Playback Drive avoids stops

[juanpmar]

I´m having stops while playing 09z-07 with SFS 2, Allow Phase Alignment activated and Phase active (+), Phase Intensity=1 and volume level -28,5/-33db. This happens when I play the music directly from my Music hdd. As it is said in the Manual, that could be improved (avoid the stops) with bigger SFS, more attenuation or with less Phase Intensity, the problem is that I like the sound with those settings. I realized that using the Playback Drive with those settings, the best ones for me, I can avoid the stops.

Although I thought that Playback Drive was sounding worse than using the Music hdd directly now after more listening time I think that the sound is very very similar, if not the same. I wonder if you, Peter, have any explanation on why using the Playback Drive can avoids the stops.

Best regards, Juan

[PeterSt]

The question is : what do you use for the Playback Drive ?
Mention as many specs as you can get hold of.

As it is said in the Manual, that could be improved (avoid the stops) with bigger SFS, more attenuation or with less Phase Intensity

The last mentioned is certainly not true. It is totally unrelated. However, once glitches are there, the more attenuation, the less audible. But point is : you should have ZERO glitches. And the Playback Drive 100% sure can help with that. Not that it was created for that, but alas ...

[juanpmar]

The question is : what do you use for the Playback Drive ?
Mention as many specs as you can get hold of.

If you are talking about hardware this is what I use for Playback Drive: USB 3.0 WD Elements 1TB (bus powered) connected to a powered hub of USB 3.0 seven ports (power adapter 5V/4A).

As it is said in the Manual, that could be improved (avoid the stops) with bigger SFS, more attenuation or with less Phase Intensity

The last mentioned is certainly not true. It is totally unrelated. However, once glitches are there, the more attenuation, the less audible. But point is : you should have ZERO glitches. And the Playback Drive 100% sure can help with that. Not that it was created for that, but alas ...

Well, I don´t have zero glitches, there is some pops when the first track is engaged and when I rise or down-rise the volume, no other glitches besides the mentioned stops. What I wanted to say is that the Manual says is that that glitches can be ameilloriated (less audibles) with more attenuation, etc.

What is certain is that using the Playback Drive avoids the stops although not the pops as the start of the album and when volume is changed.

Juan

[PeterSt]

Then you must try to find the better net buffer settings. It really can work easily. So if you can't do it with what's in my sig, I'm puzzled a bit.

What happens when you shut off the Wallpaper Coverart ?

Peter

[juanpmar]

Then you must try to find the better net buffer settings. It really can work easily. So if you can't do it with what's in my sig, I'm puzzled a bit.

Peter

Thanks Peter,

When I shut off the Wallpaper Coverart the sound stops after arourd 4 or 5 minutes the same way with the Wallpaper Coverart activated. This happens always when I don´t use the Playback Drive.

Sorry I have no clear what you mean with "net buffer", is it the Device Buffer or the USB buffer in the Control Panel?

I post here the screens of my settings to see if this way is easier to see if I have some error.

Juan

[juanpmar]

As I said I have stops and pops when I use the settings that can be seen in the previous post. I can avoid the glitches if I set the SFS to 50, the sound is also great but it seems more accurate with SFS at 2.0

Following the advises of A Guide to Glitcless Playback
(http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=2029.0), I´ve started the Task Manager to watch the cpu and memory behaviour, I haven´t seen notorious spikes at different settings as you can see in some printed screens.

At the end in the Guide it is said: "If you hear problems but don't see it on the cpu graph, watch the disk light and see whether it's related."
I don´t understand what disk light is talking about.

Juan

[PeterSt]

Hey Juan,

If it were for me you are mixing up things now. I mean, first you say that with Playback Drive you have no issues, only at start/stop, and next you continue with "but without Playback drive I have glitches". This does not work for me, because now I don't know what to answer anymore. So, one thing at the time, and I don't think it should be about anything with the Playback Drive in use (and otherwise rebuild your PC because it is clear (to me) that something is not right or on par). So …

With "net" buffer I mean the result of the product of Device Buffer Size, Q1 and Q1Factor. Otherwise see the ToolTip on Q1Factor (I think it is described there). Remember, this is about Start/Stop only, like you brought it up yourself (as actually the only issue).

But about that other issue :
When you hear glitches (or plops with Phase Alignment engaged) ... a disk light is a light which flashes when disk access is happening. Since all is priority related (OS and hardly XXHE), when sound stalls (a plop in your case) during disk access, you can bet that something chokes in that area.

I can avoid the glitches if I set the SFS to 50, the sound is also great but it seems more accurate with SFS at 2.0

I don't think it is the idea that I now start trying to tune everyone's system, only because someone told that SFS=2 sounds great. I mean, I am not the person to be addressed with such issues. At least I don't think I am. But the least I could do is write this : A Guide to Glitchless Playback. Maybe that helps ?

One hint : I format my music hdds with maximum blocksize for NTFS (64 KB). Did you ? or did you leave it at the default which is AFAIK 512 bytes. Now, divide the two into each other and plainly see it as the factor your disk access is slower than mine FOR THESE HUGE FILES.

One way or the other, hope it helps !
Peter


PS: You settings show you have it Off, but anyway better switch Off logging, because it causes quite some overhead on the small SFS. My PC can cope with it, but yours and other's may not.

[juanpmar]

Hey Juan,

If it were for me you are mixing up things now. I mean, first you say that with Playback Drive you have no issues, only at start/stop, and next you continue with "but without Playback drive I have glitches". This does not work for me, because now I don't know what to answer anymore. So, one thing at the time, and I don't think it should be about anything with the Playback Drive in use (and otherwise rebuild your PC because it is clear (to me) that something is not right or on par). So …

Sorry if I haven´t explain myself with enough clarity.

Always with SFS 2.0 and Phase Alignment Engaged:

- With Playback Drive: I have some plops at the start of the first track and when I change volume. However there are no stops.

- Without Playback Drive: I have the same plops as before but also the sound stops after a few minutes of playing.

Now I´m not using the Playback Drive, not until I solve the problems. I use only the Music drive.

With "net" buffer I mean the result of the product of Device Buffer Size, Q1 and Q1Factor. Otherwise see the ToolTip on Q1Factor (I think it is described there). Remember, this is about Start/Stop only, like you brought it up yourself (as actually the only issue).

I used the values between Q1=-1 and Q1=4 without positive results. Still the plops and stops.

But about that other issue :
When you hear glitches (or plops with Phase Alignment engaged) ... a disk light is a light which flashes when disk access is happening. Since all is priority related (OS and hardly XXHE), when sound stalls (a plop in your case) during disk access, you can bet that something chokes in that area.

My PC has two external lights, one is the on/off light and it is permanently on, the other one is the restart light and is flashing lightly all the time with SFS 2.0 or with SFS 50 with or without glitches. Is it the indication of some problem?.

I can avoid the glitches if I set the SFS to 50, the sound is also great but it seems more accurate with SFS at 2.0

I don't think it is the idea that I now start trying to tune everyone's system, only because someone told that SFS=2 sounds great. I mean, I am not the person to be addressed with such issues. At least I don't think I am. But the least I could do is write this : A Guide to Glitchless Playback. Maybe that helps ?

Of course you can´t tune everyone´s system one by one but you are a reference for all of us and we, the less technically prepared, need to follow your steps. Otherwise, sorry to say, it appears as something absolutely incomprehensible, at least to me.

As far as I know you have chosen the SFS 2.0 setting and if it works for you, and with that setting you get a great sound, I´d like that it would work for me also.
How do I know if SFS 2.0 sounds better or worse than SFS 50 if can´t make it works with SFS 2.0?.

Btw, I read several times the A Guide to Glitchless Playback as I mentioned in a previous post and found it very useful but even with that help I can´t solve all my problems.

One hint : I format my music hdds with maximum blocksize for NTFS (64 KB). Did you ? or did you leave it at the default which is AFAIK 512 bytes. Now, divide the two into each other and plainly see it as the factor your disk access is slower than mine FOR THESE HUGE FILES.

One way or the other, hope it helps !

All my hdds are formated as NTFS, I don´t know more details about that.

Thank you, Juan

[PeterSt]

My PC has two external lights, one is the on/off light and it is permanently on, the other one is the restart light and is flashing lightly all the time with SFS 2.0 or with SFS 50 with or without glitches. Is it the indication of some problem?.

No. Only that you can't use the light as a tuning parameter. And probably that you forgot to connect the wire from the MoBo to that light. Well, assumed every PC case has a light for the hdd controller. The MoBo sure will have the connection.

Regards,
Peter

[juanpmar]

Ok, thanks.
Juan