Equipment: Midiman Delta 10/10, P4, 1.5GHz, Fast Drives, ATI Radeon AGP card...etc. I use all of Sonic Foundry's stuff in my studio.

If you haven't already figured it out..here is some vital info re Win2000 and XP AND Digital Recording. Unlike previous versions of windows, Win2000 and XP CONSOLIDATE ALL PCI slots, USB ports and AGP Video onto 1 Interrupt:IRQ9. THink about that. Go and check your Device manager and take a look at everything that is using IRQ9. Microsoft has done this so we can add more devices than the limited 16 IRQ's that are on standard PC's. Generally, it is not a problem but for high end audio (24 / 96)....It's a problem. (it was for me anyway and my equipment is high end but mainstream.)

Generally, after a computer system has taken up all of the necessary IRQ's that we don't even want to know about (IRQ0 for the system timer, IRQ 14 for the Primary IDE, IRQ13 for the Math co porocesser) there are only a few irq's left. In my case, 5 irqs left. In the OLD days..that meant that i could add 5 more devices to my computer (PCI or otherwise). Microsoft sees this as a barrier, and, they are right. SO...they implimented something called APCI (advanced Config and Power Interface) with HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer). By DEFAULT..Windows loads this upon installation of Win2000. What it does is this: The software inserts itself between your motherboard and Windows 2000 /XP AND...NO MATTER what IRQ you try to set your hardware to, it will "cascade it" on IRQ 9. Unlike windows 95 / 98, you CAN NOT change this in software or hardware..either by assigning an IRQ to the specific PCI slot or changing the IRQ in the DEvice manager. Windows 2000 / XP WILL NOT let you change it.

Again...the reasoning for microsoft to do this is sound. If, for example, a tape drive fails .... the entire computer wont come crashing down because Win2000 is in charge of all of the devices on Interrupt 9.


For me? I had subtle clicks in my recordings and by playbacks would jitter if my waves were being drawn fast or if i moved a window around. I clearly had a conflict between my audio card and my video card...regardless of microsoft telling me that it "shouldn't" be a problem and regardless of Hardware acceleration.

The ONLY way to solve this...(and i mean ONLY) is to RE INSTALL windows 2000. Windows 2000 and XP ARE NOT equipped to re-distribute IRQ's if you are to change the computer type (in device manager) to a STANDARD PC and NOT a APCI Computer. If you change that parameter, the IRQ info is wiped out and when you reboot EVERY PCI card is set to IRQ9 but without micorsoft as the traffic cop. So, you will have what is likely to be the biggest hardware conflict you've ever seen.

To change it you HAVE to re install and during the Hardware Scanning phase (at the beginning of the install) it tells you to press F6 (or F5) to change the hardware config (whatch for it closely) Once you hit the key, you will be given a number of options. CHOOSE STANDARD PC. This will prevent the IRQ9 APCI HAL software from loading and it will give you ALL of your irq's back to you. finish the install and re install your apps and settings.

NOTE 1) This all has to do with Plug-and-Pray so i found myself searching for the original drivers...so collect the drivers for your sound card and video card and have them handy when you a plugging the cards back in.

NOTE 2)Before the install, check your BIOS settings for the PCI slots. I assigned an IRQ for each slot. It was easy...i had 5 slots and 5 irq's. I just wrote them down to keep track.

My system is back up and running now and it works PERFECTLY. It is clean and fast AND...i am not sure if it is the elimination of the software from between the operating system and the hardware or the direct IRQ to my sound card but it sounds better. It is, honestly, a clearer sound.