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M-audio audiophile USB steaming pile!!!

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  • 22-11-2007 12:24pm
    #1
    thebookofbob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭


    Hi all , I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience with the M-audio Audiophile USB??

    I have a PCI version in another PC ( that works perfectly & has always done )but it wouldn't fit the new box so got a USB version from Thomann a while back.. It's straight forward driver install.. I used it a day & then noticed loads of things

    a) Audio Squeal & Pop on switching off.. where's the blanking it's not hard to decouple the line when the voltage drops out.

    b) at random intervals ( and doesn't recover without a full reboot & power cycle ) the audio just starts distorting like it's goin through a bit crusher

    c) sometimes the output is so low you cant hear it.. again need to power cycle the thing & reboot..


    Anway I sent the thing back & a brand new one arrived a week back..
    Essentially though it has exactly the same issues.. I wanted to see if anyone else has these, whether it was a bad batch, the psus are dodgy.. or whether I should be giving m-audio grief for very bad hardware design as it's ffff unusable.. I've gone back to my crappy UCA202 behringer jobbie for now.. at least it works.


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    #2
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    I've got one of these in the post as I type! :eek:

    Being USB I'm not sure if it should matter, but do you have a sound chip on the Mobo? That might be an issue.

    Mike.


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    #3
    thebookofbob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭thebookofbob


    Hi Mike, I've disabled the onboard sound and have minimal processes running. It certainly seems hardware related. I actually installed it the other PC and the laptop to try as well and has the same issues in them all.. It will be interesting to see if yours works ok for you before I start on M-audio.
    I'll probably end up going firewire and getting something a little more stable.. I wouldn't mind if I could just power cycle it & be done with but because it's USB that means shutting down cubase & opening again, reloading the project which is frustrating & eats into time.


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    #4
    jimi_t
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭jimi_t


    M-Audio's poor drivers basically...

    The bitcrushing effects sounds like an issue I have from time to time with wireless when recording - disabling your wireless usually sorts it.

    The rest... no idea


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    #5
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Whats OS are you using?

    Mike.


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    #6
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    The pop you hear when switching off doesn't indicate a problem, looks like they just failed to implement that particular feature. Make sure you switch your monitors off before powering down the interface to avoid damaging them.

    Make sure the drivers are Vista compatible (if thats what you're using) and make sure you have the most recent driver version. Try increasing the ASIO latency and using with a different DAW. Try in a different USB port and/or different machine to make sure your PC hardware/USB bus isn't the problem. Check USB cable. If all of these check out ok then you probably have a dud unit.


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    #7
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Vista 32bit drivers below, no 64 bit. Reading a few message boards M Audio are getting some stick for being slow to update for Vista.

    http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.drivers&f=826

    I installed mine today, the CD does'nt have the Vista drivers which is nuts! Anyway it seems to be a successful install but I'll only know for sure when I get a midi cable and two 6.3mm mono plugs so I can run my Korg and ancient Evolution midi keyboard in the morning.

    Mike.


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    #8
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    After some help from cornbb I have it up and running, its not a smooth operation at this point but I'm putting some and maybe all of it, down to proberly needing another GB of memory and not having all the audio/music stuff on a seperate partiton (I created one tonight and will do some moving about tomorrow). Also using more modern software might help.

    Mike.


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    #9
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    What sort of software are you running Mike, out of interest?


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    #10
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Vista 32bit with Pyscle as the VST host. Its not looking too clever, if I try to tweak drivers within the programme it starts playing up. I have to close it and try again. I should say I've not been using software thats top-dollar at the moment and it could be freebie standard fralities that are to blame.

    http://psycle.pastnotecut.org/portal.php

    Mike.


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    #11
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Okay after a complete shut down and fresh start this morning, using EnergyXT as vst host I got things up and running nicely until with three synths in unison mode it suddenly went quiet. I shut down XT and reopened but nothing, switched off the Audiophile and waited a minute and after switch on, its back. Clearly these drivers are weak. Going to do some googling and see whats what.

    I've uninstalled and will disable the legacy soundchip device and see what happens.

    Mike.


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    #12
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Right, soundchip disabled and rebooted, using EnergyXT I got those three synths runnin in unison again and this time much better, I'll not hold my breath but it all seemed much more stable. I'll do a bit of messing about with the sample rates and see if starts complaining.

    Mike.


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    #13
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    Sounds like a pain in the arse :( I've never encountered trouble with an onboard soundchip conflicting with an interface, but I'm glad disabling that helped out. energyXT can be a bit troublesome too sometimes but not really in this case it seems. Possibly crappy drivers alright.


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    #14
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Ah feck it.

    It keeps "locking up", its fine then, bang! The audio fails and I have to unplug the Audiophile usb and 'reboot' it.

    I'm going to email their support desk and see what response I get. :(

    Edit - I had a small idea. I've downloaded ASIO 4 All and installed that. Seems to be working. I'll give that a chance, before getting involved with tech support.

    Mike.


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    #15
    bigbeard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭bigbeard


    Hey guys,

    I a having a related problem with a M-Audio Audiophile USB card - extremely low levels of sound are coming from it. I can hear the audio, but it is barely audible. I have checked every volume setting imaginable and it is all to the max! here are the details of my system:

    Realtek onboard sound card
    Vista 32 bit

    I think this is somehow power related, but can't decribe it. I have downloaded the latest Vista 32 bit drivers so that is definitely not the problem. Desperate for any help you can offer. What is the 'power cycle' that was mentioned in this thread - is it something i could try?

    thanks


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    #16
    Feelgood
    Registered Users Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭Feelgood


    bigbeard wrote: »
    Hey guys,

    I a having a related problem with a M-Audio Audiophile USB card - extremely low levels of sound are coming from it. I can hear the audio, but it is barely audible. I have checked every volume setting imaginable and it is all to the max! here are the details of my system:

    Realtek onboard sound card
    Vista 32 bit

    I think this is somehow power related, but can't decribe it. I have downloaded the latest Vista 32 bit drivers so that is definitely not the problem. Desperate for any help you can offer. What is the 'power cycle' that was mentioned in this thread - is it something i could try?

    thanks

    Thats really weird, I just had the same problem a few weeks back......mine is knackered now too, can't get it to work at all.

    I think I might have blown my power supply and it in turn knackered the audiophile. If you smell you power supply does it smell like its burnt out?. I tried a new power supply but all I can get is an extremely faint crackly audio..

    Like you have installed latest drivers from M-Audio etc....


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    #17
    bigbeard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭bigbeard


    thanks for your response. i don't think my power supply is burnt out .... don't smell anything weird. the reason i think it is power related is that i am using a radioshack connection of 1000mA that you can set to between 3v-12 and i accidently set it to 12V. the volume increased somewhat, not enough though! the recommended M-Audio powersupply is 1000mA and 9V. i don't know exactly what it does to change up to 12V from the recommended 9V but can't imagine that is good for the card ...


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    #18
    bigbeard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭bigbeard


    oh yes, and i have the setting on the supply back to 9V since and have the same barely audible sound as before. it's not crackly, quite clear actually, just very faint ...


    sorry to hear that your card is wasted, Feelgood. hope i don't have to get a new one as well ...


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    #19
    thebookofbob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭thebookofbob


    Sorry guys been busy so haven't been keeping up with the thread.. My issues look like it's PSU supply related.. using an Lab supply with 9v AC @ 1A seems to sort most of my trouble. Plug the Sh@ty euro 2 pin adapter back in & trouble starts up again.
    I found if the audio drops out as describled a full reboot of both PC & unit is needed.

    I'm running it with the latest XP Driver Disk, and XP pro ( with most services switched off ) I had the same issues on 2 seperate PC's & the laptops too.


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    #20
    thebookofbob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭thebookofbob


    My last post was inaccurate. Although that seemed to cure the problem for a while it came back. However after speaking to the guys at m-audio I found that getting the lastest driver from their site ( which was different to the one on the CD the came with the unit ) together with disabling my Sigmatel onboard sound card, the issues are well and truly sorted & I can now enjoy bug free operation..

    It took a while!!!


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    #21
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Congrats :) Which driver is it? I've got 5.10.00.5099 firmware 1.01

    Mike.


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