Concierto / other sound related. Solutions and problems!

[Jose]

1st of all let me tell you that I've seen some old threads about a volume problem with the Concierto card. After messing with it a bunch of time, I've found that the settings you make up on the mixer only get active on the next boot after you start the mixer! This happens even if I save the settings. There must be a workaround.
There's also a volume boost option on Amplifier's mpeg settings, dunno about AmiAmp.

Now as to my problem.
I'm having trouble with playback. At 1st I though it was lack of CPU power but remembered that SongPlayer has CPU meter, checked it and it's around 50%, 60% for the more demanding MP3s. I've also tried playing back an audio CD with SongPlayer (output through Concierto DACs) and it does the same thing from time to time!
I already got mpega060.library in Libs (renamed to mpega.library mind you...) so I can't really think of anything else...
Only thing I still have to try is installing the latest software for the MKII, the one I got is from the old disks, anyone knows where the latest versions are ? But is that the cause ?

Thanks
José

[Jose]

Paula ouput on my A4000T is terribly low though, I can't almost hear it through the Concierto.

[MozzerFan]

Paula ouput on my A4000T is terribly low though, I can't almost hear it through the Concierto.

Had the same problem. Then I came across this thread at EAB:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=28802&highlight=concierto
 
It solved my problem.

[Jose]

I'm now considering that the Concierto might be screwed up, maybe even the PIV...
Or maybe some AHI setting or something but I'm pretty convinced it's hardware...

Maybe some capacitors are dead, the Concierto doesn't seem to have any though, could it be some on the PIV ?
Today I've striped down my A4000T and 4000D machines and tried the PIV on the 4000D. Took the oportunity to try a new Zorro daughtercard on the 4000D as the PIV never worked in it. It now works!!
My results on the 4000D are the same regarding the Concierto, sometimes there's something like a hiccup or something, as if there was no CPU power available for just a fraction of a second. I have latest libraries on both, and this happens even when playing files on the ramdisk. 4000D has a WarpEngine, 40Mhz and 4000T an MKII, 50Mhz.

I'm forgetting the low Paula sound for now, tried the suggestion above but didn't work, also forgot to try Paula ouput on the 4000D, I've now put the card back on the 4000T, what an idiot...

[Jose]

..Arggghhhhh
I've just remembered to simply try out Paula 14 bit AHI output (how could I've not remembered it?!) and, eventhough the sound is even lower than the already too low 8bit output of my 4000T, there's absolutely no hiccups whatsoever.
I can't think of any software config that could affect the Concierto like this, so looks like a have a dead card

BTW latest software for it is installed, got it from LexSite.

[Jose]

Other test:
ConciertoPlayMPEGA, which bypasses AHI has the same problems.
Pretty sure the card has problems now.

[MastaTabs]

Hi Jose,

at first you should try to connect some 'empty' RCA jacks into the Paula outputs of your current machine. That should usually boost the Amiga sound signal again, since the Amiga kind of mutes the outputs when there is nothing connected. This also affects the audio signals on the video slot.

Also how old is your PIV and what revisions do the MultiBridge and the FlickerFixer have ?
Many older cards (the PIVs) need a rework to get proper sound output.

The next thing is, that the Concierto wasn't exactly a good design cause it has a quite heavy interrupt usage because of the relatively small fifos of SoundBlaster compatible audio chips (only 256bytes). I have had customers in the past with some A1200 towerized systems with 060 cards who weren't able to playback 44.1 kHz 16bit stereo wav files without stutter. Could you maybe try to to rip a cd track as a wav file and play it back through Concierto and tell me if it still stutters ? If yes, is this also true for a mono file in 16bit 44 kHz ?

So far
Masta

[Jose]

@MastaTabs

Thanks a lot for replying. Big chip on the big socket on the middle of the PIV has "MACH220-12JC" on 1st line and "9739MPMC" on the second.
The PIV card has V1.2 printed on one of it's corners and there's a sticker on the underneath saying 9711265.

I did a quick test with AHI set to 22Khz and no stutter at all! Reverted it back to 44.1Khz and it's back, so it's that interrupt thing you describe. This is on An 4000T with a Cyberstorm MKII and 060 at 50mhz. The CPU meter on Songplayer is around 60% maximum on some MP3's. The stutter is also there in the 4000D with WarpEngine at 40Mhz and playing a CD directly (through SongPlayer), but it's slightly less frequent I think.

Can this be corrected ?

Regs
José

[Jose]

Forgot to test mono at 44Khz, just give me a moment...

[Jose]

Haven't tested thoroughly but from a quick listening 44Khz mono has very rare stutter but it defenitly appears here and there, sometimes it took 1 minute to appear or so.

[MastaTabs]

Erm, I don't need the revisions of the chips but of the chips contents as those are programable ones. You can get them from the PIV boot menu that you get when holding down one if the shift keys( instead of the mouse buttons for Early Startup Menu ) at boot time. When you left click a little below the lower right corner of the engraving frame you'll get a list with all installed modules and chip revisions. Hold out for the BridgeRevision and FlickerFixerRevision (or similar).

[Jose]

Ups, my bad Bridge is 0x04, FlickerF 0x07.

[Jose]

Banking setting:0x7
AudioSettings:0x00
IntStatus:0x00

Operates in ZorroIII mode
Board contains CL-GD5446 Rev.B
DDC bus is disabled
....

[Framiga]

what AHI version? the newer one are heavy even on my 060.

Personally i use the original one (4.18 or so)

[Jose]

@Framiga
I'm using 4.18 too.
I guess at this point I'm thinking that maybe the Concierto can't operate at all at 44.1Khz without stutter.
So the question is, has anyone actually got it working ?