Audacity problem

I recently downloaded that recording program named "Audacity", but my computer seems to jam if I record for more than 27 seconds. The guy that I e-mailed on the audacity web site told me that my sound card is inferior, and that I need a new driver or something to get it to work. Is he wrong, and if not, what does he mean?

It would help if you posted your hardware setup. Recording audio can take a lot of system resources, especially on older, slower systems.

Generic things you can do that can't hurt and might help:

Here's the original question and answer(also includes my hardware):

[email protected] wrote:
> I am writing to you because I am experiencing difficulties when
> running audacity version 1.2.3. The problem is that whenever I try to
> record something over 27 seconds, the program freezes, and I need to
> press ctrl+alt+del in order to get my computer to work again. My
> operating system is Windows 98 on a hewlett-packard PC with a 433Mhz
> processor, 191MB RAM, and a 5 gig hard drive. Any help would be
> greatly appreciated.

And the Reply:

This sounds like a sound card driver issue - the driver is freezing,
and that then locks audacity up. You need to get hold of an updated
driver for your sound card, probably from the sound card manufacturer.

Richard Ash

It does sound like a sound card problem but don't know for sure. Try going to TOOLS then WINDOWS UPDATE in Internet Explorer (I assume from the CTRL-ALT-DEL comment you are on windows) and see if it recognizes a sound card driver update from Microsoft's updates. If not try the original sound card manufacturers site.

Here's the original question and answer(also includes my hardware):

[email protected] wrote:
> I am writing to you because I am experiencing difficulties when
> running audacity version 1.2.3. The problem is that whenever I try to
> record something over 27 seconds, the program freezes, and I need to
> press ctrl+alt+del in order to get my computer to work again. My
> operating system is Windows 98 on a hewlett-packard PC with a 433Mhz
> processor, 191MB RAM, and a 5 gig hard drive. Any help would be
> greatly appreciated.

And the Reply:

This sounds like a sound card driver issue - the driver is freezing,
and that then locks audacity up. You need to get hold of an updated
driver for your sound card, probably from the sound card manufacturer.

Richard Ash

You've probably got a few things happening here. The sound card driver is likely part of it, but not all

As I said previously, audio recording uses a LOT of system power, especially on older, slower systems like yours. Here's some things you can do:

1) make sure you have the latest driver for your soundcard (check the HP website)

2) add memory - at least to 512M if possible

3) tune your system - lots of good help here: http://www.rme-audio.de/english/techinfo/lola.htm

4) add a drive just for audio data

5) upgrade your processor if you can - 433 Mhz is not terribly fast

5) upgrade your processor if you can - 433 Mhz is not terribly fast

run an assembler programme with a 433 processor and it'll put blisters on your keyboard! But, I agree, running Windows, it isn't what the 3rd rate programmers at Microsoft need.

5) upgrade your processor if you can - 433 Mhz is not terribly fast

run an assembler programme with a 433 processor and it'll put blisters on your keyboard! But, I agree, running Windows, it isn't what the 3rd rate programmers at Microsoft need.

LOL - let me rephrase that - not terribly fast by today's standards :)

Even trying to just record one mono track at CD quality. you need to capture and write 22,050 bytes (44,100 samples @ 16 bits each) each second. Double that amount for a stereo track.

When you get into adding tracks, you're adding the overhead of playing back previously recorded tracks ( 22,050 bytes read, and sent to the soundcard for each mono track ), plus any "realtime" effects processing you're using.

Add the overhead of a GUI, and waveform displays, and timer displays, and . . .

You've just overwhelmed the processor! Cue stutters, clicks and pops.

Even at that, a 433 Mhz processor should handle 4-6 tracks reasonably well, as long as there's nothing else but recording software running, and you've tuned Windows to make sure that nothing is running that isn't absolutely essential.

Even trying to just record one mono track at CD quality. you need to capture and write 22,050 bytes (44,100 samples @ 16 bits each) each second. Double that amount for a stereo track.

One byte is 8 bits, so you're collecting 44100 samples at 2 bytes each, therefore 88200 are needed.

One byte is 8 bits, so you're collecting 44100 samples at 2 bytes each, therefore 88200 are needed.

That's what I get for using the Windows calculator to figger that out . . .

:wink: :? :oops: :lol:

Have you tried Configuring Virtual Memory. default setting help Windows allocate hard drive space for virtual memory as needed.

Virtual Memory You'll hear both pros and cons on this subject. As main times as I've done it I believe it does help.

Windows uses your Hard Drive as memory when RAM is full but its default configuration can cause a major loss of performance with the memory swap file getting moved around. Select System icon from Control Panel, select Performance Tab, click on Virtual Memory button. Select Let me specify my own Virtual Memory Settings. The optimal memory setting is approximately 2.5 times your RAM size. Use a smaller multiple if you have more than 128MB. Set both minimum and maximum to the same number. You should also locate Virtual Memory on your fastest drive. Defragment with Virtual Memory off after setting this to minimize fragmentation. Also make sure you system has at LEAST 128MB RAM to maximize performance.

If you do a search on google you'll find plenty of sites that can expalin it better than I did. There also are other tweaks for win 98 that can make difference. One is the amount of programs running in the back ground. Also search for msconfig.

msconfig :Click start->run, type in msconfig in the box, click ok, When the window pops up, click the start up tab and remove all the check markes (except for system tray and scan reg), leave these two. everything else can safely be unchecked. Then close out and reboot. Some programs may complain they'll be fine. After its rebooted and back to a desktop, right click my computer and click the performance tab. 90 to 95% would be great.

Another thought would be is the programs is trying to write to a part of the memory windows reserves for it's self. Then windows gets upset and halts everything. These are just a few tweaks that may or may not help your problem, but it will give 98 jump start.

Hope this helps

Joe

OK, i'm moved my recording operations to a different computer...

This one has a 600Mhz processor, 64MB RAM(ouch!!!), and a 10GIG hard drive. It records smoothly, but when I try to overdub, the tracks get out of sync.
Anyone have a fix, either in audacity or in windows itself????