Why a motorboat stutter on playback?

glaesers wrote on 12/18/2012, 3:50 PM

Re: Audio Cleaning Lab 11, v7.01.

OK, I know this is an old program, but I am finally getting around to installing it. I am planning only to clean up some reel-to-reel recordings before they totally disintegrate, so I don't think I need the latest and greatest version at this point, however... My problem is a motorboat stutter during playback within Magix. When I convert to MP3 and play back through iTunes, all is well. However, I'd like it to work within Magix so I can work on filtering and equalization within the program.

I am using XP SP3, but it is a more recently built computer: Intel Pentium Dual Core E2200, 2.2GHz, 3GB RAM. This well exceeds the minimum requirements listed, so I thought it would be fine. What I don't have is a PCI sound card. Since the built-in chipset (Intel 82945G) is more than adequate for my monitor, I figured the motherboard would also be adequate for sound.

Am I wrong about this? If I have to add one, I will, but I thought I'd ask first.

Comments

gandjcarr wrote on 12/19/2012, 11:58 AM

Hi,

You have not provided a lot of information to help us help you solve this problem.  For example, how did you digitize the analog tape to get it on your computer (what device did you use)?  How long and what size is the audio file that you imported?  What audio bit rate did you use to import the file?  All of this stuff is important because for example if you imported the file as .wav, then converted it to .mp3, of course it is going to sound ok in iTunes because you have compressed the hell out of the file when you converted it.  What happens when you bring the .mp3 file into Audio Cleaning Lab?  does it play well?

What do your really mean when you say that you say that the "built in chip set is adequate for your monitor"  what does your monitor have to do with the way your system handles audio?  The minimum system requirement for Audio Cleaning Lab is that you have a "Internal sound card"  Do you have one and if so what exactly do you have, or are you totally relying on the CPU to produce your Audio?

Food for thought.

Good Luck,

George

glaesers wrote on 12/19/2012, 6:04 PM

Thanks for asking pertinent questions, George. Let's see if I can answer them.

I digitized the audio by connecting the line out of my amplifier to the line in of the motherboard and recording it directly into Magix. I tested it with a single song recorded off an LP and stopped the recording at just under 3 minutes. Magix is showing it as a wav file. I mostly used the default program settings, which seems to show the sampling rate at 44100 Hz. All I adjusted was the source selection, so it used the Realtek HD audio input and not the webcam, and I adjusted the volume level. 

As for it playing well in iTunes, I searched out the .wav file from within iTunes, which did it's own conversion, I guess, but did not, apparently, create a separate file. The Get Info option on the song shows the original .wav file in the Magix folder. So I don't know how to test how it would play as an imported mp3.

As for the CPU, I am saying that, yes, I have been successfully relying on the motherboard to handle the monitor, and I am relying on the motherboard to handle the audio, too. I don't have a separate PCI sound card, but I don't have a graphics card, either. But as I said before, since the CPU is far more capable than the minimum system requirements specified in the software manual, I didn't think that would be a problem. The system specs call for a CPU speed of 500MHz and 128MB RAM. Mine is a Pentium Dual Core processor at 2.2GHz, with 3GB RAM. I would think it has sufficient audio capabilities. I will add a card, if necessary, but would be disappointed to go to that trouble if it ends up as merely a compression rate selection issue. 

Vince