Random and Loud SoundBursts from SBLive! with KX Drivers

Caithleann · Nov 21, 2003, 04:01 AM

This is a spin-off from the topic constant beeping noise instead of audio playback to which I shall not link as this was determined to NOT be a related issue. Because it is the opening message I best give all the details I can give here.

My system comprises:

ASUS P4C800 DeLuxe
P4 - 2.4 GHz overclocked to 2.8 GHz (speed makes no difference)
Intel 875P Chipset
FSB 800 MHz
DDR400 2×256MB memory modules.

My SBLive! cards (2) produce a random loud burst of noise that sometimes strongly resembles the sound samples in a wave bank played at up to 16 times their normal pitch. It occurs most often during games which is where many different sounds are played and from the various discussions on beeping I have learned that every following sound actuates a new channel until they are all in use at which time the oldest channel will be reassigned to the next sound. Apparently it is at this time that the beep started in the other topic.

In my case — and I hope there are others suffering from this problem who can confirm my findings — It does not occur when you run out of available sound channels but at random, sometimes after 10 seconds and sometimes virtually immediately upon playing something.
However, I found that its occurrence is far more frequent during game play.

Here is what I wrote in the other thread:

Quote:

Seems that the problems occur mostly when wav files and MP3's are being played back simultaneously.

Perhaps it would be of interest that I am using a game builder called Visual Pinball Editor which allows me to create, er... yes.. Pinball games.

The simple games are ok but it is the complicated ones with lots of sounds being played as the ball hits a multitude of targets that trigger this problem although judging from the sound sample I posted it almost began as soon as the ball was released into the game.

Visual Pinball Editor can be downloaded from: http://irpinball.ztnet.com
You can get tables there as well.
The table that first brought out this problem is called Rapid Vienna- Kick'n Roll(DVO3).zip and is a very complicated pinball with lots of sounds and music.

This is what it looks like..
Finally, The sample I posted earlier was not from this table.

Anyone with some interest in arcade gaming can try it and see if they can duplicate the problem.

And from today I have also noticed it occuring during Shoutcast transmissions, and in this latter instance it is reproducible by downloading a pls file and editing it in Texpad while it is loaded in winAmp. Simply clicking on the bottom scrollbar will trigger the sound bursts.

Has anyone experienced these noises as described above? If yes, I leave the floor to you now.

Caithleanne

Rox271 · Nov 21, 2003, 01:02 PM

My system comprises:

* ASUS P4P800
* P4 - 2.4 GHz (hyperthreading off)
* Intel 865 Chipset
* FSB 800 MHz
* DDR400 1×512MB memory module.

Did try your Pinball game. Nice game, nice sounds.
There are many BIOS settings with the ASUS motherboard; most of my parameters are not very ambitious on performance. May be you should try to come back to a minimum level and turn on optimisations step by step?

cineralf · Nov 22, 2003, 05:19 PM

Hi,

I watched your discussions about this stupid random beeps. And I think I have got the same problems.

My configuration is:

-VIA-KT-133 Board with AMD Duron 750 MHz
-512 MB SDRAM
-SBLive 5.1 with Live Drive
-OS: Win2k

I used the KX Drivers for over 2 years with this configuration and I haven´t got any Problems like that. A couple of weeks ago I tried the newest KX drivers ("never change a running system...") and tried out the new features (eg: like the vienna compatibility...) but the next day the constant beeps and problems started. I tried to get the new drivers work but nothing helps. My best way to force the random beeps is using winAmp and do fast forward- after a few seconds the constant beeps
start...and after the next few seconds of doing fast forward music plays again and so on...
However nothing helped. After that I wondered why I had these problems never with the old drivers..., so I installed the old drivers since that all works perfect again!!! After that I installed the new again and the problems are back again...
My idea is, that it must be the new KX drivers (Sorry...;-)
Try the:

Version: 5, 10, 00, 3528 - debug
Kompiliert: Dec 3 2002 00:50:27

or earlier of the KX-Drivers. On my System works best during the last 2 weeks. No constant beeps anymore...
Hope you´ll find the problem in the new drivers and may fixed it.
I like the new drivers but with this noise it is unpossible to work with...

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Nov 22, 2003, 06:59 PM

>> cineralf

have you downloaded a sample audio file?.. this is not a -CONSTANT-BEEP- issue, but a -different- kind of audio distortion...
this issue happens even -during- playback (while the 'constant beeping issue' happens on playback start-up only)
this issue cannot be solved by clicking 'play/stop' 32 times

>> Caithleann

the test tone you've provided sounds as if there is a kind of hardware problem (or invalid audio buffer management)
since kX Driver doesn't re-allocate audio buffers during audio playback (it is not required), the issue can be related to any third-party drivers (such as USB drivers), directSound core, invalid memory mapping, overclocking, processor-dependent optimizations (such as the well-known AMD "Cool" bit) etc .. etc..

you need to try to disable different devices in the device manager
also, avoid overclocking (at least during the tests)
also, try using a 'generic' video driver

/Eugene

Caithleann · Nov 23, 2003, 08:15 PM

I have mentioned in the other thread but will repeat it here for the sake of continuity that With hyperthreading off the problem does not exist at all.

Even with overclocking, fancy video drivers and what have you so I would venture to say that Hyperthreading is the big problem. Unfortunately, turning of HT also impacts other programs negatively, among others apparently the Eudora Email client (6.0) which really becomes a tortoise without hyperthreading.

I shall give this one more try but it will probably only be a little later in the week. I am still wondering if I am really the only one with this problem.

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Nov 24, 2003, 03:07 AM

>> With hyperthreading off the problem does not exist at all

hmmm -- I haven't noticed that in the prev. thread
then, this issue is not hardware related

try 3534 release -- or wait till Hyperthreading issue is finally solved (if ever....

)

/E

Caithleann · Nov 24, 2003, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eugene Gavrilov
>> With hyperthreading off the problem does not exist at all

hmmm -- I haven't noticed that in the prev. thread

Perhaps a direct link to the relevant post might shed some light on that?

Terminal · Jan 18, 2004, 10:39 AM

Well, I hate to perform a bit of forum necromancy here, but this is the thread that seems to resemble my problem the most. I have a VERY similar system to Caithleann's:

Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
P4C 3.0 (tested at both stock and OC to 3.3) HT On
875P chipset
SBLive! Platinum with Live!Drive IR
kx Driver v. 3534

The "glitching" sounds about the same as in the mp3 posted here already. It's become most prevalent recently when I tried to play Diablo II, there was just a bit of distortion even when my character was walking through town (very few sound sources). Battles, where there were upwards of 10 sources playing were absolute aural torture.

On the advice of another thread similar to this, I checked my PCI/AGP timings:

PCI Bus 0 (internal controllers, CPU -> AGP, etc.) - 64
AGP Bus 1 (GeForceFX 5900) - 248
Onboard Firewire Controller - 64
Onboard Promise RAID Controller - 96
SBLive! - 64

Also, I had originally thought the problem was related to IRQ sharing, the card was at first sharing IRQ 23 with the Promise RAID controller. It's now on IRQ 20 with the Firewire card, but still experiences the glitching (the Firewire port is not being used at all).

I know that the most likely solution to work would be to disable Hyper-Threading, but I'm really hoping that I can provide more info so that this can (if it is related to kx) be fixed in a future release, as I really don't want to lose the performance. Let me know if any more information would be helpful, or of any other tricks to try.

PS - Consider this also an offer of beta-testing for HT issues if it's a current topic. I've got the time, the software, and hopfully a semblance of the skill

Caithleann · Jan 20, 2004, 02:51 PM

That is very interesting... You are the ONLY other person that reports the near identical problem, with a near identical setup but with a faster processor and a superior video card, the FX 5900 is one of the newest and fastest. So now we have a situation where we can compare apples with apples.

Perhaps this is an Asus P4C800 motherboard issue? Or NVidia?
Unless anyone else reports in, this may well be a toss up.

Do you communicate with motherboard or videocard manufacturers, Eugene?

Caithleann

**Eugene Gavrilov** · Jan 21, 2004, 02:02 AM

no, I don't

but if the problem is HT-specific... then, who knows... I doubt this issue is -directly- caused by the videocard / motherboard...

/E

ccatalan · Jan 22, 2004, 09:16 PM

I don't know if this has been discussed recently somewhere else in the forum, but did you get further into solving the HT problem ?

Cyril

Terminal · Jan 30, 2004, 01:59 AM

Installed 3537d on a whim as I saw the little "HT/SMP should be fixed" note. So far, absolutely no squeals, no crashes, no lockups. Tested Diablo II, no cutouts or glitches even when there were easily 10+ sources playing at once. Thanks Eugene!

Nov 22, 2003, 05:19 PM	#3
cineralf DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	have the same problems with SBLive Hi, I watched your discussions about this stupid random beeps. And I think I have got the same problems. My configuration is: -VIA-KT-133 Board with AMD Duron 750 MHz -512 MB SDRAM -SBLive 5.1 with Live Drive -OS: Win2k I used the KX Drivers for over 2 years with this configuration and I haven´t got any Problems like that. A couple of weeks ago I tried the newest KX drivers ("never change a running system...") and tried out the new features (eg: like the vienna compatibility...) but the next day the constant beeps and problems started. I tried to get the new drivers work but nothing helps. My best way to force the random beeps is using winAmp and do fast forward- after a few seconds the constant beeps start...and after the next few seconds of doing fast forward music plays again and so on... However nothing helped. After that I wondered why I had these problems never with the old drivers..., so I installed the old drivers since that all works perfect again!!! After that I installed the new again and the problems are back again... My idea is, that it must be the new KX drivers (Sorry...;-) Try the: Version: 5, 10, 00, 3528 - debug Kompiliert: Dec 3 2002 00:50:27 or earlier of the KX-Drivers. On my System works best during the last 2 weeks. No constant beeps anymore... Hope you´ll find the problem in the new drivers and may fixed it. I like the new drivers but with this noise it is unpossible to work with... __________________ cu, Ralf

Nov 23, 2003, 08:15 PM	Thread Starter #5
Caithleann HardwareHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California USA Posts: 47 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	I have mentioned in the other thread but will repeat it here for the sake of continuity that With hyperthreading off the problem does not exist at all. Even with overclocking, fancy video drivers and what have you so I would venture to say that Hyperthreading is the big problem. Unfortunately, turning of HT also impacts other programs negatively, among others apparently the Eudora Email client (6.0) which really becomes a tortoise without hyperthreading. I shall give this one more try but it will probably only be a little later in the week. I am still wondering if I am really the only one with this problem. __________________ One cannot lie unless one knows the truth!

Nov 24, 2003, 03:07 AM	#6
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,106 Rep Power: 73	>> With hyperthreading off the problem does not exist at all hmmm -- I haven't noticed that in the prev. thread then, this issue is not hardware related try 3534 release -- or wait till Hyperthreading issue is finally solved (if ever....) /E

Jan 18, 2004, 10:39 AM	#8
Terminal DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Amherst, MA Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Well, I hate to perform a bit of forum necromancy here, but this is the thread that seems to resemble my problem the most. I have a VERY similar system to Caithleann's: Asus P4C800-E Deluxe P4C 3.0 (tested at both stock and OC to 3.3) HT On 875P chipset SBLive! Platinum with Live!Drive IR kx Driver v. 3534 The "glitching" sounds about the same as in the mp3 posted here already. It's become most prevalent recently when I tried to play Diablo II, there was just a bit of distortion even when my character was walking through town (very few sound sources). Battles, where there were upwards of 10 sources playing were absolute aural torture. On the advice of another thread similar to this, I checked my PCI/AGP timings: PCI Bus 0 (internal controllers, CPU -> AGP, etc.) - 64 AGP Bus 1 (GeForceFX 5900) - 248 Onboard Firewire Controller - 64 Onboard Promise RAID Controller - 96 SBLive! - 64 Also, I had originally thought the problem was related to IRQ sharing, the card was at first sharing IRQ 23 with the Promise RAID controller. It's now on IRQ 20 with the Firewire card, but still experiences the glitching (the Firewire port is not being used at all). I know that the most likely solution to work would be to disable Hyper-Threading, but I'm really hoping that I can provide more info so that this can (if it is related to kx) be fixed in a future release, as I really don't want to lose the performance. Let me know if any more information would be helpful, or of any other tricks to try. PS - Consider this also an offer of beta-testing for HT issues if it's a current topic. I've got the time, the software, and hopfully a semblance of the skill

Jan 20, 2004, 02:51 PM	Thread Starter #9
Caithleann HardwareHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California USA Posts: 47 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	That is very interesting... You are the ONLY other person that reports the near identical problem, with a near identical setup but with a faster processor and a superior video card, the FX 5900 is one of the newest and fastest. So now we have a situation where we can compare apples with apples. Perhaps this is an Asus P4C800 motherboard issue? Or NVidia? Unless anyone else reports in, this may well be a toss up. Do you communicate with motherboard or videocard manufacturers, Eugene? Caithleann __________________ One cannot lie unless one knows the truth!

Nov 21, 2003, 01:02 PM	#2
Rox271 DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Here Posts: 251 Rep Power: 0	My system comprises: * ASUS P4P800 * P4 - 2.4 GHz (hyperthreading off) * Intel 865 Chipset * FSB 800 MHz * DDR400 1×512MB memory module. Did try your Pinball game. Nice game, nice sounds. There are many BIOS settings with the ASUS motherboard; most of my parameters are not very ambitious on performance. May be you should try to come back to a minimum level and turn on optimisations step by step?

Nov 22, 2003, 06:59 PM	#4
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,106 Rep Power: 73	>> cineralf have you downloaded a sample audio file?.. this is not a -CONSTANT-BEEP- issue, but a -different- kind of audio distortion... this issue happens even -during- playback (while the 'constant beeping issue' happens on playback start-up only) this issue cannot be solved by clicking 'play/stop' 32 times >> Caithleann the test tone you've provided sounds as if there is a kind of hardware problem (or invalid audio buffer management) since kX Driver doesn't re-allocate audio buffers during audio playback (it is not required), the issue can be related to any third-party drivers (such as USB drivers), directSound core, invalid memory mapping, overclocking, processor-dependent optimizations (such as the well-known AMD "Cool" bit) etc .. etc.. you need to try to disable different devices in the device manager also, avoid overclocking (at least during the tests) also, try using a 'generic' video driver /Eugene

Jan 21, 2004, 02:02 AM	#10
Eugene Gavrilov kX Project Lead Programmer and Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3,106 Rep Power: 73	no, I don't but if the problem is HT-specific... then, who knows... I doubt this issue is -directly- caused by the videocard / motherboard... /E

Jan 22, 2004, 09:16 PM	#11
ccatalan DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 24 Rep Power: 0	I don't know if this has been discussed recently somewhere else in the forum, but did you get further into solving the HT problem ? Cyril

Jan 30, 2004, 01:59 AM	#12
Terminal DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Amherst, MA Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Installed 3537d on a whim as I saw the little "HT/SMP should be fixed" note. So far, absolutely no squeals, no crashes, no lockups. Tested Diablo II, no cutouts or glitches even when there were easily 10+ sources playing at once. Thanks Eugene!