new Core i5 build = audio dropouts

JonnyC wrote on 11/17/2009, 9:01 AM

I've recently built a Core i5 based workstation for my office editing system, using Vegas Pro 8 and Windows XP Home (all latest versions) with a Tascam US-122 interface (details below*).

First let me say, I have never had an audio dropout problem on any computer I have used, once tweaked. I am experiencing frequent audio dropouts while using Vegas. And I point the finger at Vegas because I am not getting dropouts while using any other audio playback on say windows media player.

I have applied all the standard XP system tweaks. I really didn't expect this on a new state of the art intel system, at this point with computer tech, shouldn't audio playback be childs play?

I will give more details if necessary. Any thought please?

*System: Gigabyte P55M-UD2, Intel Core i5 CPU, 4GB G Skill memory (2 sticks), Gigabyte Geforece 8600 GT vid card, Windows XP Home sp3, Tascam US-122 audio interface

Comments

RalphM wrote on 11/17/2009, 12:44 PM

Where are the dropouts occurring? On Capture, timeline editing, PTT, etc?

JonnyC wrote on 11/17/2009, 1:12 PM

I'm not capturing footage. Any live video footage I use comes off of a FS-4HD dv file drive.

Dropouts occur from the timeline playback (pre-rendered or not) and file previews, with video, without video, audio as part of the video file and not...basically anytime.

I have tried a variety of settings in preferences, included deselecting track buffer, selecting track buffer and adjusting amount/time, tried using all audio device type options, including asio4all.

I'm just stumped.

xberk wrote on 11/17/2009, 1:42 PM

Can you transfer the files to your C: drive and see if the same problem occurs? If I understand you, all the footage is coming from the FS-4HD. I'd be curious if it has anything to do with the FS-4HD and Vegas. I just did a i5-750 build on a P55 Gigabyte Moboard myself but I'm using Win7 64. No audio problems in Vegas.

JonnyC wrote on 11/17/2009, 2:20 PM

Actually I'm not running files off of the FS -4HD. My workflow is to transfer them to an external eSATA RAID drive. And, I've tried files from a variety of drive sources and still same amount of dropouts.

Maybe I need to upgrade Windows 7 on this machine...working smooth for you, eh?

xberk wrote on 11/17/2009, 5:28 PM

Yes. Windows 7 working well but I don't use a lot of legacy software. Vegas 9.0c has a problem with still images so I'm using 9.0b with great success,. Renders and previews on the new i5 have blown me away for the bucks I spent. CPU and Gigabyte MoBoard were $200 !! .. I like WIN7 64 BIT. Just learning all the features. So far so good;

pwppch wrote on 11/18/2009, 2:30 PM

Are you using ASIO drivers with the US-122?
If so, what sample frame size are you using with the US-122?

If you are using the Wave Classic or Mapper driver in Vegas, what is the buffer setting?

Do you have Windows set up to use the US-122 as the default audio device?

Peter

JonnyC wrote on 11/23/2009, 1:04 PM

Hello Peter,

I am using ASIO with the US-122, max sample latency of 2048. I've tried all options including Wave Classic and Mapper, with all buffer settings. Yes, Windows is setup to use US-122 as the default, and I have the built in sound turned off in the bios.

I will say that since my original post that these dropouts are not exclusive to Vegas. And it seems to be related to disc activity (of course disc activity is related to audio playback, but sometimes not on the same disc).

It's really frustrating...by the way, this isn't a hobby for me, I'm a professional editor.

Any help is appreciated, thank you!

RalphM wrote on 11/23/2009, 2:03 PM

I had an audio dropout problem on a Win2000 machine that occurred only when using print to tape to drive a set top DVD recorder. I never did solve it.

I have a modest laptop running XP that has no dropouts in the same situation.

Have you turned off any anti-virus that may be running? Also, have you turned off indexing on the HD. Does Task Manager show any process running that looks suspicious?

quoka wrote on 11/23/2009, 5:41 PM

This sounds similar to issues we had with Vista - think it had to do with the O/S having to keep perfect sync between Audio and Video using a windows command (this is very general info as I can't remember exactly) and if it couldn't keep sync it would give drop-outs
. We tracked it down and turned off the setting - again I can't remember where/how as I'm not the sys admin guy.

If you want me to pursue some more info let me know and I'll go hunting. Thing that is strange to is that its on XP.

LarryP wrote on 11/23/2009, 6:58 PM

Don't see this much anymore but way back when there were some O/S installations which defaulted to PIO mode on the disk controller instead of DMA and is easy to check.

Start->Run devmgmt.msc

Expand the IDE controllers and double click on the IDE Channels. On the Advanced Settings tab check the Current Transfer Mode and make sure it is DMA something and not PIO.

Larry

MarkWWWW wrote on 11/24/2009, 6:07 AM

A buffer size of 2048 samples sounds surprisingly big. Try reducing it to the minimum available and see if it improves things. If it is still problematic at the minimum (probably 64 or 128), increase it step by step until you hopefully find a setting that suits your system.

(Although having a buffer size too low for the speed of the hardware will certainly cause clicking and popping, it is sometimes the case that having too large a buffer size selected will cause similar problems, for reasons I have never seen satisfactorily explained.)

Mark

pwppch wrote on 11/24/2009, 7:48 PM

I would enable your onboard audio.

Try that as your default audio device on Windows.

Does the problem occur when using the onboard audio?

Now try using the US-122.

Try plugging the US-122 into a different USB port.

Peter

Hulk wrote on 11/25/2009, 8:18 AM

Are you by chance using a wireless network card on this computer? If you are disable the wireless networking and see if you are still getting the dropouts.