Audio Experts Help Needed

chuckster · 03-26-2006, 01:31 PM

Well everything has been running AWESOME! since Sept '05. All of a sudden yesterday I go run my GPS and the songs start advancing to the next song in the list every 5 seconds or so....Not sure why.

Well I rebooted trying to get out of this rut. Now my audio is all messed up. I thought I blew and amp or my Creative MP3 + external USB device. But every item I connect to it a laptop or an MP3 player sounds great. Now the issue lies with my PC.

What happened to now cause my sound to sound hollow with the voices faded in the back ground and the music playing load. I tried Media Player and it sounds just like Winamp.

I loaded updated Creative drivers since I was using the default with Windows XP and that didn't help. I need serious help here because I am out of ideas to try. I was going to reload RR but at this point I don't think that will help because it happens independent of RR.

Short of reloading my OS I'm not sure how to fix what went wrong.

Thanks for any ideas other than above I can try.

Chuck

walky_talky20 · 03-26-2006, 01:47 PM

It does sound like a software issue to me. Have you tried Windows Media Player Classic?
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\mplayer2.exe

I think it is related to whatever is decoding the mp3's. Either it is using the wrong decoder or it got all fuddled up somehow. You might try uninstalling any extra software you think might be causing an issue. Media Players, codec packs, etc...
- Hope some of this helps

mbkowns · 03-26-2006, 04:17 PM

This is a total driver issue uninstall it delete your temp directory delete the actual creative directory and start over. The fact that it works fine on the laptop shows that it works with a clean install. You can also look around here and online for flushing creative drivers and starting over.

Have fun 0l33l

chuckster · 03-26-2006, 05:32 PM

Thanks for some of the advice. I tried the MP Classic and it does the same thing. Now I'm only getting audio out of the left side of my vehicle. I agree the drivers are totally hosed.

I will look around on how to flush the drivers all out, if someone has a direct link to it and knows it works please provide it here. Not sure what happened in RR or if it is even RR related but it was working fine until I loaded GPS so it could be RR or even iG I guess. Just very weird.

Thanks,
Chuck

chuckster · 03-27-2006, 12:46 PM

Well I tried flushing the drivers out and it did not work at resolving my issue. I am totally lost as to what went wrong. The voices are still hollow and it the back ground. It's very weird, as the rest of the audio sounds OK. The voice will be ok if I move the L/R all the way to the LEFT. As soon as I go back to the center line it will start fading into the background again. Almost like the L/R is canceling each other out.

Looks like the only option is an OS reload. ARGH!!

First serious issue so I guess it could be worse like this happening in the middle of winter

I'll hang on for a day or so to see if anyone might have additional things to try based on the details I provided. Again if I take my laptop and hook my USB MP3+ to it all the music works great and I can fade L/R without any problems.

Chuck

guino · 03-27-2006, 01:25 PM

You can always try pluggin a different sound card in place and removing/disabling the other one to see if it works -- probably will, but then you'd have to have a sound card on another computer or just laying around to try it.

mbkowns · 03-27-2006, 01:29 PM

I was also going to say that try the onboard card.

chuckster · 03-27-2006, 01:45 PM

I tried two different USB audio cards both by Creative and both did the same. I have not tried the onboard audio for Epia 12k.

I'm thinking the driver issue may not be a creative issue but maybe those resident within XP. Not sure how to fix that.

mbkowns · 03-27-2006, 02:55 PM

You basicly didn't do anything by using another creative card. There drivers are **** anyone here would agree. Go try your onboard driver simple try will let you know.

chuckster · 03-27-2006, 03:46 PM

OK I installed the onboard AC97 drivers and I have the same problem.

I think I'm out of options. Time for a reload

Thanks for all the ideas.

Chuck

guino · 03-27-2006, 04:06 PM

damn.. if you switched cards and the problem still there, then there's def. something weird going on.. it's not the car speakers, it's not the sound card plug, it's not the sound card drivers, it's not the software used for playback (since different applications have the same issue).. I've never seen anything like that..

Genesisfactor · 03-27-2006, 04:09 PM

i know this sounds stupid, but are you sure you didn't touch a system setting. Check that your siders for wave and what not are where they're supposed to be. If it was a driver issues, the device shouldn't work or atleast not that well or you wouldn't notice it (yes, muddles sounds is not that well, but that's too well). Check it out

chuckster · 03-27-2006, 04:29 PM

Ya you're all right. This is very weird and if I connect my laptop to my creative USB MP3+ it works well.

The voice comes through fine if I move the L/R slide to the left. As soon as I introduce the right side the voice starts to fade and my bass kicks up also. I can not go completely left or completely right like a normal functioning system anymore. I always hear sound out of both sides no matter what although it may be a little less in volume.

I just seem to have loss all normalsy (sp?) with my audio setup. It's the weirdest thing. I would like to figure it out before wiping it all away because it may be a good learning experience here. But I'm just at a loss.

I did notice a lot of audio codecs installed. Not sure if there standard with XP install or with the sound card (maybe both). I'm afraid to remove them as I'm not sure if I can add them back in. Seems to be playing the files ok it's the sound output that is messed up. Thoughts around the codecs possibly causing some issues here? It really the only thing that is shared amounst audio devices right?

Thanks,
Chuck

Genesisfactor · 03-27-2006, 04:31 PM

you want the codecs...have you checked your settings thoroughly or reset everything to default? The closer you can get it to "day 1r" the better for debugging purposes

chuckster · 03-27-2006, 04:48 PM

I tried setting everything as much as I can.

I found that there are many factors to setting the audio. Just because Winamp is set to all max volume does not mean that you will get all max because another app may have some say as well. I tried to make sure I has all possible scenarios covered.

I check Winamp and disabled the EQ.
I adjusted the main volume levels for WAV, MAIN, LINE IN etc...
I checked settings through the SOUND and AUDIO setting in my computer

I'm not sure where else to check audio settings other than than those places. I am currently playing just through Winamp or using the Mediaplayer Classic. The sound is the same through both of those.

Muffled/distant voice when both left and right are combined.

Audio seems to be better when playing from XM but I think this would be normal because it goes to the line in of my audio device and straight out. It's not totally normal through XM but it does sound much better than playing MP3's.

I don't know of a reset to defaults button in XP. If there is one please let me on it. I may be missing some hidden audio settings someplace but I don't know where else to look.
Chuck