KT333/sblive problem

[GeorgeRWalker]

(Posted this in "Sound Card" forum as well)
I've reached the "tie a knot and hang on" point with a problem I'm having. Using Cakewalk Pro Audio 9, When mixing MIDI tracks down to audio, I'm getting HDD access pops in my audio tracks. The pops are perfectly in sync with the HDD activity lights, and they're there both when monitoring the mixdown and are recorded and heard on playback. I have the dreaded VIA/sblive combination. I've ordered an Audigy, but don't expect any miracles. If I disable the DMA on the recording/playback drive it goes away, but the HDD is so slow that the MIDI can't keep up, and neither can the audio; the playback pitch (sample rate) wanders and sounds just awful. I'm going to wait until the Audigy gets here and see how that does, but I'm afraid I will have to get another Mboard. I have an older machine with a SIS chipset that (although frustratingly slow) does not have this problem at all, even with the same card installed. Here are some specs just in case anyone reads this and would like to offer some suggestions:
KT3 Ultra2 (VIA KT333)
1/2 Gig of PC2700
Maxtor 13Gb UDMA133 HDD
WestDig 40Gb UDMA 133 HDD (not used in recording process)
10/100 Ethernet (IRQ 3)
Echo MIA (IRQ 10)
SBLive (IRQ 5)

Have disabled PNP in bios and manually set the slots.
Avoiding slots 1 and 5 because of channel architecture.

Any help out there? Thanks in advance.


George

 

[endyen]

Are you using Win98se? Most problems went away with XP.
You might want to try a newer 4 in 1 driver.

 

[GeorgeRWalker]

Yes, sorry to leave that out, along with the AthlonXP2400+ (minor considerations, right?)

XP Home edition. The newest 4-in-1 drivers. Have tried the 3 preceding 4-in-1's as well. Doesn't help. Newest BIOS for the KT3. That machine dual-boots with XP or 98SE, has the same problem in both. Newest Creative drivers (such as they are) for XP as well as 98SE. I've spent so much time trying to solve this problem that I'm beginning to feel like sort of a chump over it((
Thanks so much for the suggestion, though. I'm assuming that you have a similar setup and are having no problems....LOL adding insult to injury, but if that's the case I'm glad for you


George

 

[endyen]

No, I stopped mixing via and SB a long time ago. You should try it on win-me. That is a real horror story.
In your shoes, I would get an Abit NF-7S mobo. The onboard sound is great, and it aint via. About the same price to.

 

[GeorgeRWalker]

Thanks, but a long-time soundfont user. Been all over the Inet and listening to how VIA and Creative have resolved their differences.......ahem. Yours was not the answer I'd hoped for, but was the one I both dreaded and expected

Thanks again.

George

 

[Nights_L]

You may want to try <A HREF="http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=341" target="_new">this</A>
This is the IDE driver that did not come with VIA 4in1 Hyperion driver

 

[GeorgeRWalker]

Thanks, NightsL for responding....
Been there, done that, hated it. Incidentally, in their typically confusing fashion (and it may be me that's confused on this one...) the filter driver is installed by default when you install the via 4-in-1 mp driver. Their quote is:

The VIA IDE Filter Driver is installed by default under every Microsoft operating system except Windows NT (where it is not needed), when the VIA Hyperion 4in1 drivers are installed. It should not be necessary to install the IDE Filter driver alone.........blah blah blah....
I've tried all the 4-in-1 versions (well, the most recent 4, anyway). I've tried going without them and forcing UDMA w/MS drivers. It's really, (REALLY!) frustrating. The same sound card works fine on a SIS chipset board, and the VIA chipset board works perfectly (or so it seems) with my Echo MIA. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

In any event, thanks again for your response.


George

 

[Nights_L]

Oops..made a mistake, it's <A HREF="http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=340" target="_new">this</A> one.

 

[GeorgeRWalker]

Yep, I've tried that one a couple of times in the past as well, NightsL.......Thanks for suggesting it, though.

I was wrong about the MIA working with the VIA board. While not as bad as the SBLive (and Audigy 2....a dismal failure), even the MIA pops and crackles; not as often, but it only takes one "pop" to ruin an audio track completely.
I have to believe that VIA's chipset is the culprit after about 100 hours of fighting with this problem. Much as I really like that MSI board in all other respects, it's heading for the closet of unloved hardware, to be replaced by a pcchips w/a SIS chipset. Only chose SIS because my ECS board in this machine (SIS chipset) works flawlessly with the MIA, the SBLive cards and the Audigy 2 card. I'll let you folks know how it turns out, since even though it's fast becoming old technology it may be of some use to others trying to build a "poor man's DAW."........Thanks again to everyone who suggested solutions. My final verdict (unless of course the problem represents itself w/the new board....pleasant thought) is no more VIA chipsets.


George