Audio clip of Ultralite-mk3 drop-out issue

[comradec]

As discussed in a previous thread, I've been experiencing a problem of audio drop-outs and high-pitched squeals being produced by my Ultralite-mk3 whenever I try to use it in Windows Vista.

To illustrate the issue, I've uploaded a 5MB audio clip to Rapidshare at http://rapidshare.com/files/160091088/u ... s.zip.html.

This is a brief snippet of the track 'Modular mix' from Air's Premiers Symptomes album being played back via Windows Media Player 11 on a Windows Vista SP1 desktop system with an Intel Core2 Duo E6600 processor and 4GB RAM. The file is in 16-bit WAV format. It's been compressed to a 3MB file for downloading purposes.

As you'll hear, the track is repeatedly interrupted by drop-outs and clicks. What doesn't really come out in the recording are the high-pitched noises that usually follow immediately after a drop-out. This happens when using any of my audio applications and has been reproduced on Ableton Live 7, Sony Sound Forge 9 and Audacity 1.2.6.

The issue does not appear to afflict my Windows XP SP3 system on the same computer, only the Vista one.

[TheRealRoach]

Just out of curiosity, why don't you just use the XP SP3 OS to run your audio stuff instead of Vista? Vista is still a fairly new OS and there are still a lot of differing reviews and tests performed on the platform... many suggesting that it is not as efficient as XP.

Here's a post I found on a Vista forum:

"Vista's firewire implementation is the pits. I think TI spec controllers basically didn't work at all even though the cards were recognized (maybe it was the other spec). MS recently released a hotfix that remedied some of the problems, but the controllers were then only working up to 100mbps and not 400 even with registry settings set to 400. Getting 12MB/s to an external hard disk instead of 48MB is pretty ghetto."

Sound familiar? This weak 100 mbps FW bus speed limitation is the EXACT thing that happened with the release of Windows XP SP2 .... 4.5 years ago.

If you have ever watched a television show that is being broadcast by digital cable you will understand exactly what is happening. Lots of people watching digi. cable at the same time = audio drop-outs, and occasionally blotchy/blocky video reception.

Read this too:

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=93143

[comradec]

Because I like using Vista. Because MOTU advertised the Ultralite-mk3 as compatible with Vista. Because every other audio interface I own or have owned previously works with Vista (Edirol UA-25. FA-101 and UA-1EX, Phonic Helix Board 12 FireWire MkII). Because it's there.

[reeper]

lol

[TheRealRoach]

Because I like using Vista. Because MOTU advertised the Ultralite-mk3 as compatible with Vista. Because every other audio interface I own or have owned previously works with Vista (Edirol UA-25. FA-101 and UA-1EX, Phonic Helix Board 12 FireWire MkII). Because it's there.

Trust me... I feel your pain. Did you follow the link and install the recommended vista patch to address the firewire issue?

I do firmly believe that this is a vista issue.... just as the pops/clicks/squeals for some users back in XP was a windows issue. I would do more google searches on vista firewire bandwidth issues. This, of course, doesn't excuse motu's blind eye and - in your case - false advertising with regards to the compatibility though.

I'm willing to bet that the previous interfaces that you listed had a much lower strain on the firewire bus as they are simpler units, which is why they operated ok, even at what I'm guessing to be 100mbps rate. The ultralite is pretty feature packed and likely requires a few more lanes on the firewire highway, thus pushing it over what limitation the vista FW drivers are inflicting.

reeper, any ideas?

[comradec]

Trust me... I feel your pain. Did you follow the link and install the recommended vista patch to address the firewire issue?

I'm aware of the patch intended to fix a FireWire issue that arose from Windows XP's SP2, but not of one specific to Vista.