard disk is fully defragmented. Any ideas for solving ? Other question : is it possible to force Acid to load EVERYTHING in memory, even very long wave files ?
Subject:RE: Playback is "chopped" Reply by: Iacobus Date:10/11/2004 7:11:12 PM You could just be hitting a performance ceiling with your current hardware. Laptop hard drives aren't exactly the speediest performers vs. their desktop counterparts. 5 or 6 Beatmapped tracks could exploit this. You could bounce tracks down to 1 or 2 Beatmapped tracks if it's a problem. Some VSTis are notorious when it comes to hogging resources. Might want to look into that. Yes, you could force ACID into loading your tracks into RAM, but be forewarned: A typical, three-minute track of audio can take around ~50 MB of RAM or more. Be very careful. You can either access your track's properties and change it to a Loop (ACID will give you a warning and let you know how much RAM the track will take), or you can go to the Audio tab under Options>Preferences. Jack the rightmost value under "open files as loops if between" to 300 seconds (which is 5 minutes). Again, be careful. HTH, Iacobus ------- RodelWorks - Original Music for the Unafraid mD's ACIDplanet Page Guitars 4 Kids
Subject:RE: Playback is "chopped" Reply by: Djipy Date:12/19/2004 7:12:49 AM I have just found something odd, but without real explanation. My laptop is Pentium 2.4 Ghz. Some time after the "chopped' playback happened, I have tested the CPU speed with a tool. That tool displayed 1.2 Ghz... So, I guess the laptop ran at half speed. Today, for other reasons, I updated directX to 9.0b. When I opened an Acid project, with a lot of VSTi's and effects, I noticed that the playback was better ! No more chopped sound or very occasionally. I tested the CPU again and it said 2.2 GHz !! I guess there was some "hidden" problem with directX, because nothing else has changed on the laptop. Maybe these conclusions can help others.

Subject:Playback is "chopped"

Posted by: Djipy

Date:10/11/2004 6:18:41 AM

I've got a strange problem with Acid on my laptop.
Often during playback, the sound is "chopped" as if Acid cannot read fast enough from disk. It happens mostly when many VST are used or when there are 5 or 6 beatmapped (disk-based) wave files.
I've never had this problem before.

There are more and more data on my hard disk : could this be the problem ?
The hard disk is fully defragmented.

Any ideas for solving ?

Other question : is it possible to force Acid to load EVERYTHING in memory, even very long wave files ?

Subject:RE: Playback is "chopped"

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:10/11/2004 7:11:12 PM

You could just be hitting a performance ceiling with your current hardware. Laptop hard drives aren't exactly the speediest performers vs. their desktop counterparts. 5 or 6 Beatmapped tracks could exploit this. You could bounce tracks down to 1 or 2 Beatmapped tracks if it's a problem.

Some VSTis are notorious when it comes to hogging resources. Might want to look into that.

Yes, you could force ACID into loading your tracks into RAM, but be forewarned: A typical, three-minute track of audio can take around ~50 MB of RAM or more. Be very careful.

You can either access your track's properties and change it to a Loop (ACID will give you a warning and let you know how much RAM the track will take), or you can go to the Audio tab under Options>Preferences. Jack the rightmost value under "open files as loops if between" to 300 seconds (which is 5 minutes).

Again, be careful.

HTH,
Iacobus
-------
RodelWorks - Original Music for the Unafraid
mD's ACIDplanet Page
Guitars 4 Kids

Subject:RE: Playback is "chopped"

Reply by: Djipy

Date:12/19/2004 7:12:49 AM

I have just found something odd, but without real explanation.

My laptop is Pentium 2.4 Ghz.
Some time after the "chopped' playback happened, I have tested the CPU speed with a tool. That tool displayed 1.2 Ghz... So, I guess the laptop ran at half speed.

Today, for other reasons, I updated directX to 9.0b. When I opened an Acid project, with a lot of VSTi's and effects, I noticed that the playback was better ! No more chopped sound or very occasionally.

I tested the CPU again and it said 2.2 GHz !!

I guess there was some "hidden" problem with directX, because nothing else has changed on the laptop.

Maybe these conclusions can help others.