Pops, crackles and distortion with MOTU 24IO

[DJ Synchro]

Ok guys,

I'm gonna lay my problem down here at the MOTU forum, because I am so frustrated and I'm out of ideas!

The thing is: I have a DAW running Windows Vista Home Premium x64. It's running Cubase 5. No matter what settings I choose for my MOTU 24IO, I get crackles and pops all over the place. I'm using the MOTU ASIO driver. Normally with a system like mine, you would be able to choose a buffer setting of 256 or lower even, without any hassle. When I choose a buffer setting of 1024 or lower, I get crackles, dropouts and distortion. Even if I lay down just one audio track with 1 sample!!!

I tried almost everything with no difference:

- Installing Windows XP, Windows Vista x86 (same thing happens)
- Applying various tweaks
- Updating all of my device drivers to the latest version
- Choose AHCI mode from the BIOS in stead of emulated PATA mode
- Raising the voltage of my memory a bit
- Perform a error checking test of my hard drives
- Setting the power options to best performance
- Moving the page file to a different hard drive
- Set processing to background tasks

My DAW is a computer with the following specs:

- Asus A8R-MVP Deluxe motherboard (ATI Xpress 3200 chipset, Uli M5229 PCI Bus Master IDE Controller)
- AMD Athlon X2 4600+ CPU
- 4GB OCZ PC4000 DDR Memory
- 2 Western Digital Raptor 150GB SATA 2 Hard drives for system
- 2 Western Digital Caviar 250GB SATA 2 Hard drives for audio files and projects
- Plextor DVD/CD Burners
- Asus Ati HD2400 PCI-e graphics card

When I just play an audio file in Windows Media Player, everything is fine. I have no more options. Do you guys have any idea what is going on? I would be very thankful

[billruys]

I have the 24IO running in Vista Ultimate X64 SP1 and can set the buffer as low as 64, but usually have it at 128 or 256 for rock solid performance. I guess the next step is to determine if the problem is with Cubase or the 24IO or its drivers.

I run Sonar and it's pretty solid in either WDM or ASIO mode. So, maybe try downloading the free Sonar demo from their web site. Not because you particularly want to change your DAW (Cubase is a great app), but simply so you can eliminate your hardware. If Sonar craps out, you have a hardware problem. If Sonar works, you have a Cubase problem.

Why not try that first so you know where to put your fault-finding energy?

[TheRealRoach]

I would suggest downloading DPC latency checker. http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

Run a typical session in Cubase like the one you described above. While running it, open DPC latency checker and watch the read-out. Ideally you will be seeing between 25microsecond and 100 microseconds.

Let us know what happens.

[DJ Synchro]

I would suggest downloading DPC latency checker. http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

Run a typical session in Cubase like the one you described above. While running it, open DPC latency checker and watch the read-out. Ideally you will be seeing between 25microsecond and 100 microseconds.

Let us know what happens.

Ok,thanks I will. But what will this test indicate?

[billruys]

Ok,thanks I will. But what will this test indicate?

It will tell you if any driver in your system is causing high latency that may be interrupting the unhindered flow of data to/from your sound card. As an example of how to use it, WiFi drivers are a common cause of system latency, so if DPC Latency checker is showing latency spikes, you might disable that device in your system and run it again. If DPC Latency checker shows the latency spikes have gone away, you have found your culprit.

I have always used DPC Latency checker without the DAW actually running. Never tried it with the DAW actually running, but maybe that's the way it's supposed to be used.

[DJ Synchro]

Ok,thanks I will. But what will this test indicate?

It will tell you if any driver in your system is causing high latency that may be interrupting the unhindered flow of data to/from your sound card. As an example of how to use it, WiFi drivers are a common cause of system latency, so if DPC Latency checker is showing latency spikes, you might disable that device in your system and run it again. If DPC Latency checker shows the latency spikes have gone away, you have found your culprit.

I have always used DPC Latency checker without the DAW actually running. Never tried it with the DAW actually running, but maybe that's the way it's supposed to be used.

Right, well I will give it a shot tonight. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again

[DJ Synchro]

Well I tried DPC Latency checker just now and the results are:

When the PC is idle it shows a latency between 150 microseconds and 200 microseconds.
When I start Cubase with the ASIO driver set to a buffer of 128 Samples, the ASIO / CPU meter completely goes thrue the roof and the latency checker shows latency value's of 500 microseconds and higher with a peak at 1009 microseconds.
I tried disabeling my Antivirus and disabling some devices in Device Manager like the GSIF driver, floppy disk driver etc.
The sound of playback sounds so distorted that sometimes you can't even hear what the chick in the vocal sings!

So, tell me, what's going on with my Pc!!! I have no clue whatsoever anymore!

[DJ Synchro]

I got a tip from someone down at the Cubase forum to try to reduce the screen resolution. I tried that and set the resolution from 1280x1024 to 1024x768. It dramatically reduced the amount of cracks and distortion. Although, performance still is bad considering I am testing with a project with only 11 audio tracks and 6 plug ins. The ASIO performance meter in Cubase still is bouncing at 40% even when playback stops.

So the origin of the performance problems must lie in the Video card / Video card drivers. It's a Asus Ati HD2400 Pro on the PCI-e bus with the latest drivers installed. Any ideas what to do next?

[TheRealRoach]

Based on those figures it sounds like you need to streamline your system by either re-installing only vital audio applications, or creating a dual-boot machine, with one partition for audio work and the other for personal use.

Your DPC ratings of 150 - 200 microseconds are much higher than the recommended 10 - 50 microseconds. A spike on my system of 150 microseconds causes on a click and/or ASIO overload. The lower your audio buffer sizes, the more sensitive your system/audio playback will be to spikes.

It's unusual that the single act of starting cubase would cause the PCI bus latencies to jump so high. Try starting Cubase with your MOTU powered off. It'll yell at you "cannot find MOTU hardware" etc. Just load it up without any audio driver and see if it still has the same effect on the PCI bus latency.

[DJ Synchro]

Based on those figures it sounds like you need to streamline your system by either re-installing only vital audio applications, or creating a dual-boot machine, with one partition for audio work and the other for personal use.

Your DPC ratings of 150 - 200 microseconds are much higher than the recommended 10 - 50 microseconds. A spike on my system of 150 microseconds causes on a click and/or ASIO overload. The lower your audio buffer sizes, the more sensitive your system/audio playback will be to spikes.

It's unusual that the single act of starting cubase would cause the PCI bus latencies to jump so high. Try starting Cubase with your MOTU powered off. It'll yell at you "cannot find MOTU hardware" etc. Just load it up without any audio driver and see if it still has the same effect on the PCI bus latency.

It is a fresh install of the OS, with only Cubase and various plugs installed. I tried a dual boot system before, but without any luck.
I'll give it a shot with switching of the MOTU. I'll let you know here in this thread. Thanks

[imagimotion]

Based on your description it sounds like you may have a lot of the OS default services running, especially if you did a vanilla install. At the very least I would disable all of the Vista eye candy in the Display portion of the control panel so that you are not engaging any of the Aero UI engine. This puts a huge burden on your CPU resources and can definitely cause issues with the data bus when transferring audio data to your interface. I recommend going over all of the recommended tweaks for optimizing a PC for audio by incorporating as many of the suggestions found at http://www.audioforums.com/windows-vist ... zation.php as possible. You should notice a significant increase in performance as a result.

Also, make sure you don't have any services running that could interrupt your audio processing, especially things like Antivirus or other security apps that may be filtering and/or scanning data flowing to/from the kernel. These will definitely interfere with audio processing. Best to turn them off when using the DAW and re-enable them when you need to get access to the Internet.

[DJ Synchro]

Ok, so I did some additional testing.

- I freshly installed Windows 7 (build 7227 x86)
- Right after that I installed my drivers for the MOTU card and the MIDI interface.
- I installed Cubase 5 with the latest update patch
- Installed Synchrosoft License Control Centre update
- Installed the eLicenser USB key
- I installed NO additional VST plugins
- I fired up Cubase, opened a new project and added a audiochannel with a drumloop
- I inserted VST Dynamics, Reverence and the filter plugins
- I Duplicated the channel 3 times.
- I set up my soundcard in Cubase with the ASIO driver and chose 256 samples per buffer in the MOTU ASIO control panel

Result: IT'S HORRIBLE!!!!

the ASIO meter is overloading, CPU load in taskmanager is raising thrue the roof and audio playback is stuttering and cracking all over the place... Somebody help!!!!!!
Here's the screenshot of what's happening:

There was something strange happening though after installing the soundcard. I installed the driver, shut down the Pc, installed the card, and rebooted. Once rebooted the screen resolution was lower all of a sudden...
There is also in Device Manager a device called 'PCI standard PCI to PCI bridge'. Before soundcard installation there were 3 instances of this device, after soundcard installation there were 5... One of them says: 'this device isn't using any resources because it has a problem', although there is no question mark shown before the device... Do you guys have any idea's what's going on? Could my motherboard be faulty???

[TheRealRoach]

Right off the bat your process count is 36 according to your attached picture. This is generally not a good indicator of the overall system functioning. My system runs low 20's, and some even get theirs into the teens even with a DAW running.

I would download DPC Latency Checker: http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml
Run it in the background while you are running your DAW.

Also, check out Process Explorer: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysi ... 96653.aspx
Run this while your system is idling. It will tell your if and where your CPU power is being drained.

[heuristic]

Just curious if this one got resolved, did you patch Cubase to 5.0.1? Reverence is a resource pig, even after the patch it still demands a lot of resources. What is the result if you run a plain mix, no plugs, just audio files?

I am seriously considering a move to MOTU for the 24io and am currently researching all instances such as these to help me make my decision - I am using C5.0.1 with Win XP however, 3Gb of RAM, with my current edirol interface I get some spikes from time to time, but over-all it is pretty stable and clean, however I do track with minimal plugs and a low buffer, then up it once I am in mix mode.

I need lots of analog I/O now, so this is why the contemplation.

Thanks!

[DJ Synchro]

Just curious if this one got resolved, did you patch Cubase to 5.0.1? Reverence is a resource pig, even after the patch it still demands a lot of resources. What is the result if you run a plain mix, no plugs, just audio files?

I am seriously considering a move to MOTU for the 24io and am currently researching all instances such as these to help me make my decision - I am using C5.0.1 with Win XP however, 3Gb of RAM, with my current edirol interface I get some spikes from time to time, but over-all it is pretty stable and clean, however I do track with minimal plugs and a low buffer, then up it once I am in mix mode.

I need lots of analog I/O now, so this is why the contemplation.

Thanks!

The source of all the problems were a faulty motherboard (read the previous posts) Recently I upgraded my system and everything is working flawless now! I bought a Intel Core i7 CPU with a Asus P6T SE mainboard and 6 Gigs of Corsair RAM. I can use low buffer settings and still run a big complex project with lots of plugs and synths and tracks, and the CPU is not even stressing! Jeej!