How to optimize windows 10 for Scope to avoid clicks and pops!?

[valis]

Ok, DPC Latency tests both at idle then under >50% cpu load? With Xite running btw.
Plus maybe a screenshot of your Scope project with DSP Meter, sync & samplerate settings shown.

[valis]

Also of course make sure this is done:

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I am sure you know this, but covering it for others later who may read this thread, and just to make sure in your case

[petal]

Yes - The "basic" optimization on my music installations have evolved into these steps - Maybe too much, once we figure out what is causing the clicks - But this is where my music installations are here today.

The guides are easy to follow without too much text:

1. SonicCore optimzation PDF

2. Steinbergs checklist: Windows 10: How to set-up and optimize a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-u ... tation-DAW

3. 7 Tips for Optimizing Your Windows 10 Computer for Audio
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/pr ... -for-audio

4. And Shutup Windows
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10
(recommended settings - disable Onedrive though, which is uninstalled anyways)

I can do a clean install without applying the steps above, if you'd rather have that as the starting point for this process?

[garyb]

setting power to "high performance" is not really the answer. i use "balanced" and then i disable usb selective suspend and set the minimum and maximum cpu use at maximum. in addition, link state power management is set to "off" in the PCI Express menu.

shutup 10 is not something i would use. all those settings are available in Windows settings. i do not know how a program like that interacts with the computer during use.

all those things in the the steinberg and BH photo pages that you use are more or less what there is to do, but most are redundant.

the fact that those pages exist, illustrates that plenty of other people that did not have Scope cards have had win10 issues.

[valis]

I'm hearing you still have clicks and responding to that to help troubleshoot...we test each thing, in isolation if possible, to find the culprit. If you are running your DPC tests as suggested above and/or get clicks even with the above settings (and link state power management set to off as well is a good idea) or high DPC results, it's very unlikely that Xite is the problem. Ie, I am not giving suggestion settings for normal operation.

[Mightychub]

I just want to add some more info since I last posted. I replaced the motherboard with the same one but brand new I still have the spikes in the recordings. I have replaced my Focusrite Pro 40 with a brand new uptodate unit and I still have the spikes. All adat cables replaced, plugboards and all audio cables checked and passed off. The only thing I have not changed is the PSU but there is no way now it's going to be power related. I must be missing something so simple for me to be getting these spikes in the recorded audio! I am getting spikes no matter what latency settings am running in pulsar, so something has to be getting in the way of it all. I can record Via SPDIF without issues using my old fostex dat machine but I do run pulsar in slave mode. I can not run my new Focusrite in master mode I spoke to the tech guys and they said best to leave it in slave mode! So am still no further forward latancy tests all say the system can run audio without drop outs. So what is it thats getting in the way?

[petal]

Seems like the newest cumulative Windows updates that Microsoft rolled out yesterday Tuesday have solved my problem with random clicks (Still holding my breath!!!):

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I wonder what it is in this update, that fixed the random clicks (still holding my breath)?


I'm now able to get lowest ULLI with the XITE on light projects, but I have to run my PCI cards at 13ms to achieve clickfree operation.

If I tax my system but keep it under 50%, I have to raise the ULLI to 4ms on the XITE in order to keep it click free. But the clicks I get are not random.

If I tax the system even further to 50%+, I have to raise the ULLI to 7ms on the XITE in order to keep it click free. But the clicks I get are not random.

I will report back after I've run a few more tests.

[ronnie]

II don't know if anyone already mentioned this here on this particular thread but I have talked about it on the forum before. Process Lasso. I use it 24/7 and you have total control over what's running. Please check it out.

https://bitsum.com/

If you are running a laptop, this is also terrific for some additional power. It can be a little tricky if you go deep but the default modes are still worth it. ThrottleStop.

https://www.techpowerup.com/download/te ... ottlestop/

I just saw your last post. (After I posted). Glad the update worked out. IMHO if you are under 11ms you're good. With Win7 Pro on the venerable HP XW4600 with a Quad Core Q9400 2.66 GHz and 3 PCI cards I'm perfect at 7ms. I'm running Process Lasso with a profile for Scope so nothing else is running, grabbing CPU.

[garyb]

Win10 must ALWAYS be allowed to update, or there will be trouble....

[petal]

Windows 10 was fully updated all the time, every time I reinstalled Windows through these agonizing 6 weeks. It was the first thing I did each time. I made sure Windows was fully updated!

I have heard you repeatedly saying this many times Gary - I know! I have been following all your advice all time, but no advice or guide could fix what this recent update seemingly have fixed!!

The update that seemingly made the difference here (still holding my breath) was not available Monday night, when I last did a reinstall. It wasn't until late Tuesday night it became available here and I installed it immediately, and I have been running positive tests ever since.

[garyb]

yeah, computers suck. Windows sucks.
they make things possible that would otherwise be SUPER expensive, so i'm happy to use them.

i am glad that it seems to have fixed itself. i really hope that continues. there should be no need for extreme measures...


-btw-
it's not that win10 always needs to have the latest updates, it's that it needs to be ALLOWED to update whenever it wants to check for updates...win10 is part of the move by the computer industry to turn your personal machine into a dumb terminal(cloud-based operation ONLY). it really needs to be online, because it's designed to always call home.

[ronnie]

yeah, computers suck. Windows sucks.
they make things possible that would otherwise be SUPER expensive, so i'm happy to use them.

Yup. Must have saved millions of dollars since I got my PCI cards in 2003. I'm not kidding!

[Bud Weiser]

... it's that it needs to be ALLOWED to update whenever it wants to check for updates...win10 is part of the move by the computer industry to turn your personal machine into a dumb terminal(cloud-based operation ONLY). it really needs to be online, because it's designed to always call home.

^^^^^
THIS !
And that´s why I prefer Win7 Pro SP1 for DAW.
It´s something I don´t have to update anymore and all the applications I use with that OS do everything necessary for music,- even more ...
In fact it was overkill before already.

Win10 Pro is bitchy already on my office machine, but I also learn more and more keeping a lid on that behaviour.



Bud

[valis]

Win7 has the same background telemetry and forced update mechanisms in place. They may not be used in the same was as Win10 (to remain more consistent with Win7's legacy policy implementations) but they are there. You'd have to clean install to a specific build point many years back to avoid that. BartPE is your friend...

That being said, I'm able to disable most things telemetry related and otherwise in Win10. Most don't even require arcane commands via powershell, though there's still some of that. Clearly not everything is built into the UI yet, but as long as you at least upgrade to Win10 Pro then you can use a combo of registry edits/gpedit.msc changes and the occasional command line act seems to take care of almost everything. In the privacy related thread in OT I gave a tool or two to automate the process, but I prefer knowing what is done so I do it by hand.

[Mightychub]

Well am about to throw the towel in. I had an IT guy look over my system this evening he found one program trying to access the hard drive but that was it he said nothing really is getting in the way of the audio. I am running at 23ms in pulsar and am getting audio spikes when recording. I don't know what else to do I have completely run out of every idea to try.
My adat converter is brand new my motherboard was replaced brand new.
Where else can I look? I am at an impasse I just don't want to walk into my studio anymore.
What else can cause this to do what it's doing?
All I have left is my PSU which is a Corsair HX750 not a cheap PSU.
Everything else is brand new.
If I record straight through the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 over USB perfect it works no spikes nothing.
But when I record through the scarlett by adat into the pulsar am getting spikes at 23ms all adat cables have been changed three times for different makes with the same results. I also had a Focusrite Pro 40 and it did the same with that unit.
I have spent 8 months trying to resolve this issue and it's only got worse I can't record anything with the pulsar without spikes everytime.
This never happened under win7

[garyb]

why not use win7?

[valis]

Agree with Gary. Scope in a Win7 machine, leave it as is for years to come. Connect it to your Focusrite scarlett current-gen system via ADAT/SPDIF/AES/Analog io/MIDI/rtpMIDI/etc, and upgrade that system at will.

[ronnie]

Even Apples can fall far from the tree. If it ain't one thing it's another:

NEED TO KNOW: LOGIC PRO X 10.5 UPDATE

Hi there,
Apple recently released an update to Logic Pro X – Logic Pro X 10.15.

If you’re using MASSIVE X, CRUSH PACK, MOD PACK, REPLIKA or REPLIKA XT, you might encounter some issues or crashes after updating.

We’re already working on a fix, which we’ll share with you as soon as we can. Check our support area for the latest.

We’ll keep you updated.

Best wishes,
Native

[ronnie]

The brand name "Microsoft" is cursed. Probably would be a better product if it was called "Megahard".

[petal]

why not use win7?

MIghtyclub, I'm gonna spare you the pain from trying to install Windows 7 on your Asus Prime h370 plus mobo. Windows 7 is not supported by newer hardware anymore, so you can't install windows 7, unless you want to jump through even more hoops and new PITA problems.