Distorted, flickering sound in playback, using windows 8.

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Working with a new laptop, on Windows 8, with a Focusrite Scarlett Solo, and getting a distorted sound in playback. (using Audacity 2.1.0, downloaded via the .exe installer) The files are normal when played through mediaplayer. I have previously uploaded an Mp3 on here and was told it was behaving normally.

The distortion itself is inconsistent ie. sometimes it’s not there at all, and I can listen & edit as normal. When it is there, I can hear the audio (I’m recording voiceover), at normal speed, a bit faint, with a constant flickering on top. I notice that my screen also flickers slightly, the recording device/audio host toolbar shakes!

Wondered is it a question of the audio host, and have tried changing between MME, Windows Direct Sound & Wasapi. I don’t really understand these, what ought to be the best option (for Windows 8), and is this likely to be contributing to the problem?

Below is the ‘audio device info’.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide to this rather frazzled newbie :confused:

==============================
Default recording device number: 1
Default playback device number: 4
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: Line In (2- Scarlett Solo)
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: Microphone (Conexant SmartAudio
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
    352800
    384000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: Line Out (2- Scarlett Solo)
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
    352800
    384000
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: Speakers (Conexant SmartAudio H
Host name: MME
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.090000
Low Playback Latency: 0.090000
High Recording Latency: 0.180000
High Playback Latency: 0.180000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
    352800
    384000
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: Primary Sound Capture Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.120000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.240000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: Line In (2- Scarlett Solo)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.120000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.240000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 8
Device name: Microphone (Conexant SmartAudio HD)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.120000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.240000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 9
Device name: Primary Sound Driver
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.120000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 10
Device name: Line Out (2- Scarlett Solo)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.120000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 11
Device name: Speakers (Conexant SmartAudio HD)
Host name: Windows DirectSound
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.120000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.240000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    176400
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 12
Device name: Speakers (Conexant SmartAudio HD)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.003000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.010159
Supported Rates:
    44100
==============================
Device ID: 13
Device name: Speakers (Conexant SmartAudio HD) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010159
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 14
Device name: Line Out (2- Scarlett Solo)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 0
Playback channels: 2
Low Recording Latency: 0.000000
Low Playback Latency: 0.003000
High Recording Latency: 0.000000
High Playback Latency: 0.010000
Supported Rates:
    44100
==============================
Device ID: 15
Device name: Line Out (2- Scarlett Solo) (loopback)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 16
Device name: Microphone (Conexant SmartAudio HD)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010159
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 17
Device name: Line In (2- Scarlett Solo)
Host name: Windows WASAPI
Recording channels: 2
Playback channels: 0
Low Recording Latency: 0.003000
Low Playback Latency: 0.000000
High Recording Latency: 0.010000
High Playback Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Selected recording device: 17 - Line In (2- Scarlett Solo)
Selected playback device: 14 - Line Out (2- Scarlett Solo)
Supported Rates:
    44100
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available recording sources:
0 - Master
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - PCM
==============================
Recording volume is native
Playback volume is native
2

sometimes it’s not there at all

Can you play the same passage multiple times and get different damage?

Can you make it worse? Any change is instructive. Is it better or worse after you restart the machine? What programs do you run day to day? Skype connection?

Does it get progressively worse? Does it seem to be stuck to the length of the show?

Koz

3

It seems this could be the result of bad electrical interference. Even your screen reacts to it.

Are you using a desktop computer? Is your electrical ground ok?

4

Can you play the same passage multiple times and get different damage?

The damage is always the same sound, but it comes and goes. It appears to be random. I just listened to an MP3 I recorded on Friday and at first play it was distorted, at second play, normal.

Can you make it worse?

no I can’t make it worse, at the moment I get this flickering sound. Previously, when I had audio host set to Windows Direct Sound I was getting the drunken, slowed-down problem.

Any change is instructive. Is it better or worse after you restart the machine? What programs do you run day to day? Skype connection?

Yes, I am usually online with skype when working in audacity. There is very little else on the computer as it’s brand new, and I avoid keeping internet programs open while I’m working.

Does it get progressively worse? Does it seem to be stuck to the length of the show?

Once the flickering starts it seems to remain for the length of the track, but as I said, I can open the same track at different times and get a normal sound or the distorted one.

5

Yes, I am usually online with skype when working in audacity.

Skype is famous for monopolizing the computer’s sound system while it’s working. Nobody would be shocked if you were listening to the Skype echo and environment cancellation in your work.

Swimmy echoes?

Koz

6

Skype is famous for monopolizing the computer’s sound system while it’s working. Nobody would be shocked if you were listening to the Skype echo and environment cancellation in your work.

Please God let this be the solution!!! I’m off to find out…will let you know, Koz!

7

People make products that work with Skype sound management to produce clear, high quality recordings of both sides. The Pamela upper two products will do that.

http://www.pamela.biz/en/products/

There are other programs, but be careful of getting locked into MP3 sound files (ratty editing) or programs that jam your conversation into one single track. Editing those can be very entertaining.

https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/help-recording-with-a-mic-laptop-and-headphones/35068/6

Koz

8

Thanks Koz. Alas, I tried getting rid of skype, and it’s made no difference. Now seeking advice from microsoft…going to investigate the pre-amp next…seems to be a process of elimination, I’ll let you know what finally solves it!