This latency is killing me!

SY · 17th January 2011, 04:35 PM

My desktop computer that I had used as a music source has gone to live with Jesus. So I've substituted my laptop (a cheap'n'cheerful Dell Inspiron 1545). Unfortunately, the latency monster is biting me big time, and in recent weeks seems to have gotten worse. I freely admit to being computer-stupid, so please don't laugh at my troubleshooting approach, and please give suggestions in language that a mildly retarded 9 year old can understand.

Using dpclat, it was obvious that I got nasy glitches every 20 seconds or so. I tried disabling different devices (touchpad, internal audio, LAN adapter, wireless adapter, webcam) and while some of that reduced the latency, the glitches persisted.

LatencyMon showed the same thing and blamed "NDIS 6.0 wrapper driver." This seems to be a system function which I barely understand. So...

1. Is there anything else I can turn off?
2. Is this computer just intrinsically unsuitable for audio?
3. Can the driver be updated and if so, how?
4. Will an OS upgrade to 7 fix things?

theAnonymous1 · 17th January 2011, 04:53 PM

I'm probably the worst person to offer any advise on this subject, but have you tried disabling your network device and then running those latency programs again? NDIS is network related.

Are you using the onboard sound device?

SY · 17th January 2011, 05:00 PM

Yes, I disabled the network devices- that brought down the average latency, but didn't help the spikes.

For sound, I use an Express card for IEEE1394 output, which plugs into a 24/96 Firewire external DAC. I had similar, though not as severe, issues using USB out to a cheap USB/spdif converter, and similarly severe issues using USB out to a HiFace.

sonidos · 17th January 2011, 05:40 PM

SY, do you shut down your laptop completely or just perform a restart? The OS gets flaky if you leave your machine running constantly. Try shutting it down if you haven't done that yet.

SY · 17th January 2011, 05:44 PM

Yes, I did a few shutdown/restarts. When you were over on Saturday, the stuttering was particularly bad and the machine had been shut down and restarted about an hour before you and Uriah got there.

sonidos · 17th January 2011, 05:51 PM

hmmm..installing any new apps/updates since the time it got flaky? I mean...besides the usual adult stuff?

sonidos · 17th January 2011, 05:52 PM

What virus checker do you run?

SY · 17th January 2011, 05:57 PM

This computer always had glitch problems, they just seem to have gotten worse... No new apps I can think of. I use AntiVir and Spybot S&D, both of which were turned off.

Charles Darwin · 17th January 2011, 06:23 PM

Stupid question but how is latency a problem unless you are recording whilst replaying?

SY · 17th January 2011, 06:29 PM

You got me. Like I said, retarded 9 year old here. There may be more than one kind of latency? The charts generated by dpclat and LatencyMon specifically say that streaming audio playback will be affected by latency and that my system is unsuitable for audio playback because of this.

17th January 2011, 04:35 PM	#1
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	This latency is killing me! My desktop computer that I had used as a music source has gone to live with Jesus. So I've substituted my laptop (a cheap'n'cheerful Dell Inspiron 1545). Unfortunately, the latency monster is biting me big time, and in recent weeks seems to have gotten worse. I freely admit to being computer-stupid, so please don't laugh at my troubleshooting approach, and please give suggestions in language that a mildly retarded 9 year old can understand. Using dpclat, it was obvious that I got nasy glitches every 20 seconds or so. I tried disabling different devices (touchpad, internal audio, LAN adapter, wireless adapter, webcam) and while some of that reduced the latency, the glitches persisted. LatencyMon showed the same thing and blamed "NDIS 6.0 wrapper driver." This seems to be a system function which I barely understand. So... 1. Is there anything else I can turn off? 2. Is this computer just intrinsically unsuitable for audio? 3. Can the driver be updated and if so, how? 4. Will an OS upgrade to 7 fix things? __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache

17th January 2011, 04:53 PM	#2
theAnonymous1 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Anonymityville	I'm probably the worst person to offer any advise on this subject, but have you tried disabling your network device and then running those latency programs again? NDIS is network related. Are you using the onboard sound device? __________________ "If you don't like funerals don't kick sand in Ninja's face." - Ninja

17th January 2011, 05:00 PM	#3
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	Yes, I disabled the network devices- that brought down the average latency, but didn't help the spikes. For sound, I use an Express card for IEEE1394 output, which plugs into a 24/96 Firewire external DAC. I had similar, though not as severe, issues using USB out to a cheap USB/spdif converter, and similarly severe issues using USB out to a HiFace. __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache

17th January 2011, 05:44 PM	#5
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	Yes, I did a few shutdown/restarts. When you were over on Saturday, the stuttering was particularly bad and the machine had been shut down and restarted about an hour before you and Uriah got there. __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache

17th January 2011, 05:57 PM	#8
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	This computer always had glitch problems, they just seem to have gotten worse... No new apps I can think of. I use AntiVir and Spybot S&D, both of which were turned off. __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache


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17th January 2011, 05:40 PM	#4
sonidos diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Round Rock, TX	SY, do you shut down your laptop completely or just perform a restart? The OS gets flaky if you leave your machine running constantly. Try shutting it down if you haven't done that yet.

17th January 2011, 05:51 PM	#6
sonidos diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Round Rock, TX	hmmm..installing any new apps/updates since the time it got flaky? I mean...besides the usual adult stuff?

17th January 2011, 05:52 PM	#7
sonidos diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Round Rock, TX	What virus checker do you run?

17th January 2011, 06:23 PM	#9
Charles Darwin diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Birmingham, UK	Stupid question but how is latency a problem unless you are recording whilst replaying?

17th January 2011, 06:29 PM	#10
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	You got me. Like I said, retarded 9 year old here. There may be more than one kind of latency? The charts generated by dpclat and LatencyMon specifically say that streaming audio playback will be affected by latency and that my system is unsuitable for audio playback because of this. __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache

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