I am facing frequent audio dropouts while using Gig Performer on my Windows machine. These dropouts received randomly during live performances, causing interruptions in the audio output.
I am using - Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit), Processor: Intel Core i5 ;
RAM: 8GB ; Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett Solo ; Gig Performer version: 3.9.0
Even after adjusting the buffer size and updating my audio interface drivers, I am not able to resolve the issue. I have confirmed that no other applications are running in the background to minimize system load. I have referred to the Gig-Performer-release-notes-salesforce cpq documentation and forums for help, but not found a solution to the audio dropout issue.
Is there any specific settings or optimizations I should apply within Gig Performer or Windows to mitigate these dropouts?
One thing that springs to mind right away from my experience is the power management settings in windows needs to be set to āultimate performanceā to stop CPU throttling (something Iāve always known and had set). But recently, Iāve found that windows will randomly change that setting back to ābalancedā from time to time. I check it before running anything audio related now.
???
Reading through your computerās specs, i tend to think that it might be not the most capable machine on this planet - 8GB and i5 (which one? base frequency?)
The overall audio performance may also depend on which plugins you use (and how many).
So, please tell us a bit more of the whole situation which brings up these issues, i.e.
-how high is the cpu-meter in Gig Performer?
-make screenshots of one of the problematic rackspaces (wiring view)
Maybe then we can help you better to locate the issue.
TIA
Just for the heck of itā¦I would suggest you experiment by installing and trying the ASIO4ALL drivers.
Remove the Focusrite, select the ASIO4ALL driver in your GP preferences, and run the audio out of the 1/8 headphone jack of the laptop (make sure your buffer size is not too aggressive to start).
In my experience with Windows (itās all I use), there are some situations where all the tweaking in the world will not compensate for what might be a hardware compatibility issue.
I would not ever suggest this for a live setup - but if this solves your problem in a āsafeā setting (ie: at home), then you know that your Focusrite and laptop are not getting on together and it may be time for a divorce.
With respect, and I donāt really mean to direct this personally but Iām not sure this approach can lead to a solution because ASIO4ALL is actually not ASIO, and itās not ASIO drivers. Itās a bridge that mimics ASIO operation by leveraging existing WDM drivers, so itās actually fake ASIO but it will also employ actual ASIO drivers from hardware manufacturers if they are present.
Anecdotally I have a Focusrite interface and itās got good drivers - Iāve never had a single issue with or without ASIO, I wouldnāt start off by looking at the Focusrite unless it needs a driver update I suppose.
ASIO4ALL can ADD latency because it takes x amount of time to ābridgeā each WDM driver letting it seem like an ASIO driver to apps. Thatās why ASIO4ALL is so YMMV.
I would be starting out by looking at running processes for CPU-hungry VSTs and also looking in the Windows Event viewer just to see if something even unrelated to audio is malfunctioning in there thatās maybe hogging CPU in a timeout loop or something. Really unexpected things can also cause issues like this. If the WHQL drivers are up to date, thatās generally pretty well nailed down.
Also if there has EVER been any (maybe forgotten?) adjusting of CPU core affinity settings etc. ā¦ sometimes people will do this sort of thing especially with laptopsā¦ not recommended.
Also the built in audio chipset in Windows laptops especially tends often to be from Realtek, and after some 1500 remote retail support calls back in the day for a certain squad of geeks maintaining a 0% callback rate myself, I canāt even imagine how many times I had to explicitly update Realtek drivers; often for signing issues. Definitely a box to tick off, but I donāt think thatās where Iād look first especially if the built in audio hardware isnāt in the equation in question.
Another kind of āsimpleā thing is just make sure the WiFi and Bluetooth radios are off in a venue because you could have a lot of weird traffic happening there from peopleās phones and stuff. You would definitely want to remove that from the list too.
The other kind of ācoulda had a V8ā thing is just heat. Does the laptop have any of those little rubber feet torn or worn off? Those are critically important for cooling and even if one is gone Iāve seen plenty of laptops overheat and throttle back the CPU. Even if the laptop isnāt on a flat surface or is on some kind of cloth like materialā¦, that can cause throttling too, even if the laptop is just dusty enough inside, Dust is the natural predator of electronics. Is the screen bent down towards the keyboard? Even that can cause heat buildup ā¦ I have seen pretty weird stuff like that.
Iām not offended at allā¦but youāre missing my point.
I have run GP on a great deal of PCsā¦some were (are) very fine pieces of equipment, and some that might be considered a P.O.S. Iāve had problems and success with them all. But one thing I have learned through these experiences that is an absolute, 100% certainty when it comes to Windows systems: you never know how nicely specific hardware plays together until you try.
You may never have had an adverse issue with Focusrite. Thatās great! But that does not mean it cannot be the problem. And if it happens to be, that doesnāt mean Focusrite is a poor option in general. It just doesnāt work with his motherboard.
My advice was not intended to be a solution to the problem, but rather an opportunity to eliminate what could be. Your entire diatribe (well, that may be a bit strong a description) has nothing to do with why I suggested he try it.
So I stand by my advice: try removing the Focusrite and replace with ASIO to see if the problem disappears. If not, move on. If so, itās time for another interface. Itās a 15 minute exercise that costs nothing beyond the 15 minutes you spent on it.
None taken at all! Sure remove stuff to see what makes the problem stop of course, I was thinking the Focusrite is probably giving him balanced audio noise rejectionā¦ you know.