Mind-numbing Audio Problem

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SubYeoman

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I’m having a mind-melting recording problem and I’m wondering if anyone out there can help. I have been working on this problem for over a month and have still not figured out what is causing it, and this post is my white flag cry for help.

I have a modest home recording setup using a TASCAM US-122L USB 2.0 interface and an Alienware laptop. I am experiencing what you might call hanging, dropout, skipping, etc. Every 5-10 seconds the audio fails to record for about 1-2 seconds. The effect upon playback is constant audio, then a quick cricket chirp sound, then the audio continues, but at a second or two later that when it should have. For example, if my playing was a steady beat 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; the recording would reflect 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, with a split second chirpy sound where the missing 1-2 seconds of audio should have been. Essentially, the recording process is intermittently “freezing”. Over the course of a month of trying to figure out what is wrong I’ve learned the following:

-I have used Cubase LE4, Mackie Tracktion and Sony Acid and get the exact same effect with all, so I don’t think it’s the software.

-I have used the TASCAM with the same drivers and the same recording software on another computer and it works fine, so I don’t think it’s the interface hardware.

-I am using the latest drivers and firmware available on the TASCAM website, and even tried rolling back to earlier versions of drivers with no success.

-I also have a Digitech RP255 guitar pedal which has a USB interface, and I can record into the above mentioned software on the same laptop using it without a problem, which makes me think it’s not the computer in general.

-Mackie Tracktion has a convenient “CPU usage” meter, and it never got above 10-15% at any time, so I don’t think it is a lack of processing power, especially since it’s a powerful computer I’m only trying to record one raw track.

-The issue occurs on all inputs of the interface, including MIDI, with switches in every position possible. There is also the same “freezing” problem with the output, where a second or two of silence is heard every few seconds. This includes using the recording programs or just listening to an mp3 file.

-I have restored my laptop to factory settings with no other programs installed and the problem still exists. I have unplugged all other USB devices, and I have disabled everything I could think of that might create a conflict including the touch pad, Bluetooth capabilities, the laptop’s sound card, the network adapters and internet, all with no effect. The laptop is plenty powerful enough to play the most demanding video games at the highest settings, so I don’t understand how any minor program could create such a big problem anyway.

Sorry for the ultra-long post, but I didn’t want to be one of those people that didn’t give enough info, i.e., “I’m having skipping problems…WTF???!”. I searched everywhere for a solution and found lots of answers, but nothing that worked. I now throw myself at the mercy of the forum… thanks in advance for your help!
 
That is weird. The only time I've seen that happen is when I had trial ware and it expired. I don't know if that's possible in your case, but it's all I can think of.
 
The Cubase LE4 is a full version that came with my interface, so it's not the case there. The Acid and Tracktion are both trials, but I just downloaded them to eliminate software as a possiblility and they both have lots of time left. Thanks for the idea, though... I've run out of them. :(
 
Wireless Issue?

If you have wireless internet on your laptop disable it completely (don't just disconnect; turn off the switch if you have one, if not go into the control panel and disable the card).

I had a similar issue with playback and recording on a Dell Studio 15. Disabling wireless works and if you need to be online (not recommended) try to find updated drivers for the wireless card. In my case I had to force more up to date broadcom drivers over the Dell drivers.

Give it a shot.
 
I completely disabled the wireless connection using the function key, but no dice. :confused:
 
Do you have both RP250 and the Tascam going into the same USB hub?? If so, try to move one to another hub/controller, like on the opposite side of the laptop. I dont know if the tascam is USB bus powered or not, but if it is, try using a separate power supply.

Check your buffer settings in Cubase VST Audio panel. Make sure you're selecting the ASIO driver for your interface and not a DirectX or WDM driver, or whatevers.

Kill all the unnecessary processes. Even though the VST performance meter might not be registering cpu activity, you might be putting a load on it. Defrag your hard drive. Use a 2nd physical drive if you can. If you opt for an external drive, be sure it's firewire.

Check out this link. Might find something useful.

http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/ts/detail.php?Index=30058

good luck, have fun....

Hey, what boat were you on?
 
Hey, thanks for the help Chili...

Yes, the interface is USB powered, and I have experienced the same problem with it plugged into all 4 USB ports on the laptop, with all other devices unplugged and not.

I'm not really too firmiliar with Cubase yet (this setup was supposed to be my grand introduction to the wonderful world of home recording, of which I've spent 100% of my time trying to get it to work correctly), but I did tinker around and adjust every setting I could find in the program, including the buffer settings, all with no success. I'm sure I'm using the correct ASIO driver though, as I have switched between it and the one for the guitar pedal quite a bit during my many hours of troubleshooting. Since the problem is the same on three different programs, I kind of ruled out settings within the programs themselves as the culprit, although I have tried to tweak them to overcome the problem, obviously not successfully. The adjustable settings for the TASCAM consist of only one option, 5 levels of latency from "lowest" to "highest". Tried each one with no change.

I stripped windows down to the absolute minimum as far as processes go; no anti-virus, no internet, nothing. When I got really desperate I went down the list in device manager and disabled almost everything except things like the processor, memory controllers, etc. Like I said, a month of headaches trying every little thing I could think of only to be disappointed again and again.

I am actually reformatting the hard drive right now, so if it was a defrag issue that should fix it. We'll see if that makes a difference once I get Windows reinstalled.

Oh, and I was on the USS HELENA (SSN 725) btw. :D
 
SubYeoman said:
Hey, thanks for the help Chili...

Yes, the interface is USB powered, and I have experienced the same problem with it plugged into all 4 USB ports on the laptop, with all other devices unplugged and not.

I'm not really too firmiliar with Cubase yet (this setup was supposed to be my grand introduction to the wonderful world of home recording, of which I've spent 100% of my time trying to get it to work correctly), but I did tinker around and adjust every setting I could find in the program, including the buffer settings, all with no success. I'm sure I'm using the correct ASIO driver though, as I have switched between it and the one for the guitar pedal quite a bit during my many hours of troubleshooting. Since the problem is the same on three different programs, I kind of ruled out settings within the programs themselves as the culprit, although I have tried to tweak them to overcome the problem, obviously not successfully. The adjustable settings for the TASCAM consist of only one option, 5 levels of latency from "lowest" to "highest". Tried each one with no change.

I stripped windows down to the absolute minimum as far as processes go; no anti-virus, no internet, nothing. When I got really desperate I went down the list in device manager and disabled almost everything except things like the processor, memory controllers, etc. Like I said, a month of headaches trying every little thing I could think of only to be disappointed again and again.

I am actually reformatting the hard drive right now, so if it was a defrag issue that should fix it. We'll see if that makes a difference once I get Windows reinstalled.

Oh, and I was on the USS HELENA (SSN 725) btw. :D
Click to expand...

Good luck with the rebuild. If it works on other computers and all your software is set up, it sounds like your USB bus may not be able to supply enough power to the interface. Just guessing, though. This is a known problem with some Macs.

The only other thing I can think of would be overheating. Mine will stutter when it gets too hot.

I was on the Albuquerque (SSN-706); FTG1(ss). A looooong time ago. :rolleyes: Welcome to the site.
 
My trial version of a plug-in was causing this same problem after it expired. (Maybe it was Isotope RX, I don't recall.)

If you've installed the same software on another computer, it would not show the symptoms because the trial period is fresh again. The same will happen if you re-format your Alienware. The trial period will appear fresh because the Windows registry won't have any record of the prior install.

Check all of your software versions by clicking on HELP > ABOUT...within each one. They should say something like "Trial" or "Demo" if they are.

It may be worth a closer look.
 
Possible Fix:

1. Click on "Start" and then right-click on "My Computer."
2. Click on "Properties" and then on the "Hardware" tab.
3. Half-way down on the right, click on "Device Manager."
4. Click the "plus" sign in front of "Universal Serial Bus Controllers."
5. Double-Click on the first "USB Root Hub" (not USB 2.0 Root Hub).
6. Click on the "Power Management" tab.
7. Uncheck the box that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
8. Click "OK" and repeat for all other "USB Root Hubs."
9. Finally, close all and go back to the desktop.

Now, the next step is optional but advisable, in my opinion.

1. Right-click on the desktop background
2. Click on "Properties."
3. Click "Screen Saver" tab and then "Power" button
4. I like the following settings for a desktop computer:

* Monitor - 15 minutes
* Hard Disk - 20 minutes
* Standby - Never
* Hibernation - Never

5. Then click on the "Hibernate" tab and uncheck "Enable Hibernation."
6. Click "OK" twice and go back to the desktop.
 
Ocnor, thanks for your suggestions. I tried adjusting the USB power management you specified, but it didn't make a difference.

Post-rebuild the problem continues. :( As I noticed it did before, the fault is occurring computer-wide, not just in the recording software, but in anything that creates sound. I hear the choppy audio on the Windows power-up jingle, when I play music files, etc.

After my hard drive reformat and Windows re-install, the first thing I did was install drivers only for the TASCAM, to make it my only source of audio rendering. I thought maybe there was a conflict with my laptop’s sound card or other audio drivers, and if so this would solve the problem, but it didn’t. Eventually, I did install the onboard audio drivers as well, and I noticed that when I played a music file the regular way through my laptop’s speakers it still skipped. The audio wasn’t even going through the TASCAM, but it was skipping anyway. But when I unplugged the TASCAM from the USB port the skipping stopped. Plugged the interface back in, it started skipping again. Kept it plugged in, but disabled it in device manager, and the skipping stopped again (even though it was being provided power and the lights were on, etc.)

Another weird thing about the problem is that in both the recording software and in Windows Media Player, when the audio skipped, the video skipped too; in WMP the “visualization” effects would pause, or freeze, during the period the audio would skip, and likewise the recording progress in Tracktion, Acid, ect., would “wait” for the audio to catch up rather than just record silence during those periods. I’m not really sure what this means, but it seems significant for troubleshooting.

I’m still really torn about how to proceed… It seems clear that there is some kind of conflict between my laptop and the interface, since the guitar pedal works perfectly on the laptop and the interface works perfectly on another computer. I guess my next step would be to buy a new interface and pray that it doesn’t have the same problem. One big difference between the pedal and the interface is that the pedal is powered by a wall outlet, so I’m hoping if I get an externally powered interface it will work. Does anyone have any other ideas before I go out and blow some money on a second interface I can’t afford? If not, any recommendations for a simple interface with ¼”, mic and MIDI inputs that’s not too expensive? Thanks again for everyone’s help.
 
Two suggestions. 1) you can buy a powered USB hub and try going through that. 2) check for IRQ conflicts. Reassign any that share with your interface. However, I think these are long shots.

Sorry.
 
Starting to sound like a driver issue. If you can get some additional drivers for your sound devices (not necessarily the newest one, but a few earlier revs also) you could try juggling those. It's generally not a quick and easy process to troubleshoot.
 
The Saga Continues

LDS said:
Starting to sound like a driver issue. If you can get some additional drivers for your sound devices (not necessarily the newest one, but a few earlier revs also) you could try juggling those. It's generally not a quick and easy process to troubleshoot.
Click to expand...

I think you're right... I uninstalled the drivers and the problem went away, even with the unit still plugged in (of course, without drivers it was unuseable). I tried all 7 or so drivers they had available on the Tascam website, and also tried ASIO4ALL but it didn't make a difference.

So, I finally gave up and bought a new interface. I went with the Ionix U22, and I'm happy to say that the skipping went away, and for the most part everything is working like it is supposed to. However, I am having one problem. The interface has, for all intents and purposes, 2 audio inputs (2 combo jacks and a single 1/4" instrument jack which disables combo jack input 1 when you plug something into it). If I plug my guitar into the insturment jack it sounds like a million bucks, clear and loud. If I plug it into either of the combo jacks it's not quite as loud, but still gets the job done. But, when I plug my Shure SM58 mic with the XLR input into the combo jack I get almost no sound at all. I can't say that I get nothing, because if I turn the input gain up to 10, cup my hands around the mic and yell really loud I can get it to barely register. I can't get the sound through USB to the computer, nor within the unit itself. For example, I can hear myself playing guitar through the headphones of the interface even when my computer isn't on, but I can't hear my voice playback at all, nor will the LED level display on the front of the unit light up for the mic. I went back and tested the mic and cord on my old Tascam to make sure it didn't break in the last couple days, and it still makes sound just fine so it's not that. The interface has phantom power so I tried that too, even though it shouldn't be necessary, and as I suspected it didn't make a difference. Does anyone have an idea why this might happen? Thanks again for all of your help.
 
Your SM58 is a dynamic microphone that needs plenty of gain to get a good signal (and some say a better sound, YMMV).

The Lexicon website says the unit does 55db of gain. That's not very much. Certainly not enough for ribbons, and maybe not enough for your '58.

Either the microphone preamplifiers in the unit you picked up do not provide enough gain for an SM58, you have a gain staging problem (where you have multiple gains and you're just not paying attention), or the unit is defective.

If you can bypass the onboard preamp by inserting a standalone preamplifier that does provide enough gain, you're in good shape - if you have a standalone preamplifier.

Otherwise, you need to take that thing back and get something that will drive the most common microphone on the planet.
 
Supercreep said:
Your SM58 is a dynamic microphone that needs plenty of gain to get a good signal (and some say a better sound, YMMV).

The Lexicon website says the unit does 55db of gain. That's not very much. Certainly not enough for ribbons, and maybe not enough for your '58.

Either the microphone preamplifiers in the unit you picked up do not provide enough gain for an SM58, you have a gain staging problem (where you have multiple gains and you're just not paying attention), or the unit is defective.

If you can bypass the onboard preamp by inserting a standalone preamplifier that does provide enough gain, you're in good shape - if you have a standalone preamplifier.

Otherwise, you need to take that thing back and get something that will drive the most common microphone on the planet.
Click to expand...
Ah! OK, now I see where he's talking about an SM58,etc.... I seriously thought you were in the wrong thread or something. :D :D :D
 
What operating system are you running? I know you bought a new interface but I currently work with a guy who had the same issue. If its windows Vista then the drivers would be the issue with no solution. There is a code error with the 122 drivers for windows vista, which tascam will not be fixing. I just thought I would post this for any other poor soul who comes across this issue. BTW tascam level 1 to 3 tech claim that there isnt even an issue.
 
I finally got everything working properly, for the most part, and I wanted to make a follow-up to this thread in case anyone else ran into a similar problem. Although there are still more questions than answers, the solution’s overall theme is that the Alienware Laptop was finicky. Pretty much across the board, every problem I had could be solved by moving the equipment, software and drivers to my desktop computer. But ultimately I was even able to get the laptop to work, and in my opinion the reason for this was that I switched to equipment that used more stable, or at least more compatible, drivers.

One of the most difficult troubleshooting hurdles was that my Digitech RP255 guitar pedal, when used as a USB interface, worked perfectly in all circumstances, but my Tascam 122L interface didn’t. At first I went out and bought a new interface, a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB. With this interface the skipping went away, but a whole host of new problems arose; worse ones, like horrible intermittent feedback, hissing, and the signal was inaudible about half the time. I don’t think the unit itself was malfunctioning because, like my 122, it would work great on my other computer. So, I took it back to try something else. I explained my problem to the pro audio guy at Guitar Center and he told me that the parent company Harmon music made Digitech pedals, and maybe I should try this Lexicon Ionix U22 interface, since it was also made by them. There happened to be a Harmon music representative in the store that day and he told me yes, the drivers were written by the same people. I didn’t have anything to lose except the $50 difference in the price, so I went for it. As it turns out, the U22 was just what the doctor ordered… it works perfectly, just like the Digitech pedal. I don’t know near enough about this stuff to claim that these products are superior to the ones I tried before them, or even that they use superior drivers, but what I do know is that they overcame whatever problem the laptop was dishing out, and that’s good enough to earn my seal of approval. One thing I should mention is that all the equipment that wasn’t working was USB powered, and all the equipment that has worked is wall-powered, so there is still a chance that this was the issue the whole time. However, given the nature of the problem I don’t think this was the case; also, my mouse, thumb drives, external DVD ROM, and other stuff I’ve used over the years are all USB powered and I’ve never had an issue with those. Now that I found something that works and my troubleshooting days are (hopefully) over, I’ll probably never find out.

Now let me address the Lexicon U22 XLR input issue. So, I drove back to guitar center to swap the U22 for a new one, hoping it was just a problem with this particular unit. And this time I wasn’t going to leave the store until I was sure it would to work, so I took everything with me and hooked it all up inside the store. To my surprise my mic didn’t work on the new U22 either! After some head-scratching one of the clerks went to the back and brought out another microphone cord… voila! It was the damn cord the whole time. Mind you, this is after I tried the same mic and cord in my Tascam and it worked. I even hooked it all back up to my Tascam again after I got home just to make sure I wasn’t crazy, and it still works! Has anyone ever heard of this? A mic cord that works in one jack but not another? Ridiculous. So, I bought a new mic cord while I was there, it is working fine, and I have no further issues. I’m finally, finally, finally, ready to start recording music! So hopefully, my next post on these forums will be about effects or plug-ins or something that isn’t “what’s wrong with my stuff”. Can’t wait! Thanks again to everyone who helped and gave input… you really are a great community!
 
Wow subyeoman. Glad to hear of success. Look forward to your future posts I wish I could have helped out but this whole thing left me scratching my head. Damn lice. :)
 
Good deal, Subman. Your next questions should along the lines of monitoring systems and room treatment. have you got those things taken care of yet??? Most important part of a studio, ya know!! :D

peace,
 
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