Measurement does not work with umik

[Erdman]

Hello,

I use linux, up to date MX Linux 21 (Debian based). I installed (and reinstalled several times) REW 5.20.8 then 5.20.9.

I have done some measurements (for room correction) with REW and a miniDSP Umik-1. I had some valid results, but I had frequent errors in REW (java issues according to error messages) and I had to start again. Furthermore I had the impress that the recorded level in dB was not the same from one set of measurements to another.

Since a few weeks REW is even more unstable on my laptop. Perhaps 5.20.9 worsened things up. My Umik-1 is well detected and shows up in the preference as U18dB [plughw:1,0]. I added the calibration file from miniDSP website, 90° version.

1- Right now I can't even make a measurement. I need the "from file" option, and play the sweep file (generated on REW) with my audio system. But even with max volume, REW waits for the first "timing reference", misses it, and either misses the second "timing reference" as well at the end of the file (and records nothing), or receives the second "timing reference" and start to records then (but the sweep is then over and there is nothing to record anymore).
The "head room" is evaluated at about 60 dB.
When the sweep is playing, even if REW does not record it, I can see that the level is about 34-39 dB

2- When I met such issues in last weeks, I quited REW and started it again, while unplugging and plugging again the Umik-1. Randomly I could succeed in recording my audio system response to the sweep signal (and then I can try several measurements in a row).

3- When I made such row of measurements, REW often quits with java error after a random number of measurements. There is no specific action that get REW to abort, sometimes it's when seeing curves, or clicking anywhere. I don't know whether there is a link with first issue. Here are below the two kinds of errors I can see in the logs.

Can you help me to get a "stable REW" ? it seems to be about either java or "mixer not supported" (see second log).

E

juil. 09, 2022 4:55:09 PM roomeqwizard.RoomEQ_Wizard main
INFOS: REW V5.20.9 running Azul Systems, Inc. JRE 1.8.0_332 64-bit on linux 5.16.0-6mx-amd64
Locale: language fr, keyboard FR, UTF-8 at 96 DPI
juil. 09, 2022 4:55:09 PM roomeqwizard.jC$1 paintComponent
INFOS: Disabling use of BlendComposite due to internal error, waterfalls will not show overlaid cursor
juil. 09, 2022 4:55:58 PM roomeqwizard.RoomEQ_Wizard A
GRAVE: Exception java.lang.NullPointerException
java.lang.NullPointerException
    at roomeqwizard.JC.B(y:1081)
    at roomeqwizard.uD$21.actionPerformed(y:2323)
    at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2022)
    at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2348)
    at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(DefaultButtonModel.java:402)
    at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(DefaultButtonModel.java:259)
    at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(BasicButtonListener.java:252)
    at java.awt.AWTEventMulticaster.mouseReleased(AWTEventMulticaster.java:289)
    at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6539)
    at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3324)
    at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6304)
    at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2239)
    at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4889)
    at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2297)
    at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4711)
    at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4904)
    at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4535)
    at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4476)
    at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2283)
    at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2746)
    at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4711)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:760)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.access$500(EventQueue.java:97)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:709)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:703)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:74)
    at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:84)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:733)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:731)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:74)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:730)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:205)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:116)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:105)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:93)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:82)

juil. 09, 2022 4:50:56 PM roomeqwizard.RoomEQ_Wizard main
INFOS: REW V5.20.9 running Azul Systems, Inc. JRE 1.8.0_332 64-bit on linux 5.16.0-6mx-amd64
Locale: language fr, keyboard FR, UTF-8 at 96 DPI
juil. 09, 2022 4:50:56 PM roomeqwizard.jC$1 paintComponent
INFOS: Disabling use of BlendComposite due to internal error, waterfalls will not show overlaid cursor
juil. 09, 2022 4:51:05 PM roomeqwizard.CalData calFileLoader
INFOS: Mic sensitivity -0,736 dB for serial number 7104664 from 7104664_90deg.txt
juil. 09, 2022 4:51:11 PM roomeqwizard.RoomEQ_Wizard A
GRAVE: Exception java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Mixer not supported: PCH [plughw:0,0], version 5.16.0-6mx-amd64
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Mixer not supported: PCH [plughw:0,0], version 5.16.0-6mx-amd64
    at javax.sound.sampled.AudioSystem.getMixer(AudioSystem.java:259)
    at roomeqwizard.E.ä(y:1619)
    at roomeqwizard.eH$13.actionPerformed(y:2388)
    at javax.swing.JComboBox.fireActionEvent(JComboBox.java:1260)
    at javax.swing.JComboBox.setSelectedItem(JComboBox.java:588)
    at javax.swing.JComboBox.setSelectedIndex(JComboBox.java:624)
    at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicComboPopup$Handler.mouseReleased(BasicComboPopup.java:868)
    at java.awt.AWTEventMulticaster.mouseReleased(AWTEventMulticaster.java:290)
    at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6539)
    at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3324)
    at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicComboPopup$1.processMouseEvent(BasicComboPopup.java:517)
    at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6304)
    at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2239)
    at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4889)
    at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2297)
    at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4711)
    at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4904)
    at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4535)
    at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4476)
    at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2283)
    at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2746)
    at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4711)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:760)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.access$500(EventQueue.java:97)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:709)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:703)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:74)
    at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:84)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:733)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:731)
    at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
    at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:74)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:730)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:205)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:116)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:105)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:93)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:82)

 

[John Mulcahy]

The null pointer exception occurs if you choose to cancel a measurement attempt when warned about lack of SPL calibration and the Measure dialog has not previously been opened, it was fixed recently for the next build. That error cannot happen if the Measure dialog has been displayed, so perhaps there is something else in your logs. Could you please attach a zipped copy of the log files folder?

The mixer not supported error is returned by JavaSound if an attempt is made to access a mixer that is no longer present. Dynamic management of devices being disconnected/reconnected is not great in JavaSound, the list of available devices is only refreshed if the total number has changed since it was last checked, so it may no longer be valid if there are different devices but there just happen to be the same number as before. It is best to connect your devices before starting REW and do not disconnect them while REW is running. There are some other issues around JavaSound on Linux, Pavel Hofman is working on some improvements for that, I can send you a link to a test build with a beta version of Pavel's code if you like.

 

[Erdman]

Hello John,

Thanks for your quick reply and support.

About null pointer exception : the cause you point out is perhaps not exactly the right one here, as I do not get message about lack of SPL calibration (or at least not at each issue and random close of REW). But I do get warning about too small level during measure, or clipping. These warnings are always after a measurement trial that I launched from the measure dialog.

Here is attached my full logs folder. "june" was with 5.20.8, and "july" with 5.20.9.

I would be happy to experiment beta versions or other tricks as you may suggest, since I am right now not able to go on with my measurements, that's too much of a hassle to deal with the random issues. And as an addition I am not sure about the recorded db level, which seems to change between measurements trials (sometime the level of my hifi system is enough for a valid measure, and sometimes the same level gives "too low level" warning. Umik exactly at the same place of course).

 

[John Mulcahy]

Thanks, I'll send a PM with the test build link. The errors you were getting relating to noise filters were unusual, I found a potential cause and dealt with that but I wasn't able to get that error to happen in my system. Make sure you turn on the analysis option "Adjust clock with acoustic ref" as timing figures will otherwise be affected by clock rate differences between the mic and the replay device.

 

[Erdman]

Thank you very much.

I have this option "adjust clock with accoustic ref" checked.

I am sorry to bring you some strange errors... it could come from anything strange in my own operating system (for example, I do not use pulse audio but only ALSA). I can give any info needed for further investigations of course.