Problems with E-MU 0404 USB

I have been trying out the free edition of Hauptwerk with a view to using it with my Allen R311 theatre organ and eventually buying the full version of Hauptwerk. My current computer is a Dell Windows Vista 32bit OS with Intel Core Duo E8200 processor running at 2.66 GHz with 4GB of RAM. All is well running with the on-board sound though obviously quite restricted in terms of quality.
I recently purchased a E-MU 0404 USB 2.0 to provide both MIDI input and sound output. The interface is fine for playing CDs etc, and it works properly with Sibelius. However, with Hauptwerk I have a very strange problem. All runs well for about a minute, then the sound breaks up into a kind of warbling mode, not unlike severe clipping distortion. The effect seems as though it is caused by processes getting out of sync or buffers eventually overfilling. Increasing buffer size does not effect a cure. The problem occurs both with the St Annes organ and the Paramount 310.
I'd be grateful if anyone has any ideas to solve the problem.

Can't immediately help, but I use two of these units: one under XP Pro 32 bit and the other under Vista Business 64 bit (this one for Hauptwerk). Both work great with no problems. From my experience then I suggest the Hauptwerk experts need to step forward.
Keith

[B. Milan]

Hello Alan,

Please have a look at our tutorials page and go through the steps in the document for tweaking audio for Windows.

www.hauptwerk.com/tutorials

[mdyde]

Hello Alan,

Some things from that document that might be worth trying first:

- Make sure you have all current Windows updates applied.
- Make sure you have the latest drivers installed for your M-Audio interface: http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support&tab=driver
- Make sure you have the M-Audio ASIO driver selected on the 'General settings | Audio outputs' screen in Hauptwerk (not a DirectSound driver) and that the buffer size is set to 1024.
- Also make sure that the buffer size is set to 1024 in the M-Audio's driver control panel.
- Make sure no other software is running simultaneously with Hauptwerk that might try to send sound to the M-Audio interface, and that it isn't selected as the default audio playback/recording device for Windows in the Windows 'Sound' control panel.
- Temporarily disconnect any other USB, firewire or other external hardware.
- Check for DPC (driver) latency as covered in the document Brett linked to.
- If that doesn't solve it, try the M-Audio interface in each possible USB port.

The interface is fine for playing CDs etc, and it works properly with Sibelius.

Those applications probably aren't using ASIO drivers by default and don't need to work with real-time (low-latency) audio, so things like buffer sizes and DPC latency might not be issues for them.

Virtual instrument software like Hauptwerk that needs to be responsive and playable in real-time is much more demanding in terms of the hardware, since any hardware/driver delays are more likely to cause the audio to break up.

Hope that helps.

Thank you for your suggestions but I've tried most of them already. The interface is by E-MU rather than M-Audio, or are they the same? Windows tells me that the driver installed is the current version. A really odd aspect of the problem is that once an organ is loaded it works for about 2 minutes perfectly well, then suddenly breaks up and reduces to tuned buzzes. It does not matter whether the organ is being used after being loaded or not. The breakdown still occurs even with the background wind noise after about the same 2 minutes. If I disable the audio and MIDI and then re-activate it, the problem ceases, again for about 2 minutes before breaking up again.

Any help would be welcome. Perhaps I ought to wait until I can afford a Mac?

[mdyde]

Hello Alan,

The interface is by E-MU rather than M-Audio

My apologies - that was just a typo on my part. I should have written E-MU.

Thank you for your suggestions but I've tried most of them already. The interface is by E-MU rather than M-Audio, or are they the same? Windows tells me that the driver installed is the current version. A really odd aspect of the problem is that once an organ is loaded it works for about 2 minutes perfectly well, then suddenly breaks up and reduces to tuned buzzes. It does not matter whether the organ is being used after being loaded or not. The breakdown still occurs even with the background wind noise after about the same 2 minutes. If I disable the audio and MIDI and then re-activate it, the problem ceases, again for about 2 minutes before breaking up again.

Strange indeed. Perhaps try another application that supports ASIO, with the E-MU ASIO driver selected in it. I believe that the free Native Instrument Kontakt-based Player instruments have that capability:

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/komplete-7-players/?page=1589

I think you'll probably find that you'd have the same issue with any software that uses your E-MU's ASIO drivers. Hence that test would help to narrow down the problem to the E-MU interface and/or its driver on your laptop.

If that's the case as I suspect then you're best option might be to speak to E-MU for support with it.

Hello Martin,

Thanks for your prompt reply. You are right. I opened Sibelius 6 and changed the audio engine setting to use the ASIO drivers of the E-MU 0404 USB and played one of the large orchestral example files available in the program. Within a short while the sound had taken on the same buzzy distortion I found with Hauptwerk So the problem is clearly not with Hauptwerk. I'll chase up support from E-MU. Perhaps the unit is faulty as the correct driver is installed. Thanks again for your help.

Alan Burton

[mdyde]

Thanks, Alan.

You're welcome. Good luck!