0.9u-12 --> Hiccups and Clicks

[PeterSt]

The separately uploaded XXEngine3 was dedicated to Scheme-3;
0.9u-14a works with all the Schemes (and thus incorporates a newer version of XXEngine3, which you can see by the date it carries).

I hope we understand eachother ...

[edward]

The separately uploaded XXEngine3 was dedicated to Scheme-3;
0.9u-14a works with all the Schemes (and thus incorporates a newer version of XXEngine3, which you can see by the date it carries).

I hope we understand eachother ...

Nope, you lost me again.

0.9u-14a was posted 04/14.
You posted on 04/16 about the "new" XXEngine3.exe.
Now which one am I supposed to be using??

(Bare in mind, I'm using Scheme 1 and I don't want to change it)

[PeterSt]

You are completely right Edward. I am very sorry for the confusement;

I did apply those changes I mentioned, but never uploaded that as a new version, and they *are* just in that separately uploaded zip.
Time for a vacation ?

As a matter of fact, I now recall I was waiting for your response on that separately uploaded zip before uploading a full version which should include it. And I never did.

To make it more clear : you listened to the intended combination, and apparently it still doesn't work 100% for you.
Added to that I listened to Scheme-2 where I should have been listening to Scheme-1 in order to copy your behaviour ... you can well say that my mistakes are going to add up.




PS: I will try Scheme-1 now.

[PeterSt]

After 7 tracks and Scheme-1 on a first album I just receive my (0.3 sec or so) hiccup between tracks ...

[edward]

Well, if you can find a pattern I'll be happy to dive into it again.

I've only had a chance to listen once, so I will try again later to make sure this is repeatable.

Well . . . I listened again, and it is indeed repeatable. Although, I must say, it does seem to be more subtle than with previous versions.

[PeterSt]

Thank you Edward.

[PeterSt]

Edward,

I didn't get around to explicitly testing your situation, with the -honestly- idea I can't improve on it anymore. This idea is also given to me by the fact that I one time (yes, one time only during all this time now) had a small hiccup with Scheme-3 and Q1= 14. And, since Scheme-3 is the best solution for spreading resources for all of the other services/threads (which Scheme-1 does not), there's no solution in there as well (like temporarily spreading everything over the two cores). But :

Today, during testing something else, and by pure coincidence, I saw the small hiccup occurring during the drawing of the Wallpaper. So now I'm thinking it is just that doing it. Or at least *now* that is doing it (and the longer hiccups from before indeed were caused by some I/Os that receive priority by the system).
Oh, that process drawing the Wallpaper has the lowest priority already ...

Might you be with the screen in front of your nose during listening, can you confirm this ? No obligations, but might you see it by accident ...

Peter


PS: Might it be relevant ... my Wallpaper is set to 590 (and playback is UnAttended).

[pedal]

I have read this thread carefully and realize I have the same problems: Occasional short ticks. Sometimes they last for many seconds, somewhat like "50%" traditional harmonic distortion, with changing intensity - let's call it "scratches"?! (I never had "digital" noise like dropouts or bursts). Obviously its a resource conflict between Vista and XX, as you have discussed above.

I am not an PC-expert. My brother is. I will ask him to study this thread to see if he can come up with something clever. In the mean time I am fidling around, using the trial&error technic. (Not to be underestimated, that's how Colombus discovered America). Here are some observations:

Observation 1:
In Windows > Task Manager > Performance there is a button called "Resource Monitor". This feature has lately become my favourite watch (apart from The Simpsons, of cource). Here I notice that Vista is running A HELL OF A LOT OF system operations. There are more operations first 30 minutes after rebooting. Also, more operations early in the day. (Probably Vista has a lot to monitor, update, etc, etc). Ticks and scratches seems to happen more, when Vista is bussy.

Observation 2:
Setting both priorities to "Nothing" seems to help a litle bit.

Observation 3:
Changing Scheme from 3 to 1 seems to help a lot! BONUS: I feel an interesting change in SQ between 3 and 1. EDWARD: Can you pls describe your opinion of SQ diference between Scheme 1 and 3? (You first, then I'll tell mine... ).

Observation 4:
When useing XX: I never load only 1 track. Normally I load an album and play some tracks, or all the tracks in a row. Eventully I load a readymade playlist of 10-20 songs taken from various albums. This is probably common use also by you. If such a playlist has been in use, it seems that the "pre-processing" of those songs is present even if XX is turned off/on. To completely remove them I have to reboot the PC. This is necessary if I am testing the VISTA performance with different settings to get rid of ticks and scratch noises. At least this is what it seems like when watching Task Manager > Resource Monitor. Peter: Is it so?

Observation 5:
Beacuse of Observation 1, trying to find a solution is like shooting on a moving target. For example today I switched on my PC and started playing with old settings (see signature). A lot of ticks and scratches. Unlistenable. After 3 hours, and several changes of settings (se photo) it now works perfect (for the last 30 minutes at least). Going back to old settings (right now while typeing) it's 98% perfect, with only couple random ticks each track.
 
Present settings: Se photo.

[PeterSt]

I just copied your current settings for myself, in case you will change them.

Thanks a bunch for your extensive outlay.

[pedal]

Fine.

Tomorrow morning I will follow up my findings. I hope going from Scheme 3 to 1 is a valid solution also when Vista is crumpy/moody in the morning. He-he.

[LydMekk]

Try to up your Q1 setting to at least 7 and hear if you can detect any "clicks" or noise in the same tracks.
I have similar problems with Q1 around 0 +/-.

Btw., How's the new soundcard behaving?

[pedal]

Good morning!

Following yesterdays settings-experiments, I got surprising results this morning:

1.
I switched on the PC and started all programs as usual (Explorer, Remote desktop and XX).
I went back to "worst case" of yesterday settings: Scheme 3, PP/Below normal, TP/High, Unattended.
Startet to play music. The first half hour I heard a few ticks during each song. After that it's been perfect playback.

2.
Have tried to "provoke" the setup, by changing Scheme, Priority, Unattended, but WHATEVER SETTING, it is now perfectly stable without any ticks or noise. (All the time I use Q1 = -2 due to superior SQ).

3.
today, there seems to be less activity from internal Windows systemfiles. Maybe this is a part of the explaination?

4.
Also, today I didn't have any "accidents" with XX/my PC. (Yesterday morning and the evening before, the PC got "hung up" because of XX abruptly closing down - probably because I asked it to load a faulty playlist while entering too many commands).

THEORY:
If a clumsy user, like me, "mistreats" Windows/Vista/XX, then maybe it provokes extra OS system activities/programs runing in the background. (I think there is A LOT going on inside VISTA, which you normally don't see). Which again creates a conflict with XX afterwards.

Picture: Resource Monitor in Task Manager. TIPS: Clicking on the green DISK graph, opens the DISK log, where you can study OS files running. Disk use is in blue colour. When the blue graph goes max, that is when ticks and noises MAY appear. They did yesterday, but not today...

[JohanZ]

.....I'm still getting random hiccups and clicks between tracks (as discussed already)........

I am using two DAC's DDDAC1543 with USB interface and  a PCI Soundcard. I only have the random hiccup problem with the Soundcard. With version 09v-2, as far as it takes i did'nt noticed hiccups anymore . I'll have the impression that the problem is solved!?!

During the hiccup period i have changed / disabled a lot of things but never found a direct relation. Now i disable standard the virus checker, infrared devices, and more programs.