DriverHeaven.net - Bug Reports

Start/stop clicks in Audigy 2 ZS Notebook. How to avoid?

kirillov — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:29:06 GMT

Audigy 2 ZS Notebook, all versions of KX (incl.3550).
On playback start there is a click. And on playback stop there is a click too. It applies to any source of sound: midi, wave, or just a sf-sample played by midi-keyboard.
Is there a solution to avoid clicks?

3550: high DPC CPU% under Windows 7 64-bit (initialization-related?)

joelpt — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:40:56 GMT

I have recently installed Windows 7 64-bit and am experiencing some serious system slowdown while playing games using the KX 3550 drivers with an Audigy MP3+ card (SB0090M).

However, it seems I am able to avoid this slowdown -- temporarily -- by first installing the Windows-default Creative driver, then switching to the KX driver. However, rebooting again after the KX driver has been installed brings the problem right back.

Specifically, it looks like DPC's (Deferred Procedure Calls and Interrupt Service Routines) CPU usage % goes way up during gameplay (Team Fortress 2) when the problem exhibits itself:

Malfunctioning:
DPC's using 15-22% CPU; 12-45fps in game

Properly functioning:
DPC's using 0-2% CPU; 60-120fps in game

Based on my testing, my hypothesis is that the Windows-default Creative drivers are doing some sort of hardware initialization on the card, which is then 'carrying over' to when the KX drivers are first installed and making things work properly.

After another reboot, however, the problem reappears -- suggesting that said hardware initialization has gotten 'reset'.

Here are the steps that reliably reproduce the problem and temporary "solution" for me.

1. Install KX 3550 64-bit drivers; reboot.
2. Play Team Fortress 2: DPC's at 15+% CPU with poor framerates; audio output works.
3. Uninstall KX drivers; reboot.
4. Install latest Creative driver from Windows Update ('Creative SB Audigy').
5. Audio output is now nonfunctional (VU meter shows activity but there's no sound).
6. Reinstall KX 3550 drivers; reboot (warm reboot).
7. Play TF2: DPC's now at <2% CPU with great framerates; audio output and KX Mixer all work.
8. Reboot again (cold reboot).
9. Play TF2 again: DPC's back up to 15+% CPU, poor framerates, audio output still works.

I'll report back if I figure out some way to make the so-called solution "stick". In the meantime, any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks :)
joelpt

System specs:

Intel E6850 Core Duo
4 GB RAM
Gigabyte P35-DS3L motherboard
Sound Blaster Audigy MP3+ (SB0090M)
Nvidia 8800 GT 512MB (EVGA branded)

Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

No AC3 Outpul with SPDIF (kX3550)

BK-Morpheus — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:05:28 GMT

Hi guys, now i'm registred and able to post here ;)

First of all: Sorry for my bad english and hank you so much for still updating the kX Project, i love the possibilities that it gives (for Example Talk and send music in Teamspeak without echoes *g*).
Creative Drivers are terrible and so i used kX drivers for many years now.

Info: I'm using a Soundblaster Audigy
I switched my OS from Win XP (32bit) to Win 7 (64bit) and have some problems with my soundcard.
With the Creative drivers (or even with Daniel K's Driver Pack) all funktions are working exept my microphone (which is important for me).

So i tried the new kX 3550 and was surprised, that it's also working well and my microphone works ;)

Sadly i am not able to watch movies in surround sound with kX3550 on Win7. I'm using the SPDIF out (chinch) and my receiver (which worked with kX under Win XP).

The SPDIF out works, but i can not put ac3 through it.
No matter from wich program i try to send ac3 through SPDIF to my receiver (VLC Mediaplayer, Power DVD, Mplayer).

Maybe it's because of the missing options in the kX Mixer:
http://666kb.com/i/bdjiyjzck3dm4pjub.jpg

Do you have any suggestions how to solve that?

with kind regards,
BK