Topic: Computer dorks (need processer/RAM advice on new DAW build)>

[Matt Quinn]

Specifically what are you having issues with?  You say the driver does not work but I'm not getting how.  Does it not work at all?  Does the system crash?

No crashing.


I can open & run Live for as long as I want, but at some point - sometimes after 2 minutes, sometimes after 45 minutes - the audio playback breaks down into basically nothing but clicks, pops, and crackles. It's not the recorded audio, but the audio *playback* - I know this because if I record an analog audio signal to a track while the noise is present, save it, then apply my workaround (more on that in a sec), the recorded signal does NOT have the noise in it. It plays back fine.


The only workaround I have found, and what led me to believe it was a driver issue involves going into the Tascam's Control Panel Software. There's a few options in there

1. Latency - options = Very Low/Low/Normal/High/Very High.

I have tried all those options, nothing changes.

2. Digital output format: options = Aes/EBU or S/PDIF.

Tried both, makes no difference, I leave it on S/PDIF.

3. Clock source: Options = Automatic or Internal

Internal causes the 1641 to generate it's own clock. 'Automatic' is the proper setting to use if you want to use the 1641's digital inputs. This setting causes the 1641 to lock to the incoming digital signal's clock. The 'correct' setting to leave it on is automatic, as it should switch between internal & the digital input automatically depending on whether or not a digital signal is present at the input.



This is the setting that I use for my workaround. When the clicks/pops/crackles begin, if I go to that option, and switch it to whatever it is not on, Live works fine again - for another 2-45 minutes. Then I can repeat the work around process. To be clear, it's not one setting or the other that makes it work, it is the act of *switching* to the unused option that seems to bring Live back to it's senses.

Oh, it is not a problem unique to Live. It happens in Winamp, Windows Media Player, VLC,  anything that plays back audio. HOWEVER - if I pull the Tascam out of the equation & plug a pair of headphones directly into the computer, all of these program work just fine. At this point, I was sure it was the Tascam driver.


I decided to purchase another interface & say to hell with the Tascam. ordered a Presonus Firestudio Project. It arrived, plugged it in - same.exact.problem. Pops, clicks, crackles. PLayed around a bit, couldn't get it going, returned it so I wouldn't end up eating the money.



Oh, also, the Tascam works fine with my Windows XP machine, so I know it's not a hardware issue.

[phanophish]

Have you tried disabling the other sound card(s) (probably native to the motherboard) in the BIOS or physically removing them if they are an add in?  My guess is that you are having an issue with Windows 7 permitting you to have multiple playback devices.  I had some similar issues when using the Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge as it acts as a secondary sound card, for some reason Windows occasionally tries to default back.  Is there any reason you need a audio playback device other than the Tascam?

Have a read through some of this...

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/audio/w7-defaudioendptsel.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/audio/default.mspx

[Matt Quinn]

Have you tried disabling the other sound card(s) (probably native to the motherboard) in the BIOS or physically removing them if they are an add in?

I've tried disabling them in the Device manager, no effect at all. I don't understand anything about BIOS settings.

Is there any reason you need a audio playback device other than the Tascam?

Nope, not at all. I'd be perfectly fine with having the Tascam handle everything.

Have a read through some of this...

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/audio/w7-defaudioendptsel.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/audio/default.mspx

That stuff is way over my head, honestly. I don't even know where to start there.

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

Changing the BIOS is EASY.

Just hit the DELETE key (or whatever your system says to push to enter the BIOS). It is very easy to look around at the settings to find how to disable the on-board audio.

Once you set it to DISABLED (or similar) just hit F10, and then YES, and you should be good to go.

I haven't read this entire thread, but you also might want to try to put the Audio Card in another slot. I keep my audio card in the FARTHEST slot away from the video card.

I consider myself to be pretty good with computers...and I FRIGGIN HATE audio settings and config in Windows. So don't feel too bad.

Good luck.

[Matt Quinn]

Changing the BIOS is EASY.

Just hit the DELETE key (or whatever your system says to push to enter the BIOS). It is very easy to look around at the settings to find how to disable the on-board audio.

Once you set it to DISABLED (or similar) just hit F10, and then YES, and you should be good to go.

Poked around in the BIOS, there's no option to disable audio, just the whole USB controller. 

And fwiw, I've tried the Tascam in every USB port on the computer, none have worked.

[phanophish]

Here are instructions for a similar PC...

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19299696/19571067.aspx

[Matt Quinn]

Here are instructions for a similar PC...

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19299696/19571067.aspx

Many thanks!


Got into the setting, it was in a slightly different place on my computer, but it was definitely for disabling the integrated audio. Said something about HDMI as well, which my computer has an output for. Got the Tascam driver installed properly, and I'm playing back audio in Media Player just fine so far. 


Fingers crossed, as I definitely need to let it run for a bit longer before I get my hopes up, but this is looking promising. It's definitely not something I would ever have known to look for, and I would've expected Tascam's tech support to suggest a fix like this, so I don't feel crazy for having missed it.

[phanophish]

Cool, hope it winds up being the magic bullet......

[Matt Quinn]

Cool, hope it winds up being the magic bullet......

Question for you: if this was the problem, who would you think is more responsible, Tascam or Dell? I'd just like to alert the proper people so that hopefully no one ever has to deal with this again. 

[Matt Quinn]

Fail. Same problem.


 

[phanophish]

Probably a Tascam Driver issue then.........

Check on Dell's site for any updated drivers, and install them if there are any available...

Then I'd uninstall the Tascam driver and reinstall it one more time to be sure rebooting after the uninstall and reinstall both, but if that does not clear up the issue it is almost certainly a Tascam driver issue.

[runonce]

Changing the BIOS is EASY.

Just hit the DELETE key (or whatever your system says to push to enter the BIOS). It is very easy to look around at the settings to find how to disable the on-board audio.

Once you set it to DISABLED (or similar) just hit F10, and then YES, and you should be good to go.

Poked around in the BIOS, there's no option to disable audio, just the whole USB controller. 

And fwiw, I've tried the Tascam in every USB port on the computer, none have worked.

This BIOS suggestion is only useful if your motherboard has built in sound...

My question - why are you screwing around with Win7 if it works perfectly on XP? - surely the hardware upgrade was worth it...but why not stick with XP? - or at least a dual boot system?
Unless you really needed something that Win7 had - why bother?

[Matt Quinn]

My question - why are you screwing around with Win7 if it works perfectly on XP? - surely the hardware upgrade was worth it...but why not stick with XP? - or at least a dual boot system?
Unless you really needed something that Win7 had - why bother?

The idea had occured to me. I have no idea how to go about installing an OS though, and even if I could go to XP, I will have paid for 4GB or RAM that will be sitting there useless. There's also the possibility that the issue is somewhere between the USBport>motherboard, in which case an OS change won't help. Also, if something gets fucked up, no one will fix it, and I'll be stuck with a even more useless box than I have now. At this point, I think I'm just going to make it a media computer for the living room and get a custom built one. I have just had it. Expensive lesson.

[runonce]

My question - why are you screwing around with Win7 if it works perfectly on XP? - surely the hardware upgrade was worth it...but why not stick with XP? - or at least a dual boot system?
Unless you really needed something that Win7 had - why bother?

The idea had occured to me. I have no idea how to go about installing an OS though, and even if I could go to XP, I will have paid for 4GB or RAM that will be sitting there useless. There's also the possibility that the issue is somewhere between the USBport>motherboard, in which case an OS change won't help. Also, if something gets fucked up, no one will fix it, and I'll be stuck with a even more useless box than I have now. At this point, I think I'm just going to make it a media computer for the living room and get a custom built one. I have just had it. Expensive lesson.

Well - 2 gigs will be useless...

Installing XP should be as easy as: defrag win 7 disk - insert XP disc - it will walk you through the install pretty easily - partitioning the drive into workable sizes will be the biggest trick...(although - dont take my word for it...others who have done this should chime in). You wont be the first guy to do this - so dont feel like you are in uncharted territory.

And dont take this the wrong way  - but dont be so apprehensive about messing around with your computer. Go for it -  you really cant break anything. And if its not doing what you want now - what do you have to lose? OS intalls are pretty easy and automated...you'll be surprised.

[Matt Quinn]

4 Gigs - there's 8GB in the box & 4 are addressable by XP. So 4 would be useless.


>And dont take this the wrong way  - but dont be so apprehensive about messing around with your computer. Go for it -  you really cant break anything.



Um. You can very, very easily break things. And while the computer is NOT doing what I want it to now, it is perfectly fine for someone who is not trying to do audio production with it. So I could potentially lose a perfectly good email/internet/media computer by fucking around with it.