Hello all.
I just built:
Intel P4 1.6 ghz
1 Gig RAM
ASROCK M266A MB (mini-atx), VIA chipset
500W Power supply
80Gig IDE drive - Windows XP profession
120 gig IDE drive - audio storage
GEFORCE MX 4000 video card 128MB
Sound Blaster LIVE 5.1

When I record a wave from Cakewalk Home studio using SB Live as the input, or when I record using SB live Recording sofware (to convert a midi file to a wav), I get soft, but noticeable Clicks and pops.
I have done quite a bit of research on this, and I have done the following:
1) moved sblive away from the video card
2) checked that sb is not IRQ sharing with video card. IT DOES share IRQ with the USB bus. Can't seem to do anything about that.
3) Installed the VIA latency patch
4) Upgrade VIA 4 in 1 drivers and the BIOS
5) upgraded the SB live drivers to the latest.
6) Played with the latency settings in the BIOS

However, nothing fixes the clicks/pops. I have read that SB live and VIA chipsets are a bad mix. I think that the only fix might be to change motherboards.

Here are my 2 questions:
1) If I get an INTEL mb, and keep the SBLive, will that solve the problem?
2) If I get a new sound card like m-audio AUDIOPHILE, or revolution, and Keep the current motherboad, will that solve the problem?

Any comments at all will be appreciated!
Thank you!

Those three letters send warning flags up for me whenever there are sound problems.

Edit: M-Audio card works fine with my VIA chipset. Some other cards did not.

You could also, conversly get a new sound card.

Try here
http://www.georgebreese.com/sites/georgebr...m/net/software/

I concur with the conclusion drawn about VIA chipsets.... ive gone through 3 motherboards using the via Kt* chipsets and every single one has given me the same headaches you are going through. Strangely, it only happened if i connected my primary hard drive to the ATA/Raid controller, if i use the standard IDE controllers, the crackling and latency issues go away. That would be my recomendation for you as well. IMHO i think the performance hit is negligable anyway. It would be nice if VIA would just make a chipset that didnt have this issue but i think we'll be waiting a long time.

For reference, ive used 2 abit boards and 1 gigabyte board, sblive, and maudio 2496 all with these symptoms. good luck.

1. http://www.pcaudiolabs.com/setuptips_detail.asp?tip_id=10

2. http://www.pcaudiolabs.com/setuptips_detail.asp?tip_id=1

hope this helps

Those are excellent pages, which I've consulted myself back when I set up my Win2K computer. Standard mode should really be set up during the OS installation, though, so it's a pain.

I currently have my PC configured so that no IRQ is shared at all. However, I don't have a Via chipset, so I don't know if setting yours up the same way will work or not. A side effect of setting up in standard mode may be that you won't be able to shut down automatically any more (some motherboards have legacy NT shutdown capability and others don't).

ff123

Oh. My. God.

Why, oh why, did you get such a terrible processor? I might understand the P4 if it was a Northwood core model, but a Willamette? Geez.

Not to mention, 1GB if memory is overkill for such a system, especially considering you are limited to PC2100, or worse, PC133.

Blah to that motherboard too.

That 500 watt PSU is WAY WAY WAY overkill. You could have gotten away with a 300W, or even a 250... Well, at least you can brag that it's the most powerful component in your system.

I bet those are 5400 RPM drives, too.

GeForce MX anything is crap, too. I suppose that MX 4000 isn't as crappy as a FX 5200, it's still nothing to brag about. You would have been better off buying a Radeon 9600. Even if it is more expensive, it is worth it.

And don't get me started on the Live! That thing is crap too. FFS, get something nice, like the M-Audio Revolution 7.1.

have you tried updating the motherboard bios and updating the via chipset drivers ? using a sb!live value on a via kt266a board with no problems.

Thanks to all for your advice.
Agent Smith has given me a sound thrashing, and not undeserved! A few clearifications about my system:
1) The MB is indeed garbage. It does support pc2100 (not just pc133), though i have pc2700 memory sticks. The MB won't even let me install the news nVidia drivers for the GeForce MX 4000 - XP just crashes, so I have to use an older driver. This MB was a big mistake!
2) The processor works fine but is indeed yesterday's news. I had to build this thing on a major budget.
3) The main drive is 7200 RPM. The audio drive (a few years old) is (i think) 5400 rpm
4) I need the 500W psu because I have 1 floppy, 2 hard drives, 2 CD's (1 is rw), and 2 tape drives. Plus 1gig ddr memory takes more power than people think.

I have upgraded the BIOS to the latest available. All VIA drivers have been upgraded as well.

The SB Live main problem is with RECORDING. Playback of existing audio, games, etc, is fine.

I have checked out the pages about converting the system to "standard pc", and I am loath to do this - I would rather swap out the MB and get a new sound card.

TO SPHOID: You posted: "For reference, ive used 2 abit boards and 1 gigabyte board, sblive, and maudio 2496 all with these symptoms. good luck. "
What configuration (MB, sound card) do you currently have that works???

Thanks to all!

Have you checked that the recorded signal isn't clipping?

Well, like some other posters here, I add myself to the untrusting of VIA.

Although my PC was quite working fine (except crashing with high pitched sound in games sometimes) for some years with a VIA chipset under XP with a SB Audigy.

But the bucket was full yesterday when I couldn't use my iPod anymore on the Audigy FireWire port. That expedite the changing of my motherboard, and I just bought an ASUS A7N8X-E D (NForce2 chipset)

Had to start first an Installation of XP then Repair.
Do not start the XP CD and chose Repair it brings you in the recovery console.

I give you this procedure in case you change your motherboard, no need to do a clean install (of which I was afraid).

Now everything works as expected and got back my iPod.

maybe you could try these modded drivers ?

these are audigy 2 drivers modded for sb!live. more info here. the drivers are the ones under "Saturday, 8 November 03"

Well im still using the gigabyte board 7VRXP if i recall correctly, with the maudio card (audiophile2496), however my primary HD is setup on the standard IDE port. Ive got 4 standard IDE ports and 2 SuperDooper ATA controller ports which are currently unused since everytime i hook something up to them, those lovely crackles and pops come back. I think ATA133 and SATA is overrated anyway, additionally who cares if its a wee bit faster if you have to put up with crappy sound.