Keep Getting Message: Clock Resolution Asked for : 15ms Received : 1ms

[Snowland]

Hi, I just downloaded XXhighend on my Windows 7 64 bit laptop a couple days ago. My DAC is a NOS Ultra-Fi DAC-41 USB. I love how XXHighend sounds and plan on purchasing it!! But I keep getting a message that says:

"Asked for Clock Resolution setting wasn't met. Asked for : 15ms Received : 1ms"

and then a message that says that this will affect WASAPI play back, which it does, making it stutter about 10 times a second. (KS play back works fine though).

I'm trying to get WASAPI working because if I understand correctly this is the only mode that the volume control works in. (KS just gives me an error when I try to use the volume slider). And I'm hoping to eliminate the need for a preamp.

Thank you for your time.

[CoenP]

You've got some program or service running that hijacks the clockres. On my pc EAC was such a program and recently the ATI catalyst program did the same (I had to uninstall it).

Look for stuff that keeps on running after you pressed play in unattended mode with all minimising applied.

Good luck,
Regards, Coen

[PeterSt]

Hi there Snowland,

Although Coen is completely correct, it may not tell you a thing as an "outsider". Maybe I can't explain it better, but I'll try :

Some programs "manipulate" the Clock Resolution of the system; this may be to have them respond better. Say it is the overall response of the system which is influenced by it. The lower the number (like 1ms is low) the faster it responds (once per 1ms).

It is not said at all that for audio it is better (SQ wise) to have the system respond fast; therefore it can be set within XXHighEnd. But, once another program (like the examples Coen gave) requires a lower setting, "we" can do what we want, it won't get higher if we want it. First that other program has to let loose of its requirements (has not to be there, generally).

WASAPI itself (in the system internals) does the same. It sets all for itself to 10ms. This is what the message tries to tell you *if* it were about those 10ms. But in your case it is 1ms.
Now watch out : WASAPI too can require 1ms, but this is related to many other things (say, out of our control). So, if you do not get the message from Kernel Streaming, it *is* WASAPI itself doing it to you. But in the end it is your OS, and your possible tweaks to it.
Note that WASAPI is Engine#3 and KS is #4.

When you want to use WASAPI and you receive "stuttering", try to get that out of the way with the Q1 dial. Start at 14, this usually works for everybody. Downwards usually gives the better sound.

Lastly, there is no way any system Volume Control will work; this is deliberate (because bad for SQ). The Volume Control from XXHighEnd is to be used without preamp. Try this "easily" because it is not a fast resonding thing, and when it gets behind things may choke.
It works best in Unattended Mode (no GUI is there then), then controlled by Alt-u/Alt-d (or Alt-5 (etc.) followed by Alt-u to imply five 1.5dB steps in one go).
The Volume Control in XXHighEnd is one of its kind, and it is "lossless" (out of the attenuated data the original can be recreated).

Hope this helps !
Peter

[Snowland]

Thank you both for your help! I messed around with it for a couple hours last night and no success yet getting WASAPI to run at more than 1ms. I've deleted both EAC and ATI Catalyst, plus closed every process that I could. Both Foobar2000 and J Rivers Demo allowed me to use WASAPI and adjust the clock resolution though. (I've since deleted them just in case they were the trouble makers, plus they didn't sound as good anyway

So the volume slider in XXHighend will work in KS mode? Maybe I just wasn't patient enough and moving it back and forth caused things to give errors. I'll give it a try this evening when I get home from work. Maybe it doesn't matter then if I get WASAPI working, I can just use KS.

[PeterSt]

So the volume slider in XXHighend will work in KS mode?

Yes. But what I recognize myself since only shortly, is that this is related to the Split File Size. When this is too low you'd have to wait longer, and when it is really low (like the default is) it may never happen. I must work this out myself though.
When the SFS is at, say, 150, it should go within 1-2 seconds. In more rare occasions yuo have to wait for something first.

Cause the Wallpaper to appear (that showing Coverart) and switch on the OSD Running time. You will see the color of it changing when an attempt to change the volume is made. Looking at this will give you an idea what happens;
When the color is back to normal (red) the volume should have changed.
And always best is : wait until it has changed (the Wallpaper shows that too). Once you have the feeling (it really is so) what you can do to have it stuck, you can freely do ... well, what you found out. Laying it out is difficult, because it very much depends on your system - how it responds - what it has difficulties with etc.

Ehm, good luck ?
Peter

[PeterSt]

FYI :
I noticed myself that when a hires file is used for Kernel Streaming playback, certain combinations with other settings (like buffer sizes) can also imply the ClockRes to be set to 1ms by the OS.
This is an activity of the OS itself, and I don't think it can be avoided.

Peter