Noob Problem: Sound/Digi-Samples popping/clicking in SSE 4.1.2, almost...
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Hello!
Thank you very much for this great emulator. I'm a noob and I've only been getting deeper into ST emulation lately and love Steem SSE, it does really have anything I could want from a program like this.
Sorry if I missed something very obvious with the problem I have. I found quite a few discussions about it online, but I couldn't find a definite solution for the problem so far.
There's one issue left for me to solve with Steem SSE, and that is sound problems. The sound crackles on my Win1064 system, as if something with the output of digitized samples is permanently wrong. Depends on the game I play how nasty it gets, but the crackles and drop-outs seem to be there all the time, if I listen more closely
So I searched found a lot of older forum posts about similar problems with Steem, and one older release than the current one I use at the moment (4.1.2. 32bit) was praised several times for having gotten rid of similarily described sound problems as I have now, Version 3.9.3. I downloaded and checked it out and indeed the sound was ALMOST perfect on my system with the very same settings. There seem to be a few crackles left, but the vast majority of the sound problems was gone.
A lot of the current features I like and use are of course not yet there in this older version, so I still want to use the current one.
What I wanted to ask is if this a known regress of Steem itself? Is there a workaround for the current version yet? Or a newer version or development version that restores sound quality at least at the level of 3.9.3?
Hi,
I'm unaware of such bug.
Please copy your configuration data (TRACE.txt) to check your sound options, and please find a clear case (program) where it happens (works on older version and real ST, not in v4.1.2).
Things that may help in case the problem is not emulation but rendering:
Options/Sound/Delay: increase
Options/Sound/Sample Rate: at least 44.1 KHz
Options/Sound/Format: 16-Bit Stereo
Options/General/Run speed: 100%
Options/General/Make Steem high priority: check
Options/General/Emulation thread: check
Also check if Options/Sound/Sound sources/YM-2149/Low-level makes a difference.
Thanks a lot for your reply!
Attached here is trace.txt from the current version that has crackling sound in a more intense way (I'm not sure if it helps if I also post the 3.9.3 trace.txt, of course I can do that, too.)
I will check modifying the options you named a little later tonight and post if there was any difference.
One good example I can name right now of software that shows the versions' sound performance differ quite much is a game "Skull Diggery". It has clicks in the title melody sequence as well as in the sound that gets performed (little steps as you move in a Boulder Dash - like setting). It is crackling-free in the 3.9.3 version , just from level two or three on (not the first time, curtiously) on the sound that performs if I go to the exit door of a level seems distorted, too. But it's much better there. It's also very noticable in Addams Family that has very bad sound in current version, while more clear sound in 3.9.3. These are very noticable cases, but as I said, crackling problems in more or less noticable forms in about any software I tried. I'm using Putnik version of these games in case this is of interest (the problems seem to stay there regardless if I use hd versions or st/stx discs, though, I tried it with Addams Family.)
Oh, I forgot: Low-Level /YM-2149 makes no difference, also going into the older filter version or turning the newer to the left side of that filter control doesn't make any difference either. Also machine and TOS options from St to Ste to Mega St to Mega STE with the recommended UK TOS version in your manual didn't do anything as well.
The filter will change while running only if you check Options/General/Emulation thread.
You must stop emulation before changing that option (of course).
You must hear a difference. At 0 there's no sound. If too high, there's aliasing.
Low-level is louder, more saturated.
Oh, you're right. I stopped Emulation and could check "Emulation Thread" box finally. And now I actually hear differences - the filter changes the sound from high to low pitched, old filter settings have a somewhat different sound etc. Dumb noob problem lol.
Unfortunately, the pops / clicks are still there, also with changed filters and the other settings. Old Filter and new filter settings or unchecking the other source options don't have an effect on the crackling. But I will check hard loop timing and microseconds tomorrow and write here if it helps and what helped, and then I'll leave it be if it doesn't work
I had a look at the options you named and noticed:
I apparently can't even change YM-2149 and digital sound, if I uncheck, I noticed now it's checked again if I start the program anew. I can change Low-Level, though. but the changes don't change anything about the sound.
I checked high pritority, but it doesn't change anything.
It was already at 16-bit / 44.1 khz. Changing to 48 khz didn't change anything.
Run Speed was already at 100%.
Emulation Thread is greyed out for some reason. I can't check it.
Delay increase from 2 to 4 frames doesn't change anything.
Sorry, can't reproduce. Notice there was no Mega STE option in v3.9.3 and last Steem version is R6.
It's possible that video sync has an effect. I use Display/Auto VSync, fine for my 100Hz display.
You could try that or Microseconds or change the hard loop timing.
Ok, thank you very much ! Will try these settings tomorrow.
Just one question: I got a Laptop attached to a Full HD TV Screen via HDMI. Could that have anything to do with a problem like this?
But that setup doesn't give me any sound problems with other programs and emulators and, as I wrote, also doesn't occur that much with 3.9.3.
Could be. You can test if there's a difference with and without the TV.
Ok, had no luck with those settings. Vsync settings (Auto Vsync on/off, Vsync on/off in all combinations) didn't change anything, increasing hard loop didn't change anything, and checking microseconds seemed to make it worse.
But possibly running those programs without HDMI connection only on Laptop may have made it better. It's hard to say, because the Laptop speaker is not really giving any good clear sound anyway.
Maybe something with my hardware and setup that's hard to pinpoint may be the root of this, if no one else has these problems with this version.
An alternative for me would be just to use 3.9.3 on this system, as for whatever reason it seems to run better.
So my final question about this is how to make that older version load individual profiles/ini for games by default.
In the current version I can simply create a bat like
"PATH/Steem32D3D.exe" "PATH/XYZ.ini"
And it will load the program with the individually saved ini I choose.
But that doesn't work in 3.9.3. It always defaults to the steem.ini in the same folder. Although it has the option to save individual profiles, I can't figure out how to create individual shortcuts loading them up automatically with the program.
Is there some way to do this with 3.9.3, with some command line options or something else?
A final update, just in case anyone else is bothered by the same weird sound issues on their systems that plagued me: I could solve all problems I described here by ultimately going back to Steem SSE 4.0.2. The sound is completely ok for me in that version and is (tested) the same performance as Hatari on my system. Even the minor issues I still had with 3.9.3 are gone. Also, the thing I mentioned about configuration files in the end is also working in 4.0.2. I can create batch files and shortcuts just like in the current version.
Ok, that's it.
Last edit: blam666 2023-03-02
To mimic previous versions of Steem, hard loop timing should be 1ms. I changed the default to 2ms because there's a lot of misses with 1ms.
If it's worse with microseconds, it looks like the laptop hasn't great performance. "High priority" should help.
Most laptops have adequate sound (48KHz is probably better handled), which you can check with headphones.
But whatever works for you. v3.9.4 was a great version, so was v4.0.2.
Sounds like a tricky issue! Have you checked if there are any changes in buffer settings or sample rate defaults between the two versions? Sometimes newer versions handle audio processing differently, which could cause the popping. Might be worth experimenting with those settings or even checking for driver updates. By the way, if you're into gaming, I've been diving into FC Mobile Unlimited Money recently—super fun! Hope you get the sound issue sorted!
Last edit: jamesbrown 2024-12-19