Editing a series of commands in real time is a difficult task for windows applications and drivers. That‘s because Microsoft Windows is not a real-time operating system. Therefore, there are no guarantees for the orders to be executed and for the specific period of time they will be delivered. The following article breaks down in simple steps what you should follow in case you have interruptions, cuts and distortions in the sound.
Follow the steps in order and without skipping any of them.
1. Introduction
Windows computer companies and hardware combinations are theoretically infinite. This means that in some cases incompatibilities can appear that cannot be predicted by companies. Also, some computers are designed to perform very well in games, while others in office applications. The requirements for a computer to be used for music production and djing vary. For this reason, some adjustments often need to be made in order for the computer to be able to respond to real time audio conditions.
2. Using ASIO drivers
First of all, download and install the latest sound card drivers. In the sound settings of the application you are using, always select ASIO driver for the sound card and not direct sound or wasapi driver.
If there are no ASIO drivers for your sound card you can download and use ASIO4ALL, a generic ASIO driver that works with most sound cards. You can download it here:http://www. asio4all. com Note that a business sound card works better with its own ASIO drivers than with ASIO4ALL. Sound cards suitable for music production and DJing always come with their own ASIO drivers and have better sound quality and performance.
3. Latency adjustment
The computer cannot do all the tasks at once (disk access, graphics display, audio editing), so it needs a buffer to store data. The size of the buffer memory determines the so-called latency rate. The latency rate is the amount of time required to convert the digital signal into an analog signal, which comes out of the sound card and is sent to the sound installation. The unit of measurement of latency speed is the millisecond. The goal is to set this speed as low as possible to get the least sound delay from the moment the command is given. If you set it lower than it should, the computer won‘t be able to process all the information fast enough, resulting in chops, chops, and distortions in the sound.
In general, the better features the computer has, the more tasks it can do simultaneously, so it can achieve very low latency speeds. To adjust the latency speed, refer to the manual of the program you are using and the settings of the sound card.
However, some new multicore processors work better with lower ASIO latency (buffer 256 instead of 512).
4. Latency control tools
Because identifying the cause of the problem is extremely difficult, there are some freeware programs that will help you.
DPC Latency Checker
•Download and run dpclat. exe from here: http://www. thesycon. de/eng/latency_check. shtml
•Start the application by pressing start
•Let the program run for 1 to 2 minutes in parallel with the audio software
•Depending on the computer settings, you can only see green bars (good) or green bars with yellow or red bars (bad).
• If green with yellow or red bars are depicted, it means that other tasks (usually not audio) process and bind the computer‘s processor, resulting in empty buffer memory and interruptions in sound, noise, etc.
Other tasks (usually not audio) process and bind the computer‘s processor.
LatencyMon
If the DPC latency checker showed yellow or red lines, you will use LatencyMon to identify exactly the problem.
•Download the free version here: http://www. resplendence. com/downloads
•Install and start the program.
•Press the green button (play top left) to start analyzing the computer.
Download LatencyMon to identify the problem.
•Run the resolution for about 4 minutes with the audio software open.
•If the system is suitable for real time audio, you will see the following screen.
If the system is suitable for real time audio, you will see this message
•If the system is not suitable for real time audio, you will see a screen like the following.
If the system is not suitable for real time audio, you will see the above message
•Click the Drivers tab.
•If some drivers have a runtime of >1ms then you will need to disable them from the windows device manager.
ATTENTION: This procedure should be done by an expert or very good computer expert, as you may disable drivers, which are necessary for the operation of a midi controller, sound card or even the computer itself.
5. Disable devices in windows device manager.If with the name you have from LatencyMon, you cannot locate the device, then you should search for it on the internet.
Below is a list of devices that you should never disable from windows:
- System Timer
- Keyboard
- System CMOS / Real Time Clock
- Microsoft ACPI-Compliant system
- Numeric Data Processor
- Primary IDE Channel
- Secondary IDE Channel
- Graphics Controller
- Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
and generally anything you find in the “System Devices” category.
•Right-click the computer icon. Select Properties > Device Manager
•In the device manager detect the device(s) reported by LatencyMon as problematic. If this is not a necessary device for the operation of the computer (see list above), right-click and select disable (CAUTION do not uninstall). Then check if the interruptions are fixed. If not, move on to the next device.
Below we list some additional devices that you can disable to increase computer performance in order to ensure the necessary resources for playing real time audio.
Network adapter
Wireless network card (WLAN card)
Bluetooth port
Infrared Port
ACPI compliant battery
Trackpad (only when you have an external mouse connected)
Video camera
DVD drive
Internal sound card (only when you have an external sound card connected)
6. Disconnect USB & Firewire devices
Then you will proceed to disconnect all external usb or firewire devices. One of these may be the cause of interruptions or distortions in sound. Disconnect any external USB or Firewire devices that are connected to your computer and have nothing to do with sound. Proceed to testing to see if the problem persists. If not, connect one device at a time and check until you find out which device is causing the problem. When you find it, download and install new drivers or firmware updates. Check if the problem is fixed. If not, forcibly remove the device.
7. BIOS upgrade
Upgrade the BIOS, as it typically improves system operation, mainly fixing bugs and incompatibilities. To upgrade the BIOS, refer to your computer manual.
8. Upgrade chipset drivers and components
Install the latest driver updates for all computer components such as chipset, graphics card, hard disk controllers, etc. Always use the latest updates because bugs that may be causing sound problems are fixed.
9. Power options
New technology computers, especially laptops, are designed for maximum energy savings. This reduces their performance and may cause interruptions in audio.
Close screen > ever
Suspend computer > ever
Close a hard drive > ever
Turn off standby
USB selective sleep settings > disabled
Processor minimum performance mode > 100%
Maximum processor performance status > 100%
Many computer manufacturers, especially laptops, install additional power management programs. We recommend disabling them and managing power only from windows options.
10. Graphics Card
Disable all programs to improve graphics, as they often take precedence over other tasks in the processor, resulting in sound problems. Deactivation can be done from the device manager of windows. After rebooting the system, windows will install standard Windows video drivers for the graphics card. This can fix the problems.
11. USB power management
In device manager and in the category Universal serial bus (USB) controllers, we right-click on each usb hub > properties > power management and untick the option “Allow this device to be turned off from the computer to save power“.
12.Microsoft hotfix για USB spikes
There is a known issue with high speed usb audio interfaces in Windows 7 and Vista. If you have interruptions in sound every 15 seconds or so, then to fix it you should follow Microsoft‘s instructions at the link below. http://support. microsoft. com/kb/981214
13. Disable Aero
To disable it in windows 7:
•Right-click on the desktop and select “Personalize”
•Select a theme such as “Windows Classic” from the basic and high-contrast themes
To disable it in Windows Vista:
•Right-click on the desktop and select “Personalize”
•“Window color and Appearance” option
•Select a theme such as “Windows Classic”
14. Processor Scheduler
Many times sound interruptions are due to the sound card driver (or its buffer), which cannot be processed all at once. Increasing the processing priority of background services (including that of the sound card) often contributes to a better sound result.
•Right-click my computer icon on the desktop > properties > advanced system settings
•In the “Advanced” tab we press settings on performance
•On the “Advanced” tab we select “Set for best performance in Background Services“.
On the “Advanced” tab we select “Set for best performance in Background Services”
The above guide is indicative and there may be discrepancies between the versions of windows used.
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