Sound corruption in the latest build with ASIO

[Gale Andrews]

You may be starting to run up against this bug: http://bugzilla.audacityteam.org/show_bug.cgi?id=416

1 hour 4 minutes stereo at 96 kHz is about 750 million samples
If you process that file, for example if you normalize it, the number of samples in the project will double as Audacity copies the data so that you can undo the process. That will take you up to 1.5 billion samples. 2^31 is about 2 billion.

If you really need to use 96 kHz, try splitting the project in half before you start editing and see if that makes a difference.

Bug 416 doesn't work like that, rather on the number of samples stored in the waveform. For example, if you have 14 hours of audio in the waveform @44100 Hz, that is "over the limit" of 2^31 stored samples that you can save as a single project. When attempting to reopen the project, the entire data (every single .au file) will be "orphaned" (but none missing).

But if you have 7 hours of audio and normalize it (which gives you the same number of .au files that you had with the 14 hour track), then save and reopen the project, it will reopen OK.

@Cwluc, I didn't see any of the posted files, so I am not clear what happened? What was the corruption after the edit - was it something other than the silenced audio that you later found further down the track?

You may in fact have been hit by a rare bug where projects don't save or reopen correctly, resulting in missing and/or orphaned block files and silenced audio. It is distinct from the 2^31 samples issue:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Relea ... n_projects

Note also from those release notes that 2.0.0 (to some extent) fixed an issue where:

Excessively high or corrupted sample values in the audio could corrupt exports from the start of the problem for the rest of the file, and could corrupt the rest of the project.

These corrupt samples may not be easily visible (or even last long enough to be audible) unless you enable View > Show Clipping. However look at this image that you posted:

Bilderman 2012.04.22 8-28-51 PM.png (92.09 KiB) Viewed 1892 times

I assume the peaks were needle drops(?) but if that was some faulty peak recorded by your sound card it could possibly cause the problems you found.

Are you getting Audacity with ASIO support to compile/link without modifying the code? If so then we probably cannot claim any issues are related to the build. If you have been modifying the Audacity sources, then of course you haven't got much comeback.


Gale

[Cwluc]

I'm sorry I've been away for awhile I'm not all quite sure what is going on. Could we touch base again? Gale, the issue is the same one I had before, in my original post I linked to my old thread (on 1.3.15) with White Christmas and Motown Christmas as the sample, so that's what it sounds like. Which ever bug (new or old) it is... I'm having it again.

I am going to do my test of recording a sample over an hour on purpose to see what happens before, after saving. I found a way to get ~30 gigs free on my Dropbox so I can upload files now again without issue or needing to delete. I will be posting those ASAP.

As far as where I'm getting my build, I downloaded the source from here and followed the instructions for ASIO. I'm not sure what more you were referring to.

Steve, I recorded 2 hours, on first play everything was fine. I played through sections during all four sides. Does recording in 24 or 32 bit make any difference I know it's a dummy test but I forgot to change my settings and it's still set for 24 bit at the moment. Saved and reopened no sound issue...great [sarcasm]

[Gale Andrews]

the issue is the same one I had before, in my original post I linked to my old thread (on 1.3.15) with White Christmas and Motown Christmas as the sample, so that's what it sounds like.

So it's a problem with your recording hardware, right? That was the outcome of that original thread as far as I can tell. Are you still on "Windows 7, e-mu 0404USB (externally via USB)"?

Do you have enough USB bandwith for high sample rates and bit depth? Specs of your computer? Have you got sample rates matched in Audacity, Windows and the sound card:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Windo ... mple_rates ?

Which ever bug (new or old) it is... I'm having it again.

Was all that stuff earlier about missing audio a possible Audacity issue or broken zip downloads? You seemed to be saying that you had found missing audio after making the recording. True?


Gale

[Gale Andrews]

try the Al Green sample

I think looking at your hardware and operating system (including all settings) would be more constructive, as per the questions I posed. Please also read the link I posted http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Windo ... mple_rates .

I can't even say it is a known issue with Audacity under ASIO because it isn't.

I agree it's frustrating because there is little visual clue of the interference.

If you have a slowish computer, a faster one may help. A reinstall of Windows could be useful.



Gale

[Cwluc]

the issue is the same one I had before, in my original post I linked to my old thread (on 1.3.15) with White Christmas and Motown Christmas as the sample, so that's what it sounds like.

So it's a problem with your recording hardware, right? That was the outcome of that original thread as far as I can tell. Are you still on "Windows 7, e-mu 0404USB (externally via USB)"?

Do you have enough USB bandwith for high sample rates and bit depth? Specs of your computer? Have you got sample rates matched in Audacity, Windows and the sound card:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Windo ... mple_rates ?

Actually the issue wasn't resolved, it hadn't come up again in my tests at the time. I have enough USB bandwidth.

Which ever bug (new or old) it is... I'm having it again.

Was all that stuff earlier about missing audio a possible Audacity issue or broken zip downloads? You seemed to be saying that you had found missing audio after making the recording. True?


Gale

There is no issue with my download of Audacity, all versions worked fine. You asked me to try recording with the current MME Nightly build at the time.

try the Al Green sample

I think looking at your hardware and operating system (including all settings) would be more constructive, as per the questions I posed. Please also read the link I posted http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Windo ... mple_rates .

I can't even say it is a known issue with Audacity under ASIO because it isn't.

I agree it's frustrating because there is little visual clue of the interference.

If you have a slowish computer, a faster one may help. A reinstall of Windows could be useful.



Gale

I am unable to connect to my computer atm but I would like to know how specific you'd like for my system specs? The quick overview is a HP Pavilion P7-1074 Desktop, AMD Phenom II 2.9Ghz, 8GB RAM, 1.5TB HDD, ATI 4200, 802.11n, W7HP.

[Gale Andrews]

The quick overview is a HP Pavilion P7-1074 Desktop, AMD Phenom II 2.9Ghz, 8GB RAM, 1.5TB HDD, ATI 4200, 802.11n, W7HP.

That should cope fine in principle. Have you asked emu if you have the latest, correct drivers for their card and asked for their opinion as to the cause?

Are you able to correlate the interference with additional computer activity such as Windows updates or automated defragging?


Gale

[Cwluc]

The quick overview is a HP Pavilion P7-1074 Desktop, AMD Phenom II 2.9Ghz, 8GB RAM, 1.5TB HDD, ATI 4200, 802.11n, W7HP.

That should cope fine in principle. Have you asked emu if you have the latest, correct drivers for their card and asked for their opinion as to the cause?

Are you able to correlate the interference with additional computer activity such as Windows updates or automated defragging?


Gale

Latest drivers available are installed and they are correct. I believe Creative Labs no longer supports the unit but I will check and email them. By the way before you ask, the computer was purchased with completing this project in mind. I did a fresh install when it came to rid all the free crap OEMs usually install. The only thing installed on it is Windows, Firefox, Dropbox, UltraDefrag, a screenshot tool (Bilderman), the drivers for the soundcard, WinRAR and Audacity.

I know well enough by now not to do anything else with the computer while it's recording. All updates are done early in the AM while I'm at work. I have a defragging setup during startup and manually defrag if there is ever a need after that. No other operations are running on the computer while recording other than the normal system processes.

[Gale Andrews]

Creative Labs no longer supports the unit

Exactly. It doesn't support the operating system you are using. There appear to be no Windows Vista or 7 drivers for it. Are the drivers you are using marked as for Windows 7?

I did a fresh install when it came to rid all the free crap OEMs usually install.

I trust this was a disk format to make sure there are no partly installed programs remaining.



Gale

[Cwluc]

Creative Labs no longer supports the unit

Exactly. It doesn't support the operating system you are using. There appear to be no Windows Vista or 7 drivers for it. Are the drivers you are using marked as for Windows 7?

The drivers are for Win7. http://connect.creativelabs.com/emu/default.aspx

I did a fresh install when it came to rid all the free crap OEMs usually install.

I trust this was a disk format to make sure there are no partly installed programs remaining.



Gale

Yes.

[Gale Andrews]

Creative Labs no longer supports the unit

Exactly. It doesn't support the operating system you are using. There appear to be no Windows Vista or 7 drivers for it. Are the drivers you are using marked as for Windows 7?

The drivers are for Win7. http://connect.creativelabs.com/emu/default.aspx

Yes, but on that page it says

Drivers and applications provided are intended for testing and evaluation only, and should not be used in a production environment.

It doesn't mean the drivers are necessarily bad, but clearly your product does not officially support Windows 7. Have you had a response from the manufacturers?

My main point is that we are highly unlikely to get anywhere with multiple circular 50-post topics on this subject. Sometimes you can never get to the bottom of a problem like this, but you need to be looking at the sort of issues I mentioned, not assuming that Audacity must be creating that kind of electrical interference noise.

Does Cakewalk have the same problem (which apparently is bundled with the EMU)? Does Windows Sound Recorder?



Gale