FIXED!! DESPERATE!! Increasing Audio Dropouts

[BasUitermark]

Have you recently ran a DPC Latency checker like http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon ?
That will stop the guessing and will pinpoint the real culprit.

I've run along side Cubase just now for about 7 minutes. I don't know how to read it, but this is what is says:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CONCLUSION
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your system appears to be suitable for handling real-time audio and other tasks without dropouts.
LatencyMon has been analyzing your system for 0:07:41 (h:mm:ss) on all processors.


_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SYSTEM INFORMATION
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Computer name: BAS-PC
OS version: Windows 10 , 10.0, build: 17134 (x64)
Hardware: MS-7A94, Micro-Star International Co., Ltd, X299 RAIDER (MS-7A94)
CPU: GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7820X CPU @ 3.60GHz
Logical processors: 8
Processor groups: 1
RAM: 16062 MB total


_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU SPEED
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reported CPU speed: 360 MHz

Note: reported execution times may be calculated based on a fixed reported CPU speed. Disable variable speed settings like Intel Speed Step and AMD Cool N Quiet in the BIOS setup for more accurate results.

WARNING: the CPU speed that was measured is only a fraction of the CPU speed reported. Your CPUs may be throttled back due to variable speed settings and thermal issues. It is suggested that you run a utility which reports your actual CPU frequency and temperature.



_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEASURED INTERRUPT TO USER PROCESS LATENCIES
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The interrupt to process latency reflects the measured interval that a usermode process needed to respond to a hardware request from the moment the interrupt service routine started execution. This includes the scheduling and execution of a DPC routine, the signaling of an event and the waking up of a usermode thread from an idle wait state in response to that event.

Highest measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 714,808482
Average measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 7,333997

Highest measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 458,239739
Average measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 2,720217


_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
REPORTED ISRs
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Interrupt service routines are routines installed by the OS and device drivers that execute in response to a hardware interrupt signal.

Highest ISR routine execution time (µs): 144,919444
Driver with highest ISR routine execution time: dxgkrnl.sys - DirectX Graphics Kernel, Microsoft Corporation

Highest reported total ISR routine time (%): 0,070119
Driver with highest ISR total time: dxgkrnl.sys - DirectX Graphics Kernel, Microsoft Corporation

Total time spent in ISRs (%) 0,109228

ISR count (execution time <250 µs): 426574
ISR count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 500-999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 1000-1999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 2000-3999 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0


_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
REPORTED DPCs
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DPC routines are part of the interrupt servicing dispatch mechanism and disable the possibility for a process to utilize the CPU while it is interrupted until the DPC has finished execution.

Highest DPC routine execution time (µs): 434,938333
Driver with highest DPC routine execution time: ndis.sys - NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification), Microsoft Corporation

Highest reported total DPC routine time (%): 0,471256
Driver with highest DPC total execution time: Wdf01000.sys - Kernel Mode Driver Framework-runtime, Microsoft Corporation

Total time spent in DPCs (%) 0,618194

DPC count (execution time <250 µs): 1687563
DPC count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 500-999 µs): 87
DPC count (execution time 1000-1999 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 2000-3999 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0


_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
REPORTED HARD PAGEFAULTS
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hard pagefaults are events that get triggered by making use of virtual memory that is not resident in RAM but backed by a memory mapped file on disk. The process of resolving the hard pagefault requires reading in the memory from disk while the process is interrupted and blocked from execution.

NOTE: some processes were hit by hard pagefaults. If these were programs producing audio, they are likely to interrupt the audio stream resulting in dropouts, clicks and pops. Check the Processes tab to see which programs were hit.

Process with highest pagefault count: chrome.exe

Total number of hard pagefaults 4507
Hard pagefault count of hardest hit process: 860
Number of processes hit: 65


_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PER CPU DATA
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU 0 Interrupt cycle time (s): 40,607014
CPU 0 ISR highest execution time (µs): 127,440556
CPU 0 ISR total execution time (s): 1,469125
CPU 0 ISR count: 321589
CPU 0 DPC highest execution time (µs): 379,908889
CPU 0 DPC total execution time (s): 19,637425
CPU 0 DPC count: 1442350
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU 1 Interrupt cycle time (s): 21,621716
CPU 1 ISR highest execution time (µs): 144,919444
CPU 1 ISR total execution time (s): 2,549216
CPU 1 ISR count: 97553
CPU 1 DPC highest execution time (µs): 434,938333
CPU 1 DPC total execution time (s): 2,880284
CPU 1 DPC count: 209275
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU 2 Interrupt cycle time (s): 5,598567
CPU 2 ISR highest execution time (µs): 14,148333
CPU 2 ISR total execution time (s): 0,004658
CPU 2 ISR count: 2721
CPU 2 DPC highest execution time (µs): 193,450
CPU 2 DPC total execution time (s): 0,140563
CPU 2 DPC count: 11743
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU 3 Interrupt cycle time (s): 5,247670
CPU 3 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0,0
CPU 3 ISR total execution time (s): 0,0
CPU 3 ISR count: 0
CPU 3 DPC highest execution time (µs): 308,546111
CPU 3 DPC total execution time (s): 0,042532
CPU 3 DPC count: 8024
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU 4 Interrupt cycle time (s): 5,477520
CPU 4 ISR highest execution time (µs): 14,015556
CPU 4 ISR total execution time (s): 0,005611
CPU 4 ISR count: 4711
CPU 4 DPC highest execution time (µs): 247,377222
CPU 4 DPC total execution time (s): 0,018096
CPU 4 DPC count: 3873
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU 5 Interrupt cycle time (s): 5,276604
CPU 5 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0,0
CPU 5 ISR total execution time (s): 0,0
CPU 5 ISR count: 0
CPU 5 DPC highest execution time (µs): 165,638333
CPU 5 DPC total execution time (s): 0,023530
CPU 5 DPC count: 4136
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU 6 Interrupt cycle time (s): 5,364056
CPU 6 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0,0
CPU 6 ISR total execution time (s): 0,0
CPU 6 ISR count: 0
CPU 6 DPC highest execution time (µs): 176,303889
CPU 6 DPC total execution time (s): 0,028725
CPU 6 DPC count: 4199
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CPU 7 Interrupt cycle time (s): 5,592878
CPU 7 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0,0
CPU 7 ISR total execution time (s): 0,0
CPU 7 ISR count: 0
CPU 7 DPC highest execution time (µs): 170,972778
CPU 7 DPC total execution time (s): 0,029428
CPU 7 DPC count: 4050
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[chk071]

Do you have your CPU overclocked, or something?

[BasUitermark]

Sysinternals (aquired by Microsoft some years ago) have various utilities, including one called ProcExp. Might be worth running that at the same time as your DAW to see if anything else is hogging resources.

Doesn't seem like it to me. But what I did find out is that when Cubase is having these problems it hogs up way more cpu and ram than normal.

[BasUitermark]

Do you have your CPU overclocked, or something?

Nope. Haven't done anything to it since I put it in together with a new motherboard and RAM in September 2017.

[BasUitermark]

Just did another LatencyMon without Cubase running and I got a totally different outcome.

Here a dropbox link to the results with and without Cubase running.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ltcinosqyiwv ... mF8ma?dl=0

[Pictus]

First create a restore point
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use- ... windows-10

20 ways to optimize your Windows 10 PC for music production
https://bandzoogle.com/blog/20-ways-to- ... production

You have a lot of stuff running in the background along with Cubase, that is not good...
I would do a clean Windows installation and only install the updated drivers + Cubase and nothing else.
To remedy the current situation, in Process Explorer right click Cubase9.5.exe and change the
"Priority" to High or even "Real Time".
If it works instead Process Explorer use Process Hacker https://wj32.org/processhacker/nightly.php
as it can save the "Priority" status.

[Pictus]

...

[Digic]

A friend of mine had a similar problem. He updated the motherboard BIOS and all was good from that point. I see that your mobo have BIOS update that is released a month ago. Try that, if you haven't.

[BasUitermark]

First create a restore point
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use- ... windows-10

20 ways to optimize your Windows 10 PC for music production
https://bandzoogle.com/blog/20-ways-to- ... production

You have a lot of stuff running in the background along with Cubase, that is not good...
I would do a clean Windows installation and only install the updated drivers + Cubase and nothing else.
To remedy the current situation, in Process Explorer right click Cubase9.5.exe and change the
"Priority" to High or even "Real Time".
If it works instead Process Explorer use Process Hacker https://wj32.org/processhacker/nightly.php
as it can save the "Priority" status.

Putting Cubase on Real Time Priority does indeed fix it to an extent. I can know work on a buffer size of 512 but any lower and the real time peak starts well... peaking.

So I'm just gonna do the clean Windows Installation as I already have all my important files backed up on a online backup service and have a extra backup on another drive.

I'll let you guys know how it went.

[zzz00m]

A tip sheet from Native Instruments

Windows Tuning Tips for Audio Processing
https://support.native-instruments.com/ ... Processing

[Jbravo]

I had a similar problem which started with the latest Win10 update

After using latencymon I was able to identify the culprit (a dll whose name I can't remember) but after doing some research it was remedied by resetting the power settings to default. I also had to edit the registry as the default power settings were missing and the restore to default button was greyed out

I was getting audioglitches every 3 or 4 seconds and a big latency spike shown in latency monitor

[zzz00m]

I never let Win 10 update until I have taken a disk image to do a full restore from. Just. in. case.

[fluffy_little_something]

I never let Win 10 update until I have taken a disk image to do a full restore from. Just. in. case.

Windows Update doesn't really ask for permission

[BasUitermark]

I had a similar problem which started with the latest Win10 update

After using latencymon I was able to identify the culprit (a dll whose name I can't remember) but after doing some research it was remedied by resetting the power settings to default. I also had to edit the registry as the default power settings were missing and the restore to default button was greyed out

I was getting audioglitches every 3 or 4 seconds and a big latency spike shown in latency monitor

Mine where a lot long than 3 of 4 second. More like 20 to 30 seconds and that happens across all sessions all day long.

[BasUitermark]

Just finished reïnstalling everything. It took me a couple of hours but I'm finally done.

And it worked!!!

Before I wasn't able to run my session below a buffer size of 2048. Now I can go as low as 64 (with a plugin count of around180 plugins), maybe 32 if it's a simple project.

It wasn't just my windows instance but also a plugin as well. Helix Native to be exact. Hogs up all my cpu. But it's no problem if I freeze it after I made my bass tones with it.

Well I'm glad I'm finally done with this.

Thank you all for your help and suggestions. You guys are the true hero's