Audio hiccough in 4.12.2

kenact · Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:48 pm

Windows 10 x64 Pro, 8gb RAM
OS completely up to date

I created a chase with a number of songs in it, specifying the duration of each, so they play one right after the other. As each song starts, there's a hiccough or minor interruption a second or 2 into the song.

I've gone back to 4.11.1 ( the last release that where the video works for my needs ) and everything is fine.

kenact · Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:21 am

The problem maybe 2 fold.

My processor is a 2.6ghz dual core. After going back to 4.11.1, the problem does arise, but far less frequently, so it appears to me that the lies in the increased size of the latest Windows 10 OS, and exacerbated by the additional processing requirements of 4.12.2.

Unfortunately, if I can't find a resolution, I may have to retire 4 laptops. All 4 are running the same 2.6ghz dual core processor, with 8gb RAM, and 1tb 7200 rpm drives.

I have already tried stopping all the unnecessary background tasks.

I'm currently running my show on a Mac running High Sierra. I don't have the audio problem, but Mac hasn't figured out how to properly implement dual screens, so I have a problem with the white bar across the top, when I'm not displaying a video.

mcallegari · Tue Oct 01, 2019 6:40 am

Have you considered using Linux?

kenact · Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:53 pm

I have to use Windows for so many other things.

I did set up an older laptop to run QLC+ on Linux. The biggest problem I had, as do many people, was drivers.

I may try to replace the drive in one of my Latitude D630s, and try again, but probably not for this particular show. I'm running an off-Broadway production for the next 4 weeks.

Thanks again for all your hard work Massimo.

Ken

kenact · Tue Oct 01, 2019 10:08 pm

2 things, first, I just tried this workspace on a Windows 10 Pro x64 desktop, with 8gb RAM and a 3ghx Quad processor, on QLC 4.12.2

After a few minutes, I got a hiccough in the audio.

The other thing is, I looked up putting Linux on a D630, and the main comment is, it takes a lot of work to get the audio and video working properly.

I'll still give it a shot, and let you know the results.

Ken

MingZ · Sun Oct 13, 2019 9:27 am

Hello, I had the same kind of problem (Audio hiccough) using QLC+ on Windows.
It doesn't seem to occur on Linux but like you, I have to use Windows and some Linux drivers are missing for me resulting in other issues with QLC+.
On Windows, I noticed that audio hiccough doesn't occur with video files. Maybe you could use that trick and load your playlists with blank video including only audio datas ?

kenact · Sun Oct 13, 2019 2:45 pm

Thanks for the idea. I'll give that a shot and report back.

kenact · Mon Oct 14, 2019 7:27 pm

Thanks, that does appear to be a work around. I tested it with a single audio file. The audio is a WAV file, and I used FormatFactory to create a WMV file, with no actual video.

The song I used was over 6 minutes. The Audio file hiccoughed several times, while the video file didn't.

kenact · Wed Oct 16, 2019 5:25 am

A little more information. I was going to just test audio versus video files. I started a session, added 4 mp3 files to a chase, create 4 wmv files from the same mp3's, added those to the chase in the same order.

I started the chase from the Functions screen and started listening to the audio files.

I had a browser open to fb on my second screen, and just started scrolling. An automatic video started playing in fb. The audio in QLC+ hesitated every time the fb screen scrolled with the video playing.

I forwarded my chase to the blank videos, and did the same thing on the fb screen. The blank video in QLC+ was stable.

Without the fb page, the audio will still hesitate, but less frequently. The blank videos playing without hesitation.

I tried this on 4.11.1 as well, and the hesitation is as frequent, but does still occur. Blank videos don't appear to have the problem in 4.12.2 or 4.11.1

mcallegari · Wed Oct 16, 2019 7:16 am

Just as a test: can you please try the 'audio chaser' in QLC+ 5?

This issue is probably down to Qt, so I'd like to know if more recent versions of Qt solve the issue or not.
For backward compatibility (people still using Windows XP...................) QLC+ 4.12.2 bundles Qt 5.6.2 which is damn old now.
QLC+ 5 alpha, instead, bundles Qt 5.10 and will bundle even more recent versions soon (maybe 5.14, I need to evaluate)

kenact · Wed Oct 16, 2019 2:03 pm

If you have a test version with the newer Qt, I'll be happy to test it.

mcallegari · Wed Oct 16, 2019 2:06 pm

kenact wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2019 2:03 pm If you have a test version with the newer Qt, I'll be happy to test it.

I meant QLC+ 5 alpha 3

MingZ · Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:14 am

I tried with one of my project including an audio chaser and with wich I noticed that audio hiccough/stutter problem.
It occurs both with QLC+ 4.12.2 an 5 alpha 3 on Windows 10.

kenact · Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:11 pm

I'm running it on QLC+ 5 Alpha 3, and the audio seems fine. I even opened fb and scrolled through several posts with videos, and the audio is stable.

I'm on Win 10 x64 8gb RAM 2.6ghz dual core processor.

kenact · Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:37 pm

MingZ wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:14 am I tried with one of my project including an audio chaser and with wich I noticed that audio hiccough/stutter problem.
It occurs both with QLC+ 4.12.2 an 5 alpha 3 on Windows 10.

Did you uninstall 4.12.2 first? I had no problem with an audio chaser in 5 alpha 3.

What is your computer environment?

MingZ · Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:30 am

I didn't uninstall 4.12.2 first, I tested my audio chaser with both 4.12.2 and 5 alpha 3 installed at the same time.
My computer environment is the same as you : Windows 10 x64 - 8Gb RAM - i5@2,5 GHz

[Edit]
I retry after uninstalling 4.12.2, but problem is still there, really weird...

What happen if you try to skip some audio steps by fast clicking the next or previous button of your audio cue list ?
For me it freeze QLC+ and the audio file is played till the end, after what QLC+ doesn't respond anymore and I have to force close it (both with 4.12.2 or 5 alpha 3)

kenact · Sat Mar 19, 2022 3:50 pm

I know this is an old thread, but I just did something that may have solved it for me. I'm still using my Dell D630, 24GHZ, 8gb laptop, running Windows 10 and 4.12.5.137 (to fix the .WAV problem). Yesterday I ran Windows10Debloat, which eliminates a number of unnecessary Windows Add Ons. I didn't hear a single hiccough in my show last night.

kenact · Sat Feb 18, 2023 8:01 pm

kenact wrote: ↑Sat Mar 19, 2022 3:50 pm
I know this is an old thread, but I just did something that may have solved it for me. I'm still using my Dell D630, 24GHZ, 8gb laptop, running Windows 10 and 4.12.5.137 (to fix the .WAV problem). Yesterday I ran Windows10Debloat, which eliminates a number of unnecessary Windows Add Ons. I didn't hear a single hiccough in my show last night.

Update: The problem still exists. With the latest 4.12.7 test version. Audio files are MP3. Windows10Debloater was run, Numerous background task have been shut down. No network connection, no other foreground tasks running. The problem seems more prevalent in audio files used in Shows, when played in a Chase along with general lighting cues.

Going back to a previous suggestion, I'm going to convert all my MP3 files to WMV files, to see if that helps. It does seem a little strange that a "video" file (with no video) would use fewer resources than an audio file, it also presents the problem of opening a video window when there's really no video.