89 replies to this topic

[japes]

Noticed on Phil's IGP/NGNG stream last night that he was having the issue and tried to correct it by adjusting levels in the options to no success.

I seem to get the issue worse with Victors than anything else, but that's anecdotal, it's very common for me these days, basically every game I edit up for Youtube has it and there's no masking it.

[Roland]

Smittiferous, on 15 September 2013 - 03:56 AM, said:

I get the same issue, on two different pcs, either using onboard (Realtek), sound cards (xonar dx on one and xonar dg on the other) and USB headphones (corsair 1500, experience popping on both machines with the same set of headphones)

When the popping is really prominent both machines also suffer a frame rate stutter with each pop/crackle. Also get sound effects 'disappear' on occasion.

Pc#1:
Intel i7 950
Gigabyte X58a-ud3r motherboard
16gb Kingston DDR3
Ati Radeon 5870
Xonar DG audio card
1000watt PSU
Logitech X530 5.1 speakers

Pc#2
Intel i5 3470
ASRock Z77 pro4-m motherboard
16 gb corsair DDR3 @ 1600mhz
Nvidia GTX 660/770
Xonar DX audio card
Corsair hx650 PSU
Logitech z506 5.1 speakers

As I said, get the same popping on either machine regardless if I use the on board audio, sound card or USB headset. The issue only appeared for me a few patches ago.

I recently got a brand new machine, with a similar configuration as you, and I'm seeing a similar issue I think.

As you mention, the game will initially run perfectly smooth, but then something will happen and the framerate drops into the toilet and I start getting the audio crackling.

Now, on my machine I didn't have as much experience running it in other games yet. I did some testing in games like GW2, and did not see the same issues.

At first I suspected it was something with the graphics card, but I can't really tell. A friend has virtually the exact same configuration as my machine, and doesn't see the issues.

I've monitored the CPU and the GPU, and both seem to be working correctly, staying cool enough, etc... I can't find anything wrong.

I've seen it in the testing grounds after running around for a while... Lots of times, fixing it doesn't even require restarting the client.. it just fixes itself the next match (and then eventually comes back).

It's incredibly frustrating though, because its inconsistency means that sometimes my framerate will start wildly fluctuating between 15 and 30 FPS (wheras it normally runs at a pegged 60, as you would expect from a GTX 670), making it almost unplayable... which kind of sucks for my team.

I'd really love to get any kind of information about what exactly is causing this.

I'm gonna run some tests tonight, running Battlefield 4, and see how well the system deals with that game.

[Sen]

I can't really remember a time in recent history when I DIDN'T get audio crackling. I don't see any change in performance whatsoever, but it's annoying as heck.

The only real thing to report is that it's realtek HD audio on a rampage IV extreme, and I'm running 24 bit 2 channel.

Fortunately, i run TS through a separate USB audio card, so it's somewhat masked by over ear headphones

[japes]

We decided to change things up a bit this evening with a bit of a weight reduction to our usual style - more lights and medium play between us. I played the same usual 'Mechs I do, Victor, Cataphracts, Hunchbacks, and noticed that with less assault 'Mechs at the initial beginning of the game the sound popping is reduced significantly.

It's definitely an issue with assault stomps.

[Besterino]

I have some hopes (not big ones though) for the DX11 upgrade. Once the heavy gfx-load gets more shifted to the GPU, the CPU may have more spare time to actually work on audio. Maybe that'll help.

One thing I noticed is that with my Onboard-Realtek-Codec-thingy it helps to disable all audio-processing stuff in the driver/toolbar(e.g. DTS surround, enhancement of certain frequencies, voice optimization, etc.). At least the occasional crackles and fizzles and sizzles aren't that obvious anymore...

[CooloutAC]

ya this has happened to me too, especially in beginning of a match. I first attributed it to my pc loading the map. But NOW My test is the loading splash screens. If i hear the crackle after logging in, when the launcher and splash screens are loading up, i immediately log out of windows and back in and that usually fixes it. Dunno whats going on, prolly a combination of viruses and hackers and the fact the game takes a beast of a machine.

its also prolly the reason it defaults to run as administrator mode. Which i have never seen any game do in all these years. Might want to try loggin in administrator account too if you are on another windows user. its a very very strange issue. Hasn't happened to me in a bit but I bet now that I mentioned it on forums i'll get the issue again haha.

Edited by CooloutAC, 11 October 2013 - 12:45 PM.

[NocturnalBeast]

Could be something as simple as a bad headset cord. The wires in most headsets are very low quality and can break over time due to the wire flexing and bending constantly.

[CooloutAC]

Besterino, on 10 October 2013 - 10:27 AM, said:

I have some hopes (not big ones though) for the DX11 upgrade. Once the heavy gfx-load gets more shifted to the GPU, the CPU may have more spare time to actually work on audio. Maybe that'll help.

One thing I noticed is that with my Onboard-Realtek-Codec-thingy it helps to disable all audio-processing stuff in the driver/toolbar(e.g. DTS surround, enhancement of certain frequencies, voice optimization, etc.). At least the occasional crackles and fizzles and sizzles aren't that obvious anymore...

yes that would be awsome man makes sense. in the past dx11 superimposed on dx9 games is even worse performance, especially if the goal is just adding more effects, but i'm keeping my fingers crossed it will do exactly as you say. which it should if done right.

[Smitti]

Ed Steele, on 11 October 2013 - 12:53 PM, said:

Could be something as simple as a bad headset cord. The wires in most headsets are very low quality and can break over time due to the wire flexing and bending constantly.

Dude, sorry to sound like an ***, but;

Um, no.

Please read the whole thread again.

This can't be a hardware issue. Far too many people experience this, on an enormous variety of hardware configurations (5.1, 2.1, USB phones, 3.5mm mini jack phones, onboard audio processors, dedicated audio cards...), and seems to only occur in MWO.

And I doubt it is a pandemic of bad audio leads. How rough is home computing? I'm a concreter and by definition destroy tools and equipment ("Ug, it no work! *Smash Smash* it work now good") and all my gear is as new. I'd go out on a limb and say the majority of players keep their stuff in at least as good condition as mine.

[japes]

Besterino, on 10 October 2013 - 10:27 AM, said:

I have some hopes (not big ones though) for the DX11 upgrade. Once the heavy gfx-load gets more shifted to the GPU, the CPU may have more spare time to actually work on audio. Maybe that'll help.

I'm running an overclocked 3770K here and my frames per second are generally around the 120 mark while recording (DXTORY w/ Lagarith). Obviously that's 'working' my CPU for those numbers, but it's not struggling to keep up with anything. We can hope I guess.

Ed Steele, on 11 October 2013 - 12:53 PM, said:

Could be something as simple as a bad headset cord. The wires in most headsets are very low quality and can break over time due to the wire flexing and bending constantly.

Most definitely isn't, even lower end gear from quality brands like Beyerdynamic and Audiotechnica aren't provided with garbage cabling. This is an MWO sound engine issue, zero doubt.

[Besterino]

japes, on 11 October 2013 - 03:36 PM, said:

I'm running an overclocked 3770K here and my frames per second are generally around the 120 mark while recording (DXTORY w/ Lagarith). Obviously that's 'working' my CPU for those numbers, but it's not struggling to keep up with anything. We can hope I guess.



Most definitely isn't, even lower end gear from quality brands like Beyerdynamic and Audiotechnica aren't provided with garbage cabling. This is an MWO sound engine issue, zero doubt.

Running the same CPU (i7-3770K), but not overclocked though. That gets me approx. 80-100fps.I have it paired with two GTX680 in SLI, but obviously that's the power of one GTX for nuffin' at the moment... (fingers crossed for SLI support, eh).

Hm... what if I limit FPS to the monitor refresh, that should give some headroom for the CPU even with the current engine.

Edited by Besterino, 12 October 2013 - 04:29 AM.

[Gremlich Johns]

I was thinking, There seems to be no specificity with the issue for specific sounds, whether dialog, music or sound effects so I am presuming that everybody has all sounds turned on. Or maybe the music is off and they are listening to a music player outside of MWO.

I don't have the audio issue on my system which sports a creative labs X-fi platinum xtreme gamer card, a regular audio plug headset, win 7 64-bit, and current Creative drivers. System is AMD FX-4100, 16 GB 1600 RAM, and an EVGA GTX780 4GB with its audio drivers NOT installed.

My sound effects and dialog volumes are set to about 35% and the music volume is set to 0%. I experience no cutting out or snap, crackle, or pop whenever I play.

Edited by Gremlich Johns, 13 October 2013 - 06:58 PM.

[CooloutAC]

Gremlich Johns, on 12 October 2013 - 08:09 AM, said:

I was thinking, There seems to be no specificity with the issue for specific sounds, whether dialog, music or sound effects so I am presuming that everybody has all sounds turned on. Or maybe the music is off and they are listening to a music player outside of MWO.

I don't have the audio issue on my system which sports a creative labs X-fi platinum xtreme gamer card, a regular audio plug headset, win 7 64-bit, and current Creative drivers. System is AMD FX-4100, 16 GB 1600 RAM, and an EVGA GTX760 4GB with its audio drivers NOT installed.

My sound effects and dialog volumes are set to about 35% and the music volume is set to 0%. I experience no cutting out or snap, crackle, or pop whenever I play.

hmm you know what, i haven't got the cracking in a while now, and you just reminded me since then i have lowered my sound settings to about 35%, maybe there is something to that.

[japes]

Gremlich Johns, on 12 October 2013 - 08:09 AM, said:

I was thinking, There seems to be no specificity with the issue for specific sounds, whether dialog, music or sound effects so I am presuming that everybody has all sounds turned on. Or maybe the music is off and they are listening to a music player outside of MWO.

I don't have the audio issue on my system which sports a creative labs X-fi platinum xtreme gamer card, a regular audio plug headset, win 7 64-bit, and current Creative drivers. System is AMD FX-4100, 16 GB 1600 RAM, and an EVGA GTX760 4GB with its audio drivers NOT installed.

My sound effects and dialog volumes are set to about 35% and the music volume is set to 0%. I experience no cutting out or snap, crackle, or pop whenever I play.

There is no music in the game so it's hardly relevant. I'm running all three volume sliders at approximately 10% (for voice communication clarity even though I've got a Mixer) and still experiencing the crackling every match.

Edited by japes, 12 October 2013 - 07:52 PM.

[Gremlich Johns]

japes, on 12 October 2013 - 07:51 PM, said:

There is no music in the game so it's hardly relevant. I'm running all three volume sliders at approximately 10% (for voice communication clarity even though I've got a Mixer) and still experiencing the crackling every match.

I have a friend that just built an A10 APU based computer and she has similar issues. It probably is server side.

[Smitti]

Gremlich Johns, on 13 October 2013 - 07:00 PM, said:

I have a friend that just built an A10 APU based computer and she has similar issues. It probably is server side.

Some of us still experience it in the testing grounds though, which iirc is 'offline' and not on the server. But i could be wrong...

[POWR]

I have the same issue on a Xonar D2X. It's something many games have, and seems related to the number of sounds being played at once. I know it's not an issue with the soundcard or my hifi system, because it plays all kinds of content with crystal clarity (NAD stereo amp, high quality jack->phono cable, relatively high ql JBL floor speakers, good ql speaker cable). Just some games have this issue with the crackling and cutting off of sounds. Mostly audible in this game from footsteps of multiple mechs at a time.

Edited by POWR, 14 October 2013 - 12:57 AM.

[japes]

Hopefully something in tomorrow's patch...

[japes]

No resolution of the issue in yesterdays patch, PGI continue to ignore the problem.

[itiziDITKA]

I noticed the popping last night when I was playing. It doesn't happen much, but I seemed to notice it more when I piloted larger mechs. For audio I just use the integrated sound on my motherboard and use a set of logitech speakers 5.1 speakers.