REW's generator making recurring scratching noise

[rajdude]

Hello everyone,
My first post here, so please be gentle ;-)
I am coming back to REW after about a decade of non-use....so I do have a tiny bit of super old experience with REW.

The problem I am facing is that while doing the setup tests and also during sweeps, I hear a recurring scratching noise generated by REW. It almost sounds like a lot of scratches on a Vinyl record.
Almost like this:

zzzzzzz----krrrr-----zzzz-----krrrrr----zzzzzz

zzz is the pink noise
krr is the scratching noise superimposed on the zzz. I mean that the krrrr scratching noise is happening on top of the pink zzzzzz noise.
Maybe I could record a video of it and post it on YouTube or something.

What gives?

PS: I have also noticed that if I use Java instead of ASIO, this noise goes away. However Java does not let me choose the HDMI channels of my pre-pro - Emotiva XMC-1

Thank you very much for your tips and advice.
-Raj

My equipment:

REW on a Windows 10 laptop with ASIO
ECM8000
M-Audio MobilePre USB Preamp
Emotiva XMC-1 connected to the laptop via HDMI

 

[sam_adams]

I seem to recall that if you increase the ASIO buffer size a bit, it will remove the noise when the sweep/noise is started. Others will chime in if I'm mistaken on this.

 

[rajdude]

Thank you for that suggestion.

I tried it and yes it does remove the noise. However, the noise comes back quickly after a couple of sweeps.
I have also noticed that the noise gets removed on the preferences page............but when not on the measurement page.

Any other suggestions?

-Raj

 

[John Mulcahy]

What did you set the buffer size to? Bigger is better if you are having problems.

 

[rajdude]

oh Hi John! Thanks for creating this super-duper software!

I do not have it in front of me right now (can check later) but I think I set that buffer to 700 something. I was running the stable version of ASIO4all.
After the problem came back, I installed the latest, beta version of ASIO4all. That has slightly different controls....and I upped the buffer in that version also....I remember trying 1000 something....but the problem remained.

How high should I go?
Moving that slider all the way to the right/max hurt something?

 

[John Mulcahy]

No, fine to set it to the max.

 

[rajdude]

I set it to max...no improvement!

Then I even setup rew on a different laptop...with the latest asio. ...buffer turned up to full.
It also has loud glitches (but different sounding) in the generator... rendering me unable to run a sweep.

What else I could try?

 

[John Mulcahy]

There can be a couple of underlying causes. One is other applications and processes in the background taking priority long enough for the audio interface to run out of data, to avoid that close other applications and it may help to turn off WiFi or other network connections when measuring. Another cause can be interfaces in the ASIO4All list that are running at different sample rates, or having the interface set to different rates for input and output. For that only enable the interfaces that are needed and in the Windows audio properties for the interfaces make sure the default format on the Advanced tab has the same sample rate as the one that is to be used for measuring. Another option is to use FlexASIO instead.

 

[rajdude]

thanks John........I have implemented all the solutions you proposed one by one........sometimes it helps.........and other times it does nothing. Even if the problem gets resolved..........the noise comes back after running a few sweeps.
The most improvement I got was by setting the USB-XLR interface in Windows control panel from i ts default 24bit to 16 bit 48 KHz. I thought I nailed it but after 5-6 minutes.........the problem came back. I give up on ASIO4all

Then I installed FlexASIO. Quikcly realized that is a work in progress. Also installed FlexASIO GUI + some dot net thing.
Did all the config......the toml file etc.........but it simply does not work!

Man, I am into IT......not a programmer but am a systems guy...........I know enough about computers..........but this is HARD! Spent 2-3 evenings, just to make this work.........and it still does not! :-( Sooooooo frustrating!

Wait........Am I barking up the wrong tree?
Maybe ASIO is the wrong way to go?

Maybe I should simply go with Java and analog signal output from my USB XLR interface and call it a day. That is what I used to do years back. Is that still acceptable?
Or in this day and age, I "have" to send the output to my pre-amp via HDMI??

 

[John Mulcahy]

ASIO is required to access the individual channels of an HDMI output on Windows, but HDMI is by no means compulsory.

If you use FlexASIO REW will generate the toml file for you. If you have a toml file just delete it then start REW, select FlexASIO as the ASIO driver and use the button on REW's soundcard preferences to show the control panel for the driver where you can select the input and output.

 

[rajdude]

Thanks for helping me John.

I do not think the control panel for FlexASIO has even been written/implemented. Clicking on the "ASIO control panel" button inside REW opens a web browser page and takes me to:
FlexASIO/CONFIGURATION.md at flexasio-1.7a · dechamps/FlexASIO · GitHub

It says this over there:


FlexASIO does not provide an official graphical interface (GUI) to adjust its settings. This is because developing a GUI typically requires a significant amount of developer time that FlexASIO, sadly, doesn't have. This explains why nothing happens when you click on the ASIO driver "configure" or "settings" button in your application.

 

[rajdude]

I just downloaded and installed the latest beta version of REW...........same behaviour :-(

WOAH!!!!!! I now see that little control panel.......... when I switch to flex asio.............trying it out.........

 

[rajdude]

uh oh.........

When I hit check levels....... REW says "unable to start ASIO capture"

 

[rajdude]

Another day.........back to troubleshooting REW <> ASIO :-(

It is very interesting to see that there is literally only one other mention of this error on the ENTIRE internet! LoL
When I google this error only one page shows up:

REW Beta Release - 5.20 RC4. when PC go to standby then REW lost Asio driver

This happen on ASIO DAW too. but the ASio DAW bring a requester as this. "ASIO soundcard not available " then can click on retry or if you really not want or that it not hang in endless loop can click to cancel. after click of retry the sound device is add with the old settings please add this...

www.avnirvana.com

So far, it seems to me that ASIO is "flaky". Buffer problems, stability issues, configuration challanges....yadda yadda.

I think I should put a time limit on my testing of REW with ASIO.........and after that, maybe run an analog audio cable from my external USB audio device (MobilePre) to the 7.1 analog audio inputs of my pre-pro..........and call it a day. Sure, I will have to connect all those inputs one by one....but at least it will work

 

[rajdude]

I found some info in the logs...........does this help troubleshoot................?


Jul 14, 2021 6:17:09 PM roomeqwizard.RoomEQ_Wizard main
INFO: REW V5.20 running JRE 1.8.0_202 64-bit on Windows 10, en, US, windows-1252 at 96 DPI
Jul 14, 2021 6:17:12 PM roomeqwizard.RoomEQ_Wizard$5 run
INFO: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8650U CPU @ 1.90GHz
Jul 14, 2021 6:17:13 PM roomeqwizard.RoomEQ_Wizard A
INFO: Failed to connect for version check
Jul 14, 2021 6:17:14 PM com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver <clinit>
INFO: Loaded jasiohost64.dll
Jul 14, 2021 6:17:32 PM roomeqwizard.E ª
SEVERE: Exception trying to start ASIO capture
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.ASIOCreateBuffers(Native Method)
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.createBuffers(Unknown Source)
at roomeqwizard.tI.A(y:1317)
at roomeqwizard.mC.E(y:458)
at roomeqwizard.E.ª(y:1590)
at roomeqwizard.OE$5.run(y:2551)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

Jul 14, 2021 6:18:02 PM roomeqwizard.E ª
SEVERE: Exception trying to start ASIO capture
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.ASIOCreateBuffers(Native Method)
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.createBuffers(Unknown Source)
at roomeqwizard.tI.A(y:1317)
at roomeqwizard.mC.E(y:458)
at roomeqwizard.E.ª(y:1590)
at roomeqwizard.OE$5.run(y:2551)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

Jul 14, 2021 6:18:14 PM roomeqwizard.E ª
SEVERE: Exception trying to start ASIO capture
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.ASIOCreateBuffers(Native Method)
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.createBuffers(Unknown Source)
at roomeqwizard.tI.A(y:1317)
at roomeqwizard.mC.E(y:458)
at roomeqwizard.E.ª(y:1590)
at roomeqwizard.OE$5.run(y:2551)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

Jul 14, 2021 6:18:30 PM roomeqwizard.E ª
SEVERE: Exception trying to start ASIO capture
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.ASIOCreateBuffers(Native Method)
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.createBuffers(Unknown Source)
at roomeqwizard.tI.A(y:1317)
at roomeqwizard.mC.E(y:458)
at roomeqwizard.E.ª(y:1590)
at roomeqwizard.OE$5.run(y:2551)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

Jul 14, 2021 6:19:11 PM roomeqwizard.E ª
SEVERE: Exception trying to start ASIO capture
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioException: Unknown error code.
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.ASIOCreateBuffers(Native Method)
at com.synthbot.jasiohost.AsioDriver.createBuffers(Unknown Source)
at roomeqwizard.tI.A(y:1317)
at roomeqwizard.mC.E(y:458)
at roomeqwizard.E.ª(y:1590)
at roomeqwizard.OE$5.run(y:2551)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

 

[John Mulcahy]

I'm afraid not, since the error the driver returns doesn't say what it isn't happy about. Check the Windows audio properties for the interfaces and make sure the default format on the Advanced tab has the same sample rate for the input and output devices and match the rate that is to be used for measuring.

 

[rajdude]

Thanks

Just checked that also. Both in and out devices are set to 16 bit 48 KHz if running in shared mode.

Then tested it again...........same distortion is present.

Any other tips?
Is there a different ASIO driver I should try out?
Would this be a HDMI cable problem?


PS: I do not think that setting actually is used...........because when we use ASIO.........does that not set the in/out interface in exclusive mode?

 

[John Mulcahy]

I don't have any further suggestions, sorry. Using ASIO and HDMI is pretty common (per the massive thread about it on AVS) and whilst it can be troublesome to get it set up, it seems to work for most people.

 

[rajdude]

Thanks John.....
I am at my wits end over this.

One thing I can say.....it has got to be some hardware issue......because I have used two different laptops already. The only common thing is the hardware. Maybe ASIO does not work well with my Emotiva XMC-1
Or it could be the HDMI cable from my laptop to XMC-1
Another thing I am thinking is.....the M-Audio USB preamp I am using comes with its own ASIO driver.....although I am not using it, I do have it installed on one laptop.....the other does not have that driver........but REW still does not work on both laptops......hmmmmm......

Very frustrating!


PS: Is this the thread you are talking about?

Simplified REW Setup and Use (USB Mic & HDMI...

www.avsforum.com

 

[sam_adams]

In either the Device Manager or the Sound control panel, you can try disabling any other sound output device other than Intel HDMI Audio. That will rule out anything like RealTek or Nvidia HDMI audio as a cause of the issue.

 

[John Mulcahy]

Yes, that's the thread. ASIO wrappers don't use ASIO drivers, they use the Windows drivers for the devices they access and present themselves as an ASIO driver to other software.

 

[rajdude]

Hi John,
I found out what the problem is! Basically it is my XLR mic's USB preamp which is probably incompatible with ASIO4ALL

More details here:

Simplified REW Setup and Use (USB Mic & HDMI...

www.avsforum.com