playback skips using WDM drive type

[ricky]

I just installed an E-MU 1212 soundcard and have 1 problem with DC6. Using driver type WDM results in the playback sound skipping and jumping. It doesn't do it with MME selected. The only problem when using MME is, I lose the ability to work on only 1 channel.

I believe this is a DC6 problem because I have another piece of software I use that allows me to select WDM and it plays back fine.

Has anyone else come across this problem? Or have an E-MU 1212 soundcard that works fine using WDM drive type selected?

I previously had an MAudio 2496 installed and it had soem strange behaviour, but not the same thing as the E-MU card.

Thanks for any feedback
Ricky

[Craig Maier]

Diamond Cut is the only audio software that I know of that actually handshakes with the soundcard with each frame of data that is transmitted. The Diamond Cut play cursor will not advance unless this handshake occurs successfully. In that way, Diamond Cut can be a good diagnostic tool for checking out soundcards.

I suspect that there is a problem with their WDM driver. You can try selecting the "re-initialize on play" feature found in the Diamond Cut Preferences menu under Soundcards. That may fix the problem; we have seen some soundcards that do not properly re-initialize and so we have that feature to force the situation to occur.

[Geebster]

I would also check the soundcard's website and see if there are any driver updates available. I recently purchased a new sound card and it did not behave properly at all. I checked the manufacturer's website, found a new driver; installed it and now it works flawlessly.

Craig is so right about DC6 being a great diagnostic tool. If I suspect any erratic audio behavior or sound card problems, I always fire up DC 6 and see how it performs. Not only is it a great restoration program, but a good diagnostic tool as well.

GB

[ricky]

I already have the latest drivers so that isn't an option. I'll just leave the driver type set to mme.
Craig, thanks for the explanation about how DC6 handshakes. I did try the reinitialize but that did nothing.
It's kind of funny that my now dead MAudio Revo 7.1 worked fine and my onboard sound works fine but the professional type soundcards are writing crappy WDM drivers.
Is the handshaking done purely for diagnostics or does it have another purpose? I was thinking it would be a nice feature to have a switch to turn it off to work around a card with poor WDM drivers. So far I've had 2 professional cards with WDM type problems, MAudio and E-MU.

I'm getting the idea that good WDM drivers is'nt important to the professional market.
Thanks,
ricky

[Geebster]

That's why I always get my soundcards through Tracer. Any sound card that they sell is guarranteed to work with Diamond Cut products. Most issues I have been able to resolve myself, but they are always there to offer help with problems.

I have a current MAudio Soundcard that initially didn't work properly, but after downloading new drivers, it works fine. Most manufacturer's want you to be happy with your purchase. I'm sure a remedy can be acchieved if you present your problem to the manufacturer via their support or e-mail services.

GB

[Craig Maier]

Quoting Ricky:

Is the handshaking done purely for diagnostics or does it have another purpose?

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

We handshake to assure the integrity of the data. Some software programs will move the cursor even if no soundcard is in the system! We did not think that to be a good stratedgy. If there is any data corruption in the process, Diamond Cut will find it. As for turning off that feature, there is no way to do that presently. I am not so sure it would be a good idea, but we will consider it.

[dre95060]

See the other thread...

I'll bet the dxdiag trick (see "WAV files skip?" thread) will solve this for the WDM case. As I discovered, EMU only supports 16 bit WAVs in MME mode.

Dave

[ricky]

Thanks for the heads up. I set DX acceleration to basic and the skipping is gone. Great now I can use WDM drivers.