Traktor + VCI-100/MIDI Devices - Huuuge Load

Hey!

The following issue: I have 2 laptops, one is almost a station and I use it for 3D software, the other is older and gets carried around every now and then for music. On the first machine all is fine, any configuration works. The second, I'd want to carry out since it doesn't hurt me that hard if beer would get spilled over it.... and it gives me problems. I spend more than 8 hours on it already..

It's a slower machine (dual 1,8 ghz, 2 gig ram), but usually with disabling network and shutting down background activities etc, I didn't have any problems. Mainly I used my inbuild soundcard and a hercules rmx so far.

Now I wanted to swap to a audio dj 2 & a vestax vci-100. Crazy me, huh? Sounds easy..

The Audio 2 DJ seemed to work - I did the usual check up: increase buffer a bit, assign channels, etc. It works, but the "load" was a bit on the verge.
Never the less, it seemed OK at first.

Once I connected the vci-100, all got *****. It would seem so easy, you would think. Plugin, go through the wizard. But no! A) sometime Traktor would get stuck when getting to the end of the wizard B) if not, I'd get a terrible performance afterwards.

Although my systems resources can be at 40%, there was no sound anymore but noise, constant noise - since according to the audio 2 dj software dozens of packages got lost. I could see them counting up massively. It didn't matter how high I set the buffer 512 or higher, also usb buffer, even with all to max. Just noise was left of the songs playing.

When I shut down, delete all of Traktors settings, and restart, it performes ok again with just the soundcard. Once I now try to use ether the hercules rmx or the vestax again, all goes to hell. I reinstalled traktor a few times, I checked for different drivers of any kind, reset/deleted traktors system settings. No luck.

The System performance of that laptop is not great but not the reason for the total breakdown of any music transaction, I tweaked it enough so all stayed in the green field according to audio 2 djs latency checker, but those packages got lost a lot.

I also scanned with latencyMoon - there's one driver a bit to high with 1,4 or so, but I don't think thats the reason for a entirely chopped up sound, and I went on disabling more devices. Musik stayed a not recognizable headache-attack!

Now the best and really weird part? When I for instance while getting a stream of noise due to playing a song in Track A, but analyze a Track in field B,.. TADAAA.. the load drops down down into green, the sound is ok for a while! Once the Track in field B (or revers) is entirely analyzed, I get stream of dirty noise again, all packages are getting lost again. I can repeat this over and over - as long as any track is analyzed and I'd assume there is MORE system load in general, the sound is ok. Otherwise its the sheer horror.

It doesn't make sense. Something with the usb-ports maybe? Other devices work fine... the controllers also send signals as they should, just the sound turns to trash.

I'm in windows 7, 64 bit.
Any clues?

 

Ok. If I _decrease_ the Audio 2 DJs Buffer, for whatever reason Traktor works again.
A buffer of 128 works, if higher I get massive lags, if lower it gets problematic too.

I'd still be interested if someone has an idea why.

 

NI audio interfaces require a decent amount of processing power which you are lacking. You can try the different driver versions available on the website here:

http://co.native-instruments.com/?id=freeupdates