Topic: UA-5 skip/dropuout problems

[adaytoolong]

Hi Everyone:

I really like my UA-5, but am having a problem when I use it connected to my laptop.  During recording, I get occasional skips/dropouts.  These problems don't appear on recordings I make with my Microtrack II using the coax out, so I've concluded it's a computer-related problem.  When I do some research online, I see a few mentions of similar problems, but haven't really found a solution.  I am using the latest drivers from Edirol.  I'm running Windows XP SP3 with an Intel Centrino T2050 @1.6 GHz chip and 2 GB RAM.  Please help!

[Gordon]

what software are you using to record?

first thing I would do is stop all unnecessary process's & screen saver from running and see if that helps.

[adaytoolong]

I'm 99% sure it's not the software.  I've tried both Audacity and Reaper and get the same result.  I have everything stopped including my firewall and AV program.

[admkrk]

did you try a different cable? or port?

[SmokinJoe]

I'm not familiar with your particular driver, but I can speak to a few general issues with computer based interfaces... the first one is latency.  Latency is basically "delay for the signal to work it's way through this system".  If you were running what comes into your computer back out to the band's monitors (or studio headphones), they would really hate it if there was a delay there.  Since you almost surely aren't doing that, you can turn the latency allowance all the way up, and who cares if it gets written to the hard drive 1/4 second later.  Some drivers have a little "driver control panel" where you can set latency.

Then...
- defrag your hard drive.  And make sure the drive isn't almost full.  Cluttered drives are slow drives.
- Make sure the settings in that software panel (if there is one) match the hardware switches on the UA-5.  Any time you make a change to those settings, restart Audacity.
- make sure your USB port is set to USB2.0 and not USB1.1 in the BIOS or elsewhere.
- If you are trying to record at 24/96 and have glitches, but it works fine at 16/44 or 24/48, you may just have to face the fact that you can't run at that speed with this hardware.

Good luck.

[adaytoolong]

Thanks for the suggestions.  My USB is okay in the BIOS.  I regularly defrag my drive, so that's not the issue.  I am only recording at 48/24, so that shouldn't be a problem.  Latency is a term I've heard but am rather unfamiliar with.  I found the settings for my UA-5.  There are only three things for me to adjust.  I believe the first is latency-related.  It says "Audio Buffer Size."  There's a slider bar with "Min" and "Max."  Right now it's in the middle.  I assume I want to change it to "Max" but I want to be sure. 

There are also two checkboxes under "ASIO Settings."  The first says "Use smaller ASIO buffer size."  It is currently un-checked.  The second says "Use ASIO direct monitor."  It is currently checked.  I am unsure what to do with these two.  Any suggestions? 

Thanks!   

[admkrk]

i don't remember making any changes in any settings when my lappy was working. i strongly suggest trying a different cable before you go any farther tho. if it still works fine after that, you might want to look at the usb out on the ua-5. i'm not saying it isn't a latency issue but it sounds more like a faulty connection somewhere to me.

that said, increasing the buffer size can't hurt.

not sure what the ASIO setting would do?