Audio drop outs on laptop...

deckme(N)tal · Post by **deckme(N)tal** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 11:19 am

Hi,
i have a centrino 1.7, 1 gb ram, a m-audio fw 410 and live5.
I get some glitches and dropout when cpu is aroun 60-70%.
This happens with some cpu hungry softsynths and with Stylus Rmx especially when i set a loop,in the arrangement window, at the beginning of the bar..i have tried audio buffers from 128 to 1024..but no way...
my daw is optmized for audio
Do you think is an soundcard problem?
Anyone having this problem...or is it just a normal behaviour at that cpu usage level?
i upgraded to live 5 one month ago...with live 4 i had less problems and more fluid audio...

Chris J · Post by **Chris J** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:31 pm

yeah typically at this CPU level you get some troubles.

when you say in live 4 you didn't get this, was it with the same CPU consumption ?
I have the same trouble but in live 4 I wasn't using complex mode (for a good reason

) but now I am a lot, and the CPU is working harder > drop outs.

deckme(N)tal · Post by **deckme(N)tal** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:41 pm

i was getting some of these problems...but less often
Live 4 was more clean on audio....
i will try to upgrade my 410 drivers anyway...
i have to switch off some functions i don't really use...like complex warping...i use live more as a production tool...so i am not really in to warping tracks...
Thnks..

Chris J · Post by **Chris J** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:55 pm

deckme(N)tal wrote:i was getting some of these problems...but less often
Live 4 was more clean on audio....
i will try to upgrade my 410 drivers anyway...
i have to switch off some functions i don't really use...like complex warping...i use live more as a production tool...so i am not really in to warping tracks...
Thnks..

me too, production tool, but complex is most welcome, you record tracks, you speed em up or slow down, and often that's the best mode for me.

koi-kto · Post by **koi-kto** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 2:20 pm

I've got clicks problems with audio in the next conditions:
64 bytes buffer - cpu load > 40%
128 bytes buffer - cpu load > 70%
1024 bytes buffer - cpu load >90%
My system is Centrino 1.4, 700 Mb, Echo Audiofire 8, Ableton 5, WinXPSP2
The most important thing in WinXP tuning is set Control Panel\System\Advanced\Performance\Settings\Advanced\Processor scheduling=Background Services, check whether you have it.
Also one could try setting Ableton process priority to "Relatime" in Task Manager. And check you devices' irq's - ideally firewire shouldn't share irq with other devices especially video and probably usb. To fix this problem I bought PCMCIA-Firewire controller to have audio at irq 4 rather than at irq 11 (since I physically cannot change irq distribution at my laptop).
Good luck!

deckme(N)tal · Post by **deckme(N)tal** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:04 pm

ok...thanks for the tips...will keep u updated

Chris J · Post by **Chris J** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:15 pm

musicXP.net is the place to check before making music on a PC.

deckme(N)tal · Post by **deckme(N)tal** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:33 pm

done a lot of time ago

zizack · Post by **zizack** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 4:37 am

this thread is really making me think...it seems a lot of you would almolst prefer version 4 over 5? I'm planning on incorporating Live into my live dj sets and still haven't decided between version 4 and 5

Chris J · Post by **Chris J** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:25 am

zizack wrote:this thread is really making me think...it seems a lot of you would almolst prefer version 4 over 5? I'm planning on incorporating Live into my live dj sets and still haven't decided between version 4 and 5

well we were three on this thread and one person said it didn't occur as much on 4. Try the demo ...

deckme(N)tal · Post by **deckme(N)tal** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:29 pm

Update..
i bought a firewire pcimia to connect my fw 410...and now everything goes smooth as butter...

i guess it was a irq sharing problem....
thanks a lot for the tip!
this forum rockss

BUT...the strange thing is that it is all connected to irq 9 as before..