Re-Install? What, AGAIN? :)

LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-02 AT 11:27 AM (EST)

I am still trying to figure out some sound issues I have. I am on the brink of a new, fresh start. I am wondering and have been told it may be the sim software. Would a fresh install help or not? I hate to do a reinstall if I don't need to. Many in here know what fun that is. Also, what if there was a scratch or something on the CD. Would that cause sound problems? If this is the cause then reinstalling will not help. New CD's?
I have done everything I can think of. All my hardware and ect. having anything to do with my sound on this machine checks out ok. Creative has its own program checker and it passed all tests, dxdiag found no problems, everything under my hardware in system checks out fine. I just spent 100 bucks on a surround sound system matching up with my card, (Sound Blaster Live). I have also turned hardware acceleration down from high to low and all in between. I am at the end of the line here. If a reinstall doesn't help then I guess I can put up with it. However if there is something I am missing please send guidance, I could sure use it. All music, DVD's and other sounds play just fine. There is no popping or skipping at all.
Thanks in addvance!!!!
RichOne other thing I did was unchecked all sounds the system was playing. Like when you receive mail or warning sounds ect.. Got this idea from another post in here. It was done in order to speed the overall system up. So I thought maybe that would work and it didn'tRich

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RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), DTA, Oct-30-02, 03:59 PM, (1) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), OTTODAD, Oct-30-02, 04:07 PM, (2) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), nscaler73, Oct-30-02, 07:25 PM, (3) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), nscaler73, Oct-30-02, 08:42 PM, (4) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), lfriddle, Oct-31-02, 11:39 PM, (14) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), OTTODAD, Oct-31-02, 07:34 AM, (5) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), LARKIE, Oct-31-02, 12:32 PM, (6) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), OTTODAD, Oct-31-02, 12:44 PM, (7) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), nscaler73, Oct-31-02, 07:39 PM, (8) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), OTTODAD, Oct-31-02, 07:51 PM, (9) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), nscaler73, Oct-31-02, 08:15 PM, (10) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), OTTODAD, Oct-31-02, 08:25 PM, (11) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), nscaler73, Oct-31-02, 08:35 PM, (12) RE: Re-Install??? What, AGAIN??? :), OTTODAD, Oct-31-02, 09:35 PM, (13)

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Is it the SB Audigy? and what are you getting? If it is and its pops and crackles, set acceleration to one from the left. You will still get occasional eroors, but that is about the best setting. The audigy has faults with MSTS, and I have informed them of the problems. So far, I have seen no new drivers.David

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What exactly is your SOUND problem ? Where, Cab, Outside Views ?No Sound at all, partial Sound here and there, bad Sound quality.

Has your Motherboard got onboard Sound and if so is there a Setting in the BIOS to switch if off in favour of the CREATIVE ?

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-02 AT 07:33 PM (EST)

Hi guys. My sound issues are a crackeling/popping sort of sound that happens in the same exact spot on each of the default routes. It lasts for about 15 seconds and then all sounds are fine. When I apply the sanders during this crackeling/popping noise it makes the sander sound miss and often times the sander loop never finishes. In this I mean the sanders quit, you just don't hear the end of the loop. The sanders seem to be the only affected sound during the crackeling/popping, horn and compressor, ect are fine. This is mainly from inside the cab only. As said in the above, default routes seem to be the only time I have a problem. I just run the "Lumber Drag" over KHP and all the sounds are crisp and clean. No probs at all. Other add on routes I have check out ok as well. I am wondering about getting rid of the sounds for going under and over bridges. I noticed KHP has no sounds for bridges. Just a hunch!It is a long shot but I really have run out of options other than a re-install. I have done so much to wag and eng files along with many many add ons I hate to start over. I am sure you guys know what I mean. My sound card is a "Sound Blaster Live".
Sorry for the delay on getting back to this. I was called out to run the "Drag" over KHP.
Thanks guys
Rich.How do I get in the bios? How do I find out if there is another sound thingy on my motherboard.
This is a Dell system, 3 months old and the creative sound card came factory installed along with the Ti4600 video card. Overall performance is great. 15-60 FPS with everything maxed out Running 30-70 car trains. Also the sound problems pop up only with the longer trains with more locos. If I take a 15 car train with 1 or 2 locos through these sound problem spots, everything is fine.

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-02 AT 08:44 PM (EST)

O.K . After reading your post DTA (David) I went back in and tried the next level from the left in the sound, hardware acceleration in dxdiag. It seemed to help tremendousely. It is set at basic acceleration. I thought I tried that one before but I must have gave up after going from full acceleration to standard then no acceleration. Gave up too early I guess. Anyway I am off to try out some other spots on the routes to see what happens. But so far one spot that always gave me trouble is now working. I still hear one or two little skips or pops but they are faint and the sander is no longer affected.
While I am on here, can someone explain to me what the hardware acceleration does? The difference from full to no acceleration ect.?
Thanks again guys for the help. I am lucky to be a part of this place and to be surrounded by very helpful people.
Happy R a i l s To You, Untill We Meet Again...........Rich

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Rich,
About the only thing I can add is that somewhere in all your sound settings you should have a place to set how much RAM is set aside to buffer sound. SB live usually has a default of 4 seconds. You might try lengthing that. If your computer is very busy (long consists will do that), the sound card runs out of data before the CPU can service it. I'll try to answer your other question.
Hardware Acceleration: Wave files are binary data that contains information on building a sound. This has to be turned into instructions your sound card can understand. The most compatable way to do this is by software. This is done in combination with software in Direct X and your sound card drivers. Your PC's CPU does all of the calculations. Most newer sound cards contain a special chip (actually another computer built on the sound card). The only drawback is that there is no way to change the software on it once it leaves the factory. The acceleration slider allows you to choose how much of the sound calculation load is being done via software routines by your CPU and how much is being sent to the accelerator chip. In full acceleration, the accelerator chip is taking the entire load of decoding the wave files off your CPU. The CPU still has to send it the raw data from the hard drive or memory fast enough to keep from running out of data. The accelerator chip seems to goof it up more than the latest direct x and card drivers do. There are different encoding standards for sound files which explains why you may not have problems with other sound files.
However in your case, I think you are having more hardware acceleration problems than normal. You would never be able to prove it though. I also am running SB live in quad mode on my Dell. I'm running acceleration at full and do not have the problems you describe.
Larry
Ozark Mountain Software

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-31-02 AT 07:53 AM (EST)

Seing that DELL supplied the machine with a Sound Card installed there is no need to concern yourself with the BIOS.However, if you interested in what it does, hit Delete a couple of times as soon as the Boot Screen appears to go into it and when you EXIT, do so WITHOUT SAVING ANY CHANGES unless you know what you are doing ! P.S.: BIOS Info can be had from http://www.phoenix.com/resources/userman.pdf

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Check your BIOS,you never know who set up your machine at Dell.Your original onboard sound chip may still be active.What PCI slot is your sound card in?DO NOT use slot 1,next to AGP slot for a sound card!
The majority of mobo's share resources between these two slots.Also check if there's no problem with your graphics drivers.Graphics,and sound drivers can interact with funny effects.You say it's on the same part of the route,that the trouble occurs.That could well be graphics card interacting with the sound card,as outlined above.

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You are right Brian, can't trust anybody, I usually don't ! Thanks for mentioning to keep the PCI-1 Slot empty I normally never fill to give the Graphics Card in the AGP slot next to it plenty of Breathing Space !

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My sound card is on the very bottom of the tower. Would this be the first slot or the last?
And thank you to all that have given me some more thoughts on what to do with this problem. I will check the BIOS when I get done here.
Rich...

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Looking at the back of your machine, RIch, the PCI #1 slot is immediately below the slot where your Monitor Cable is plugged into the AGP Graphics Card, it that's what you have got.

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Hi OTTODAD!!
Starting from the top:
>Video Card>Ethernet Card>Modum>Sound Card>Empty..I also checked my Bios and found nothing related to sound. Only thing close was Video. And I exited without saving changes in case I did something not knowing it.
Rich

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Well done, Rich !Now move the ETHERNET Card down to the "Empty Slot". Better for the Net Cabling being down there anyway, out of the way of Phone and Loudspeaker cables. Some Network Cabling is sensitive to Interference.Remember to disconnect your Puter from the Mains before opening it's case.

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Ethernet card is not used. Should I move it anyway? Or better yet, remove it from the system?
Rich

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If you are sure you are not likely to Network your Puter with another one ever, go into Settings/Control Panel/Hardware/Device Manager/Network Adapter, select the Network Card's entry and "Do not use this Device".Shut down the machine, unplug it from the Mains, remove the Ethernet Card and Power-Up again.Watch the Screen for any messages in case WIN XP (that's what you got ?) is unhappy about something !

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