AK1 issues - Soundcard clash

This is DEFENITLY not true. i have a dual core pc running windows xp media center ed. with service pack 2 and i run a focusrite saffire, ni kore with controller, cubase sx 4 without any problems on it. i even can use kore in sx4 as a plugin without any major problems.

 

What, exactly, is "DEFINITELY not true"? It seems that it didn't turn out to be Malcolm's problem in the end (or at least not his only one) but that doesn't mean that there aren't problems with XP MCE and compatibility with audio software/hardware.

What is definitely not true, is your claim that you are using Cubase SX4. There is no such thing. Steinberg are not developing Cubase SX/SL/SE any more. The new version that came out about 2 months or so ago is just called Cubase 4.

If you have everything running with "no major problems" (I wonder what minor problems you are having btw?) then you are lucky. Every single thing I said in my previous post is 100% accurate thanks.

* MCE isn't just XP Pro with added Media software: TRUE (for one thing MCE doesn't allow you to join a domain)

* Sound on Sound Expert Martin Walker has written about issues with XP MCE: TRUE (you can get the November edition of Sound on Sound to check if you like).

* The quote taken from M-Audio's site: TRUE (did you think I made it up????)

* The unnoficial list that Sweetwater has put together of stuff that doesn't seem to be compatible with MCE: TRUE (follow the link to read it yourself if you like)

 

Right, a friend came over and went through it with me, re-installing drivers and such, and we seem to have reduced the problem somewhat. It appears that every 80 seconds or so when using audio software, whether through the AK1 or onboard soundcard, the fan cuts in, which causes a brief, but massive jump in latency (measured using dpclat). About 10 seconds later the fan stops, and a similar jump in latency occurs.

I presume this requires a driver update, but there doesn't seem to be much on the toshiba website, and I don't fancy removing the fan. Any other suggestions?

Edit - more detail on the problem here:

http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/jive3/thread.jspa?threadID=18631&messageID=68206

 

I heard several times, that with some PC-laptops, you could have these hardware - audioperformance issues.
Which is then related to the laptop.

 

Right, re-installed AK1 last night

Same programmme, same set up:

AK1 - crashes, skips, dropouts, unusable.

Built in soundcard - no skipping, no crashing, works fine, but lower sound quality.

If the AK1 can't handle something a built in soundcard can, what the hell is up? I'm taking my AK1 back for a refund this weekend due to it being unusable and the customer support from NI consisting of "Well, it SHOULD work"....

 

The built in soundcard's not reliant on the vagaries of a laptop's ports for communicating with external devices; the AK 1 is. Shared graphics memory could definitely contribute to the issue

Did you download the troubleshooting guide that Marius mentioned?

ew

 

The trouble shooting guide. What a joke. It's a part of the manual we already have!

 

I downloaded the troubleshooting guide, I've been through it 4 times, I've had three separate friends who are all far more knowledgable than me come round and fiddle with everything they could, and it doesn't work.

I'd rather you suggest nothing than keep repeating the same suggestions that, had you read this thread, you would see have already been tried.

I'm getting a refund, and I intend to avoid using NI products, or at least paying for them, in future, if this is the quality of Customer service available.

 

Same **** for me... no solution at all...

Per

 

I have finally managed to solve this problem. It seems to have been caused by the ACPI settings on my Laptop (Toshiba Equium a100), and have been solved by setting it to desktop mode

More details are available on the toshiba website forum at http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/jive3/thread.jspa?threadID=18631

I realise now that the issue I was having was not related to NI or the AK1 - however, I would like to add that, due to having to wait for the firmware update before being certain the laptop was the problem, I was forced to wait beyond the 28 day return policy, meaning that if my laptop could not have been fixed, I would have been unable to replace it or recieve a refund.

May I suggest that before releasing any more hardware, NI consider testing their products a bit more. In future, I'm going to buy one product at a time.

I'd also like to thank the people who frequent this forum for their many attempts at helping.