Audio drop-outs (apparently not overload or latency related)

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Thu May 06, 2004 3:32 pm

I've been trying out the Live demo on a low spec. PC to see how realistic such a spec. is for gigs, and I'm getting a fair number of audio drop-outs.

However, the CPU meter hasn't gone over 12% and the disk overload indicator hasn't lit up at all. I've also set my soundcard latency to 200ms, so it *shouldn't* be that either - although it is a crappy soundcard *without* ASIO drivers. (I've tried using ASIO4ALL too with mixed results - but then it isn't really supposed to work under 98SE anyway).

Anyone got any idea what could be causing the drop-outs? How likely would it be that a better sound card would fix the problem?

The spec. of the machine is PIII 500MHz, 128MB RAM, Win 98SE, UDMA 66 7200 RPM HD, Yamaha DS-XG sound card. Oh it has got one of those historically problematic VIA chipsets. How likely is it to be that?

I've been testing it with up four simultaneous clips (but at most two actual sound files, which were full tracks - around 6 minutes long each).

Thanks.

keydoggy · Post by **keydoggy** » Wed May 26, 2004 4:36 pm

I've just purchased and started learning/using live on a 2.8GHz laptop PC and find I cannot record even a single sample without audio drop-outs. My total latency is set around 800ms in an attempt to give the processor plenty of time. Also I have the RAM selected for playback, again an attempt to eliminate issues.

I'm going to try setting the Live app as a higher than normal priority using the Window's Task Manager. I'll see if that helps. But really this seems to be a ridiculous situation.

I'd be grateful if someone could help.

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Wed May 26, 2004 4:39 pm

Does your graphics card use shared RAM. I've read that that can be a problem. How much RAM have you got? tell us more about your set-up and someone might have an insight...

spiderprod · Post by **spiderprod** » Wed May 26, 2004 4:44 pm

check out your output latency

keydoggy · Post by **keydoggy** » Wed May 26, 2004 6:56 pm

Thanks for yr interest Robmasters & Spiderprod. I'm supposed to have 512Meg of RAM. I need to get home to check that out. Dont' know if my video shares RAM or not. I'm not sure how to find that out - is this info accessible in Windows XP?

My output latency is set at around 350ms. Input latency around 150ms and I put an extra 300ms in the setting box for total latency. This is a high as the total latency setting box will accept.

The CPU load meter (in Live) never goes above 25%. Even with masses of Effects and about 5 tracks running. I'm talking every effect in Live on every track. But, I know that the 25% is only the audio load made by Live and not the total load. So, I'll check that out too, when I get home tonight.

Thanks for the starting points in this.

- Cliff

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Wed May 26, 2004 7:04 pm

keydoggy wrote:Dont' know if my video shares RAM or not. I'm not sure how to find that out - is this info accessible in Windows XP?

Dunno. But that should at least tell us what your graphics "card" is, which might give us the answer. What laptop is it. Might be easiest to work it out that way.

Are you using the built in sound card? If it's not full duplex that could be your problem, I guess.

But I am just guessing at the moment. Post the full details on your machine when you can...

keydoggy · Post by **keydoggy** » Thu May 27, 2004 5:01 pm

Well, I do have 512M of Ram. The video is ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 chipset - which I found does share. However, according to Task Manager, there's plenty of Ram left (~300M still available) with Live running. So I don't think RAM's the issue.

The processor is at about 44% maximum when I was playing four tracks and recording a fifth, so I don't think that's the issue either.

Strangely, the whole thing sounded great for the first hour or so. Then I started getting drop-outs. I shut down and immediately started up again and it was fine for another 45 minutes to an hour.

Made me think that maybe the CPU was getting too hot or something. But, I started back up quickly, and it was ok, so I doubt it's heat related.

My buddy said that maybe the hard drive needs defraging, so I did that. Not tried it since.

I gotta say though - I had lots of fun with Live last night. Making music with Live is so easy and it just let's u experiment and add stuff so quickly. My buddy thought I was watching a movie!

keydoggy · Post by **keydoggy** » Thu May 27, 2004 5:12 pm

Sorry - my PC is a Pentium 4, 2.8GHz, 512MB RAM, WinXP pro. Made by Systemax. I'm using a low cost Creative Labs USB interface, not the internal sound card. But maybe the Creative Labs thing is too low end, it only cost about $50.

Strange that it sounded good for 1-1/2hours then started stuttering??

- anyone had similar experience?

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Thu May 27, 2004 5:13 pm

keydoggy wrote:Well, I do have 512M of Ram. The video is ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 chipset - which I found does share. However, according to Task Manager, there's plenty of Ram left (~300M still available) with Live running. So I don't think RAM's the issue.

The amount of RAM certainly shouldn't be an issue, but the fact that they're using the same RAM still can cause problems (even if there's plenty to go round). I don't know *why* this is an issue (I guess that maybe the traffic to and from the RAM is more than it can handle) but next time you get drop outs try minimising all windows (and not using the mouse) and see if they go away. You could also try reducing any graphics acceleration (I used to need to do this for Logic).

Your CPU is fine. But 44% does sound rather high. Is your laptop slowing down your processor when it thinks it can get away with it? If so that could be an issue. Check your power schemes. This might tie in with the fact that it last for an hour - maybe it's after an hour of what it considers to be low activity that it decides to slow down the CPU (or anything else).

By the way, how full is the hard drive?

keydoggy · Post by **keydoggy** » Thu May 27, 2004 6:08 pm

Thanks for the suggestion re power schemes. I'll try that next. Not sure how to adjust graphics accel, but I'll try to find out and do your experiment regarding closing the Live window.

The CPU only gets up to 44% very rarely, it usually less than 20%.

The Laptop is brand new. It has a 40GB HD, which is 83% empty. I defragged last night, but haven't used it since.

Thanks for the ideas. How about your problem - did you solve that?

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Thu May 27, 2004 6:17 pm

No, but I think it may be a lack of *physical* RAM. Or that VIA chipset. Keep meaning to retry with an extra 256 MB in. Not too worried about it though, as it's not the actual machine I plan to use. Going to get a cheap secondhand laptop (with more RAM and an Intel chipset) and see if I can get for better results.

stevo · Post by **stevo** » Thu May 27, 2004 8:48 pm

If you're using the laptop drive for your media clips, that could be the issue. Try to always use a 2nd drive for media so that your system drive is only running the interface. Be sure the 2nd drive has low seek time specs and runs at 7200rpm or greater.

keydoggy · Post by **keydoggy** » Mon May 31, 2004 12:03 am

I'm gonna persist in this because I think many may need to understand how to overcome drop-outs.

steve - thanks for the suggestion, but I'm not running media, only audio.
robbmasters - my powerscheme is set to never shut down anything while I'm running on mains powersupply, which I am.

Defragging my HD had no effect. Live still starts dropping out after about 45 minutes.

I emailed Ableton and they said I should check that I'm using v3.0.4 - I am.

Let me know if anyone has any other suggestions. In the meantime, I'm talking to Ableton and I'm let you know if anything works.

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Mon May 31, 2004 10:13 am

I'm stumped. But I can't help thinking that the fact that it only does it after around 45 minutes is significant. I just can't think of anything else that might only happen after 45 minutes that could cause a problem. If you reboot when it starts stuttering, do you get the same problem straight away, or only after another 45 minutes or so?

By the way, audio *is* media! I'm sure thats what Steve meant.

DADDY~KING · Post by **DADDY~KING** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 4:15 pm

AFTER TURNING OFF,LEAVE OFF OR TURN BACK ON SHOULD WORK OK
DADDY KING
WWW.LOSANGELLES.COM

Audio drop-outs (apparently not overload or latency related)

Audio drop-outs (apparently not overload or latency related)

Drop-outs

Drop-outs

Re: Drop-outs

Drop-outs

Drop-outs

Re: Drop-outs

Drop-outs

Drop-outs

TURN OFF THEN ON SPIDIF