Alt-N stops sound

[Calibrator]

Hi Peter,

It's good to wake up to a new version, and no more spilled coffee ... yahh

I have noticed though, that with 0.9-6a, in addition to the warning messages coming up when attempting to change vol to/from -0dB, the message also comes up when doing an Alt-N. In that event ( and possible other Alt combinations which I haven't tested ), the warning message comes up twice, and the volume is now set at -120dB. Handy if you want to instantly mute the sound but probably not as you intended, which I presume you only want to pop up when doing an Alt-D or Alt-U.

Will continue testing.

Cheers,

Russ

[PeterSt]

At first I thought "yep, true, what I did would incur for that", but then I realized that I have been using Alt-N yesterday at this version. I did this at Unattended and by using a remote (but the latter would not matter, it's virtually using the keyboard).

How did you do it ?

[Calibrator]

At first I thought "yep, true, what I did would incur for that", but then I realized that I have been using Alt-N yesterday at this version. I did this at Unattended and by using a remote (but the latter would not matter, it's virtually using the keyboard).

How did you do it ?

Just with the keyboard. If the vol is set at -1.5db or lower it behaves itself. I'm guessing because you have VOL set quite low you may not have tested starting at Vol=0.

Regs,

RGB

[PeterSt]

Ah ... I am (was) thinking the other way around. Of course ... you have the volume at 0 and will get to -1.5.
I have it at -24 and I though at some initializing process it would detect 0 at first before jumping to 24 and next to what I asked for.

Right, now I understand.

Ehh ... no, I don't.
You have the volume at 0, and press Next (Alt-N) ... that doesn't change the volume, does it ?


I'm sorry, but I don't get it yet !

[Calibrator]

OK .. sequence of events:

Start play with Vol = 0
When GUI disappears use Alt-N and a message about not being about to change vol to/from 0db. This comes up twice. Then I notice in addition to selecting the next track, the vol has gone to -120 as indicated in the "spine" between the front and 'back' coverart sections.

Doing a Alt-X to get back to GUI shows the slider actually at -120dB now.

Have also just noticed that OSD disappears after the next track is started playing. ( although you can't hear it because the vol is now at -120dB ).

When vol starts off at anything other than 0dB is seems to behave.

You don't get this occuring then ?

[PeterSt]

Aha, NOW I understand. So in the end indeed what happens is what I expected (to be wrong) with one misassumption : the Volume is initiated at -120dB instead of -0 (in my mind was the latter).

Ok, easy to solve (and easy to create another problem out of that hehe).

Thank you for your time Russ.
Peter

[Calibrator]

Aha, NOW I understand. So in the end indeed what happens is what I expected (to be wrong) with one misassumption : the Volume is initiated at -120dB instead of -0 (in my mind was the latter).

Ok, easy to solve (and easy to create another problem out of that hehe).

Thank you for your time Russ.
Peter

hmmm ... might have lost a bit in translation .

The slider is at the TOP ( 0db ) when I click on the play button.

When GUI disappears vol is still OK until Alt-N is invoked, then vol drops to -120 during the second warning message.

That seems to contradict what you just wrote about vol being "initiated" at -120db.

Are we both on the same page yet .. hehe

Ta .. Russ

[PeterSt]

Hahaha, yes we are, but this time you can't follow me. Just for fun, and because you want to know of course :

When you'd install XX for the first time, the volume will initialize at -120dB. It's hard coded in the program.

When you set the volume to whatever setting you like, this setting is saved when you Quit XX.

When XX is brought up, first that -120dB comes up, but next your saved settings tell to set it to -in your case- 0.
--> Here is the culprit in the Bill Gates ideas (and which bothered me before at the Picture sizes and all), and the -120dB should never be seen anymore. So what happens ?

In the code there is an "event" trigger, and it says "when the volume is changed to/from 0, this is not allowed when Engine3 is playing".
But as you can see above, this just happened because of the initialization.

Not a big deal, because the event code should start with "bail out when at Initialization". And Initialization is the process where at first the -120dB is set, and next the saved settings direct it to 0.


So, I'm sure now you'll understand.
And you'll also understand better why I thought the other way around, which was about my assumption the volume is initialized at 0. It just is not. And so, now you - and even me understand why I don't have the problem, because when the init is at -120, and for me it goes to -24, all is right.

And then to think of this is all a temporary solution only ...

[Calibrator]

Gotcha ... thanks for the logic flow

Must be beer o'clock here by now !

Think I'll spent some "Quiet Night's"  with Diana Krall for a while. Have heard first couple of tracks .. loverly album.

Hooroo ...

RGB

[PeterSt]

For those who are bothered by this, below is an XXHighEnd.exe to stuff over your current XX folder.

[Telstar]

trying it...

[Calibrator]

For those who are bothered by this, below is an XXHighEnd.exe to stuff over your current XX folder.

  Working as expected now

While testing this new version I also discovered by accident that ( while in Unattended mode ) if you use Alt-P then music stops and an error message comes up indicating that Engine3 has stopped working and needs closing. Another Alt-P will commence playback again though. Normally one wouldn't choose to use the PLAY function when things are already playing, but first thing in the morning, when one has just woken up, anything is possible .. hehe

Might to prudent to include some code to check what's currently happening if Alt-P is used in that situation.

Thanks Peter,

Russ

[PeterSt]

Yeah, well, the problem is that it is not only about Alt-P itself, but also about when it is used, what happens right after it, what happened before it, whether the the GUI is there or not, wheter I find it useful to allow for Alt-P while music is playing, in which situations it sure is, and whether I can even imagine people doing completely illogical things or that they possibly are not illogical at all if I'd only thought about what it is about.


But at least I try ...
Below you can see I can fight myself, and that a change from today (well, yesterday by now) caused exactly this problem.
Not that *I* have this problem ... this is only with you of course, because another kazillion parameters play a role.

The actual problem, of course, is that too many combinations exist to ever be able to test;
With normal programming near all would have been setup completely different, like "avoiding redundancy" would be rule number 1. Here this can't be, because sound would degrade from that. So, a 24 bit file plays in different code from a 16, from a 44100 from a 48000 etc. and an e.g. Volume = 0 is yet another dimension. Nothing is normal here, and at knowing that while changing the volume a complete different file is played without notice, BUT, if I'm one byte off only your coffee is spoiled again ... well, nice project.

It goes on and on, like I discoeverd this afternoon that it really is stupid when Alt-N brings up the whole services thing again, and the lot flashes all over. So, in a few minutes I could tweak that, but of course I never thought of people doing that when they first brought up XX and *then* use Alt-N. But you can try it, it's in there. watch your coffe though !

Well, finishing the whiskey here, and .

[Calibrator]

I wonder if all programmers are bald as the result of pulling their hair out trying to accommodate every possible combination of hardware/software in use and the way the end user uses their product.

I fully sympathise with the difficulty you face and simply trust that by finding these peculiarities, we , the 'beta testers' if you like, are able to help bring these issues to your attention, so you can improve the product to the stage where you are comfortable to call it version 1.0. Champagne corks will pop on that momentous day I am sure.

The progress of XXHE from when I first heard about it back in mid '07 has been fantastic and you should be very proud of your achievements so far. I for one am most grateful for your dedication and the occasional glitch in a new version doesn't faze me in the slightest.

Now go and enjoy your fine single malt

Cheers,

Russ