INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 24 for Windows => Topic started by: abozo on January 01, 2019, 03:45:58 am

Title: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: abozo on January 01, 2019, 03:45:58 am
When I first started using JRiver (MC20 on a Zotac silent micro PC) , I found that I needed to increase the Windows task priority of JRiver to avoid/reduce playback blips/skips.

I've just switched to a much more powerful PC and the blips/skips are back. Upping task priority this time doesn't help (and it's a non optimal solution anyway) . I can reproduce the blips/skips at will by scrolling down in Theatre mode.  That suggests a PC loading issue but this is an ex-gaming PC now dedicated to just JRiver.

Any suggestions?

JRiver MC24->Chord 2Qute DAC (ASIO)
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: Awesome Donkey on January 01, 2019, 05:23:43 am
Did you try increasing the buffer?
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: Manfred on January 01, 2019, 06:59:51 am
Are both MC and the ASIO driver of the same bit depth (64 bit or 32 bit both) and  which audio interface are you using spdif optical, spdif coax, usb ?
Do you use In Memory Play?
Do you use Win 10?
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: JimH on January 01, 2019, 07:16:55 am
Does WASAPI or Direct Sound work?
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: DJLegba on January 01, 2019, 07:50:46 am
Where are the media files?
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: abozo on January 01, 2019, 09:39:26 am
Thanks all for the responses!  :)

Unfortunately I don't have access to the PC right now but here are some answers:

Awesome Donkey: I tried increasing buffer from 6s to the next step up but no better.

Manfred: I will try to check bit depths of MC and ASIO, though I'm not sure I completely understand that.  ?
I'm using asynchronous USB between PC and DAC.
I have set MC to load complete converted files for playback but no change.
Running Windows 10 Pro.

JimH: Media files are all on a Synology NAS.

When I get a chance I will try to get the Zotac and new PC running together and compare every setting/option that seems relevant. Excuse my ignorance but is there a way of exporting the options from one PC to another?

If I can't figure it out, I'll just switch back to the micro PC, which works but not reliably when driving my TV at 4K. The new PC is solid and handles multitasking with ease. Ah well.

Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: DJLegba on January 01, 2019, 09:56:28 am
As an experiment, try moving some of the media files to a local drive.
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: Awesome Donkey on January 01, 2019, 10:55:04 am
Awesome Donkey: I tried increasing buffer from 6s to the next step up but no better.

Have you tried adjusting the ASIO driver latency (assuming your ASIO driver's control panel supports it)? I find between 10ms to 20ms is best. Otherwise apps like web browsers can cause issues like you're having.
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: abozo on February 01, 2019, 05:14:19 am
Thanks for all the suggestions.  Unfortunately, nothing helped but I thought I'd provide a conclusion for this thread.

I tackled the issue by swapping out components one by one. Every component works perfectly in some combination but the combination of my Chrord 2Qute DAC, JRiver MC24.0.72 and that particular PC does not work properly. If I swap out any of those three components it works.

Since the DAC costs more than the PC and I love JRiver, I've switched back to the old PC for my main HiFi system, which is a shame. The new PC is working fine in the office with a different DAC.

It would have been good to discover exactly why it wasn't working but I guess sometimes certain combinations just aren't happy.

At least I'm back to skip-free music listening.
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: JimH on February 01, 2019, 05:45:08 am
Did you consider antivirus?
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: abozo on February 01, 2019, 08:47:55 am
Thanks.  I did consider it but then both PCs are running standard Windows Defender Anitvirus, nothing more.  I disabled it on the fast PC but still got the same music skips.

I went through all processes on task manager but nothing was using any significant resources.

Both PCs are doing 'nothing except running JRiver'.  No unnecessary programs are installed.  The new, fast PC is a brand new install of Windows 10 on SSD.  It's a bit of a mystery.

I would have liked to do some occasional surfing, emailing while listening to music, which is why I tired the faster PC.  But I will just stick to the slow one and use a tablet for other duties.  Maybe one day I will upgrade the DAC, which might solve an incompatibility somewhere.
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: Polimich on February 05, 2019, 12:59:18 pm
I have the same problem. I try buffer time, memory load etc. I transfer my music from nas to external usb hd, But the problem persist.
With other player (audirvana, foobar) no problem.
My pc is beelink Gemini x55 & my Dac is M2tech young III.

P.s. the problem is randomly (for two days I haven’t it, today the player stopped music every moment)

Sorry for my English.
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: JimH on February 05, 2019, 02:22:45 pm
Wireless connection?  Maybe interference?
Title: Re: New PC, blips/skips in playback
Post by: slerch666 on February 06, 2019, 12:22:14 pm
Check bit depth of what you are sending.

Use WASAPI.
24 bit integer, then 24 bit integer in 32 bit package if 24 bit doesn't work.
Exclusive access.

DSP - Output Format - set all of the Output options to the same thing ex. if the DAC can take 192 KHz, then set ALL of the output formats you use to 192,000 Hz

The last piece is, ensure all of the audio files in your library are the same type. I used to have an external USB DAC that if I used WMA, MP3, WAV, and FLAC, I would get pops and clicks and sometimes the DAC would completely stop responding. I found that FLAC and MP3 mixes worked fine but adding WAV and WMA into a playlist I would get crazy results. It wasn't a JRiver issue, it was the DAC.