• From: Missouri City, TX
  • Registered: 2010-04-04
  • Posts: 15

Topic: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

System Specs:
OS Name    Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version    5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer    Microsoft Corporation
System Model    Asus P5K Premium
System Type    X86-based PC
Processor    x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 11 GenuineIntel ~2405 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date    American Megatrends Inc. 1001, 11/26/2008
SMBIOS Version    2.4
Hardware Abstraction Layer    Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
Total Physical Memory    4,096.00 MB
Available Physical Memory    2.24 GB
Total Virtual Memory    2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory    1.96 GB
Page File Space    5.09 GB
Page File    C:\pagefile.sys

I bought this FF400 used and have installed the latest WinXP 32-bit v.2.9.992.0 drivers.

I have Clock Mode set to Master and have DDS turned on and set to 44.100.  The Fre Multiplier is set to x1, but the words "Freq Multiplier" are flashing.  Also, once I hit OK and then reopen the Fireface Settings, DDS is no longer checked. 

For whatever reason, my System Clock is set to 96kHz and I have NO IDEA what else in my system could possibly set this value.  I had assumed that specifying 44.100 with DDS active would LOCK my clock to 44.100 with the RME as Master.  Can someone tell me what else I can try to look at to dig into this issue?  Did I perhaps miss something in the initial setup?  My system clock appears to come up at a different clock rate randomly both after a reboot and at any particular time.

Thanks,
Jeff

  • Registered: 2008-12-03
  • Posts: 182

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

If you set your DAW to 44.1, you should be ok :-)

-----------------------

Various ADK computers :-)
  • From: Missouri City, TX
  • Registered: 2010-04-04
  • Posts: 15

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Alex,

But that doesn't help when it comes to playing back audio using WMP, iTunes or other non-DAW-related applications.  Also, the DAW settings don't seem to make any difference once I get into the "screwed state" of pops and clicks. 

Regards,
Jeff

  • Registered: 2008-12-03
  • Posts: 182

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Jeff,

Did you try THIS

Also do you have a TI FW chipset/card, tried another FW cable or connect the FF to another computer?

-----------------------

Various ADK computers :-)
  • From: Missouri City, TX
  • Registered: 2010-04-04
  • Posts: 15

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Alex,

Yes, all latencies appear to show that I should be able to maintain realtime.  I'm not certain as to how to verify TI chipset vs. otherwise, but I THOUGHT I had a TI one.  Tried 3 FW cables.  This is the only PC in my home which has FW on it and I have no PCI cards to add it to my wife's or the laptops. 

Thanks,
Jeff

  • Registered: 2008-12-03
  • Posts: 182

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Jeff,

You can find the 1394 controler in the device manager.

There's also a guide on howto install drivers HERE

-----------------------

Various ADK computers :-)
  • Jeff
  • Jeff
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-21
  • Posts: 4,667

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Hi,

Did you also update the firmware on the FF400 to work with this driver?

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • From: Missouri City, TX
  • Registered: 2010-04-04
  • Posts: 15

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Alex,

Thanks.  That's the method I used to install the driver and update the firmware. 

With regards to the 1394 controller, it merely says "OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller".  I couldn't find specific mention of the manufacturer. 


Jeff (Moderator) - Yes, per the "About" tab on the Fireface Settings tool, I am running:

Driver Date: 15.01.10
Driver version: 2.992
Hardware Version: 1.70

I believe that those are the appropriate things I should see for a FF400 under WinXP, but would appreciate if you'd point out if I am incorrect on that assumption.

Thanks, guys.

Regards,
Jeff

  • Registered: 2008-12-03
  • Posts: 182

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

What happens if you disable your internal sound card?(in device manager)

And when you use your DAW does that record/play like it should?

-----------------------

Various ADK computers :-)
  • From: Missouri City, TX
  • Registered: 2010-04-04
  • Posts: 15

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Ok, so one more data point.  Maybe you guys can just confirm that this is correct operation.

The issue seems to be that if I have more than one Audio app open, everything goes to hell.  So for instance, if I have iTunes open, and am either playing or even when I am not playing something and I open Firefox or IE and try to play a YouTube video or something, that audio goes all to hell.  It plays super sped up and distorted, though the RMA Settings tells me that everything is still at 44.1kHz.  Similar wierdness happens if I open Reaper and try to play a video or something.  Also, it doesn't appear to be directly related to iTunes, as if I do the same thing with WMP11, I get similar behavior. 

Now obviously, I can choose NOT to have anything else open when I am doing audio-related things, but it just seems odd that I never had issues like this with my MOTU Traveler (had other issues with that thing), but am having issues now with the RME FF400. 

Thanks again,
Jeff

  • From: Missouri City, TX
  • Registered: 2010-04-04
  • Posts: 15

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Just to close this thread from yesteryear.  I just bought a new Siig 2-port Firwire PCIe card with the TI 1394 chipset in it and all of these weird sample rate/distortion nasties appear to have been eliminated.  I still get pretty horrid DPC's in my system at times, even after turning off the network card, but I see to recall once upon a time that I tracked it down to a "USB driver" issue.  Of course, I have like nearly every peripheral known to man plugged in via USB, so I don't know exactly how to go about disabling the USB controllers and such without losing total functionality of my keyboard, mouse, etc...

Regards,
Jeff

12 Reply by Timur Born (edited by Timur 2011-04-22 09:02:08)

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

You can check the USB ports via Device-Manager and see what is connected where. This allows you to turn off some of the root-hubs where neither your mouse nor keyboard is connected. Most often USB card-readers are an issue. Bluetooth and inbuilt cameras are connected via USB, too.

For some devices you first need to turn of the corresponding device (Bluetooth) before you can disable the root-hub they are connected to.

Graphic-card drivers are another source. You could have an easy look with "LatencyMon" or a thorough look with "Xperf" (parts of a SDK that can be downloaded from Microsoft).

  • Registered: 2008-12-03
  • Posts: 182

Re: Pops, clicks, random system clock speed with WinXP and FF400. Help!

Iceblade wrote:

Just to close this thread from yesteryear.  I just bought a new Siig 2-port Firwire PCIe card with the TI 1394 chipset in it and all of these weird sample rate/distortion nasties appear to have been eliminated.  I still get pretty horrid DPC's in my system at times, even after turning off the network card, but I see to recall once upon a time that I tracked it down to a "USB driver" issue.  Of course, I have like nearly every peripheral known to man plugged in via USB, so I don't know exactly how to go about disabling the USB controllers and such without losing total functionality of my keyboard, mouse, etc...

Regards,
Jeff

Good to hear you got it working:-)

-----------------------

Various ADK computers :-)