2.08d settings and tick issue

[tempo]

Hi, Peter,

I am having the same tick issue under 2.07. As you mentioned, it seems to relate to the SFS setting. When the setting is higher, the ticks are less frequent. However, when I change SFS to 0.1 or greater, the music does not play at all.

This started after I changed DAC's to one that only plays 16/44 files. FYI, I only play 16/44 rips from CD's and the ticks do not occur with other playback software, like JRiver Media Center 23.

Since I am using a conventional PC specially modified for XXHE, what settings do you recommend? Right now, SFS = 0.09. While the ticks are no longer very noticeable, they happen during the entire playlist, not just the first cut. I sold my old DAC and no longer have an immediate way of making a comparison with the new one. However, in the near future, I can borrow it back from the friend who bought it (he lives some distance away, but visits about once a month).

Thanks,
Joseph

[PeterSt]

Hi Joseph,

I don't know whether it can be related, but yesterday I coincidentally used 10074 myself to try how it sounds these days, and I couldn't get it to work without something I'd call sheer distortion. Notice that it will always have been like that, but now I can hear through it better. This is actually the ticks you are talking about, as I heard them just the same (but also at very high frequency - a bit like you desribe it "it goes unnoticed" (but now is continuous distortion).
This was at Q3,4,5 = 0,0,0. Then I set that to 1,1,1 and the problem was gone. What remains though is the "lead in" of a playback session and how 10074 can 30-45 seconds (maybe even more) exhibit ticks and scratches. After that it settles.

So can't this is a sheer 10074 problem ?

N.b.: I played with an SFS of 1.8 which is not particularly low.

Regards,
Peter

[PeterSt]

I forgot :

What remains though is the "lead in" of a playback session and how 10074 can 30-45 seconds (maybe even more) exhibit ticks and scratches.

This has been so from the start of 10074.

I only play 16/44 rips from CD's and the ticks do not occur with other playback software, like JRiver Media Center 23.

This is because this is all related to buffers and various other settings which "squeeze" in XXHighEnd. However :

when I change SFS to 0.1 or greater, the music does not play at all.

that seems a bit odd to me. Did you try to combine with larger S1 (xQ1) settings ?
And what kind of device are you actually using ? (WASAPI or KS). And if KS, what buffer settings (like Special, Adpative, size of it). Many many things to change ...

Regards,
Peter

[Robert]

Hi Peter,
           I applied 2.09 today and it all worked fine except ticks on 16/44 tracks which did not stop during album play track after track. Ticks are close together but do seem to get louder and more intense when a track peaks.

I stopped play and killed Sound Engine with blue LED. Then started play ticks gone. Then tried 24/44 album and no ticks.

After tracks in Ram are loaded a message comes on the screen. When its ticked Yes, play starts. See photo below. This normally happens at the start of play after new boot. Then doesn't happen again.

I rebooted Ram OS and no ticks with either album. Havn't been able to repeat ticks today.

Robert

[PeterSt]

After tracks in Ram are loaded a message comes on the screen.

Hi Robert,

This is very interesting because it is exactly what I wanted to suggest to you : try with switching off Garbage Collect (I think in the Memory section of Settings). But I didn't suggest it as I felt not confident this could be related really (meanwhile you getting mad of trying). Still ... this message is 100% related to that. It tells you that your PC tried to clean up the memory, but after some waiting for it, it is still busy with it. Too busy regarding my "standard" (FWIW) and thus it is spending time on that while it should be spending time on glitchless playback.

Why I did not suggest it, is beause it theoretically can be counterproductive only. OTOH, when this "Garbage Collection" works out right away, we can be assured nothing needs to be done during playback. What you do is something in the middle : the system first was forced (by XXHighEnd) to deal with this, it tells you "uh-ohh" and then you click Continue and THEN you hear it is busy with Garbage Collection indeed.

Still there ?

Apart from understanding, it could be an idea to switch this GC off and see what might happen somewhere underway of playback. Maybe nothing. At least you now don't force the system to do it "now" which your system can not do (sufficiently quick).

Don't ask me when a PC/OS can be too slow on this, as Garbage Collection is one of the most complex processes in the OS and it also always changes per OS version.
Notice that GC is about the freeing of physical intern memory which is not in use any more. The OS does this when it thinks it has time for it, but at some stage it needs to (because of a lack of memory).

It could also be related to Virtual Memory which should be switched off (some Advanced Tab in PC properties, starting with RightClick on This PC in Explorer). This looks counter productive in itself but it has been proven (to me) that this is overall better.

Kind regards,
Peter

[tempo]

Hi, Peter,

I studied your responses and have basically solved the problems.

The music now plays with an SFS of 0.10 or higher because earlier I had the buffer size set too high. Actually, I could see that the music was being played by XXHE -- the slider was moving and the time was advancing, but no sound was coming out. When I changed it from 4096 to 1024, this restored the sound output. But I also had to change Q1 = 14 to Q1 = 0 and also set Q3, Q4, and Q5 = 0.

Now that the buffer can be larger, with the size set to 10.0 / 60.0, the ticks are so far apart, that they never seem to appear.

This may not be a true cure, but at least I no longer hear the ticks. Turning off Garbage Collect made no difference here.

Thanks!
Joseph

[PeterSt]

Now that the buffer can be larger, with the size set to 10.0 / 60.0, the ticks are so far apart, that they never seem to appear.

Hahaha. Well, yes. Or really not. 

If you discover more data about this let me know, OK ?

Thank you and regards,
Peter

[Robert]

Yes I checked and the Virtual Memory was on in OS14393.

I've turned off but dam it the computer will not boot into RamOS now. I've also tried this with OS10586 and the same no Ram boot. I managed to get back to Base14393 and all seems ok, music plays in min OS. This is a new problem I suspect. Files are not blocked.

Could this be a hardware fault or ram disc? I did remove the Ram drive from the computer to use another, on putting back today no Ram bootup. Yesterday it took 3 trys to get it to Ram boot not normal.

I also turned GC off. Ticking did return in Base mode. Rebooting everything stopped ticking. 2.09 does sound bloody good.  

Robert