[BC] Sound card question (ASI-4300)

[tg at btsg.com]

Hi Keith,

One difference between the ASI cards and some others is that they cannot tolerate a large number of
sound card buffers at a time.  Exceeding 50 buffers at once, can lead to lockups, and crashes when
using them.  For example, with the old Soundblaster cards for instance, you could set 100 buffers
of 10KB each and it was happy.  This is true of a lot of different cards.  With the ASI cards,
however, you cannot exceed a total of 50 buffers at once.  This means that if you are in the
transition between two songs, and you have 25 buffers each assigned to the play streams inn the
cards, then during the crossfade you are using 50.  Then you crash or at the very least skip
nastily.  To prevent this, ASI recommends a small number of buffers, with a large size.  For
example, they like 10 or 15 of say 100K per stream.  Then the cards are happy.  With some
applications, you can configure the sound card buffers, others you cannot.  So if you can configure
the buffers, go to a smaller number of a larger size and you should be good.

The one weird thing you have is the repeat, but that too can be related to buffers.  Might see if
you can make any adjustments to your system.  Also you might want to try a different version of the
driver.  I don;t know how old yours is,but there is the possibility that you are fighting something
they may have already fixed.  I would suggest checking to see what the vendor of your software
recommends in the way of driver versions.

Tommy Gray

----- Original Message -----
From: Keith Hammond

While the group is discussing sound cards, I guess this would be a good time
to ask a question I've been meaning to ask for some time involving an older
(but still "like new" - meaning "I hate to trash it") ASI-4300 sound card:

I've tried it in three separate computers running BSI's Simian. These
computers run Windows XP Pro and *nothing* beyond what is used as radio
automation (no web browsing, gaming, etc.).

In every single install, the card will play two or three audio files
perfectly, then it will start to "skip" - as would a 45 RPM record that is
scratched - and, after playing the file completely to its ending, will
suddenly repeat the final 8 to 12 seconds of audio again so that we get to
hear the last song fade out twice. In some certain instances, such as liners
and/or weather forecasts (shorter cuts), it simply starts a continuous
repeat of the final 9 seconds or so that *will* continue until someone
intervenes.

All files are stereo 44.1kHz. MSADPCM and are identical. (We're working on
switching to uncompressed .wav but, it's a logistics nightmare as all of the
artist/title/scheduling information has to be typed in again so, that is
probably the better part of a year away due to several tens of thousands of
files...)

Any ideas as to what could be causing this?

Keith Hammond
MonsterFM.com / Broadcast Technical Services