MediaMonkey forum

If I set the Wasapi output to exclusive mode, there is an audible click when tracks are changed. With wasapi in shared mode or DirectSound there is no gap or click. I have made sure to disable Crossfade.

Is this a bug or a trait of Wasapi in exclusive mode? Is there anyway to minimize the click?

Hi,

I can't replicate in build 1397. Is it still occurring for you?

If yes, please provide hardware details and OS.

Thanks.

-Rusty

I just now did several tests with 1397 on a few different albums and tracks, unfortunately the problem is still there

Directsound and Wasapi non exclusive - track changes are not audible
Wasapi exclusive - There is an audible click

Hardware:
Windows 64bit Ultimate

(onboard sound is disabled) Audio through USB -> Cambridge Audio DacMagic

Just to add to this, to make sure it's not a driver or USB DAC hardware issue. I have now tried playing music with different software and there was no click during track change even in Wasapi exclusive mode, so this appears to be a problem with MediaMonkey (same problem in all the versions I have tried thus far, including 1399)

The USB DAC uses Windows built-in drivers "C-Media USB Headphone Set" v6.1.7601.17514

Tracked at http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=8090

Anyone else experiencing this?

-Rusty

How do you have the WASAPI plug-in configured? Is there any change in case you change its settings (e.g. turn crossfading on/off)? And if you try various samplerates of the source tracks, is there any change? And if you change the target Format from Auto to a particular one (like 44.1kHz, 2 channels, 16 bits), is there any change?

Thanks,
Jiri

Ok I did some more extensive testing.

These are the settings I usually have:


I have tried setting Wasapi Exlusive:

- 441000 Hz 16 bit, 448000 Hz 16 bit and Automatic sample rate
- Crossfade and Crossfade + Fade in New Track, tried different fades 0.5 to 5 seconds
- Remove Silence

I still get the click with all combinations of these settings.


But now here is something interesting, I tried experimenting with the Advanced settings, I disabled "event driven exclusive mode" and restarted MediaMonkey. And this appears to have fixed the problem, I can't hear any click on track changes. I don't really understand exactly what this setting does, would disabling this be viable workaround, or is there any degradation or downside doing this?.

No, it's not a problem. Event driven mode is preferred mainly due to a lower latency of audio output, but in case it doesn't work well for you (which unfortunately does happen sometimes, probably due to buggy drivers), it's ok to disable it, quality of the output is exactly the same.

Jiri

jiri wrote:No, it's not a problem. Event driven mode is preferred mainly due to a lower latency of audio output, but in case it doesn't work well for you (which unfortunately does happen sometimes, probably due to buggy drivers), it's ok to disable it, quality of the output is exactly the same.

Jiri

Thanks for the information, it's good to know I have a workaround . I will be using MediaMonkey with "event driven exclusive mode" disabled for now.

However as I have not heard this clicking issue with other applications, my guess is that the drivers should be pretty stable (as the drivers are provided by Microsoft, and the Cambridge Audio DacMagic has been out a few years and it's popular amongst audiophiles, so I would assume most driver related issues would have been sorted out by now).

Based on the previous testing, it seems that other applications usually use non-event driven model, probably due to less problems in some cases. However, this is just my guess based on the feedback and testing I have had so far.

Jiri

FYI - I have also noticed this on build 1449 using a Lynx Two in Exclusive mode and the latest Build 19 Lynx drivers. Unchecking exclusive mode resolved these clicks.

Interestingly, if I had Exclusive mode selected and then unselected "Event Driven Exclusive Mode" nothing would play at all.

Thanks
John

I've just been playing with this and it's not the "Exclusive Mode" that's causing it at all, it seems to be the sampling frequency. If I play a 16/44.1 CD rip at 16 bit 44.1KHz or 24 bit 44.1Khz there is no click; as soon as I change the sampling frequency to 48KHz or above, then I get the single click at the very beginning of the track. This happens whether the soundcard driver has dither engaged or not.

The answer seems to be to use MM "Exclusive Mode" with "Automatic choice of format (per track)" which seems to stop the clicking and allows me to have higher quality tracks replayed using the correct bit rate and sampling frequency settings.

Ta
John