[bcbcbc]

I've read the E-MU owner's manual 3-4 times. It hasn't helped one iota.

I remain totally clueless about PatchMix--how to use it--even what it's for. One of the guys here set it up for me when he helped me with the installation. When I asked him what I needed to know about PatchMix he said I'd best leave it alone--that it had a steep learning curve.

I only use the E-MU card for playback--no recording. I'm happy with the analog output to my receiver.

There are two problems I need to solve:

1. Intereference with audio playback when CPU intensive actions are taken--even simple things like launching my e-mail client. This is heard as momentary clicks and pauses in the playback. My player is J. River Media Center. The playback settings there are to ASIO. There is a buffer setting there. However increasing that does nothing to cure the problem. Is there a seperate buffer setting in PatchMix? If so how do I access it?

2. I get no sound at all when I play videos DIVX, AVI, etc. I have these file types checked for association with JRMC. My old USB sound card was happy to play the audio on the videos. Is there some setting that has to be made in Patch/Mix.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Is there something I can read somewhere that explains PatchMix better than the manual?

The manual seems to assume one knows all about mixers and their controls. They use terms like "pan," "inserts," "send," "session," etc. I have no idea what these terms mean in the mixer context. I need something that explains these fundamentals.

Thanks for help...

 

[Helter Skelter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcbcbc There are two problems I need to solve: 1. Intereference with audio playback when CPU intensive actions are taken--even simple things like launching my e-mail client. This is heard as momentary clicks and pauses in the playback. My player is J. River Media Center. The playback settings there are to ASIO. There is a buffer setting there. However increasing that does nothing to cure the problem. Is there a seperate buffer setting in PatchMix? If so how do I access it?

This is not a terribly uncommon problem. Generally has to do with PCI latency issues. Nice link here describing how to fix them:
http://www.geocities.com/phileosopho...cilatency.html

Quote:

2. I get no sound at all when I play videos DIVX, AVI, etc. I have these file types checked for association with JRMC. My old USB sound card was happy to play the audio on the videos. Is there some setting that has to be made in PatchMix?

I'm not really familiar with JRMC, so I'm afraid I can't be too much use here. Do you get the same problem when using other video players such as Windows Media Player or Media Player Classic? It's probably not a PatchMix problem, in any case.

Quote:

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Is there something I can read somewhere that explains PatchMix better than the manual? The manual seems to assume one knows all about mixers and their controls. They use terms like "pan," "inserts," "send," "session," etc. I have no idea what these terms mean in the mixer context. I need something that explains these fundamentals.

Well, it is meant mostly for pro-audio type stuff, a bit of a learning curve is to be expected. I learned (and am still learning) simply by playing around with the thing. It's not very difficult at all to deal with if you just take a little time to figure a few things out. Getting yourself comfortable with PatchMix is something of a rite of passage for E-Mu owners.

 

[Kram Sacul]

Patchmix has an overcomplicated and busy interface. Just make sure your Main Mix Volume is set at 0.0 and that your running the correct internal sample rate.

 

[bcbcbc]

Helter Skelter--

You nailed it for me. I changed the PCI latencies as recommended here: http://www.audiotrak.net/support_faq.htm.

Hiccups are gone. Pristine sound without interruption. I can multi-task to my heart's content.

BTW audiotrak also offers PCI Latency Tool v. 2.5 freeware at their above site. So there's no need to drop $30 on Power Strip software--something most people might use only once.

Many thanks. I was on the verge of upgrading CPU, motherboard, buying another USB/Firewire sound card and other drastic/expensive measures.

 

[errorich]

Do your movies have audio again now?

 

[bcbcbc]

Thanks for asking. No. I'm still working on that. I tried WMP for the videos. No sound there either. So it must be a setting in PatchMix or Windows since it is not unique to J. River Media Center.

I'm back 'n forth with E-MU tech support on it. Maybe tomorrow...?

 

[Svperstar]

I'm thinking you may have a codec issue rather than a patchmix issue. I am not in front of my home computer now so I can't look at it but I mess with PatchMIX a lot and the only thing that makes it cut out for me is setting it to a sample rate different than what the media is running @, or hitting one of the mute buttons.

Are you listening to music with ASIO? If so maybe you have wave muted.

 

[Jahn]

Patchmix isn't the easiest thing to figure out. Just last month i found out i was recording all of my vinyl in MONO lol. I added another input strip and now i have proper stereo.