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Coma
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« Reply #340 on: 6 Feb '10 - 18:42 » |
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I seem to have some trouble with the SID plugin. I recently got a new computer and probably some setting isn't correct, because this didn't happen before. But I'm unable to find it. The problem is that when the filters are active, the channels where filter effects are used sound either noisy and crackly (to a point where almost only noise remains) or almost silent. When I turn off filters, it sounds correct (as correct as it gets without filters). I have tried various combinations of versions of XMPlay and the SID plugin (including the latest ones), played around with all settings I could think of (including the sound card driver settings), and tried Directsound output, but there is no difference. When I play the same modules in Sidplay2/w, they sound just fine, filters and all. Any idea where I could look? I'd be happy for any suggestions.
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raina
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« Reply #341 on: 6 Feb '10 - 19:58 » |
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Does the SID model make a difference? I remember having trouble with the 8580 at some point. Of course that's what many songs were made for but determining whether that's the cause would tell if it's the same problem.
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« Last Edit: 6 Feb '10 - 20:01 by raina »
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Coma
Posts: 34
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« Reply #342 on: 6 Feb '10 - 20:38 » |
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No, that doesn't seem to make a difference. But I should add some things: not all tunes are affected. And in tunes that are affected (perhaps the extra filter-heavy ones), the channels can still be played individually. An example: "in a loop" by 4-Mat. 00:00-00:16 sounds fine. At 00:16 drums start playing on channel 3 and everything sounds like chaos. But turn off the other two channels and the drums sound fine. Or turn off channel 3 and the two others sound fine together. At this point it looks like it's the noise waveform that causes the problems somehow. But at 00:32 it sounds like it should again, even with all channels playing, and still with filtered noise generated percussion sounds on channel 3. I don't really see any pattern, but at least it plays consistently every time.
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Fraggie
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« Reply #343 on: 6 Feb '10 - 21:11 » |
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Interesting. I tried a number of options in XMPlay and the plugin but couldn't reproduce the issue you describe.
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Coma
Posts: 34
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« Reply #344 on: 6 Feb '10 - 22:10 » |
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Well, I found a workaround at least. It's related to volume levels. When I set the three SID channels to no more than 50%, and turn off XMP's auto-amp, and set amplification to 0.0 (max), it sounds like it should. But any more than 50% on the SID channels and the noise starts coming back. Could be my new sound card that does some funny stuff with the sound, but then it shouldn't happen only when the SID filters are active... weird.
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saga
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« Reply #345 on: 7 Feb '10 - 00:05 » |
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I think I had the same issue back then when I had filters+surround enabled.
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Fraggie
Posts: 656
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« Reply #346 on: 7 Feb '10 - 08:58 » |
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I think I had the same issue back then when I had filters+surround enabled.
I tried that too. Well, I found a workaround at least. It's related to volume levels. When I set the three SID channels to no more than 50%, and turn off XMP's auto-amp, and set amplification to 0.0 (max), it sounds like it should. But any more than 50% on the SID channels and the noise starts coming back. Could be my new sound card that does some funny stuff with the sound, but then it shouldn't happen only when the SID filters are active... weird.
And what about the opposite? SID channels set to max but amplification to some low value? Or maybe your new soundcard does some auto-amp'ing by itself? |
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deus-ex
Posts: 186
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« Reply #347 on: 7 Feb '10 - 10:05 » |
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Could be my new sound card that does some funny stuff with the sound, but then it shouldn't happen only when the SID filters are active... weird. Which version of Windows are you running on your new PC? Depending on the OS you can try an output plugin other than direct-sound or wave-out which would assure that your soundcard can't alter the output data. |
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Coma
Posts: 34
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« Reply #348 on: 7 Feb '10 - 19:49 » |
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And what about the opposite? SID channels set to max but amplification to some low value? Or maybe your new soundcard does some auto-amp'ing by itself?
That works too. SID channels at 100% while XMP's amplification set to -3.0 db or lower gets rid of the noise. I don't think the sound card is the cause, because the issue remains even when all sorts of sound processing is off and when the output levels are lowered considerably. But who knows. In any case, keeping the amplification at -3 is hardly a problem and it keeps all sound free of (unintended) static. Which version of Windows are you running on your new PC? Depending on the OS you can try an output plugin other than direct-sound or wave-out which would assure that your soundcard can't alter the output data.
Windows 7. I felt it was time to upgrade at last, now that Vista is gone. |
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Jace
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« Reply #349 on: 7 Feb '10 - 22:16 » |
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Just dropping in to inform that I'm getting the problem Como described too. Tried with "4-mat - In a Loop", between 16 and 32 seconds I do get odd sounds. Nothing noisy, getting more of the 'almost silent' variety. Tired to bones right now, might record output and shove it up online in the morning. And fiddle with more settings.
On WinXP SP3, AC97 audio built-in to mobo.
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deus-ex
Posts: 186
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« Reply #350 on: 8 Feb '10 - 16:53 » |
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Windows 7. I felt it was time to upgrade at last, now that Vista is gone. Windows 7 here, too. You should definitely upgrade to XMPlay's WASAPI output plugin, then. It makes quite an audible difference and the output data cannot be affected by internal soundcard remixing. |
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SmartOne
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« Reply #351 on: 8 Feb '10 - 18:55 » |
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audible difference Really? |
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Coma
Posts: 34
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« Reply #352 on: 8 Feb '10 - 19:44 » |
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I tried WASAPI output now, and it didn't make any difference for the SID volume level problem. Otherwise we should probably try to keep this thread on topic.  |
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Fraggie
Posts: 656
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« Reply #353 on: 8 Feb '10 - 21:59 » |
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So it's not the sound card and not the output method. Are there any DSP plugins that you use? |
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Coma
Posts: 34
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« Reply #354 on: 8 Feb '10 - 22:12 » |
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No, nothing. To be extra sure I put XMPlay.exe and xmp-sid.dll by themselves in a new directory, and the problem remained. But I'm happy anyway since I found the "preamp -3" workaround. |
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Fraggie
Posts: 656
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« Reply #355 on: 8 Feb '10 - 22:34 » |
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I think I managed to reproduce the problem. However it seems that enabling external filter along with SID filters hides the problem as well... Anyways, something's wrong with the volume levels.
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Coma
Posts: 34
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« Reply #356 on: 8 Feb '10 - 22:45 » |
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It does! That's an even better workaround. By the way, I noticed a detail that might be of interest: putting the amplification at -3 or less only helps when using stereo output. Switching to mono has the effect that the problem remains all the way down to -15 db.
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WonderSlug
Posts: 34
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« Reply #357 on: 9 Feb '10 - 01:23 » |
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Any other place to reliably get the latest SID plugin? Fraggie's dhost.info link always comes up as unresolvable ("Cannot find server") to me.
I have rev 25d, and XMPlay is telling me that rev 26 is the latest. Where?
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Jace
Posts: 773
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« Reply #358 on: 9 Feb '10 - 01:41 » |
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Hope Fraggie won't mind, but I've hosted it temporarily over here. |
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WonderSlug
Posts: 34
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« Reply #359 on: 9 Feb '10 - 03:20 » |
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Hope Fraggie won't mind, but I've hosted it temporarily over here. Thank you very much. |
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