Subject:clipping, clicking, gaps. Mia problem or SF5.0???

Posted by: Lanco

Date:3/3/2002 3:24:07 AM

Hello

I have started a hobby here that I thought was really going to be a lot of fun and reasonably easy. I did all the research, have been having problems for quite a while with no satisfactory solution. I hope you folks can help me out.

I have:

Compaq 7360
Windows 98 SE
MOBO ??
Chipset=Via Mvp 4/686A
Echo Mia with 6.0 drivers
Western Digital 80 GB Hard drive
Sound Forge 5.0f
Cool Edit Pro SE

The problem is when I changed a few things around I started having problem. I think it is the Mia sound card. When I put it in I did not have a lot of time to play with it but everything seemed ok. It always made my record level flutter like mad even before I was playing any music , but later on it started to show clipping on the meters while recording even though there was no real change in the music. Then upon playback this clipping showed up as blocks sounding like a snowstorm on an old Tv that needed an antenna.

To try to make a very long story short, I have downloaded 5.0f which seems to help, I am also using a cassette recorder for my level control (yeh, I know this is a little different, but it works fine for this and does not change the tone). I use this of course to try to keep my level at -6dB. There is no longer any clipping, but now clicking,gaps, and flutter show up at 2496. Using 2448 it seems to about have cut out all or most of the clicking and gaps.

Interesting point: My Cool Edit Pro SE which came with the Mia seems fine after I downloaded SF5.0f!!!!! This only records at 2448. I also tried using Cool Edit 2000 as a comparison and it records fine at 2496.

Echo tested my card and sent me a new one with no explanation. They have not yet responed to my e-mail stating that it still does the same thing.

My via chipsets are not the ones listed on their box. However they are doing a survey on their site to see what other chipsets work ok with there products and mine are listed by someone as working fine.(In my research there was not one ad or review that said anything about the chipsets), and it seems to me they didn't think this was the problem.

Enter the Western Digital hard drive. A SF tech told me that he knew of a case or cases where this particular hard drive caused clicks and had to be returned. But no problem using on Cool Edit!! (The free version and the $69 version at that!!!!)

I think you kind of get the picture. This is totally mind boggling to me, not to mention the Echo techs. I am not a computer wizard but I also know that something is wrong here in the compatibilty department. I really don't know what to do here. I have no clue what the best solution is as of yet. I suppose I could record at 2448 but that is not what I wanted of course. Or maybe a cheap solution would be for me to puchase Cool Edit 2000 for $69 so I can record at 2496.

I am sure I have left something out of this epistle as there seemed to be intermittent things happening and I also tried different combinations of equipment and settings.

Help please if you can!!!

Thanx

Subject:RE: clipping, clicking, gaps. Mia problem or SF5.0???

Reply by: MyST

Date:3/3/2002 7:08:46 AM

I also own a Mia, but mine has been trouble free. I have the Via chipset, but one that WAS listed on Echo's site.
Also, you mention it works fine at 2496 with CoolEdit. The problem must be elsewhere.
I'm not a computer pro, but people often recommend changing the soundcard from one slot to another to see if that helps. Also, as you probably know, before recording make sure to disable anti-virus s/w, screensavers and do a defrag.
Sorry, that's all the suggestions I can think of.

Later.

Subject:RE: clipping, clicking, gaps. Mia problem or SF5.0???

Reply by: Lanco

Date:3/3/2002 12:58:20 PM

Thanks MyST

I either didn't see it on the Echo site then or didn't understand, as I am really a computer novice.

I had tried the card in different slots with no luck. I have been removing everything from icon tray, removing the screen saver, and clearing out everything on the close program window that I didn't need. I had also been doing the defrag, but not lately, not since I downloaded version f. I will give that a try again.

Thanx again

Subject:RE: clipping, clicking, gaps. Mia problem or SF5.0???

Reply by: Lanco

Date:3/3/2002 4:08:40 PM

Well I just tried recording on Cool Edit SE at 2448 with a better turntable.(Since this one WAS recording the best). Wanted to check the rumble on the Technics vs the Dual, and I started clipping in blocks of sound again. Definately intermittent.

Seems to me that the options that I have right now are:

1-Sound Forge improves compatability with a new update.
2- Echo improves drivers.
3-I get a new motherboard with appropriate chip sets. (Has version f taken care of the Sound Forge/Mia problems, or is there still going to be some problems?)
4-Get a new computer. (Definately last on the list at this time).

This sounds logical to me as much as I know about this stuff. But, what if I get a new mother board and get the came results? That could be a costly experiment.

What do you think about this? If this is the best solution, can anybody recommend any motherboards that will do the job but are very reasonable?

Could I replace the chip sets on my current motherboard, or would this be costly and or messy?

Any other suggestions appreciated.

Subject:RE: clipping, clicking, gaps. Mia problem or SF5.0???

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:3/3/2002 4:42:47 PM

Argggg. I wish i could just step in and make this work right for you. *sigh* I see problems like this reported a lot and i just feel exasperated on the part of the people having these problems.

I can run Sound Forge on an old 75MHz Pentium I machine with a 16MHz bus, only 32MB of RAM, 5400RPM non-ATA hard drive, and a scummy no-name $19 sound card, and i can record hours of CD quality audio without a single hitch. Why do people with much more powerful computers have so much trouble? It really has nothing to do with disk fragmenting, because even this computer can move the drive head around faster than the data comes in. I do always make sure that the only things running on my computer before i start recording are Explorer and Systray.

Replacing the chipset on your motherboard is probably not an option. They're usually paired together so that each supports features of the other, and often the chipset is soldered directly to the board anyway. Getting a new motherboard would be a lot simpler and cheaper (check out motherboards.com for their "combo" pricing), but you'd have to make sure it fits your case and supports everything else you have in your computer.

You did mention that your computer is a Compaq. We have lots of them where i work, and usually my installation procedure when we get one in is to boot it up to make sure it works, then immediately format the hard drive and install a genuine copy of Windows straight from Microsoft. The version of Windows that Compaq installs has been terribly bastardized by them to support all their features. I've found that almost every problem we have with the Compaqs disappears after we ditch the factory installed OS. You'll lose the one-button internet access keys and such things, but i've never known them to be worth the effort anyway. Even just disabling the hotkeys on the Compaq keyboard can speed your system up by 30% or more.

Maybe we need to start a forum thread titled "Systems that work", where we can posts specs of computers we have that just plain work without any problems. Perhaps we can find what's common with the working systems so that we can help identify what the problems are with those that don't work.

Subject:RE: clipping, clicking, gaps. Mia problem or SF5.0???

Reply by: dansolo

Date:3/4/2002 2:20:46 AM

i will agree with the last post that the compaq's are stupid in several aspects. i addition i'll add that your best bet is to either replace the mobo and start fresh with installing on a freshly formatted HD and then imedatly installing the latest chipset drivers and go from there. it is also prudent to take out all the cards and wait to install them after the system is up and running. this keeps windows from asuming too much about what you have.
you could go with what you got and do the above and go to VIA's website and get the latest chipset drivers for your chipset. if you find out that you have a hybrid mobo(different mfgrs for the north and south bridge chips) get rid of it and go with new. on a different subject how are you recording vinyl with out going through a pre-amp and RIAA eq? are you going through a receiver first? a direct siginal from a non preamped turntable would sound like crap and the output would require alot of gain making it sound even crappier.
hope this helps.

Subject:RE: clipping, clicking, gaps. Mia problem or SF5.0???

Reply by: Lanco

Date:3/4/2002 9:53:30 PM

Thanx for the suggestions. Keep them coming.

I did go to motherboards.com and looked in the combo section. Looks like a good company. I know that I will check with Echo and Sound Forge before purchase, thats for sure!!

Yes I'm using a harman/kardon receiver. The real fun will start when I do the old 78 rpm records with different curves than RIAA. Also they weren't all recorded at the 78.26 standard. I think there are some sites that can help me when I get into that.