2.0.4 - Changing sound card settings

goodfella · September 8, 2013, 6:49am

After installation of 2.0.4 over 2.0.3, Audacity changed the input source for my SoundBlaster PCI soundcard

This is on WinXP SP3. The SoundBlaster PCI soundcard is using WDM drivers.

Something with 2.0.4 is causing it to make changes to sound card settings. It changed it from Stereo Mix to Microphone.

I’ve run 2.0.3 every single day since it was released, never had any issues. Absolutely nothing else was changed on the PC from 2.0.3 to 2.0.4. I updated in place, did not reset my settings, and the symptoms began.

I uninstalled 2.0.4 and rolled back to 2.0.3, and the issue was cleared up.

Note that I have two PCI soundcards installed, and the one that had the settings changed is neither the Windows default soundcard, nor is it the one selected in Audacity. There should be no reason the input source is being changed by Audacity 2.0.4 for this particular device, and yet…it is.

Possibly has something to do with (Windows) Added support for “Windows WDM-KS” host which can provide very low latencies if you reduce “Audio to Buffer” in Recording Preferences.?

Again, I’ve never had any issues whatsoever like this for the past year running 2.0.3. No other software or settings have been added, removed or modified. Everything was perfectly normal prior to installation of 2.0.4, and everything went back to normal after rollback to 2.0.3.

Hopefully you guys can find and fix the bug in 2.0.4.

Thanks!

steve · September 8, 2013, 10:48am

Can you manually change it back in the device toolbar?
(Ensure that “Host” is set to “MME” or “Direct Sound”.)
If you then close and restart Audacity, does the change stick?

goodfella · September 8, 2013, 1:31pm

I’ve already rolled back to 2.0.3. I can’t afford to run a buggy version on this PC.

Let me be clear: the soundcard that was affected was not the primary/default Windows soundcard, nor was it the soundcard that Audacity was setup to use as the default input/output. Audacity caused Windows to change settings to a soundcard that was not selected in the Audacity toolbar. This behavior never occurred in 2.0.3 or earlier releases. Something changed in 2.0.4 that exhibits bad behavior with Windows XP sound card settings (non-USB, these are PCI soundcards).

steve · September 8, 2013, 1:45pm

Sorry to here that you are not able to help us to identify and fix the problem, but be assured that we are looking into this to try and determine the case of the problem. Unfortunately on Windows XP SP3 I am unable to reproduce the problem but hopefully someone that experiences this issue will be able to help (so far we are only aware of 4 users with this issue, including yourself).

goodfella · September 9, 2013, 8:24am

audacity-win-r12543-2.0.5-alpha-08-sep-13-wdmks-disabled solved the issue.

As suspected, WDM-KS doesn’t play nice with one of my soundcard’s drivers.

steve · September 9, 2013, 8:53am

Thanks goodfella.

It certainly seems that is the case.
Could you post the “Audio Device info” from Audacity (In the Audacity Help menu) so that we can see if there is a common factor there with the other cases where this has occurred?

goodfella · September 9, 2013, 9:09am

The issue was with the SB PCI device.

Driver version is 5.12.1.5017 from Creative Technology Ltd. dated 6/11/2002 (yes, I know it’s 11 years old, but it’s a stable driver and it’s a pretty old soundcard running on XP besides).

==============================
Default capture device number: 1
Default playback device number: 7
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: Realtek HD Audio Input
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: SB PCI
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: Creative Sound Blaster PCI
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: USB Headphone Set
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: USB Headphone Set (2)
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
    352800
    384000
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: Realtek HD Audio output
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: SB PCI
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: Creative Sound Blaster PCI
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: USB Headphone Set
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: USB Headphone Set (2)
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.090000
Low Output Latency: 0.090000
High Input Latency: 0.180000
High Output Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 12
Device name: Primary Sound Capture Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 13
Device name: Realtek HD Audio Input
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 14
Device name: SB PCI
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 4
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 15
Device name: Creative Sound Blaster PCI
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 16
Device name: USB Headphone Set
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 1
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 17
Device name: USB Headphone Set
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 1
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.120000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.240000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 18
Device name: Primary Sound Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 19
Device name: Realtek HD Audio output
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 20
Device name: SB PCI
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 21
Device name: Creative Sound Blaster PCI
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 22
Device name: USB Headphone Set
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 23
Device name: USB Headphone Set
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.120000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Selected capture device: 12 - Primary Sound Capture Driver
Selected playback device: 18 - Primary Sound Driver
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available capture sources:
0 - CD Volume
1 - Mic Volume
2 - Line Volume
3 - Stereo Mix
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - Wave/MP3
1 - SW Synth
2 - Front
3 - Rear
4 - Subwoofer
5 - Center
6 - SPDIF
7 - Front Green In
8 - Rear Blue In
9 - Front Pink In
10 - Rear Pink In
11 - Rear Green In
12 - CD Volume
13 - PC Speaker
==============================
Capture volume is native
Playback volume is native

steve · September 9, 2013, 9:21am

Thanks goodfella.