So, Crackling... Please Chime In!

    SOS: I upgraded my computer to a faster one.
    - I still clearly hear the crackling on the test project you sent me
    - I can't hear any crackle using the patch "Chapel MS" (which is a very nice patch BTW). I tried playing 5-6 notes chords, from my MIDI keyboard, from a sequencer ; I tried to play/stop the sequencer... I can't have crackling at all. I'm using Ableton Live, VC of course, with the USB audio outputs.


    I think it's an interesting difference, because "Chapel MS" is a lot more complicated patch than "GENTLE" (the one in the test project you sent me).
    In fact, if I take your sample project, and I replace your "GENTLE" patch by "Chapel MS", I don't hear any crackling! 8|
    What a pity I did not test "Chapel MS" on my previous computer!


    edit: clarity :D

    Zitat von Marc

    from what we can see, the crackling is caused by a very specific combination of parameters within both patches (eventually among others). the computer/USB/VC configuration has nothing to do with it.
    best, marc


    Zitat von Marc


    let's put it like that: the patches in question do crackle when i use the virus stand alone. do you have different findings?
    marc


    This sounds great and all, however, for me, I only ever get crackles in VC. Same patches that crackle there are totally fine in standalone, in fact, I don't think I have ever heard crackles in standalone mode. VC is a whole other nightmare however.


    If you have some fixes in the pipeline to remedy whatever you have found crackle wise, I am all for it.

    Zitat von Fringe

    This sounds great and all, however, for me, I only ever get crackles in VC. Same patches that crackle there are totally fine in standalone, in fact, I don't think I have ever heard crackles in standalone mode. VC is a whole other nightmare however.


    If you have some fixes in the pipeline to remedy whatever you have found crackle wise, I am all for it.


    do you have other patches (the two mentioned aside) which show the behavior you're describing? maybe we just need more to see the pattern ...
    marc

    I also only have crackling with Virus Control. I will try and go through other patches in the factory soundbank to see which are causing crackling.


    Ace17: That's really interesting about the "Chapel" patch because if I'm not mistaken, you are also using a TI1 desktop. While I'm sure you were on top of it, it is worth mentioning that it can be harder to hear the crackling with heavy effects and the filter(s) open.


    I don't know if this info will help Access but it seems that the crackling happens before the effects chain. In other words, if you apply a reverb, the crackles will also have reverb.


    If this problem can be fixed I will be so stoked! The Virus is by far my favorite sounding digital synthesizer.

    Zitat von Marc

    do you have other patches (the two mentioned aside) which show the behavior you're describing? maybe we just need more to see the pattern ...
    marc


    I will get you the names of a few tomorrow as I have 3 patches in one project which all crackle in VC but not in standalone. One is a hand made sub patch, the others are slightly tweaked factory default patches.


    Thanks for looking into this.

    Zitat von SOS

    I don't know if this info will help Access but it seems that the crackling happens before the effects chain. In other words, if you apply a reverb, the crackles will also have reverb.

    I've also experienced crackles happening before the effects chain. I'm using full bars of 8th note patterns from Farfisa running just about constantly in a track I'm currently working on, I've added some delay to it & towards the end the track Farfisa let off a couple of crackles which then bounced around the stereo field before dying off.



    I've got it on a rough bounce of the track, if you would like me to upload it somewhere so you can hear it to check if it's the same thing let me know.

    Zitat von Ruari

    I've also experienced crackles happening before the effects chain. I'm using full bars of 8th note patterns from Farfisa running just about constantly in a track I'm currently working on, I've added some delay to it & towards the end the track Farfisa let off a couple of crackles which then bounced around the stereo field before dying off.



    I've got it on a rough bounce of the track, if you would like me to upload it somewhere so you can hear it to check if it's the same thing let me know.


    a logic project (with virus control) would help a lot
    thanks, marc

    Marc - I can send you a project no problem, it's not a constant fault I'm having though so there's a very good chance you will play it through & there will be nothing wrong.


    I'll email you the project at support FAO Marc anyways so you can check it out.


    EDIT: Project & MP3 sent

    Yes, the Virus TI and his good friend MR Crackles. I know him well.


    Ok, I thought I'd mentioned this before so people would have tried it to solve this problem. but, it would seem it has been over looked...


    TURN DOWN THE MASTER VOLUME POT ON THE VIRUS!!!


    This will fix your stand alone crackle problem


    I've just located chapel, its Rom b17 and played some chords. No problem. I played some cords with both hands. Hello Crackles. I turned down the master volume. Good bye Crackles. I believe the crackles you are hearing in stand alone mode arn't the crackles I'm used to struggerling with. The crackles I get from seriously overloading VC. These/your crackles I believe to be digital distortion. I noticed some time ago that I always get these out my left speaker (VC & SA) on some loud patches when at full out put volume. Turning down the volume removed them. Some patches have me setting my master at no more than half way, 12 o'clock.


    I imagine that chapel distorts with the chords been played as all the sound waves are summing together eventualy bringing the Virus TI's output above the maximum.


    When pressing down every key I got no MR Crackles.


    I still cant believe turning down the master volume on the virus has been over looked as the solution to fix this problem.

    Zitat von Marc

    any news on the names?


    thanks, marc


    Hi Marc, sorry for the delay, working 60h weeks here at the moment.


    I just loaded up two projects which I know contain crackling with patches using Virus Control.


    One project contains the following:


    a modification of DeadlySubM as well as Zeno Edge (this may be from a third party patch pack that I saved into the Virus).


    Another project contains the following:


    MinorityHS and Aggress07. I know MinorityHS does it badly if you leave it looping long enough.


    I find you can bring the crackles out more by playing with the cutoff of the filters while the patch is playing back, but all the above crackle for me, many others as well, however all in Virus Control only and not in standalone.


    I hope this helps you track down the issue at hand.

    Zitat von Marc

    thanks for taking the time!
    marc


    Not a problem at all, it is the least I can do and I should have taken the 5 mins to do it earlier. Getting to the bottom of this problem is a huge priority to me. I simply cannot use the Virus without VC so it has been sitting here for weeks completely powered off. I am hoping for something to arise here in terms of a solution.

    Here are some additional patches that showed some crackling, taken from the first bank of the "pad" category: Lonely MS, Aerosol J, Alpad1 BB, ArcScan RD, Astr@, BP Pad XM, BPF+2P! @, BeautySyn@, BellTineRD, BluePl@ne2, Cabinet MS, Chimera RD, Choir 4 BC


    It is worth noting that most of these pads employ unison and that the 2 that don't are still resource intensive (as indicated by the resource meter). It is also worth noting that on some of the patches the crackling only appeared during the first loop cycle (I made a 4 bar midi loop in Live).


    Thanks!

    I was understanding that the complaint here was over light patches even in stand alone mode causing crackless... The patches that have been brought to my attention by posts here I can get to crackle just like the complainent states. The fix for this, it worked for me, turn down the master volume. I then crank the volume on my mixer.


    There is no 1 patch that makes my virus crackle when I turn down the master pot. I have a TI 1 latest beta. Other crackless I do get are from when I seriously overload my TI with patches and automation. I say serious after realising the virus can't realy handle it's own power to well. When I first discovered MR Crackles, I believed it to be my virus but infact it was my Old Pentium 4 3.0 ghz been maxed out by vst's. Just looking at my CPU meter shows me that. Back then I didn't know much.


    I've just finished building a new pc, Phenom II quadcore 3.4. It's took me 2 weeks to fine tune, getting the mother board to run the ram at 1600 (wasn't default on the board) and raiding etc. I was getting crackless from my virus even if only used as a sound card running other vst's but no crackless when using the VC plugin. These where more like very slight tiny pops than crackles. It turned out to be the usb 3 controllers. I've solved the problem by using port number 5 (what i've named it). It's the only external port that shares itself with 2 internal ports and nothing else. Handy because I can just leave these internal ports unconnected, not using the daft rear pannel expansion thing. The board has 12 ports in total 4 internal, 8 external, divided in device manager, 3 connections on each 4 hubs then 6 connections on each 2 hubs when enhanced, plus 2 extra usb 3 ports. Heres the crazy thing, they are actualy only normal ports until you use a 3.0 device. You'd think the 2 labelled 3.0 usb ports on the back would be independent (that's why I used it for the virus at first, knowing I'd never use a USB 3.0 device). But, they share as a usb connection on 2 of the seperate 3x4 hubs until the Nec host is activated. I persume by plugging in a 3.0 device. The board only has 12 connections for the 14 available so the 3.0 usb ports, when 3.0 is activated go through the Nec chip pci express bus. When not 3.0 they act as a standard usb port and connect to the southbridge.


    You can Imagine the headache (was actualy fun) I had finding the 1 port that wouldn't share so that when pluggin in devices to another port wouldn't change the host controller.


    I've literally just learned all this so I could be very wrong, lol. But, I have no crackles under light testing, yet to do some serious damage. Oh! and I can max sylenth out to 512 note counts, thats all 4 osc set to 8 voices, 16 notes poly with both a & b release set to full, playing chords. Then duplicate the track 16 times before drop outs. I couldn't do this with 1 instance of sylenth with my old PC. No dropping the latency to cheat either.


    If anyones interested my board is a Gigabyte Ga-790xta-ud4. Although I'm reading some bad reports on the marvel chip set, the sata 3 doesn't realy perform at sata 3 speeds.


    Sorry for the long post and woffle, had loads of coffee... Night, night.x