XXEngine3.exe stops working

[ivo]

Peter,

I have switched from 0.9y-4 to the current latest and greatest XX for several weeks now and congrats! It is better sounding in my setup as well. But I have several questions/problems:

1) When I press play (unattended mode) and after all files are converted and when XX window goes away I receive pop-up error message saying that XXEngine3.exe stopped working and will be closed. However playback is not interrupted. This happens every time and also when playback of the play-list ends.

2) This is from old times maybe, but I use to keep "Crack detect" disabled all the time. Is it possible to take off the info message, so it does not pop up every time I start playing and when I stop. BTW, I listen mostly FLACs, so keeping "Crack detect" to disabled is OK, isn't it?

3) I cannot use Engine#4 and this is because of not supported SPDIF. Is it planned to be supported? SPDIF is the only path I can go for now.

Thanks and Thank you for great work!

Ivo

[PeterSt]

Hi Ivo,

1) When I press play (unattended mode) and after all files are converted and when XX window goes away I receive pop-up error message saying that XXEngine3.exe stopped working and will be closed. However playback is not interrupted. This happens every time and also when playback of the play-list ends.

Assuming you are talking about Engine#3, this seems impossible to me. Unless ... unless you have another instance of XXEngine3.exe running. Can you check TaskManager for this please ? So, when the message is still on your screen, do you see two XXEngine3.exe's in there ?

2) This is from old times maybe, but I use to keep "Crack detect" disabled all the time. Is it possible to take off the info message, so it does not pop up every time I start playing and when I stop. BTW, I listen mostly FLACs, so keeping "Crack detect" to disabled is OK, isn't it?

No, this is not okay. Crack Detect works unrelated to FLAC's, unless you recognize that you receive those messages from (merely) FLACs only. In that case your FLACs aren't right ...

3) I cannot use Engine#4 and this is because of not supported SPDIF. Is it planned to be supported? SPDIF is the only path I can go for now.

I don't recognize what you are saying here, hence what means "not supported SPDIF" ? If your SPDIF device concerned shows in the list of devices preceeded with "KS:", it is supported. Whether it currently makes sound is another matter, and that will be solved in 5-04 (unless it is a 24-bit-only device, than it will be the version after that (I suppose) -> but I don't think your SPDIF device is such a device ?)

If your device doesn't show (KS:) then you have another problem, which I won't be able to change. But in that case, maybe look for older drivers, like this helped for the Juli@ case ...

If you have more questions about this, just shoot !
Peter

[ivo]

Assuming you are talking about Engine#3, this seems impossible to me. Unless ... unless you have another instance of XXEngine3.exe running. Can you check TaskManager for this please ? So, when the message is still on your screen, do you see two XXEngine3.exe's in there ?

Yes, I did check and there is another instance of XXEngine3.exe Why does it happen like this?

No, this is not okay. Crack Detect works unrelated to FLAC's, unless you recognize that you receive those messages from (merely) FLACs only. In that case your FLACs aren't right ...

Does it mean when Crack detect is ENABLED it makes SQ better? I receive crack detect errors sometimes on some tracks and playback stucks. It sounds like XX plays one sample all the time. So that is why I disabled it. What do you mean by FLACs aren't right?

I don't recognize what you are saying here, hence what means "not supported SPDIF" ? If your SPDIF device concerned shows in the list of devices preceeded with "KS:", it is supported. Whether it currently makes sound is another matter, and that will be solved in 5-04 (unless it is a 24-bit-only device, than it will be the version after that (I suppose) -> but I don't think your SPDIF device is such a device ?)

If your device doesn't show (KS:) then you have another problem, which I won't be able to change. But in that case, maybe look for older drivers, like this helped for the Juli@ case ...

Well, there is no KS:<my SPDIF device> entry in drop down menu if I switch to Engine#4. About drivers: see my signature. I use general purpose laptop equipped with IDT audio device (http://www.idt.com/?catid=7233908) and I do not think I can vary much with the drivers. BTW, I tried foobar2000 and its KS implementation and it seems working on my laptop. Is there significant difference in the way KS @ XX operates?

[PeterSt]

About the two times XXEngine3.exe :
This may happen with Attended and when a next track has to be loaded, but it is too long not available - like when the disk sleeps. It is this *second* instance which then fails (I don't know where, but the situation shouldn't occur in the first place, like I just have solved this for Engine#4).

About Crack Detect :
No, Enabling or Disabling won't matter to the SQ. However, Disabling it removes your protection from errors on my side, or "errors" in the file itself. So, no static will occur when something is wrong. FLACs (or any compressed format) is theoretically prone to "errors", although I never saw it happen *or* the internal FLAC checksum fires and the conversion will have no (WAV) output. Notice I only mentioned about FLAC because you seemed to imply you receive Crack Detect errors with FLAC only.
The messages you receive since the first Arc Prediction version is because you will be indeed using Arc Prediction, and the means to check for "cracks" does not anticipate on A.P. yet. Also, you will be playing at maximum digital volume; lower it a bit (like 3dB) and you will not receive the message for this reason. I currently have one (Turtle Records Audiophile) album that lets trip Crack Detect anyway, which in the end is because of too many steep dynamics (and "too many" is subjective to my thinking of what will be normal).

About KS:
Notice that you don't need to select Engine#4 in order to see KS: devices. If they are there, they will be shown anyway.
If you say you tried Foobar - on the very same PC and in the same circumstances - I would say Foobar won't show the KS: device either. Or at least I can't think of what could ever be different in the way Foobar "enumerates" the KS devices. In Foorbar they similarly show as "KS :" devices; so there you see it ?

[ivo]

About two times XXEngine3.exe:

New info: I have several situations when i receive error message about XXEngine3.exe closing:
1) Initial start of XX player brings the same error - "XXEngine3.exe has stopped working" AND there is 1 instance of XXEngine3.exe in memory.
2) No playback. Go to settings page and touch "Device" dropdown and the same error is up. Still 1 intance of XXengine3.exe in memory. This happens with Engine#3 and #4.
3) As I described previously - after pressing Play in UNattended mode and when conversion process is over I get the same error, but this time there are 2 instances in memory. One consumes many MBs of RAM - the one that plays, while other instance is just there, taking just little amount of memory. When I press OK in the error message window, the smaller instance gets killed and everything is fine.

Seems like there is no connection with disk sleeps as it happens on both internal HDD, external HDD, using even USB flash.
The most interesting that all this started ONLY with version 0.9y-5. There was nothing of the sort with latest -4.

About crack detect:
OK. But wasn't there info in this forum that digital volume must be at 0. Because only at 0 playback is bit perfect?

About KS:
Yes you were right. In Foobar there is no KS as well. There are DS: entries, but I assume this is different. So, if none of players can play via KS on my HW - does it mean problem with drivers?

[PeterSt]

FYI : XXEngine3.exe indeed is used also when "you" look for the sound devices available (since 0.9-y5). But in your case it errors out or won't stop ??
At knowing this, maybe you can find out more for me ? I don't get it really ...

About crack detect:
OK. But wasn't there info in this forum that digital volume must be at 0. Because only at 0 playback is bit perfect?

Of course, and notice that dropping the volume a bit only is a solution for something which is just wrong on my side (Crack Detect tripping too soon). And, there is nothing much wrong with disabling Crack Detect, as long as you are quite sure nothing is wrong (with the files (rare by itself) and with everything I do at converting etc. (which also is rare, but maybe not to trust haha)).
Besides, the digital volume in XXHighEnd is constructed so that you really won't loose on SQ, once used upon redbook material and a 24 bits DAC.
All 'n all you can just use it as how you got used to (Disable Crack Detect). I just tried to explain about it, and either case I hope I didn't confuse you.

So, if none of players can play via KS on my HW - does it mean problem with drivers?

That would be a tough thing to say for something (KS) which never has been supported by MS officially in the first place. And remember, the most current "HD Audio Device" drivers are explicitly not KS supported (although someone reported that working under XP).
So, I will never say "and thus I won't support that" (I was ignorant enough to start this KS thing in the first place), but if the device doesn't show up there is really nothing I can do to let it. Oh, I could, but there would be no means to get sound from it; Difficult to explain maybe, but this is all about objects exposing interfaces, and when such an object isn't there officially (like when I would fake it in a list), the interface isn't there either, and without interface there is no means to "control" it.


Peter

[ivo]

FYI : XXEngine3.exe indeed is used also when "you" look for the sound devices available (since 0.9-y5). But in your case it errors out or won't stop ??
At knowing this, maybe you can find out more for me ? I don't get it really ...

So, when I touch "Device" dropdown, error pops up, I press OK and I can select the device. It just happens every time I touch it.

All 'n all you can just use it as how you got used to (Disable Crack Detect). I just tried to explain about it, and either case I hope I didn't confuse you.

No, you did not. Actually I am going to use Crack detect DISABLED, but can you please remove this info window which pops up every time I run XX or press play warning me about usage of crack detect DISABLED. It just gets annoying. If really Crack detect ENABLED does not impact SQ directly, so maybe this warning message is not that needed. Count this as wishlist item.

(although someone reported that working under XP).

Actually on my other PC with XP I can get Foobar playing via KS. I will try XX -5 tonight as well.

(KS) which never has been supported by MS officially in the first place.

BTW, how is KS compared to WASAPI path? If KS is not officially supported by MS, shouldn't WASAPI be the right way of playing low-latency bit perfect then?

[PeterSt]

So, when I touch "Device" dropdown, error pops up, I press OK and I can select the device. It just happens every time I touch it.

Aha. Now, I don't think the X3PB log file will show anything about it, but just in case ... please post it !
An even better idea would be if you have a device around (could be an USB DAC) which enforces the X3PB log file to at least show "something" about KS, which it otherwise will not. Chances even exist that you receive the error because no KS devices are there in the first place (which I did not test !).

BTW, how is KS compared to WASAPI path? If KS is not officially supported by MS, shouldn't WASAPI be the right way of playing low-latency bit perfect then?

But it is, and is expressed so by MS.
... which apparently doesn't mean WASAPI now is the best path if it were for low latency. And to keep in mind : I am not following the official "KS route" but created something out of it which not the most normal.
Anyway, since WASAPI officially is the *only* path (left), for that reason we should say that, yes. But hey, I see this as our hobby, and as long as we can create a better sound by means of something old, why not. But always to keep in mind : any new manufacturer is advised to not support KS. Why ? because the means to unofficially go around KMixer have been made known to the public in the past, and it can only do wrong. Well , according to MS that is, who are so keen to let you hear an email coming in during music playback. WASAPI of course disallows that just the same, but via official paths.

But I guess I don't know much more about this than you do ...
Peter

[ivo]

Posting log as you requested, but not with USB device. Let me know if more logs are needed.

[PeterSt]

Is this from performing that drop-down ? I don't think so ... (?)

So, start XXHighEnd.
Goto Settings, and drop down the devices (this creates the error, as you say (?))
Now grab the log file.

[ivo]

Peter,

The problem is solved by version 5-06. Closing the case.

Ivo