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Topic: 24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken (Read 3741 times) previous topic - next topic
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24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Looks like my Windows system did it again. For some peculiar reason, my 24-bit audio handling capabilities have been broken at some point of time during last week. The sound card is Terratec EWX 24/96, the platform is Intel 845G + Pentium 4 and the OS is W2k SP3.

The problem varies with the audio application. When playing 24-bit files (i.e. 24-bit WAVs or Vorbis decoding at 24-bit) with Winamp, the left channel consists of pure high-amplitude noise whereas the right channel is normal. 16-bit playback works like it should be. I have tried several versions of both in_wave, in_vorbis, out_ds, out_wave and out_asio with similar results. I also have tried two different versions of Terratec drivers without success.

Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 refuses to record and play 24-bit material altogether. When pressing the play button upon loading a pre-recorded 24-bit track, the playback just stops immediately.

I have a feeling that some stupid codec or registry setting is messing up my system. All I know for sure that a week ago the 24-bit functions worked perfectly. What I have done since then:

- Installed and uninstalled Cubase VST32. Cubase didn't work at all, it always crashed on startup so I uninstalled it immediately. (bingo?)

- Uninstalled RealOne player and installed RealPlayer 8. (bingo?)

- Installed a newer XviD version. (not likely)

Unfortunately I don't use any install loggers (such as Ashampoo or CleanSweep) so I have no idea what modifications did the above installations perform. Now I'm asking if anyone have experienced a similar problem and could provide some hints on how to repair it? The most obvious solution is naturally reinstalling Windows, but I wouldn't like to do that yet. It takes days to restore things like they were before.

So, does anyone know of a simpler solution? I'm planning to do a regsvr32 /u all of my codecs and then start restoring some registry backups. Too bad that I don't have that many. If someone would know an exact solution to the problem, or at least general hints on how to deal with it, I would be really grateful

24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Reply #1 –
I have the same OS and soundcard, but an Athlon & KT133 chipset with no complaints.
But initially (a year ago or so) I also had freezes or ear-shattering hiss at times when playing 24/96 files (from the PCABX site). The newer releases of drivers & control panel did help eventually. Now I use build 125 for both.

Is your RealPlayer 8 installation 'cleaned up' according that other thread, or still the full one?

24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Reply #2 –
Hi there, I own a Terratec DMX 6 Fire. Since the card is bassed on the same technology as the EWX 24/96, I suposse the drivers work the same way. Make sure you don't hace activated Sensaura, as it only works in 16 bit, 44100 HZ mode. Hope this helps. I also have a lot of troubles with the card and my system stability, specially with games. If you know a way I can fix it, it would be very appreciated. There are games wich hang my PC, others play horribly bad (low FPS, continous clicks in the sound), others produce glitches in the sound. Seems like every game needs different driver settings. My current version is 5.00.2000.126 (the latest, I think). I'm running Windows 98 SE on an Alimagik based motherboard (Asus a7a266), with an Athlon XP. I also suffer from a hardware related problem. As you may know, the DMX 6 Fire comes with a frontal module. I have it outside the PC, because otherwise, it gets noise from the internal components, but anyway, when I turn the volume control all the way up, I can disthinguis an electrical noise. It only affects the module, not the in an outs in the card itself. How can I fix it? maybe changing the power supply (mine is quite unstable supllying voltages)? Thanks in advance, and hope you can solve your problem too.

24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Reply #3 –
Quote
bit, 44100 HZ mode. Hope this helps. I also have a lot of troubles with the card and my system stability, specially with games. If you know a way I can fix it, it would be very appreciated. There are games wich hang my PC,

Yes, non-AC97 cards aren't necessarily the best with games. Software resampling and such takes plenty of CPU power.

I solved this issue by enabling my integrated Realtek AC97-compatible soundcard (It's listed as primary DirectSound device). I use it for games and Terratec for everything else. Games work much better and faster with an AC97-compatible card.

If you don't have an integrated sound card, you should purchase a non-intrusive extremely cheap card for games. Saves you a lot of trouble

@HansHeijden

Yes, my RealPlayer installation is "cleaned up". I sincerely don't believe RP8 could be causing the problem. I've had RP8 for ages.

24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Reply #4 –
With the Marian Marc 2, (24/96 without software mixer), games only work properly using the analog output device (Without mixer, analog and digital out appear as two different souncards in the control panel). I enable analog as default device, then route the analogue towards the digital.
Setting directly the digital as default device doesn't work : the sound skips (alice), or mutes (UT).

Niktheblak (I hope you're not French), did you try to uninstall completely your drivers, then remove the soundcard from the control panel, then turn off the computer, then remove physically the card, then turn on the computer, so as to restart the install from a clean config, whithout the card ?

24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Reply #5 –
Quote
Niktheblak (I hope you're not French), did you try to uninstall completely your drivers, then remove the soundcard from the control panel, then turn off the computer, then remove physically the card, then turn on the computer, so as to restart the install from a clean config, whithout the card ?

No, I'm not French

And to answer your question, no, I haven't tried that yet. It could do some good besides fixing the 24-bit issue, I could use a different PCI slot. The EWX is currently sharing IRQ's.

Could that cause any problems, btw? The card is at motherboard's PCI slot #3, which according to the manual and BIOS uses an unshared IRQ. Still when looking it through Windows' System Information, EIGHT devices use the same IRQ as the sound card. Seems like Windows haves it's way by force. It wants to share IRQ's and the motherboard can't do anything about it

24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Reply #6 –
Quote
If you don't have an integrated sound card, you should purchase a non-intrusive extremely cheap card for games. Saves you a lot of trouble

Hi again. Niktheblak, in fact I'm using my good old Sound Blaster PCI 64 for that matter, but thank you for the advice  . Anyway, I'd like to take advantage of the card's capabilities to play games, as in some reviews the DMX 6 Fire is pointed as a great performer for games, althoug the main purpose of having this card is hearing / recording music. Do you know any possible solution to the other problem I'm facing, the electrical noise related? It gets me really angry... Thanks in advance. By the way, have you checked you don't have Sensaura enabled?

24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Reply #7 –
I forget to say something... Niktheblak, you should adjust manually the IRQ assigment, in the motherboard bios. This will ensure your card doesn't share an IRQ with anything else. If you don't know what IRQ's are free of usage, then you must use the test-error-test again, an so on, method. Yes, I know it is boring, but probably it's the only way 

24-bit Audio Output Mysteriously Broken

Reply #8 –
Well I'll be damned!

It was dsp_crossfeed 0.53 that caused the left channel noise in Winamp! Disabling it fixed the problem pronto. Apparently dsp_crossfeed can't handle 24-bit data.

I still wonder why Cakewalk doesn't work though