wasapi stuttering in windows 7 64bit

[pavlf]

Hi, this might not be the place to ask as it's probably not an enitrely monkey related issue, if so apologies in advance.

I'm using MM 4 on Windows 7 64bit and running it out through the wasapi plugin, set to exclusive and etc. It is configured to output to an HA-INFO U2 usb to spdif converter and from there via an optical cable to my amp/dac (a hraman kardon). Since march It's been OK mostly, the only issue has been that every now and then a track will stutter really badly - slowed down, and sounding a bit like a dalek - something that can only be stopped by stopping the track and restarting it again. Occasionally it required a restart of MM. This was only a niggle. However, recently it got much worse; a restart wouldn't cure the problem, and generally it was also impossible to shut down MM. The laptop began to behave weirdly, almost freezing periodically - running so slowly it was to all intent and purpose locked etc. I was at my wit's end trying to work out what was wrong the laptop. I finally traced it to the USB/spdif and MM. Uninstalled MM, disconnected the USB, ran scan disc, restarted and all was good again. Reinstalled MM, plugged in the USB, all good until three hours later when the whole circus started up again. OK I thought. I will use another computer for music. So, I fixed the original laptop which is now working fine (though I don't dare trying MM and the USB again) and tried the whole thing with my other laptop also with Windows 7, but only 32 bit. I get the same problem. Not the complete disaster, but the occasional stuttering issue. If I listen to an album it's guaranteed to happen at least once before I get to the end.

Does anyone have any idea what is going on? It doesn't seem to be a common problem. Is it perhaps that the usb to spdif converter is faulty? Would that produce these kinds of issues? Or is it MM? Is that likely?

Hope someone might be able to help!

Paul

[rovingcowboy]

sounds like usb is going though a slowdown. just off hand are you using the usb 3 that i think came out awhile ago? i read about it about a year back so check and see if you have that or are in need of the update.

[pavlf]

Thanks for the reply, but I think I've sorted it out myself.

I decided it had to be something to do with wasapi. So I had a look about and found that there was an ASIO driver for the HA-info USB/spdif, I installed that, then got the ASIO plugin from Osakan, selected that as the output in MM, configured that to use the ASIO for the HA-info and now everything seems to work.

I've no doubt that I'll now be plagued by the absence of proper gapless playback, so some classical albums are going to annoying, but I've not tested this yet. Fingers crossed, it might work. Anyway, in the meantime everything else is working. One day everything will work and 24/96 listening will be finally free of issues!

BTW, no, I only have usb 2.

[mcow]

I would avoid USB for quality sound output, including hi-end USB DACs (but USB3's speed is unnecessary for digital audio anyway). I take my S/PDIF directly from the motherboard, altho that took some hacking around, including finding a header with the S/PDIF connector on it. Not really an option on laptops, it's true.

It's my impression that the MM player has an issue with gapless. WinAmp seems to be better behaved in that respect. It's possible that ASIO, KS, and WASAPI differ in that respect, too. The one combo I've used where I was completely happy with the gapless response was with WinAmp and KS.

[pavlf]

Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I agree about USB, I was using a PCMCIA soundcard that did pass-through on my old laptop, but the new one doesn't take PCMCIA, hence the USB now. Plus I've rearranged the room and the optical cable no longer reaches a computer. It's one thing after another!

Gapless was working fine with wasapi, but it isn't working fine with ASIO. It's a real pity, gapless has been a major annoyance to me for ages and it seemed the wasapi plugin had sorted this out. I don't really understand what caused this glitch to start happening for me,especially seeing as it started happening on two different computers with two different operating systems (one windows 7 premium 64bit the other professional 32bit. It seems a bit strange. The only time I've had issue-free gapless has been using foobar. But I've never really got to grips with making foobar work properly otherwise.

[MusicBringer]

It'll be interesting to see if one of the MM Team has any thoughts on this wasapi stuttering with MM and Windows 7x64.

[pavlf]

Has there ever been a fix for this? The lack of gapless playback is still driving me mad. WASAPI still stutters, so for a true bitperfect output I'm driven to use ottachan's asio plugin.

Did anyone else have stuttering issues with WASAPI? Weird if not as I've experienced it on three separate PCs.

[mcow]

I am using MM's WASAPI plugin and there are no artifacts that I can hear, anymore, except maybe a very brief silence, but no hiccup in the timing.

[nohitter151]

I assume this problem is only in exclusive mode? I use the WASAPI plugin but non-exclusive and never had an issue with stuttering.

[pavlf]

Yes, in exclusive mode. I just tired it again and it was doing the same thing from the outset. It sounds slowed down and distorted. A strange effect. Akin to the things you might hear after a dose of nitrous oxide. I've turned off exclusive mode now and am testing. But doesn't this mean that I've lost the bitperfect output? I'm playing 24/96 flac files.

[nohitter151]

But doesn't this mean that I've lost the bitperfect output? I'm playing 24/96 flac files.

Yes

[sogarth]

There's also another distinct possibility: DPC latency. Here's one thread that talks about it and helps diagnose whether you're suffering from it. I was pulling my hair out over why MediaMonkey was skipping a few months ago, no matter what I was doing, until I tracked it down to this.

This could very well be the cause of your skip issue. There are several potential causes of DPC latency, primarily drivers. Unfortunately for me, it was CrashPlan that was causing the high DPC latency....

[pavlf]

Hi again,

I now don't think it's to do with MM. I think it's to do with the usb to spdif pass through that i'm using to send the signal to my DAC. It's an HA Info U2 and a bit of googling suggests that this might be the culprit. Grrrrrr. So no gapless and bitperfect for me until I get another brand. Any suggestions?