Cakewalk HS2002 and crackling/popping...please help.

[Boseafus]

Ok,

I have been using HS2002 for a few weeks now and really just got down to laying down multiple tracks up to 10. I have a P4 1.8, MSI 845G MOBO with 512 DDR memory, 80 gig WD HD, Win 98SE, Delta 66 with Omni studio and ALL the drivers are updated.

Tonight when recording vocals, I was getting random crackling sounds when I played the recording back. It was also kind of random. I would undo the track and try it again, and it would be fine. Yet, 2 or 3 more takes later...they crackling would be back. I couldn't figure it out. I thought it might be because I had too many tracks but I simply started a whole new session and the same thing happened. I was using my AT 3033 to record but I switched to a AKG C1000 and it still happened.

I will try to mess with the latency thing tomorrow but really have NO idea what I am doing. Should I lower or raise the latency. Should I mess the latency control panel in M-audio's software or the CW software?

Also, I don't know what type of drivers I am using. I think it's ASIO drivers but when I look in the CW options it only gives me PCM - Delta in 1/2 and a couple others (can't remember). Is the PCM the ASIO drivers? OR should it say ASIO in the CW options panel?
Thanks a ton.

Nate

[acidrock]

They should be mme drivers in 98se,PCM is a anolog input.
Raise the latency for starters.
Have you done any PC optimisation?

[acidrock]

Flame me if I'm wrong,but I think PCM stands for
P-ulse C-ode M-odulation.

[Boseafus]

Originally posted by acidrock
They should be mme drivers in 98se,PCM is a anolog input.
Raise the latency for starters.
Have you done any PC optimisation?

The PCM are the ONLY options I have...I have installed the newest updated drivers for my delta card. Might have to call M-audio to figure out what is going wrong.

Also, what do you mean "analog input."? Does it mean that I am recording analog opposed to digital? Newbie...sorry, just a bit confused.

Thanks
B

[Jim Y]

4 main offenders spring to mind...

1, The Delta card is sharing with the video - do not fit a soundcard in the first pci slot ( the one nearest the AGP video slot). About the middle pci slot is a good place.

2, You have CD auto insert notification enabled. This interupts the hard drive every 5 seconds or so while windows sees if you've changed a cd! That's Control Panel/System - in the device list - expand the cd drives then select a drive and Properties - it's in the settings tab. While you're there, enable DMA and check that's done for your hard drive/s too.

3, You have power management enabled. This is best disabled in the bios setup - You have to hit the Del (or somesuch) key when the computer first starts up and find the power settings. Remember to Save when quiting Setup. Also turn off power saving shemes in Windows Control Panel.

4, You have a Virus scanner working in the background - set it to scan on start-up only or better - On Demand (you have to run it).

A few others...

If you have an internet connection, do not try recording after being on-line without first restarting the pc - otherwise Windows keeps looking for the connection. Even better - learn how to set up Hardware Profiles. This will allow you to choose a system configuration on start up. You can make a profile with stuff like modems and scanners disabled just for your audio sessions.

All Pro soundcards require you to optimise the pc. Unlike gamers cards like the Soundblaster range, they do not first record into a RAM memory on the card itself but have to stream the audio in Real time through the pc system. Any interuption to the flow is fatal for your audio.

Are you using WDM drivers? These can work on 98SE - but the latest Delta drivers wouldn't install for me - the previous ones did.
You should use the Delta Uninstaller first to get rid of the MME drivers.
There is a bug in 98SE WDM audio system for which there is a Microsoft "HotFix" - it is called Q242937.EXE (no joke!)
Do a search for it - a few companies are hosting it. I got mine from WWW1.rm.com/
No mistake, that URL really does have a 1 after the WWW .
Sonar Rocks with WDM drivers.

[Boseafus]

Great!
I will give those things a shot today. I'll keep ya updated.

B

[MADKARP]

You could also try enableing the write and read cache in sonar options-audio-advanced menu, it solved the same problem for a friend of mine, it might be a little slower to import trscks but its worth a try.

[Boseafus]

Ok...I found another guy on another board who was having the same problem and had pretty much the same OS/Hardware I have. He said he never found a solution but that he upgraded to Sonar 2.0 and it worked great.

Sure enough, I D/L the Demo and...IT WORKS! I might call Cakewalk to find out if they have had this problem.

Thanks again.

Nate

[Jim Y]

Compare the audio settings in 2.0 with your current version. I'm pretty sure Sonar2 is based on the same underlying code as Sonar1.0 so all they may have done is change the default settings for something that has proved more reliable.

[Boseafus]

I will try that but I don't have Sonar 1. I have Cakewalk Home Studio 2002. Now...I think 2002 is just a very dumbed down version of Sonar 2. I will check it out today.

Thanks again. You all have been very helpful.

B