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If you suffer from Audio glitches ...

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kaspencer

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If you suffer from Audio glitches ...

PostTue Nov 23, 2021 5:56 pm

Good evening all. I trust that everyone is keeping well and healthy.

I have used Haupwerk quite a few years now - I think it's not far off 15yrs. I have had loads of different PCs, ranging from Dual Core Celerons and Pentiums, Core2 Quads, through the "i" series including my latest, a 10th generation i9, all with RAM and versions of Windows to match.
I started with my old Technics electronic organ as a console, then built a three manual dedicated console which I kept going for 12 years. In the meantime I built or part built two other consoles for other people. Then I most recently spent three years designing & building the "ultimate" console. And now it is finished and running Hauptwerk version 6.x.

So what's this about? Well imagine my horror when I fired up the new organ console today, after completion of the upgrades of nearly all my sample sets - and - heard clicks & glitches! I've read all those posts from people asking for help with their audio horrors, but I have never heard them from any of my own consoles. But these even occurred if I just sat inactively at the console! But they weren't present during all the earlier testing and development of the new console.
It is my common practice to switch off (i.e. disable) all WiFi and wired Ethernet hardware (yes, I mean properly disable, so as to eliminate the hardware interrupts that occur when the OS services that hardware). And I also disable disc indexing completely. And I had carried out all of those procedures. But I could still hear the breakfast cereal - OK only about once every 10-20 seconds - but defintely not acceptable.

So after a few head scratches I realised what the cause might be: For years, I have always connected my external 16-channel USB Audio device directly into a USB-3 socket on the PC. But in final assembly of the console, I had connected it into one of two USB Hubs which I have to have in the console because it has 5 Arduino/PJRC ARM microcontrollers to service significant MIDI functions in the stop jambs, pedalboard, expression pedals, and central control. Could that be the cause? Well after I had restored the USB audio device connection into a USB Port on the PC, and patted it one the head, guess what? All those crackles and popples disappeared.

So, if you are troubled by snap crackle & pop, try altering your USB arrangement, in particular don't make the audio device share its pathway to the PCs USB host with too many other devices! It could solve your audio issues!

Best wishes, as always!

Ken
--
Kenneth A. Spencer
Kenneth Spencer
Music Site: http://www.my-music.mywire.org
Project Page: http://www.my-music.mywire.org/opus_ii.htm
Books on Hauptwerk and Computing; Novation Launchpad overlays: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kaspencer
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micdev

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Re: If you suffer from Audio glitches ...

PostTue Nov 23, 2021 9:24 pm

Good evening Ken,

Thanks for sharing your experience. Indeed, I highly recommend to always connect the audio and MIDI interfaces directly to the computer. Less critical devices (computer keyboard/mouse, touchscreens etc) can be connected to a USB hub if needed. Also, USB extensions can cause all kind of problems, avoid at all cost for your audio interface.
Best regards
François

Virtually sharing my enthusiasm and experience with you
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Re: If you suffer from Audio glitches ...

PostWed Nov 24, 2021 4:18 am

Ken mentions a few things to do to remove audio glitches on Windows. He didn’t mention, though I’m sure he knows, you should disable the Sysmain (was previously named Superfetch) system service. Lots of references to this on the forum.

You can buy usb interface cards with lots of ports which can help avoid using usb hubs. These cards normally need an auxiliary power supply, as well as the supply through the motherboard pci interface, to support powering devices through all their ports. You can usually pick up the power from one of the unused internal supplies in the PC, though you may need to buy an addition cable to make the connection.

Iain.
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kaspencer

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Re: If you suffer from Audio glitches ...

PostWed Nov 24, 2021 5:29 am

Thanks, Iain ...

... yes, indeed, I didn't mention theWinmain/ Prefetch function, which I too, disable..

Regarding the additional USB ports: until 2017, I used cube cases for my HW PCs, which did allow me to add PCI/e USB cards rather than hubs. But for my 2017 design, I opted for small form-factor PCs - initially (for four years), an Intel NUC (i7-CPU (2 x M.2 2TB SSD; 32GB DDR4 RAM) machine. This had only four USB sockets, and no internal expansion, but was very compact.

For my latest update to HWv6 I am using a so-called MiniPC design (i9 CPU + 2 x 2TB M.2 NVRe SSD, 64/128GB RAM). This one has 6 USB3 ports, still not quite enough, but as mentioned, prioritising the Audio device does produce stable glitch-free sound.

Ken.
Kenneth Spencer
Music Site: http://www.my-music.mywire.org
Project Page: http://www.my-music.mywire.org/opus_ii.htm
Books on Hauptwerk and Computing; Novation Launchpad overlays: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kaspencer
YouTube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/kaspenceruk
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tf11972

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Re: If you suffer from Audio glitches ...

PostWed Nov 24, 2021 1:06 pm

I followed the two recommendations to disable the page file and the sysmain service on my Windows PC, and the crackles, which bothered me for years, are finally gone :)
Best regards
Thomas

Forestpipes - Virtual Pipe Organs
https://forestpipes.de
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Re: If you suffer from Audio glitches ...

PostWed Nov 24, 2021 1:15 pm

In addition, when tuning to squeak more polyphony out of my puny i9-9900 for Nancy, I finally tried running as admin and real-time priority. That made a big difference even after tuning all of the above and all the rest of the list in the user guide.

(As a programmer, I'd always stayed away from elevated privileges except writing device drivers -- the only reason I didn't try real-time for HW years ago...)

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