Recordings issues, latency, ASIO monitoring, etc

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headquest wrote: The click/pop situation is still happening though, and I suspect that audiobot may be right in pointing to the GUI issue as the cause :? Perhaps I need to change the settings on my graphics card - might that help?
There is only a hnadful of things that can cause clicks and pops in recordings:

-processor being too busy to service incoming audio
-hard drive being too busy to write incoming audio
-system bus being too busy to allow processor, RAM, and hard-drive to talk to each other in a timely manner
-hardware interrupts locking the system at inopportune moments
-audio driver problem

The first three of these can be mitigated to varying degress by adjusting the ASIO latency.

The first two can be somewhat offset by temporarily freezing other tracks.

The third can be a little more tricky to deal with directly, but is often caused when the video card is hogging the PCI bus. There are well documented tweaks that can be applied to change the priority of the video card. I'll dig out a link if you need it. For USB based audio devices, other factors come into play and can make things more difficult still.

The fourth is basically a bugger, but shouldn't really be a significant source of irritation. Sometimes disabling certain hardware interfaces such as SCSI and Networking cards can help. On Win2k/XP machines, APIC should always be enabled in the BIOS - however changing the state of this setting requires a reinstall.

Sometimes simply moving PCI cards around physically can help though. I eliminated a rather annoying tendency for my SCSI card to cause audio dropouts by simply moving it up a couple of slots in my system.

The fifth problem can sometimes be helped by messing around with Tracktion's Direct Mode and RTPM options.
Someone shot the food. Remember: don't shoot food!

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That is really very helpful advice - thanks valley, I've not seen those issues explained so clearly. Have you considered a career in teaching :hihi:

Looking at the list and in view of various system tests/tweeks done previously, I suspect number 3 is the culprit. I would appreciate the link to more info that you mention if it's not too much trouble...?

There are two hardware issues related to my laptop which I will be adressing by upgrading in the next few months... the hard drive is 4200rpm, and I know I should get a 7200rpm one. Also I am on 512MB of RAM, and sometimes struggle (was initially bad in Live 4 but Ableton have got on top of that now...and T2 seems a bit more hungry than T1 was). I think I need 1Ghz soonish...

Anyway, as I don't have any audio recording issues in Live, Audition or T1.6, doesn't that narrow down the possibilities?

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PS, my graphics card shares the same IRQ with the Edirol USB. I understood from Martin Walker that this is no longer generally an issue, but could it be in your view?

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headquest wrote:That is really very helpful advice - thanks valley, I've not seen those issues explained so clearly. Have you considered a career in teaching :hihi:
Only if there are no students involved...

Looking at the list and in view of various system tests/tweeks done previously, I suspect number 3 is the culprit. I would appreciate the link to more info that you mention if it's not too much trouble...?
I think that would be a good place to start, at least.

http://www.mark-knutson.com/t3/dawguse.html
There are two hardware issues related to my laptop which I will be adressing by upgrading in the next few months... the hard drive is 4200rpm,
That wont help, as it greatly limits the number of tracks that can play/record concurrently. Freeze is your friend.
and T2 seems a bit more hungry than T1 was). I think I need 1Ghz soonish...
Traction seems to like to be fed RAM in general, but I hadn't noticed T2 being vastly hungrier than T1. I'm using 512MB too. I'm careful to ensure that there are no other applications running in the background on my PC though. I have no virus scans installed, or MS Office Assistant crap, for example.

Are you using memory hungry plugins? Also check what the audio buffer size is set to in Tracktion's misc settings. Making this value too large will usually have an adverse effect 'cos you gain no extra buffering stability but lose enough RAM that windows paging becomes an issue.
Anyway, as I don't have any audio recording issues in Live, Audition or T1.6, doesn't that narrow down the possibilities?
Probably. Given that some people are reporting that T2 is more graphics heavy than T1, it adds weight to possibility of video card load.
PS, my graphics card shares the same IRQ with the Edirol USB. I understood from Martin Walker that this is no longer generally an issue, but could it be in your view?
Check the APIC state in your BIOS. If APIC is disabled, then shared interrupts are a *really* bad thing. If APIC is enabled, then as Martin Walker suggests, interrupts are much less of a problem than in the old 9x days. That said, it doesn't hurt to try moving the card. I'm using Win2K with APIC mode active, and my SCSI card (which is actually idle for 99.999999% of the time) was still causing me grief.
Someone shot the food. Remember: don't shoot food!

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chico.co.uk wrote:Doubt anything would better "Three is the magic number" though ;)
http://www.postdiluvian.org/~gilly/Scho ... ation.html

Schoolhouse Rock Lyrics
Multiplication Rock (1973)

* Two: "Two Elementary, My Dear"
* Three: "Three is a Magic Number"
* Four: "The Four-Legged Zoo"
* Five: "Five, Ready or Not, Here I Come"
* Six: "I Got Six"
* Seven: "Lucky Seven Sampson"
* Eight: "Figure Eight"
* Nine: "Naughty Number Nine"
* Zero: "Zero, My Hero"
* Eleven: "Good Eleven"
* Twelve: "Hey Little Twelvetoes"

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valley wrote: Only if there are no students involved...
:lol:
Thanks 8)
Traction seems to like to be fed RAM in general, but I hadn't noticed T2 being vastly hungrier than T1.
No, I agree, just a little bit more though, which is no surprise as the program evolves 8) . This is where freeze is very handy, I agree.
I'm using 512MB too. I'm careful to ensure that there are no other applications running in the background on my PC though. I have no virus scans installed, or MS Office Assistant crap, for example.
I'm mostly clean there, but could make a bit more effort to optimise the system I guess. I do have a virus scanner on for example...
Are you using memory hungry plugins?
Not when recording, no. Being on 512MB do you find, as I do, that some VSTi plugs now use as much as 50% of your CPU? :-o

Once again, the freeze becomes essential! (or bounce to audio, of course 8) . In fact In Ableton I simply record the VST as audio <by routing the MIDI chanel straight into an audio one> in the first place to be on the safe side!)

When I was doing this recording the only plugs on the page were a Reverb and Final Mix, both strapped on the Master out but disabled, assuming this means they were therefore idle...
Check the APIC state in your BIOS. If APIC is disabled, then shared interrupts are a *really* bad thing. If APIC is enabled, then as Martin Walker suggests, interrupts are much less of a problem than in the old 9x days. That said, it doesn't hurt to try moving the card. I'm using Win2K with APIC mode active, and my SCSI card (which is actually idle for 99.999999% of the time) was still causing me grief.
It is enabled, yes.

I will read the stuff on the link later and see where to go next with this. Now that the kiddie project is over (and as I have other software options for recording that are working fine) I can investigate this at a leisurely pace! But I'll be damned if I dont get to the bottom of it and sort it out!!

Thanks for all your help valley 8)

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