JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Got my studio running! ...laptop latency issues? Read thru.

ROFL!!! I love you guys.

I was looking at Band in a Box-- but which version? Do I really need all the bells & whistles, or is the basic version ok?

Will it have a screen where I can cut & paste in vocal tracks to create the best overall take?

My point here is to create demos workable enough to send out.

When family finances permit, YES a real studio is on my to-do list. I have 2 offers from friends who own bonafide studios, but both are long-distance and neither is free .... and neither has a Steinway grand.



Ready for the learning curve. Back at it tomorrow. Will update!

Linda

I have BIAB but rarely use it......having said that it would probably suit you...it has all the things you may want.....yes you would probably need all the bells and whistles.....It has MIDI facilities and you can import wav files and record real instruments and add them into your project as well.....the main prob is to type in all the correct chord names in the correct places and select the style and tempo you want.....that takes a bit of getting used to. The basic model also has a limited amount of styles etc that may need to be extended with add ons....
Kevin is the man to ask as I am in no way an expert.

Thank you, Jim! That's good information.

I have a MIDI-capable weighted keyboard I may be relegated to if I can't get the Steinway recorded, but... there is a serious difference in instrument quality....

I would strongly prefer to do this the old-fashioned way with real musicians etc. IN STUDIOS but am limited by budget constraints.

Linda

IMPORTANT UPDATE!!

So I came home frustrated today and ready to cry in my soup.


BUT I figured out a few things by process of elimination:

It is NOT the mic or cable.

Is it NOT the software.

I'm back to suspecting drivers and Windows interface issues again.


I found a box to check to "Listen to device" while the M-Audio is hooked up and heard MAJOR INTERFERENCE no matter what setting I was using, no matter the latency or bandwidth or mic anything: it was there no. matter. what.


This is only good because I was able to test the interface and realize the problem is NOT in Audacity or the particular mic or cables.

(And in fact, Audacity has been numbing these sounds a good deal -- but the problem is not AT Audacity and I'll be pulling these random blips in regardless of recording software until I eliminate them at the source!)

At least I know what it's NOT and can rule those out.


Next steps....

Try switching out my USB cable (the one connection I haven't tried changing yet)

See what happens with line-in on a guitar, line-in on MIDI cables/piano to see if the interference is there too

Try the Win-7 32-bit drivers instead of the 64-bit we installed



ALSO noted is an issue with the M-Audio SAYING it's streaming sound into headphones with certain settings, and the PC not recognizing the mic on those settings.... which is further evidence the interface may just not be working like it should.


{beating head against wall}



Linda

BTW while I'm at it if anyone has a free Mac laptop (even an old one) they can send me.... I would be happy to pay shipping
****sigh****

****NOT the USB cable... switched out and no change.

The interference is slightly louder/ more frequent at "hotter" mic settings but seems randomly generated with sound input, regardless of dB level.

Hi Linda.

Microsoft has a program for allowing older programs or non win7 programs to run better in a compatable mode.

Worth a try I thought.

This artical tells you how to test this feature.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/10436/using-program-compatibility-mode-in-windows-7/

As YOUR program installed OK, scoll down to the bit that says

----

Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

There might be times when Program Compatibility Assistant can’t find a solution, or a program installs fine, but doesn’t work the way it should. In that case you’ll need to troubleshoot the issue. Right-click on the program icon from the Start Menu or in many programs the shortcut icon and select Troubleshoot compatibility.

-------

read and try


God Bless Roy and Helen

Thank you so much Roy! I appreciate that you care

I will look at that link right away.

I just found these links:

http://www.native-instruments.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82401

And downloaded the recommended CPU latency checker here:
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

....which point to the idea it may be either the Fast-Track Pro driver itself, or some OTHER driver on my machine causing problems.

This Latency Checker Program tells me: "Some of the device drivers on this machine behave bad and will probably cause drop-outs in real-time audio and visual streams."

Naughty, naughty drivers!!

Those of you with laptop studios especially.... it sounds like these pops and clicks are a known issue since Win 98.

There is a fix having to do with suspending your ACPI.sys tool.... which will also make your eject button not work on your CD player or allow your WIFI to turn on and off until you re-animate it.

This sounds a little scary so.... I'm going to see what other drivers I can find that may be causing the issue per the Latency Checker's recommendations.


UGH, I hate being a technician when I want to be a musician.



Linda

Well: I deleted a Fax machine I'm never going to use, and now I'm in the "Green" zone and the Latency Checker says "this machine should be able to handle audio & video input without any dropouts."

However - I'm still seeing Yellow spikes (not red) and STILL hearing the pops and click on mic input. AND, once I clicked "Record" in Audacity... the error message, AND CPU spikes, came back.

Turned off WIFI in case that was interfering and clicked Record... got ZERO red/yellow spikes while recording that test but ZILLIONS of pops on playback.

This is frustrating.

If it's CPU latency/spikes in that red zone, this should have solved the issue. Most posting on forums with this issue say when it stayed in the green zone their recordings were clear.


Going to disable the built-in mic (which I don't know how to get back once I've done it.... hubby does tho...) and see if there's a driver conflict there perhaps...

Linda

Nope, it wasn't the built-in mic. No worse, no better. And a plus, I figured out on my own how to re-enable it :-)

Linda

Try reading linda

http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=9564

Roy and Helen

Linda
Have you tried recording direct into the computer without the M-audio? If you have a mic input on the computer you could try that.
Do you get the clicking or popping sounds when you record into the built in Mic?
I am wondering if the M-Audio might be the culprit or it is conflicting with something.
Does the M-audio act as a sound card? If it does you might need to disable the onboard sound. It might be conflicting with that.
If the PC is trying to record from the M-Audio and from it's own source at the same time it could conflict.

Ah yes and it gets worse the further along you go...

Your case is a perfect one as to why I LOVE porta-studio's.
While you may be limited with them, you don't NEED ANYTHING
You take it straight out of the box, and record. You don't need usb cables, drivers, upgrades, boxes, no cards... no audio interfaces, N0o LATENCY...... Nothing!

Plus they are so advanced now they have, built in effects, automated mixers, built in mastering, Cd burners for both backing up and making audio Cd's. Some even let you use your computer SCREEN ONLY as a large viewer.

And once you know it & learn it, it NEVER CHANGES! So all you do is use it like a speed tool to get creative with,,,, Be a
songwriter again.
Software takes you away from that, far far away.... Every plugin is a new learning curve and plugin's NEVER end!

Oh and you never have to spend more money on it, And No Window's or Mac's no compatibilty issues... no crashing, NO NOISE OR CLICKS...

And there dirt cheap!

The best friend for a recording songwriter..

I just skimmed through this thread and will chime in based on my experience. We recorded our first CD with Audacity and a similar setup, and now I use Reaper with an M-Audio card in a computer and just finished our second album.

I use Windows XP. I tried using Vista at one point but gave up because it was always doing something in the background that temporarily stopped it from recording and caused a pop. It was impossible for me to stop the stuff in the background. I have not tried recording with 7, although it seems more like XP.

Compression can make background noise loud when there is nothing else going on. If you have a compressor in your M-Audio device, it may be amplifying the background hiss up to the point when you start singing or playing.

There is nothing wrong with Audacity. It is relatively simple and it works. It is not the cause of your pops and hisses.

M-Audio equipment is good stuff. You may have a defective one however.

You must turn off the built-in microphone while recording with the real one. When you select the M-Audio in the computer's control panel, it should turn off the Realtek or Soundmax built-in card.

Your computer specs should be more than adequate for recording.

A bad XLR microphone cable can cause hum and pops.

Band In A Box will not fix this problem.

Good luck.

Hi Linda try the M audio on a diff PC preferably one operating on XP....That will at least rule it out if it works on another machine. It is also important that the correct input and output options are selected on your PC and the M audio.

Mike does open a can of worms.....Digital using a PC can be problematic.....but the results are worth it......Whilst a portastudio is perhaps an easier learning curve it lacks the scope that a PC with plugins has. The days of session men and real instruments are far behind us. Most people have not the skill to play multi instruments and have not got the time nor money to waste on incorporating real instruments into their recordings. Digital on a PC is more flexible and arguably produces better results in less time.

A modest proposal ----

Linda, I feel badly for you. It must be terribly frustrating. It should not be so hard. I suggest that you consider bagging the whole thing and start over with an integrated system. Something like a digital audio workstation might work for you. It is all there and no fussing around with incompatible pieces. A DAW will not have all of the features of a computer based system but it will do a lot. You can get back to making music instead of tearing your hair out. Life is too short for you to have to re-engineer a system like you are trying to do.

Tom

Linda, I've listened to your clip and read the last few posts. The easiest thing to do is go with the stand alone DAW, as Mike suggested. If you want to try one thing more, take your M-Audio unit and try installing it on another computer (maybe a good friends computer...a VERY good friend ). If you don't get the clicks, it's your computer, if you do, it's the M-Audio box.

Don't feel bad. After having owned two pro studios, one on music row and one near the airport, I switched from ADATs to computer based recording. It took me two weeks of work and calls to the tech crew to even get it to record a single sound and then play it back (now I can't remember what I was doing wrong). After that, it took days to get rid of the clicks and pops (it was a latency issue).

Easy road, get a stand alone unit.

All the Best,
Mike

Would love to help but everything I could think of has been covered by everyone else, I have an M audio box and it always just worked for me with no problems. Good luck and keep trying.

"I feel the same way about boats, airplane and horses. I don't want to have them myself, but I like to have FRIENDS that have them. Much easier that way." -Marc Barnette

Ohhh so VERY true! = )

Brian

Linda,

I haven't read this entire post so sorry if this has already been suggested or disgussed. But in case it hasn't been:

Consider hiring a tech head from a local studio or music store who knows what they are doing to come and get your system working for you and to teach you how to make it do what you want. It would be worth a little money to get past the issues and back to making music. It's okay to need help and often smartest to pay a pro to speed it all up and remove the stress. Just make sure you get a quote on the cost of the entire job up front rather than letting it go randomly by the hours without a guarentee they will finish it right.

Good luck,

Brian

Great points, but there is only ONE most important one and that is
WHO is doing what and WHAT they are looking to do.

If someone is very computer savvy and is always opening it up and changing drives and cards, and they also hardly ever struggle with installing software and are very comfortable and patient searching for upgrades and drivers then computer based anything including recording should be easier, more natural and adaptable. If not than?

Also all of it still only makes you a kinda of "new style engineer" And really the more options you have with plugins and tools the more confusing it gets and less you get done. ESPECIALLY if recording is not your bag. You just get LOST in computer world, it's why I avoid it as much as possible. It kills my songwriting and my musicianship. Which the two alone do a good enough job damaging each other lol

Hey your using a condenser mic with phantom power for the first time in your life and you also have to figure out.1- Why it ain't working. 2- Why there is noise and crackling, 3- Is it my program? Soundcard? Interface? Cables Windows? Etc.. etc... etc...
That is hard core nonsense.

Very simple - What do you want to be? & What do you want to do (accomplish)


If your not gonna use any live musicians hardly than musically WHAT do you need an expensive or elaborate set up for? Very simple USE GARAGE BAND! It sounds great,user friendly and is like FREE. You dont need Pro Tools. Nuendo, Cubase. Logic
Linda will never need 500 plugins, killer converters or elaborate programs. #1 She is an author then she sings and writes songs.

If you use a porta studio you may have to invest in a few small items. Some have built in drums but if not an inexpensive drum machine is EASY to use and hooks up to your porta studio with TWO guitar cables, One - Two - Three

You can use one good keyboard that allows you to simulate and play ALL other instruments on. Strings, Piano. Bass etc...
This keyboard has two outputs, you take again two guitar cables and plug them straight into the back of your new machine DONE!

No noise, no CPU power issues no latency, you are recording day one!

Even if someone sets you up with an entire computer systems teaches you how to use it, they are gonna walk out. And you are gonna get jammed up. If there's a problem there are TOO MANY questions to ask JUST like this thread.
With a porta studio you go to your manual which tells you everything about ONE THING your machine. And you return or repair the whole unit.

If your keyboard has a sequencer you can use that as well. And also use your computer too...

Take mixes you saved on CD over to your computer and edit in simple programs like Soundforge or Audacity.
Or you can just mix on your computer and do all your tracking on the box.

Do what ever makes YOUR life easier and more productive.

It may be too late investment wise, but maybe not.

Best Of Luck!

Mike you make the point eloquently.....I agree it is horses for courses. On the flip side a porta studio is all but useless to someone who is PC savvy and has great engineering skills and the ability to understand and use to the best advantage all the plugins and gizmos associated with PC digital recording.
Linda would probably be better suited to a simpler way of doing things...but with all due respect what she has already is pretty basic.....an interface and a simple software prog like Audacity.
Her probs are not that common and once fixed she should be able to record her songs straight to PC easily.

So the best thing is to ask Linda, Linda are you computer and PC savvy?

Porta Studio's are VERY advanced now and are NO easy learning curve. But they NEVER change and you do not run into constant nonsense. I bought software programs that cost $700 that worked then all of of a sudden did NOT work.

I brought in the computer wiz's and they had NO answer just like all my doctors lol.
Well you changed over to this Operating System because you HAD to, but the software doesn't work now, so we look for drivers, but the one's in your M Audio doesn't support that and on & on & on.
You need a NEW..... And then the geeks never stop with the nonsense. Lol They made me buy a removable drive for $1,350 that not only is in the garbage now because it sucked, but lost a dozen songs on me.
When all I needed was a $10 Ethernet cable. When I explained it later they said "oh if you don't mind waiting 5 minutes for your song to move over" Are you kidding?I'll wait an hour if need be. That removable drive was a nightmare and with the constant reformatting it needed to work on the PC... useless.

If you leave a system alone it should ALWAYS work the way it did from day one. Even 50 years later. Computers and software never allow that EVER. If they did they would lose business and be gone. They MAKE you spend, ask Bill Gates

So do you want to spend your time upgrading or writing and recording? Really doesn't matter to me as I have No life and what little I have or had has been dedicated to music

This all depends completely on you the person.
You can have one keyboard that plays EVERYTHING and you get that job done. If that's whats best for you to get where your going.

Here is a link for one
http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLAND-VS-1680-..._DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41544642be

16 tracks endless virtual tracks, effects the works.. dirt cheap.
Learn it master it. It never changes never crashes,never gets a virus, never needs to be formatted or anything. All you do is LEARN about recording not software and computer maintenance. And never disturbed by emails, spam or facebook stuff lol..

You are hands start flying as the creativity comes. Get good with the same tool rather than think about which of the FIFTY FIVE different EQ plugins you could try to learn and figure out which is best, then your not really sure anyway lol. Same goes for compressors and most effects.
They have little to do with songwriting.

I think I agree with Jim. It'll turn out to be a "there's yer problem" kind of thing and Linda will be off and running.

Hi everyone,

Thanks bunches for all the continued input!
I didn't feel so well today (it happens) and didn't get much progress made................

We figured out the Sony VAIO with Win 7 though I can boot into BIOS, no longer has ACPI on/off supported in BIOS. In English: I understand what switch I need to flip on and off but I can't figure out where they put it.

I DID find that in Task Manager I can disable my Power Manager and that puts the CPU chart to "green" with no spikes. I can also turn it back on. (Yay, that was a scary moment)
So HOPEFULLY.... that takes care of the ACPI.sys driver thingy.

Short test run with built-in mic showed up no problems.

Going to plug in the M-Audio and see.


I'm curious/interested in what a DAW or Porta-Studio is.... can you guys post links, pictures, prices?

I'm a reasonably intelligent gal here with decent knowledge of the ins & outs of computers and I can learn software pretty fast if I say so myself. I can deal with a learning curve.

And I'm more than half willing to learn to play every instrument my-SELF just to avoid the computerized processed junk all these newbies are kicking out. I'm tired of the canned... I don't really want to be part of it. If utterly necessary for demos I suppose I can cave for a while but, if I ever make any degree of getting booked etc, my goal is natural, real human music.

Success IMO isn't about radio hits, charts, sales, etc but in personal integrity, being true to yourself as a musician, resonating with people.

Computers just don't have the same sort of feelings and ability to create art (at least at our current level of technology, LOL) as we do... I think over-computerization is the major reason so much sounds the same anymore; there aren't those basic human natural variations in each measure, and somewhere the ear hears and knows that. Even subconsiously, even in non-musicians.

OK off that soapbox for the moment.

Wish me luck, I'm plugging in now and hope to be back to work on something tomorrow...

I'll read through more closely and reply better ASAP.

Linda

Hi Linda....Ah the old human V machine argument. Sadly machines win hands down.....Integrity? well some say it is the result that counts and using plugins is just a quicker and cheaper way of doing things. Modern plugins use real recordings of real instruments so the quality of the sound is as good as getting a sesssion musician in.....most people including non musical folk cannot tell the difference. I bet you hear these plugins everyday and think they are the real Mcoy.

Portastudio is basically a mixing desk with a built in recorder. Original models used cassette tape but more modern machines use a CD recorder.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portastudio
It would be fair to say that these machines are considered pretty old fashioned compared to digital recording using a PC and certainly more restricting when it comes to multi track editing and applying Fx etc.
As I said earlier it is horses for courses.....people use what they are comfortable with.....something that does what they want it to do, is in their budget and within their technical expertise.
There is nothing wrong with your current set up.....if you could only get it to work.....I think you have just been unlucky....
Personally I think a lot of the probs are down to Windows they produced new O/S Vista and 7 without ensuring that older progs would work.....XP was great but Vista was a disaster and 7 I think still has teething probs and difficulty working progs not designed specifically for it. Hardware is developing at a faster rate than software and software companies cannot keep up adapting their stuff to work with the newer specs.
I know loads of folk who refuse to upgrade from XP until they can be guaranteed that their software will work properly and not have any glitches using the new operating systems.
Some say it is a money making exercise.....as you have to upgrade to new software programs because the old ones pre vista are now obsolete.

Good news: The clicks/pops are 90% removed by turning off the Power Manager completely AND my WIFI card. GOOD.


Bad news: I'm still getting the random CPU spike causing a mild/slight pop which I still *don't want to see.*


Good test result: The clicks/pops in the sound DO seem to coincide with the spikes shown on the Latency Checker screen.


So...... scientifically........... THAT's what's causing the problem.


Also scientifically..... I must have yet another driver or set of drivers which I may or may not be able to find and disable during recording sessions, which are causing additional spikes.


Still banging my head on the wall but making slow progress.



How much are those portable recording studios again???

And I can dump it into Garage Band at home?? How easy is it to interface w/computer post-recording?

And can I see tracks recording wave patterns on some sort of screen or are they glorified reel-to-reel recorders??


Thanks.................

Linda

OK Mike, I finally saw your link there to eBay............ is that one you would buy if you were buying?


And if I get one and it's missing the user manual or something off eBay, hm, can you show me how to use the blasted thing?


I'll follow that auction--you're right, cheaper than my M-Audio box!

Thanks

Linda

Amen, Jim, to all.

I didn't want to get Windows 7, wanted to stay on XP but the PC came with 7 ... XP is not sold anymore. Don't have the disks for XP, as we're still running the old machine & you get one copy.

So... XP is out of the question, I have to figure out how to deal with the stuff I have in my hand.

Heading out tomorrow to try try again, see if I get anything more workable with the lowered pops/clicks.... maybe they won't show up so much........... sigh



Linda

Hi Linda

The last three went off for $247 - $280 - $175
I'm not sure if that auction has the manual you can always ask, if not it can be downloaded easy.

If it were me I would buy the best one they make which would be the most current. That;s what I did TEN YEARS ago and I still use that machine, not the computer. I know it, it never changes like software's and upgrades.
Remember this Roland unit was once expensive probably $1,800 or more you can look for the 24 track one now as well. Let me go look I'll be right back...

Okay here is a link to an 18 track unit manua;l and all
http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-24-Bit-D..._DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35adc7703a

This went for $240 recently.

Okay here's the 24 track
http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLAND-VS-2480-..._DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c589a1fb7

This went for $899 but you DON'T need this one. Even still it was originally $3500.00
And these are just Rolands, there are Tascams, Akai's Korg Etc...
I like Roland gear when it comes to just about anything.

You are already invested in what you have, so you must consider that. You will get the problem solved and in a very short while there will be a NEW problem. In recording and equipment that never ends but with equipment that ONLY records like a Roland Studio it stops for YEARS!!! With computers the problems just keep on coming,, listen to your last post I have no idea what the heck your even talking about. lol EVERYBODY has a computer so EVERYBODY knows something about them and they will mess with yours.. You will hear "You should get" "do that" then you do and your monitor or printer no longer works lol

Your talking about the ACPI
You SHOULD be talking about music and FX and tracking and bouncing and panning and mixing....

Your at where your at so you should most likely see it through.

Okay time for bed 6:00 am

One thing this thread has highlighted is that we should learn to walk before trying to run......Todays PC sofware is pretty sophisticated and most of it has a pretty steep learning curve....even for people who are PC savvy. My advice for anyone starting out is to learn the basics about good sound capture and basic editing and mixing. Pretty good standards can be achieved with basic equipment like a mic plugged into a PC soundcard and something like Audacity to record it....or a Portastudio or other sound capture device. Once you know how to get the best out of this then you can progress onto something like Cubase or protools.
I still maintain that Linda has a pretty good basic setup and that a portastudio or similar is just spending money needlessly on something that has similar or even less capabilities than that which she already owns.

Linda are you setting the sample rate at 44.1khz......and all stuff like cameras and wifi and other background stuff like all of the power management/hibernation is turned off?

I still think it is something simple and we are missing the obvious. Pity someone who knows about stuff like this cannot give it a look over.....it is so difficult without seeing things first hand. I do know that there are probs with 7 and music interfaces generally.

As a last resort you may want to use one of the other PCs you have solely for music. That is what most guys I know do. They disable or blow away everything that is not needed and leave a clean PC preferably XP for just music production.
PM me if you are considering this I might be able to help by giving you a modified version of XP pro specifically for this.

I have had a couple of DAW's and was pleased with both. The one I used the most was a Yamaha AW2400, which I can highly recommend. There are several other brands / models available. You could buy one new or on ebay.

Linda, here are wo examples of Multi Track Recorders for your consideration.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Boss-BR-800-Digital-Recorder-106091630-i1530236.gc

http://www.guitarcenter.com/TASCAM-...ording-Workstation-105137400-i1425648.gc


Tom

One of yhr problems that has been mentioned before is that the large amt of raw data coming into the system has to be chewed up and put into a place to reference in the future. This is where buffering comes into play. When the buffer get full iy has to go someplace. This may or may not help but there is an idea about a virtual disk drive or ram drive that can be directed to take the in coming data as if it were a hard drive but at the speed of ram.
There maybe someone here more knowledgeable about this or go to a forum on the laptop you have or Audacity forum and seek help setting this up. After the recording then copy the file to the hard disk.
This may not be a solution or opening an idea to a new line of thought.
This is quite a long thread and if it has been suggested, I missed it. Wyndham

There are very good deals on this Fostex recorder right now:
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fostex-MR16HD-16Track-Digital-Recorder?sku=701051
16 tracks, USB out for easy transfer if one prefers to edit on the computer. I've used a couple of their older VF series machines for years as location recorders (recitals, choirs, and such) and they work well. Also convenient as I can sit down pretty much anywhere with one and start recording.

I've got a older vf series that works great, The software on board is a bit difficult to use but the sound quality is fine. It also has 8 track optical out. That looks like a good deal. Wyndham

Thanks you guys, I feel "hugged" with your warmth and concern.

Today, yet another day tearing my hair out---- I may have none left soon!! -- BUT I finally made real progress....


First the story........ Took it all to church and tested for pops/clicks. Got them. Checked the CPU latency and the pops/clicks coincided 100% with the latency spikes.

Pulled off every .exe (driver) in Task Manager that I dared to no avail - Yes Jim -- power management turned OFF, WIFI OFF, internal mic OFF, everything I can think of OFF -- and still spiking.

So.
Cried.

Sat there thinking.

Thought, I should try a different Fast Track driver, I haven't done that yet. Came home (no wireless @church).

Ate a cookie. And lunch.

Uninstalled the Win 7 driver.

After a couple of attempts found a driver that would install under Windows Vista x64 Compatibility.

This one already runs better.
Some of the buttons I couldn't push before and have the mic work, now work.

At 24-bit and 48000 Hz I had problems with the mic suddenly going super-hot and clipping everything even on low gain.

Rebooted.

Test recording: CLEAR of pops and clicks. Gain normal, reacting properly.

Latency checker is still spiking all over the place (in fact worse) but I'm not GETTING the pops and clicks.

It still needs tweaking but it MIGHT have fixed it..........


Getting a bit of electronic hum (random) but not the random interference. PLUS this is without turning off the Power Manager or WIFI and it's sounding all right so I'm encouraged.


Afraid to cross my fingers though.

Kids are out of school for the week so I'm done with "away" studio time till Monday.

Keep up the info on the portable-dealybobs, it's interesting.

Hoping that by posting all this trial-and-error I may help someone else out who's having the same problems.

I agree w/Jim though, what I've already invested in, I SHOULD be able to make work all right.

I can borrow the kids' Mac w/GarageBand for editing once I've recorded off-site and brought the tracks home (and once I kick off the 19-yr old who constantly inhabits it, LOL).


Thanks for all the moral support and excellent ideas and suggestions.


Mike, dude, get some rest! 6 AM!!!!!!!




Linda

After a nap -

Did a test run with WIFI OFF and the CPU spikes went away completely during recording. Even though they weren't showing up as noise or interference.

I *may* be good to go --- still hesitant --- but it may actually be fixed by the new driver.


Linda

You probably want to operate at 24 bits, 44.1k.

Linda
It is difficult to record if you have any internet service running. WIFI connects and disconnects constantly and every time it does there is a CPU hit.
Any Spyware, anti-spyware or anti virus program does the same.
Msmsg is another you should turn off.

I would go to Msconfig.exe and turn off anything you don't need. Nearly everything there runs in the background and takes up CPU and if it activates when you are recording you will likely get a click.
Start/Run/msconfig.exe/Startup tab

I think you can trust it's the wifi. I used to have a similar problem, when I had a PC that was not a dedicated DAW, and found out that three things caused issues with pops, stops and clicks.

In Windows, the wifi, even if it's not connected to the net, is continuously looking for access points, untill you turn it completely off every time you need to use your recording program. The windows background services does the same thing, so you need to switch those off and just leave it there. Also the virus protection program and the firewall needs to be turned off, as they also write in the brackground from time to time. Basically that's it.

If you still get clicks ect., it's probably the buffer size in your recording programme. If you lower it too much, typically to 128 samples or below on a medium/slow computer, it can't manage and will cause click's ect., and if you raise it too much, typically to 512 samples or more during recording, it holds too much information and release it too slow, so you'll get audible latency. While mixing, after you've done all the recording, a high buffer can on the other hand, help you to be able to use more plug-ins.

If you just write songs and record a piano track or something with it, and just need to capture it. I would reccommend something like this http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/H2 . they are great and you'll be able to do really good recordings with them, as they are 24bit. Just record, and transfer the tracks to your PC. EZ as pie.

If you want to think in the long run, and get more into recording and producing your own music, or just be able to tag along with the music lingua in forums, studio's ect. I would reccomend you'll get Pro Tools software. There's a lot of debates about which one ect., but for a songwriter to be able to communicate with other musicians and studio's, it's a no-brainer. Also there are lot's of helpful tutorial videos, tutorial books, forums ect. It's a steep learning curve to get into it, though, that'll typically take you a year or two, if you learn fast and spend time with it every week, so it's not something to go into lightly. With Pro Tools 9 you'll still be able to use your MAudio interface, or you can get an older version of PT 8le with an Mbox on ebay for cheap in the coming months, when people start selling them out.

Just my2c, and good luck..

Linda,

I'm by no means an expert on recording per se but I am a seasoned technology professional who has setup my own and several other musician's PC recording.

If you would like me to look at it - get on the phone and remotely look at your system - let me know.

No cost/pro-bono... I mean, I won't fly up to you and spend 5 days but maybe we can take 15-45 minutes to at least get a clear assessment of what is going on.

Prior to using my Mackie mixer, I used an M-Audio Firewire Solo very successfully and have setup a few different M-Audio devices.

I will steer you away from Audacity - there are quite a few inexpensive options that will make you MUCH MUCH happier. Most you can download and try before buying.

In any case, if you wish, contact me via email or phone.

Go to my website - contact info is in right column:
http://www.KreativeKnowledge.com

Thank you, everyone! Matt, I may take you up on that!

It *LOOKS* like I may have nixed the WIFI & bkgrnd programs enough to kill all the noises today - still have to listen back to all the take I ran - but it *might* be running.

Still holding my breath a bit.

Yep, ProTools is the way to go, but I'm waiting to invest until I have my Mac laptop in a year or two.

Wish me luck - posting mobile from an old phone @ the last home HS football game of the year - daughter is Drum Major!

It's a good game too actually
G'nite!