OK, I've Narrowed It Down

Sonic74 wrote on 10/17/2006, 7:30 PM
Sorry to keep bugging everyone - but I need some help and nobody I ask, including the help line, seems to be able to answer the question.

I'm using an M-Audio FireWire 410 with Vegas 5.0d - the audio I record sounds fine in all other applications, and I've done everything with the help of the M-Audio folks to maximize the hardware and the computer settings.

The issue therefore points to Vegas (and ACID) - when I record new audio into these programs and there are several tracks existing (I'm talking like, 5) I get this rhythmic clicking sound (but not the metronome - this is like your standard clicking and popping, but in somwhat of a rhythm). It doesn't happen if I'm recording straight into Sound Forge or if it's the first and only track in Vegas or ACID. But, it happens once there are a few tracks, even when I've removed all of the FX, and no matter what configuration I select from the Audio Devices. Does anyone have an idea what could be causing this? I have a very fast machine (3.2G, plus 1G RAM), so I don't think that is the issue...

I'm thrilled with Vegas otherwise and have been using it since version 1.0 - but I'm incredibly frustrated with this development since there doesn't seem to be an easy solution...please help!

Comments

H2000 wrote on 10/17/2006, 9:35 PM
Is this a new problem since your FW410?
Sonic74 wrote on 10/18/2006, 4:07 AM
Hey - thanks for the reply -

Nope, the FW410 has always worked fine. I have been working with mostly prerecorded sounds or things I captured in Sound Forge for the past few months, so I haven't recorded direct into a multitrack environment since then. It worked fine before, with the same setup, but now I'm getting this issue. I don't know if a WIndows update screwed things up (as they are likely to do and have done in the past), but am at least trying to offset it at this point since I don't have a particular point to restore my system to.
H2000 wrote on 10/18/2006, 10:58 AM
Is it the recording that is clicking or the playback? Does the waveform look correct? Are you sure you have your project sample rate and M-Audio sample rate locked? Are you monitoring through the M-Audio interface (internal mixer)? What if you mute the other tracks and then record a new track - does it work then?
Sonic74 wrote on 10/18/2006, 2:26 PM
When I monitor the input when recording, it clicks - and the playback clicks too. The waveform looks fine. Sample rates are locked. Even if I mute the other tracks and record a new track, it still does it - but only when there are 3-4 tracks or more.

I downloaded a copy of Cool Edit Pro tp see if I could make it happen in another program, and I could - so alas, it's not the software.

I talked to M-Audio support, and the best they could offer me was that maybe it was a "virtual IRQ conflict, even though the firewire card is on it's ow IRQ", and told me that I'd have to re-install Windows. Nice advice. But I feel like there has to be a step before THAT - and even then, what this person told me was that every once in a while, the order in which the computer boots up devices will change, and so therefore that's why the device could suddenly stop working properly. Something about this doesn't seem right to me, and I feel like I have to be able to troubleshoot this somehow - but he gave me no more direction (surprise surprise).

Ever hear of that problem?
farss wrote on 10/18/2006, 3:22 PM
Well the 410 can have some issues if there's aother firewire devices on the same 1394 buss.

Have you checked on the 410's control panel where it's getting its clocks from. Also have you disabled all Windoz sounds?

Do you have the T/L zoomed right out?

At times the constant T/L redraw can cause glitches.

Bob.

Sonic74 wrote on 10/20/2006, 5:58 AM
Hey guys - Bob, you're right - it was the issue of recording to an external drive on the same FireWire PCI slot as the 410. So, the solution will be to just get another FireWire PCI controller and put the drives on there.

Amazingly, and this is the thing that completely shocks me - this NEVER occurred to any of the three help desk reps that I talked to at M-Audio. After asking me a series of questions and ensuring I had done those things, they simply said there was nothing else they coule do - and they recommended that I re-install Windows. Are you KIDDING ME? It is terrifying to think that this is the kind of advice that is being doled out from supposedly "official" sources.

I actually finally was bounced somewhere else by M-Audio, which was a company that had nothing to do with what we were talking about, and they gave me to number for a place called Obedia, a new help service specifically for DAWs. I had such a great experience with them, I told them I'd post it here, because I was super impressed by the fact that right off the bat I knew I was talking to someone who was intelligent, quick, and REALLY knew DAWs and the typical issues. So, aside from this forum (thanks to the two of you who replied - we would have isolated it here eventually anyway, it seems!), that might be another avenue to check out if you're ever really stuck.

Thanks again, fellas -

Russ