Audio captures getting corrupted - How can I debug or fix?

[Mark]

I'm trying to do a project which involves making long audio recordings
for later analysis. I'd been hoping to record these on my PC digitally,
so that they can be easily processed in software. However, the
recordings keep getting corrupted (I get extremely loud crackles and
pops occasionally - once or twice an hour, sometimes less frequently).

The glitches occur in all recording software that I've tried (e.g.
audacity) and also in some in-house written software (in both WDM and
DirectX versions). A debug version of the in-house software reports no
abnormal behaviour, lag or errors at the time of the corruption.

The corruption has a fairly characteristic waveform - it looks as though
a few hundred samples have simply been discarded, or sometimes, as if a
block of samples have been recorded at the wrong point in the buffer.
(Unfortunately, this is a limitation of my debug method, as I'm
recording a test tone to identify the corruption automatically).

The problem occurs identically with both on-board HD audio and a PCI
creative X-Fi, and occurs at all sample rates and bit-depths.

The problem cannot be reproduced at will - i.e. it cannot be reproduced
by deliberate high CPU load, high disk load, or high graphics load.

System specifications:
CPU: C2D E6600 (not overclocked)
Mobo: Asus P5B-Deluxe (tried multiple BIOS revisions)
RAM: 2 GB PC 6400 (thoroughly tested with Memtest86+ and Windows memory
diagnostic)
Graphics: Nvidia 8800 GTX 768 MB
Sound: On-board SoundMAX audio and Creative X-Fi Xtremegamer (multiple
driver versions, including beta)
OS: Vista Home premium 32 bit

I'm at a loss as to how to debug further, or how to fix this. Does
anyone have any bright ideas?

I've been thinking about rewriting the capture software to use Vista's
WASAPI audio system - but I'm not sure that will fix the problem (i.e.
the problem is more fundamental - e.g. it's a Vista audio mixer problem,
or it's a hardware bug) and don't want to invest a non-trivial amount of
time in a non-solution.

M

 

[Mike Glenn]

Thats why everyone who is serious about music creation and sound editing is
avoiding vista as if it has the plauge.

It is infested with hundreds of problems that stem from the way the sound is
handled plus the DRM protection it has...


I suggest if you want to work use XP, if you want to play and lose time then
use vista, the malfunctional toy OS.

 

[Mrs. Mike Glenn]

The Mike Glenn Syndrome is a term used when a person has certain
limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating,
taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will
cause a poster to learn and develop more slowly than a typical poster.
Brain dead morons with Mike Glenn Syndrome may take longer to learn
to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or
eating. They are likely to have trouble learning in school, and posting to
Microsoft newsgroups. They will learn, but it will take them longer. There
may be some things they cannot learn. They keep trying. Make sure to
continue your Meds.