Can someone help please (record/playback skipping).

Hi everyone. I got Adobe Audition 3.0 today and for some reason when i'm recording it skips and jumps, and then skips differently to how it recorded. Like, i can see it skipping when it records, but then it will skip on a different part when it plays back. Sometimes it's really bad and i don't know why.

I have played audio files on it and it works, while using Skype the digital mic works fine delivering and recieving sound. Even the metronome records in a way that sounds like a badly scratched drum and bass CD in the oldest, most beaten up 80's CD player about.

I have a Dell XPS M1530, its brand new and isn't likely to be the root of the cause as its an awesome laptop. I have a SigmaTel HD Audio Codec sound card.

Perhaps i'm not setting up the sound card... or something. I figured that it would just locate the right sound card.

Anyway, would someone be able to help me. Although i know how to recordand mix it i'm not sure whats going on, I almost don't care about all the other functions as long as i can record onto the program as i can then mess about with it later. I'm a bit noobish with this program.

All helpfull responses are appreciated.

Thanks, Mepha.

You're running Vista on the laptop, right?

Yea i'm on Vista, i had adobe audition 2.0 for my old laptop, which was on XP. And it done the same thing. In all honesty i thought it was my sound card and just abandoned it but could see the potential of the program and got 3.0 for my new laptop expecting it to work. But this one is doing the same. It was ok for like a few minutes and then it started cracking and skipping etc... So now i'm thinking its gotta be the actual setup in the sound properties, i'm wondering if any of you guys and gals just plugged and played, or had any problems. Might not be as common with imported beats made on reason or cubase or whatever as i'm actually recording. Although i was using my digital mic it done the same thing on 2.0 when using my tascam setup.

Yea i'm on Vista, i had adobe audition 2.0 for my old laptop, which was on XP. And it done the same thing. In all honesty i thought it was my sound card and just abandoned it but could see the potential of the program and got 3.0 for my new laptop expecting it to work. But this one is doing the same. It was ok for like a few minutes and then it started cracking and skipping etc... So now i'm thinking its gotta be the actual setup in the sound properties, i'm wondering if any of you guys and gals just plugged and played, or had any problems. Might not be as common with imported beats made on reason or cubase or whatever as i'm actually recording. Although i was using my digital mic it done the same thing on 2.0 when using my tascam setup.

One thing is certain, you need to set up AA3 to use the correct sound card. It is probably using a default driver. So go into the sound setup and make sure it is det up to use your card, and (prsumably) ASIO drivers at a reasonable latency. You can't expect AA3 to set itself up with no input from you.

Ok, and how do i set this up. I'm really new to this. I have had a mess about in the main track options but now it doesn't seem to be playing anything. I just want to be able to record well and i can learn from that. Any help in just getting set up to that point... Will be really helpfull. I just want to know how to set up the correct drivers on this program, i can't find a huge amount of help in the manual.

Thanks.

p.s has anyone else had this skipping program?

Ok, and how do i set this up. I'm really new to this. I have had a mess about in the main track options but now it doesn't seem to be playing anything. I just want to be able to record well and i can learn from that. Any help in just getting set up to that point... Will be really helpfull. I just want to know how to set up the correct drivers on this program, i can't find a huge amount of help in the manual.

Thanks.

p.s has anyone else had this skipping program?

I am sorry, but this is a professional piece of software and you can't be bothered to check out the help or read the manual about setting up you sound inputs? I am amazed you invested so much money in the software and then expect to be led by the nose. If you want to be able to record well, as you claim then put in the effort and learn the software properly. I am sorry if this seems rude or harsh, but too many people want to produce great music but don't want to break a sweat doing it - and that ain't the real world!

EDIT

Ok I cooled off a bit! Your are using a built in Mobo audicard - never a good idea. You machine spec looks OK, but I don't know if you will ever get good sound out of that Sigma thing. You might want to save your pennies and get a decent sound card for a laptop like the Echo Indigo or similar

Mepha, lots of people with the SigmaTel/Vista/Dell problem over there:

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1373474&SiteID=1

in fact: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=sigmatel+vista+problems&meta=

To set up AA3 to use your soundcard do this:

* At the top left under the word Adobe Click Edit > Audio Hardware Setup
* In the drop-down menu for Audio Driver choose Auditon 3 Windows Sound (try all of them until one works well for you)
* Un-check "Release ASIO driver in background"
* Make sure all Outputs in this window have the name of your soundcard. I don't know about Input, but again try the all until one works for you. Think about your Input and Output logically and you should be able to pick the right ones.
* Do the above for Edit View and Multirack View tabs in this small window.  

Ok, and how do i set this up. I'm really new to this. I have had a mess about in the main track options but now it doesn't seem to be playing anything. I just want to be able to record well and i can learn from that. Any help in just getting set up to that point... Will be really helpfull. I just want to know how to set up the correct drivers on this program, i can't find a huge amount of help in the manual.

Thanks.

p.s has anyone else had this skipping program?

I am sorry, but this is a professional piece of software and you can't be bothered to check out the help or read the manual about setting up you sound inputs? I am amazed you invested so much money in the software and then expect to be led by the nose. If you want to be able to record well, as you claim then put in the effort and learn the software properly. I am sorry if this seems rude or harsh, but too many people want to produce great music but don't want to break a sweat doing it - and that ain't the real world!

Yes too rude! When people are distraught or in a panic they can't think straight and can't make logical choices as per usual.

Ok, and how do i set this up. I'm really new to this. I have had a mess about in the main track options but now it doesn't seem to be playing anything. I just want to be able to record well and i can learn from that. Any help in just getting set up to that point... Will be really helpfull. I just want to know how to set up the correct drivers on this program, i can't find a huge amount of help in the manual.

Thanks.

p.s has anyone else had this skipping program?

I am sorry, but this is a professional piece of software and you can't be bothered to check out the help or read the manual about setting up you sound inputs? I am amazed you invested so much money in the software and then expect to be led by the nose. If you want to be able to record well, as you claim then put in the effort and learn the software properly. I am sorry if this seems rude or harsh, but too many people want to produce great music but don't want to break a sweat doing it - and that ain't the real world!

EDIT

Ok I cooled off a bit! Your are using a built in Mobo audicard - never a good idea. You machine spec looks OK, but I don't know if you will ever get good sound out of that Sigma thing. You might want to save your pennies and get a decent sound card for a laptop like the Echo Indigo or similar

Well, i'm sorry. I got it with the laptop, it came as part of the deal i bought. I will learn as i go along and although i'm sure that you know what you're doing, or you have been trained in musical programming i'm normally not the one to deal with that as such. I just write. I'm just asking for a little help you know, we all need to learn somewhere about this program and i didn't want to bother people and i had a look for help guides and stuff but i'm not finding much.  I really just want to learn about it. But i know it must be annoying for a nooblet like me to come here and ask for basic help, normally i've used a Tascom Portastudio digital and thats quite straight forward.  But thanks BFM, i'll give that a shot.

[EDIT] Well theres a definate improvement, so thanks a lot guys, i'm gonna have to have a play with it. Trial and error.  Its mainly for recording when we're on the road and I won't see our sound tech guy till next week so its been a big help. Anyway. Thanks a lot and good luck.

Ok, and how do i set this up. I'm really new to this. I have had a mess about in the main track options but now it doesn't seem to be playing anything. I just want to be able to record well and i can learn from that. Any help in just getting set up to that point... Will be really helpfull. I just want to know how to set up the correct drivers on this program, i can't find a huge amount of help in the manual.

Thanks.

p.s has anyone else had this skipping program?

I am sorry, but this is a professional piece of software and you can't be bothered to check out the help or read the manual about setting up you sound inputs? I am amazed you invested so much money in the software and then expect to be led by the nose. If you want to be able to record well, as you claim then put in the effort and learn the software properly. I am sorry if this seems rude or harsh, but too many people want to produce great music but don't want to break a sweat doing it - and that ain't the real world!

Yes too rude! When people are distraught or in a panic they can't think straight and can't make logical choices as per usual.

Geeze I didn't realise he was panicking or distraught, how did you find out?

[don't]

Mepha, I've done a lot of "work" on problems with laptop audio and Vista, particularly with these internal soundcards, although I've mainly been looking at Realtek versions.

I'd agree with the advice to use an external soundcard for anything serious, but you may want to use the internal laptop speakers etc, and so want to keep using the internal card at times.

The first thing to check is whether the soundcard has any effects enabled in its properties. Disable all these.
The next thing is the usual check that you would do on any machine to see any supposedly background services that might affect recording and playback.
You could also check "my" particular effect by generating, say, 1 minute of 1kHz tone at 0dB (ie full level) and playing it back reasonably loudly via laptop speaker and then via headphones. If you experience breaking up, or the machine hanging, with the loudspeaker, don't try the test again, but do report back here!

Be assured that you are not alone, but beware of wasting huge amounts of time on this. Do consider an external audio interface.

Ok, well its being a bit poo again so i'm gonna that a go... God this was more than i bargained for. Wht type of external card are you suggesting? I am using a tascm US 122. WHich is quite good for basic recording on the move. I'll report back to you later once i've figured it out. Ta.

My Tascam 122 works OK. I had a long session of guitar recording on a Vista machine with it the other day, and no problems. Using the relatively new Tascam Vista drivers, of course.

I've also used my Edirol UA-20 successfully, plus (although I haven't had time to do a really long test), the Tascam FW-1884. Most people here, though, are still avoiding Vista.

For the first time in months I bought a computer magazine today (PCPro in the UK) and one of the main threads was related to problems with Vista, Dell machines and Sigmatel audio. It seemed to be saying the Dell "are still investigating". My Acer, Lenovo and one other laptop here all have audio quirks when they run Vista. 

Well .. insn't Vista turning out to be another Windows ME!