I’ll try that. Stand by for results, probably sometime tomorrow.
Is the choppy exported MP3 from the project where you recorded with lower buffer setting?
That is, you have not tested yet exporting from a seven hours recording with a higher buffer setting?
Do you make sure to File > Close before starting new recordings? This clears out the Audacity temporary folder.
Gale
Here’s a snippit of what the choppiness sounds like at 6:45:47. In this 15-second clip, look for it to start at approximately 8 seconds in.
Yes, I’m only working with one project for this problem. So, all recording and exports have been done from the same project.
Yes, before beginning each recording, I exit Audacity and start a new copy. I also reboot the computer.
Ran the memory pattern stress test that Dell supplies with this computer. All memory passed.
Just a note since we haven’t resolved this yet.
Memory Stress Tests don’t run once and we’re done. They loop and run all night while you’re sleeping. A memory stress test on a healthy machine should run perfectly correctly for 8 or more hours.
…
…
PASS 31 WAVE OVERLAY SHIFT TEST – 100% COMPLETED
PASS 31 ALTERNATE RECURSION INJECTION TEST --100% COMPLETED
PASS 31 COMPLETED – NO ERRORS
PASS 32 RUNNING DOG CHECKBOARD LOOPBACK TEST – 57% COMPLETED.
I had an marginally stable machine that passed all sorts of tests until I left Mem-Check running all night. Somewhere round 3:30am (Pacific) one of the memory torture tests failed and the machine went face-first into the gutter.
PASS 83 SPARKLE REVERSE ADDRESS TEST FAILED!! - BANK 4 ROW 1.
PASS 83 TEST HALTED
I fixed the bank and it’s been running for years since then.
Koz
What program did you use to accomplish this iterative memory test? I’ll run it overnight.
Years ago I used to use a free program called MemTest86. I believe it is still around, still maintained, and still free.
Going offline now to try memtest86+. Thanks for the suggestion. More later.
I’m having fun with the test names, but the “checkboard test” is a real thing and there really are names like that. Fill every other memory location and see what leaks. Change each data point rapidly and see which one doesn’t stick. etc.
I always got the one straight from Microsoft. They make a boot device so they can be standing on the smallest possible memory footprint when running. Floor sweepings in low memory. It runs with a text window and one of the few options is [X] Loop.
Everybody wants it to run from within Windows and it’s hard to explain that Windows is standing on the exact memory locations you want to test.
The boot device used to be a floppy. I think I still have one around here someplace. I think they use a Bootable CD now. I wonder if it will run from a thumb drive…?
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/diagnosing-memory-problems-on-your-computer
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2008.09.utilityspotlight.aspx
Koz
The second one is the one that creates a bootable device.
Koz
I’m back. I ran six passes overnight of Memtest86+, version 5.01. Lots of random number and block move tests were noted. However, all tests passed. 0 errors encountered in the eight hours and twenty minutes that I allowed the tests to run.
Isn’t that the same as mdsched.exe which should be built into Windows Vista and later? I don’t know, just asking. The mdsched.exe just makes you reboot then runs its tests. See Test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic tool | Rumy IT Tips .
Gale
I always used the external Bootable Device. I don’t know, either. Then I bought Macs and they have different tools.
Koz
all tests passed.
That’s too bad. We’re close to running out of ideas.
Koz
Just ran two passes using the Microsoft memory checker that comes in Windows 8. Both passes passed. Took around nine hours to complete.
Going to attempt the long recording using the internal soundcard, instead of the M-Audio FastTrack USB interface. Then, I’ll try recording with a different computer altogether, and see if the choppiness disappears in any of these cases. This may at least, help rule in or rule out Audacity as a cause.
I was hoping to record a 36-hour Christmas show that starts on Christmas Eve. But perhaps I’ll have to be here, to stop it periodically, or just use a really long latency setting, and pray that the noise stays away for 36 hours.
Possibly fortunate that you mentioned that.
There is a bug in Audacity that prevents projects longer than 2147483648 samples (2^31) from opening correctly. Attempting to do so results in the loss of the entire audio.
This is mentioned in the release notes: Missing features - Audacity Support
Large Projects
Projects with 2^31 samples or more (just over 13.5 hours at 44100 Hz) will not re-open correctly. Higher sample rates mean proportionally shorter times - so just over 6 hours at 96,000 Hz. We know the cause, and do intend to address this bug. Workaround: Before saving or closing the project, export to audio files of appropriate size, or cut and paste sections of audio containing less than 2^31 samples to new Audacity projects and save those.
A fix has been made for this problem and will be in Audacity 2.0.6 when it is released (expected early 2014).
Thanks much. I’ll be sure to perform plenty of exports of shorter files during the recording session, to avoid the 13-hour project save bug.
uhesltj: I’ve asked about the 6:45:47 issue on the developers mailing list as I’m out of ideas.
If they come up with anything I’ll post here.
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Tried the long recording with the Realtek High Definition Audio soundcard, instead of the M-Audio FastTrack Ultra 8R USB one. Same results. The choppiness starts at 6:45:47. This problem, therefore, is likely unaffected by the sound device used. Now trying on a different computer; one running Windows 7 Pro, that has much less memory (2 GB instead of 8 GB).
I don’t see any gaps (dropouts) in the waveform in the WAV file you posted “Chops.wav”.
What buffer settings did you have in Audacity and the Fast Track Ultra control panel when you recorded that?
Gale