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[Asterix]

Please can you read this : http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum2/HTML/004750.html

and help me...
Thanks.
-Asterix.

[Dr Mordrid]

From your last post in that thread the thing that stands out to me is the PCI audio card, especially if it has an ISA emulation mode going. I think Pertti mentioned the ISA emulation on his hitlist along with turning off any sound schemes in the cards setup program.

As for myself, I avoid PCI audio on video systems because of past experience with several cards causing playback problems.

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian Ellis]

Doc

I know PCI sound cards are your bête noire and your idée fixe, if you'll excuse the French, but please update yourself. Many of us run them without any problem, yes, even SB Live! Please remember that MANY computers today don't even have a single ISA slot, so what are these guys meant to do? It is very difficult to force an ISA card into a PCI slot and there's is more than a fairish chance it won't work if you do succeed

On the other hand, I agree with you that the DOS sound emulation must be disabled (it is not ISA emulation, but a method of running the cards for DOS games by hardware conversion which was not necessary with ISA cards). I also agree with you that early PCI cards and their drivers were hazardous affairs, but these noisy pterodactyls are past history (as much as the first attempts to handle TV on a PC: remember the old Genoa card that superimposed titles on a pass-through TV channel?).

------------------
Brian (the terrible)

[Asterix]

DOC, I have unplugged the PCI soundcard and it's the same (Jumps in movie). A friend of mine borrow me a Marvel G400, it's the same too.
Perhaps it's a problem with the FTU66 or Maxtor D40+ 30Gb ?
I made a test yesterday : I copy the AVI file on my C: (Quantum U66 KA+ 13.6 Gb), I disable the virtual memory, and it runs fine.
With the VM enabled, it's very BAD, very jerky !
Where is the problem ? Is it possible that the transfer with the FT66 (Stripping) too fast ?
I will try other HD : What is better :
Maxtor D40+ U100 30Gb or IBM Deskstar 75GXP 7200 - U66 30Gb ?
What is the best configuration with a FTU66 for video editing ? A HD on primary IDE and two on the FTU66? ...
Thanks.
-Asterix

[Asterix]

It is possible that playback problems come from the FastCheck Monitor Utility. (FTU66)
When I desactivate S.M.A.R.T. feature and put PCI usage to Low, I see an improvement.
Why is AGP set to 1x ? (Seen with PCILIst utility) even with a Marvel G400 ? And how do I put it to 2x ?
Thanks
-Asterix

[Dr Mordrid]

Yes, do disable the SMART feature, but keep the cache running. This gives the best performance.

Brian:

I have 4 different SBLives on my hardware shelf. Every now and then I take them down and give 'em a go with the latest drivers. They always end up going back in the static free bags they came in and back up on the shelf. This on multiple platforms.

I just did some testing with the SBLive Platinum;

1. Livewire3 is so bug ridden it's rediculous. BSOD's & sometimes won't finish booting. Livewire2 at least booted, even if it too was infested and all the features didn't work as advertised.

Livewire4 is due in October and might even include the SMD and other features that were supposed to be in Livewire3. We'll see.

2. The crackling on playback issue is NOT fixed, even on a stripped down (and FAST) system & fresh Win98SE install. No editing HW, no NIC, no modem, no IRQ problems. Showed up both with a G400/32 and a TNT2.

This is definitely bus related and an old, OLD issue. One big problem: it hits the system timer interrupt constantly. Why? Got me. Host memory wavetable doesn't help this situation either. It's just one more reason to hit an obviously already too busy PCI bus.

One "fix" is to turn down the acceleration of the graphics card so they don't contend. So now you can hear the software, but can't play it full speed. Wonderful.

Also, turning off the SoundBlaster-ISA emulation and all the special features of the card (such as wavetable, reverb, 3D etc.) helps, but then you just have a glorified SoundBlaster, right? So why bother? 48k audio? My RT-2000 does that internally and the Marvels only need 16 bit.

3. Locks up in many games (Expendible, Q3, Unreal, UT & others).

4. For the last 2 years Creative's drivers have gotten worse and more bug prone. Even the latest updates for the AWE64 had problems and I had to go to an older build.

There is nothing "Creative" about a company that hasn't really produced anything new in 2+ years and also puts out bug infested drivers.

Also, Creative has announced there will be no WDM drivers for Win98 or Win98SE. Just for WinME and Win2K. Terriffic. So those who make it a practice not to use new OS's until they get at least some kinks out are screwed.

All of this plus I'm out several hundred bux for audio cards that have NEVER worked as advertised. And I'm not just talking about the SBLive. I have about a half dozen other PCI audio cards up there with similar problems.

Don't get me wrong, I think the PCI bus is the way to go for all non-display cards. I just don't think they can add all the features into these PCI audio cards they want to with the existing PCI 2.1 standard using a 33mhz clock.

Maybe the new PCI standard with a 66mhz clock for the upcoming 64 bit systems will help, but for now these PCI audio cards, especially the SBUndead, all too often cause more problems than they are worth.

Dr. Mordrid



[This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 08 September 2000).]

[Asterix]

Thanks Doc.
What is your opinion concerning AGP ?
And for the HD ? IBM or Maxtor (my 2 last posts).
Thx
-Asterix

[Dr Mordrid]

I've used both the Maxtor Plus 40 ATA66 and the IBM 75GXP ATA100. Both are great drives.

Just be aware that the Maxtor ATA100 drives come with write verification turned on and will be slow for the first 10 powerup cycles. Then this feature will be turned off automatically. There is also a utility, WVSET, on the Maxtor D/L page for doing it manually. There is more about this on the Maxtor D/L page.

The IBM 75GXP ATA100's are only the fastest drives around now. 'nuff said. You should use a Fasttrak100 with 'em though as a pair of them will overrun the 66 mb/s maximum capability of the Fasttrak66 easily.

Actually it doesn't really matter if you're using AGP1x or AGP2x. AGP "x"'s are more show than go at this point. I've tested my systems with both settings using the registry hacks and found very little difference in real performance. AGP4x might make a difference. Maybe.

As far as the virtual memory goes have you tried setting it for a fixed size, say about 256-384 megs? This can speed up the writing of the swapfile as it doesn't have to calculate the new size. Turning off the read-ahead optimization and write-behind caching and setting the system mode to Network Server can also speed things up.

Dr. Mordrid

[moreau]

Hey Doc,

I've been hounding your for specific sound cards. What do you use that works?

ISA, Non Creative?
I've got to get one for a DVRaptor Box, so I do need it to support 48KHz, so I don't have to tell my client to rerender every audio track!

Thank you,
Charles

[Sillyname]

Try an Ensoniq AudioPCI 32...

[Michel Carleer]

Ensoniq has been bought by Creative, hasn't it?
Michka

[Asterix]

Doc,

What is your advice concerning the best sound card (ISA ?)
Thx
-Asterix

[Dr Mordrid]

I know someone who us using the MediaTrix AudioTrix 3D-XG in an RT-2000 rig with a P2B-D and he says it works great. It has a ton of features including 48k capture capability. The downside is that it isn't in the $50 price range.

Now, for Win2K there are no "official" drivers for this card BUT the AudioTrix tech support folks tell me that the Yamaha WDM drivers on the Windows2000 CD provide full functionality.

http://www.mediatrix.com/audiopro/index.html

Dr. Mordrid


[This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 09 September 2000).]

[Asterix]

Thx Doc,
All the parameters concerning cache, memory,... are corretly set.
What is the Stripe Block and what is the optimal value ? Idem for the AGP Aperture ?
Thanks.
- Asterix

[KRSESQ]

My soundcard: 7+ year old Media Vision Pro Audio 16 Basic ISA card. Works so well with my system I've never had any compulsion to replace it (at least, no compusion that didn't pass after looking at prices!).

My only complaint: Win 9x insists on installing drivers for the Pro Audio 16 Basic AND the Pro Audio 16 Plus/Studio (Next model up on the ladder). Result: the sound card hogs two IRQs, and now I'm all out.

Unfortunately Media Vision was absorbed by Turtle Beach long ago so tech support is somewhat problematic...