Vegas 2.0 & Omni Studio

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twincop

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I've been using Vegas Video 2.0 with the m-Audio Omni Studio & Delta 66 sound card for six months. Recently, I've noticed that I just cannot record a clean signal every time. I'm getting crackles or pops in the recorded audio. I know it's not the levels because I'm not overdriving the Omni's mike pre-amps and my signal indicators on Vegas peak out between -8 and -6 dbs. Anyone else run into this problem? Could it be the drivers? I tried uninstalling and reinstalling but experienced the same problem. It really sucks when I've got a great performance but no usuable track. The connections are good. This problem only occurrs after I've attempted a first take. On the first take, I get a clean signal. On subsequent takes, I get a "static" sound but only during the audio. This "static" doesn't occur when there is silence on the track to which I am recording, i.e., on a vocal track, I only get the static when singing but there is no static during the silent portions (and the mic is still open). If I close Vegas, reopen it and then try another take, I get a clean first take and then every subsequent take is "dirty." It's driving me nuts. I posted this on the Sonic Foundry Forum and it was suggested to try here, too.

Thanks!
 
I told you on the other forum that I have almost exact problem. Just curious what kinfd of PC set up you have?

Processor, memory, disk space and rpm, OS?
Wht is the buffer size setting?

I have been told to look into these things. I let you know if anything works.
 
masternk said:
I told you on the other forum that I have almost exact problem. Just curious what kinfd of PC set up you have?

Processor, memory, disk space and rpm, OS?
Wht is the buffer size setting?

I have an emachines Emonster 500. I boosted the RAM to 256 MB and replaced the original hard drive w/ a Western Digital 40 gig/7200 RPM drive. I'm running Windows 98. If you mean playback buffer, I usually set that at 0.25. If there's something else I should check please let me know. I bought the Omni Studio for it's flexibility and I really like what I can do with it. I know there's better program out there than Vegas, but I'm kind of used to it now and I really don't want to invest in more software.
Click to expand...
 
I understand Vegas needs 98SE, although I am also running 98 like you. That may be one of our problems.

The Vegas and Delta manuals talk about tweaking buffer sizes to eliminate clicks and pops. Today I tried following settings in all combinations still with no luck!

Delta 1056 (default) to 1600 samples
Vegas 0.15 to 0.25(default) to 0.5 sec

Then I tried to record something using Delta 66 and Pro Tools Free which is what I was considering before buying Vegas. Clean sound! I am convinced the problem has to do with Vegas and my PC performance, which is 450Mhz, 256MB with some generic IDE.

I also read on another forum about conflict with 2 sound cards and also about Xp being better for Delta card.............
http://www.garrigus.com/digifreq/discussdetail.asp?TopicID=232
 
I'm having the same problem. I run through a sure 58 to a mackie to a audioahile 2496 to vegas pro soft. I have a p4 with 1.7 gigs and 256 ram I talked to a mackie rep and he said it sounded like the sound card. I contacted him because I would get a clean take then a dirty one. Then I unplugged and plugged the line from the mackie to the sound card in and I could sometimes get a take without static so I thought it was the mackie. I am running win 98se so you guys can count that out as your problem. What do we all have in common? It sounds like we all have vegas and m-audio? What do you think? I feel as though I've tried all kinds of setups and to no avail. Good luck!

This is what I wrote the mackie guy and what he said in responseHi Dave,
I got your email off the mackie site I hope you don't mind. I have
been reading quite a bit and have learned how I should hook up. Bear with
me. Mic->line in mackie-> insert out to audiophile 2496 in (only first click
on the insert of mackie). Going back...-> both out 3/4 of 2496 to say
stereo line in on channel 5-6. This way I can monitor and record. Now my
problem. When I record I don't hear the slight constistent static(nice and
clean), when I'm monitoring (let's say I'm listening to guitar and
recording vocals). But, it ( little crackly static) comes up during
playback and only on the channel that goes through the mackie. Also it
doesn't happen all the time. Some playbacks will be clear. It is very
frustating thinking you got a perfect take only to play it back and hear the
static. I don't know if it makes a difference but sometimes when I pull the
cord out of the insert and put it back in it cleans up. But I just can't
tell. Also the static only happens when when I'm vocal or making n
oise/singing. When I am silent there doesn't seem to be any crackling. Any
suggestions would be appreciated as I am pretty new at this. You taught me
all those tricks in this above paragraph, thank you. I didn't post cause I
wasn't signed up. Ron

Ron,
I'm not really sure sounds like you have it set up properly.

THe fact that it only happens sometimes makes it even stranger.

Does the static sound end up on the recorded track or do you just hear
sometimes on playback and the recorded track is fine?

Dave,
If it is on the recorded track I then it will definitely be on playback.


Ron,
Based on your reply I would guess it has nothing to do with your mackie, but
has to do with your soundcard.

Make sure you have the most recent drivers installed, also what software are
you using and at what resolution (24bit 48Khz?)


That's about it. Let me know if you find something out!
 
This is sounding like a cryin out loud board!

I am also using Macke 1402 but never thought it was the culprit.

Here is latest with what I am finding. This is a running complete list of my (wasted) effort to debug the prblem.......some of it already reported before. Please tell me what you make of it:

1.Checked DMA on hard drive enabled- yes
2.I am not running Windows 98SE or 2000 or XP, I have Windows 98 now...I am being told that is problem for Vegas.
3.Played around with buffer sizes in all combinations, but there was no effect:
Delta control panel buffer size: 1056(default) to 1600 samples
Vegas plaback: 0.15 sec to 0.25 sec(default) to 0.5 sec
4. Defragmented disk
5. Removed SBLive sound card, my second card in the PC, moved around IRQ's
6. Delta Tech support suggested to set Multi TracK Drive… to “Independent” and not “Single and Sync” seem to help sometimes but not sure all the time
7. Good news - I tried Delta 66 with Pro Tools Free and recording was clean!.
7. I have tried Vegas 2.0 with SBLive card before and it was also clean.

I thought my PC did not have enough performance and Win 98 was the prblem till I read from rbathsheba! I am totally lost now!!!!!
 
Guys, I just realized some differences in our set up and yet we have a common problem:

Diff:
1. We are using 2 different Delta products- Omni/Delta 66 which are same sound cards and a 2496
2. From rbathsheba's super powerful PC to my low perf pc
3. My Win 98 to rbathsheba's Win98SE

Common:
Vegas 2.0a and Delta soundcard?
 
Well, if it makes you guys feel any better, Vegas 2.0 didnt' like my old Dman 2044's either. Lots of static and crackle like you guys said. So I ditched it for Nuendo. All is good. I was hoping Vegas Video would be a good replacement for Adobe Premiere, but it isn't.
 
Okay, now that I'm thoroughly p****d with Vegas Video 2.0, I'm looking for alternatives once I've finished mixing what I have. I kind of liked the options available with Cakewalk Guitar Pro. Any feedback on that software (and if it works well with the Delta 66) is appreciated. I'm just glad to know I wasn't the only one having problems with Vegas.
 
Unless you're doing a lot of midi stuff, Cakewalk Guitar Pro isn't worth the money, IMHO. I had it for a while and traded it in and then upgraded to Sonar. All of the same features and then some. I don't do a whole lot of MIDI, so I rarely use it. I'm better off using programs geared more towards audio than MIDI. So I primarily use Nuendo and Cool Edit Pro. I really liked Samplitude as well, but Nuendo has VSTi's and ASIO.
 
Twincop,

Nothing wrong with the Delta and Vegas 2.0 - I have been using it successfully for over a year with no clicks, pops or any static. So have countless others.

Now my hardware setup is quite a bit different in that I run a 1GHZ PIII with 512 MB of RAM on twin Maxtor ATA 133 60GB drives and I also use Windows 2000 exclusively on my audio partition.

I would first think about losing Win98 ASAP. I used it briefly when I first got my Omni Delta combo and I did have clicks, pops etc. Found out it was a driver problem but 98 was not stable enough for my work. Going to 2000 with the 5.10.00.0026 driver set has been like heaven - haven't had a click, pop or anything ever.

Also - all through this thread - no has asked this question - what driver are you using for the Delta? And did someone say you are running Vegas 2.0a? Ditch that for 2.0h ASAP - it is the latest in the Version 2.0 series. I am on Vegas 3.0a and it has been rock solid.

Please update when you can so we can try to isolate this issue.

Cheers,

Cuzin B
 
Cuzin B,

Thanks for reply.

Re:"Now my hardware setup is quite a bit different in that I run a 1GHZ PIII with 512 MB of RAM on twin Maxtor ATA 133 60GB drives and I also use Windows 2000 exclusively on my audio partition. "

I also thought my problem had to with my PC performance and the Win 98 etc. But, If you scroll up and look at what rbathsheba has to say about his pc set up, I am not sure about it anymore.

As for the driver, I down loaded the latest driver dated 12-13-01 when I installed the card.

Before I bought the Delta 66 card, I played around with SBLive and Vegas 2.0. That worked fine, and then I decided to upgrade to Delta 66. Since then I have this jittery static sound in my recording regions.

Also note what I said in my previous posting- that I tried Delta 66 with ProTools Free and wallah, no static!

What do you make of it?

Thnx
 
Just as an update, I'm running Windows 98 SE and Vegas Video 2.0h. My PC has an inernal Crystal Soundfusion soundcard that I have disabled. I downloaded the most recent drivers from the mAudio web site. Maybe I did not install them correctly. Any pointers?
 
masternk,

One other thing that rbathsheba did not mention is the motherboard that is in that P4 of his. If the motherboard has anything to do with the brand name "Via", you will have issues guaranteed. Any board with a Via chipset is recipe for disaster for any audio setup. M-Audio has a bunch of detailed articles on this.

Also the first issue P4's (not the new Northwood's) should be avoided for audio at all costs. Many of us have stayed with a good old PIII and had much better results.

As far your machine goes - there are a number of things that need to be looked at - the Delta is a pro-level card and as such requires a pro-level environment (sometimes with a ton of TLC to get it right). To get to this level, you may need to reinstall your OS, look at your IRQ assignments, look into whether or not your ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is causing problems.

First thing to check is your IRQ assignments - if the Delta card is not on an IRQ channel all by it's lonesome - I can guarantee you need to start there. Audio streams cannot be interrupted by anything during read and write processes...if your Delta is sharing an IRQ with a bunch of other hardware - you can start to see the traffic jam happening in the form of pops and clicks. A drop dead hint that something is amiss is checking the pileup on IRQ 9 - if the Delta is joining the party on IRQ 9...there's your place to start.

Some of these procedures are well beyond a quick explanation here on the forum but I will try and help out....let me know what you find out on your machine

TWINCOP - Check yours out too...and report back here with your findings...

Cheers,

Cuzin B
 
Someone mentioned the type of motherboard I'm running. It is an Intel compatible atx. Sorry I haven't had the chance to read the posts in a while. I don't think it is the computer.
I called the m-audio tech and after being on hold for about 30 minutes I tried a number of different things. Some of which were taking the sound card out and puting it back in. Anyway to no avail. He said that I might have to change the motherboard bam that shares the irq #5 with my 2496. He had to get the managers help several times and I don't think either one really knew. So what I did up to now is changed my driver. I remember reading on a post and in a review to use an older driver specifically the one with the last 2 numbers being .27. I recorded on it only about 8 times but had no static on any recording. I wouldn't exactly call that a thourough test but a better start than I've had up to now.
I got the driver off the midiman.com site by typing in my card, and then my os, and show beta and older drivers. First I had to download the newest uninstaller to a floppy. Then I downloaded the .27 version driver from the website to the desktop. Then double click on the desktop icon for the .27 version and extract it to an empty floppy (a: drive), when you double click the desktop icon it will ask you where you want it to go).I then uninstalled the m-audio product drivers on my computers by double clicking on the icon in the A drive (uninstaller). Then I went into device manager and double clicked on the sound video controllers right clicked on the m-audio product and hit remove. Then I restarted my comp. and windows found new hardware I clicked on the next button until I got to the screen that says windows will search or show all drvers ( something like that) I said I would pick. The next screen I had to pick what kind of controllers which were sound video and hit next. The next screen will have a browse button, hit that and point twords A drive and at the top left of that same screen it should have an inf file listed. hit ok and that will take you back to the previous screen. Insert the .27 driver that was extracted from the desktop to the floppy in the A drive Hit ok and the older version should load

I think this should be pretty easy if you foll the steps as you go. Like I said though I haven't tested enough so if you would rather wait I will get back. Hope it helps! Thanks for you feed back
 
I recorded last night on the audiophile 2496. When I first booted up the computer I had the same settings I had used from the previous recording (which was clear with no static) and I couldn't get any sound into the 2496. I tried a few things to no avail then I decided to unplug from the mackie and try another route to the 2496 and wala I got sound. Then I immediately put it back to the previous setup and I also got sound. It's almost as though in some way I seem to have to give the sound card a hint as to what I'm doing? (For example unplugging and plugging back in).
Anyway, I recorded about 12 times (just short vocal peices) and didn't get any static. I was using the older driver (the one that ends in .27. I never got the of static I previously encountered. Then I loaded a drum wav onto the place where I sung and it didn't seem to smooth. There was a little choppiness to the audio. Also I lost some volume on the vocal. It wasn't terrible but definitely not pro card standard. I'm not real sure of the reason I have a lot more testing and trying to do but this makes me think it has something to do with the drivers and possibly, I don't have it perfectly setup.
I ask myself this. Why are the new drivers there? And the answer is because the soundcards obviously had a problem with the previous driver. But, when the new drivers came along did they fix some of the problems some of us might have encountered and give us new issues. For instance maybe the older driver was nice and quiet but had a harder time keeping up and handling all the different tracks. While the newer one keeps up with the tracks and now I have static. I need to get the best of both drivers is what I'm thinking. This is just my theory up to now. Hope this helps.
 
Sorry I have not had chance to get back to the forum couple of days.

Cuzin B, IRQ and DMA settings were the first things I checked and there is absolutely no issue. There are some other things I have tried that I have posted before on May 9th. I know I got to upgrade win 98, but I am seeing complaint from people running later OS also.

As for the driver, it is interesting that rbathsheba has gone back to 4-5 generation older version! I will wait for more test results.

In the meantime guys, I am busy with a project to finish in the next 2-3 weeks. Hence I have switched to Delta 66 and Pro Tools free. Everything is working fine so far with several recordings I have done, except for the limitations of only 2 I/O and 24 track limitations.

I WILL come back to Vegas 2.0 after this and give you update. Because I really think Vegas is lot more user friendly. Meanwhile I will be watching for any new updates from you.

Thanks a lot guys for all the sharing. It is really helpful.
 
Masternk, Cuzin B & Rbathsheba,

Thanks for all the suggestions and help. However, I am towards the end of a project (over a year in the making and yes, Tom Scholz was one of my idols) and I just couldn't rely on Vegas anymore. I switched to Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro and so far so good with the Omni/Delta 66. If some of the issues with Vegas can be solved, I might go back (I'll still use Sound Forge for mastering) but until then, I just don't have the patience you guys have. Best of luck and I'll keep checking back in to see if either of you found a solution.


twincop
 
Masternk and TwinCop,

No problem with doing what you have to do. I know the feeling. In the end, make the project work and come back to the "tweaking" part of this vocation when you can.

After all - making music is what this is all about. Glad I could help out and let me know if you need anything in the future.

Cheers,

Cuzin B
 
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