Snap,Crackle And Pop!

[BLAZE]

Hi Guys!

[JBaymore]

As I remember... and I could be wrong.... you are currently using a computer that is a little light on "firepower"?  Not a lot of RAM, shared graphics, and so on. 

Aircraft with higher resolution (large) sound files can cause the audio hardware using shared memory on the computer to screw up. Add in the load of the ATC voices... and it overloads the system.

Try turning the sound quality in Settings down and see if it clears up.

best,

......................john

[Groundbound1]

I had a sound issue a while back (not the quite the same as the one you have) and I found that locking the target framerate to a lower number helped. ( I used to keep it set at unlimited.) Might be worth a try.

[BLAZE]

Thanks Guys.

[Strategic Retreat]

My kids have the same problem in FSX, and I do under Train Simulator. The only solution, unless you can find a better audio driver (sadly my old SB Live hasn't this luck), and ALWAYS if you're under XP (I cannot really suggest to try this trick under 7 or Vista... in fact if you have one of those, just stop here and forgive me, but I can't help you), is to find and download the file Directx.cpl (easy to find, with Google), which is a control panel extension that allows you to test the DirectX installed on your OS and some of its parameters.

Once you have this file, double click on it (it works like an application), a window will appear, select the DirectPlay tag on the top, then press the DxDiag... button below on the right.

Another window will appear. Select the tag Audio on the top, and you'll find at about mid window on the left a slider that controls the level of DirectX acceleration of the audio hardware. Bring it from the full right it will be to only one notch before full left. Close all the windows and start the sim. You should have no problems now.

Let me know.


PS
I repeat, this trick works under XP. I have NO IDEA if it works under any other OS so I advise against trying it under Vista or Win7 (or other Windows version you may be using). If you do it anyway after this fair warning you do it under your own responsibility. I do not want complains if something blows up.

[Opa]

Just curious.........

How is the Directx.cpl different from the dxdiag utility which comes with XP  and which can be run from the Start/run dialogue?

[BLAZE]

Hey Thanks S.R.

[Strategic Retreat]

[quote]How is the Directx.cpl different from the dxdiag utility which comes with XP

[jgf]

FTR, there is no hardware acceleration in Vista or W7, though there is dxdiag.  If you're using a Creative card with these OSs (POS in the case of Vista), the Creative ALChemy utility may, or may not, help.  It emulates EAX and some hardware acceleration functions for programs that require such.

Another cause of sound breakup could be latency.  Some BIOS have options to change this, otherwise there are utilities to adjust it within windows.  This basically adjusts how long a device has access to the bus after its IRQ is accepted;  in the case of a sound card, if it times out before all the data is sent you get stutters and crackling.  Most sound cards use a value of 32 or so, vid cards about 128.  A common problem is new vid drivers setting the vid card latency to 256, thus hogging the bus.  I had this problem with XP a while back;  didn't affect FS9 but a couple of racing sims sounded horrible.

[Strategic Retreat]

Using PCI Latency Tool 3.1 brought the audio card down to 32 from the previous 64 and it had a perfect zero result under FSX to resolve the problem. Have yet to find under TS, but seen the results under the FSX... I don't think there'll be any step forward.

All the other devices are set at latency 0, only the audio card was at 64... I'm rather dubious if it is a good idea to put to not the latency of the audio card too, to see if perhaps starts working well. :-/

I remember this problem was given to me the first time on a previous rig configuration different than the actual, under FS9 by the PMDG 737 and it was cured by the installation of the then new drivers for Xp, but ever since there has be no new driver for the SB Live... and seen I hate using the MB onboard audio because they are a resource hog, given that its audio-processing power comes from the CPU, and given that a lot of new add-on cards builders have learned this trick and to save 20 cent per card do not make audio cards with self reliant electronics, but relying totally on the CPU themselves, like they were inbuilt on the motherboard... I'm in a bind and would be EVEN if I wanted to buy another audio card.

[BLAZE]

Man..you guys are sooo far above me with this stuff......Keep it coming! I'm just wrighting down what I can use.

[H]

[quote]Man..you guys are sooo far above me with this stuff......Keep it coming! I'm just wrighting down what I can use.

[BLAZE]

OOOPS!

[jgf]

Using PCI Latency Tool 3.1 brought the audio card down to 32 from the previous 64 and it had a perfect zero result under FSX to resolve the problem. Have yet to find under TS, but seen the results under the FSX... I don't think there'll be any step forward.

All the other devices are set at latency 0, only the audio card was at 64... I'm rather dubious if it is a good idea to put to not the latency of the audio card too, to see if perhaps starts working well. :-/

...

I have never seen a vid card with a zero latency setting;  the vid card is the heaviest user of the bus, settings in the 96-132 range are common.  Audio cards are almost always at 32;  if you're doing heavy RTA sound work a setting as high as 64 may be necessary, but this is rare.  Occasionally a LAN card will get a latency setting, but this is uncommon and usually a very low setting (8-10). 

The total of all latency settings cannot exceed 256, and should never even come close to that.  Usually only the audio and video cards will have a specified latency since they are transmitting a lot of high priority data with noticeable consequences if this is interrupted.  Any device with an IRQ will have a latency though most are not directly adjustable and are effectively set to zero;  which, if I understand correctly, means they are only given bus access if they specifically request it and will lose it once anything else requests it.  Any device not given a latency value will be treated as if it were zero.

Latency is something that rarely needs adjusting, unless something like sound problems arise, or a driver/software install changes the settings adversely.  The 128 for vid, 32 for audio, are almost standard settings.

[Strategic Retreat]

[quote]I have never seen a vid card with a zero latency setting;