XXHighEnd

Ultimate Audio Playback => XXHighEnd Support => Topic started by: JohanZ on April 11, 2009, 09:34:14 pm



Title: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on April 11, 2009, 09:34:14 pm
Hi Peter,

Today i have noticed the spinning up and down sound of the external drives during playback in version 09x-7. I was expecting that all the data was copied to the internal drive! So i decided to do a small test because i have chosen for "Copy to xx-drive by standard". (see settings). After loading a compleet cd and a play command i switched off the external drives. What happed:
1 Music keeps playing
2 in unattended mode, the track titel and indicator stay's on the first track
3 every new track i got an error message. Music keeps playing.

Is this normal behaviour?

Regards, Johan



Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: SeVeReD on April 12, 2009, 02:00:06 am
This doesn't happen for me.  All of my 3 firewire linked external drives with the music files stay off after loading files.  I need to watch how quickly they go to sleep, but it seems to me it must be pretty quick.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on April 12, 2009, 08:11:33 am
Johan,

Can it be that you were playing a Saved Playlist here ? (from the combox box "Playlist Name")
If so, that is the reason. But I guess you don't do that ...

You said this before somewhere, right ?
And XXHighEnd is not installed on that I: drive I guess ? (I know, a stupid question, bit still ...)

This is tough to debug ...

You might post the XX log file from just before the one you already posted (this is the one from bringing it up after playback).

Another thing : First loading the album in the Playlist Area, and then ticking "Copy to XX-Drive" is too late I think.
At fiddling around a bit, you can just look in the X3 log files yourself; when the Data Parameter shows I:\ it is not good. All should point to C:\ or wherever XXHighEnd is running.

Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on April 12, 2009, 10:04:47 am
Quote
   Can it be that you were playing a Saved Playlist here ?   
I don't use that

Quote
     And XXHighEnd is not installed on that I: drive I guess ?
Drive D: (internal drive). It has tree partitions c:,d: & e:

Quote
     You might post the XX log file ...
See Attachment

Quote
     and then ticking "Copy to XX-Drive" is too late I think. 
This is a default setting for me.

Quote
     All should point to C:\ or wherever XXHighEnd is running
D:/ in my case

Quote
you can just look in the X3 log files yourself; when the Data Parameter shows I:\ it is not good.

It's not so easy to read all those line's. I will give it a try.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on April 12, 2009, 10:28:52 am
Quote
   ....when the Data Parameter shows I:\ it is not good. All should point to C:\ or wherever XXHighEnd is running.
 
Looking in XX3 i see:
20:17:24.2159025 Data Parameter : 0320:DATA:I:\Music\Jazz\STEVEK~1\2006-T~1\02-CON~1.WAV:TIME:8:09.46:BITRATE:1411:TYPE:WAV:START::CV:D:\Galeries\Jazz\STEVEK~1\2006-T~1\folder.jpg:CB::VL:-6:IV:0

????? :wacko:


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on April 12, 2009, 10:32:06 am
Yeah, also the last log file clearly shows I must be doing something wrong. So what you just pointed out is that the CoverArt is ok, but not the music file itself.
Will sort it out !

:whistle:


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on April 12, 2009, 10:51:44 am
Quote
 So what you just pointed out is that the CoverArt is ok, but not the music file itself.
 
I had the impression that the music is ok because it all plays from the internal drive but the coverart needs every track the external drive. When switched off the wallpaper don't get an update anymore...but you are the designer so..


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on June 18, 2009, 06:27:19 pm

Quote
  ...I had the impression that the music is ok because it all plays from the internal drive but the coverart needs every track the external drive. When switched off the wallpaper don't get an update anymore...  

Also next version ????? :)


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on June 18, 2009, 08:05:06 pm
Hi Johan,

I must still look into this, but I try to get everything pending into the next version.
But it can't harm to remind me ! :)

Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on August 01, 2009, 01:23:02 pm
Quote
Also next version ?????  :)

Yes !

This was a more tricky thing, and it went wrong at the introduction of the listing of the track names at "the back" of the CD. So the "I:" path was used to sort out them tracks.

For Dave : Yes, for you too that happens, if you're only using the Wallpaper. For you (Cue File Secretary) it even happens double, because the track data has to come from the .cue file, and that too was taken from the original location.

Both problems are solved, so Johan, let me know whether it is ok at your side with the new version (shouldn't take ages anymore now ! :)).

Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on August 01, 2009, 03:58:34 pm
Quote
  Both problems are solved,...  
No clicking sound of the harddisk anymore during playback, thanks!  :veryhappy: I will test it, as soon as the new version arrives.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: SeVeReD on August 01, 2009, 07:02:58 pm
Quote
Also next version ?????  :)

Yes !

This was a more tricky thing, and it went wrong at the introduction of the listing of the track names at "the back" of the CD. So the "I:" path was used to sort out them tracks.

For Dave : Yes, for you too that happens, if you're only using the Wallpaper. For you (Cue File Secretary) it even happens double, because the track data has to come from the .cue file, and that too was taken from the original location.

Both problems are solved, so Johan, let me know whether it is ok at your side with the new version (shouldn't take ages anymore now ! :)).

Peter

hmm
I hope I didn't throw you off.  Seems like every time I look at my external drives they're asleep ... maybe they go off very quick or I've only checked when I play something with a back cover heh?


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on August 01, 2009, 07:41:32 pm
That would be right, yes. With a back cover all is/was ok.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: SeVeReD on August 01, 2009, 10:33:10 pm
That would be right, yes. With a back cover all is/was ok.

hmm, could this be (and i hate to spread paranoia, but....) why I maybe maybe perceive sound quality loss when you introduced that mirror image feature when only having a front cover (i am so wierd,,, some albums I've actually copied the front cover and call it back.jpg to to get around having you generate the mirror image)... maybe now I won't need the feature you've put in the upcoming version to only show the front cover... hehe  So, maybe it was because of my spinning external HDDs.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on August 01, 2009, 11:27:16 pm
Yes ... That is what I created the back cover feature for. :swoon:

Anyway, in the next version you can shut the back off. Still necessary or not. :)


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7 and 09y)
Post by: JohanZ on August 12, 2009, 10:59:41 am
Quote
 I will test it, as soon as the new version arrives.  

Unattended, switched external disk off after the first sound of the track. Still needs the I: drive. See attachment.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on August 12, 2009, 12:49:11 pm
And this is with ticked "Copy to XX Drive" ?

Ticked anything like Upsample etc. ?


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on August 12, 2009, 03:17:17 pm
Never mind. I've already seen it's wrong. Solved in 0.9y-1.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on August 12, 2009, 06:01:06 pm
ticked "Copy to XX Drive? "yes"
Upsample? Double? Where are these options??????  After selecting DA setting to 32 bits, these settings are disabled. see attachment


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on August 12, 2009, 11:31:34 pm
Hmm ... that never changed. But it is wrong anyway. Solved in 0.9y-1.

Btw, your DAC "is" not 32 bits, but 24.

This is going to be too complicated ...


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on August 12, 2009, 11:33:51 pm
Never mind. I've already seen it's wrong. Solved in 0.9y-1.

Not quite. This by itself will be solved, but "Copy to XX-Drive" will be the most unreliable for now;
If you select another sequence of tracks (opposed to just before), XX has to be closed and restarted first, or otherwise the same tracks as before will play ...


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09y-2a)
Post by: JohanZ on August 27, 2009, 04:41:07 pm
Switching the disks off gives a tilde (~) in the album and track name of the Wallpaper. Switching the disks on solves this tilde (~) problem. See attachment

I have the impression that the disks didn't start every track again...So problem solved....


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on August 27, 2009, 06:47:43 pm
Hi Johan,

I still want to look into this, because it smells like it needs the original disk to workout the full path (??). I can't imagine how (for sure not if you say the disks stay calm), but I wonder how it can be that the full path suddenly can't be worked out.

Are you 100% sure the disks don't spin up throughout an album ? If so, I guess I'll leave it to that ...

Don't hurry with this, but when you have any additional info, please let me know.
Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09y-3)
Post by: JohanZ on September 17, 2009, 11:55:32 am
Quote
 Are you 100% sure the disks don't spin up throughout an album ? If so, I guess I'll leave it to that ...
 

Unfortunately the problem is still present. During playback i can still hearing the external disk spin up! (Using the settings Copy to XX-Drive (internal drive)) I have the impression that spinup/down sound of the external drive starts after a couple of tracks.

Switching the power off from the external drive after the first track has started in XX, then from the second track to the end i get that tilde problem in the album and track name of the Wallpaper. Music keeps playing. External drives are connected via esata .



Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09y-3)
Post by: PeterSt on September 17, 2009, 12:36:35 pm
Ok, I will try to find it !
Thanks.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on September 20, 2009, 12:01:11 pm
Oh my ...
I actually did solve it the previous time, but the way I did that let show the diacritical marks wrongly. So when I found out about that I applied something like "obtain the full name" and *that* now needed access to the original location (hence spinup the disk). This is why you saw a short Dos name when the disk was not available (plug it out), and which -as I know now- doesn't produce any error message, but just can't work out the short name to a long name, and that's it.

With some creativity I "again" solved it ...(0.9y-4).
Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 11, 2009, 05:22:36 pm
Quote
  Switching the external disks off gives a tilde (~) in the album and track name of the Wallpaper.  

Solved indeed in 09y-4! When I switched the external drives off, all music keeps playing and no tilde (~) problem.

But. :prankster: :wacko:......during playback I hear sometimes several times disk activities. Lets say every 30 seconds for a couple of seconds. Resulting in stuttering sound! In version 09y-3 it was less irritating. How can I check what caused these diskactivities?
I have switched off a lot of services as suggested on this site in an attemp to stop these diskactivities.
Some XX settings:
ticked "Copy to XX Drive
Arc Prediction Quad upsampling


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 11, 2009, 06:02:25 pm
Hi Johan,

This is probably because the Quad Upsampling that it is more apparent because the "internal" files are much larger (I think 8 times), and now your "Split file at size" parameter jumps in. When this causes stutters in the sound, this is because of your ever, well, processor-thing (whatever it is), and these are your possibilities :

a. Set the parameter larger, so all can be kept into memory, causing no stutters, but causing a possible out of memory; :swoon:
b. Set the parameter smaller, so even more of there occurrences will be there, but, they will be smaller and may not interrupt your sound.

but also

c. Again play with your Core Appointment setting;
d. Make the distance between Player Priority (lowest) and Thread Priority (highest) as large as possible.

Side note : I am bothered by this too a bit, and I had to lower the Split file size to 120MB (was 150MB). Now maybe once-twice in an hour I notice a small stutter. Also notice that I have 2GB only, and highering that parameter is no solution (out of memory at occasions).

Anyway, the disk acticity is from the "XX drive".

Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 11, 2009, 06:15:25 pm
Quote
 Anyway, the disk acticity is from the "XX drive".
  

Did You mean the drive where XX is installed? This is an internal 2,5" drive, a very quiet one you can't hear!
The sound i hear is coming from the external drives!


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 11, 2009, 06:17:16 pm
Ahum ... you mean those drives you switched off ? :nea:
Now I don't understand. :)


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 11, 2009, 06:37:49 pm
Hi Peter,

All external drives contains the music. So I can't leave them switched off.

I hear in the latest version of XX during music playback sometimes again this switching sound of the external drives.

I only did a test by switching them off to check the "copy to xx" functionality. Indeed music keeps playing. I did this test two tracks!

Music keeps playing. So it don't need these external drives during playback. Question what caused that diskacivity????

So in normal operation i need those external drives. 


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 11, 2009, 07:05:30 pm
Yes, but, uhm, there is nothing that says "If the disk is there, let's get it from there, otherwise do nothing". So ...

So if you have them switched off (and you can easily try that for a whole album), it is 100% sure not me doing that. But remember, per your own seeing that playback can indeed do without them. And that seems to be the case (at last :)).

So it must be Vista ...

Did you switch off the Indexing for each of them ? No page files appointed for them ? and generally, if you applied everything from my "Tweaked Vista to death" topic ... it should be sufficient per my own findings (which were without service pack btw).

You could try to look at the Resource Monitor (button in Task Manager) and maybe you can find something from there ? If you see more than the (IIRC) 4 resources having disk activity I showed myself in that "tweaked" thread, that will be suspicious. Keep in mind always to wait a little until things died out, and maybe test this with a high "Split file at size" setting (and thus better no Upsampling for now) or otherwise you will see XX's activities for the "XX drive".


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 11, 2009, 08:45:17 pm
Quote
   ......this is because of your ever, well, processor-thing (whatever it is),..........   

I'm using a AMD Athlon 64X2 Dual Processor 2.00 Ghz. Internal 2942 MB internal memory
 
Quote
 you switch off the Indexing for each of them ? No page files appointed for them ? and generally, if you applied everything from my "Tweaked Vista to death" topic ... it should be sufficient per my own findings (which were without service pack btw).  
Yes Yes......

I have new OCZ vertex 60GB Solid State Disk. Time I think to switch to Windows 7 and SSD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! New changes.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 12, 2009, 10:41:48 pm
After some external disk activities during playback I have switched the drive off . After one ore two tracks XX stops playing with a message I missed. See attachments for the log files.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 12, 2009, 11:06:42 pm
Quote
with a message I missed.

:wacko: which was ? :wacko:

:scratching:


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 12, 2009, 11:26:02 pm
Playing unattended, switch external drive off, message, XX stopped, message gone. I will test it tomorrow again. What happens on your system when switching off the external disk during playback?


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 12, 2009, 11:51:51 pm
When they are not used, nothing ! But chances are high that something else happens, and this is a message like "Device invalidated" (meaning the DAC) and a few more in this direction. They can already happen when you plug out the main amp !

Just switch the drive(s) off after the Wallpaper and OSD and everything shows ok. Not sooner, and not much (than some 20 secs) later. If that is not causing a serious (PSU) interrupt, sound will continue. When sound keeps on playing, you can start to investigate. And really, one album long (at "Copy to XX Drive" of course).


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09y-4)
Post by: JohanZ on October 23, 2009, 12:45:00 pm
Quote
  Just switch the drive(s) off after the Wallpaper and OSD and everything shows ok. Not sooner, and not much (than some 20 secs) later.  
I have done this test several times and indeed music keeps playing and no strange tilde signs.

But in this last version (09y-4) I have on a regular base stuttering sound (fraction of a second). I have the impression that it always starts with external disk activity.

Today after the first cd i did hear again external disk activity. At a certain moment every minute. I decided to switch off the external disks. Music keeps playing untill I got a message in XX that the music could not find on H:.....the external drive!!!! This message disappeared automatically after 1 minute and xx stopped. But this prove for me that XX needs something from the external disk or....

In the last day's I have monitored all disk activities, system IO, active tasks, Services,....I thought I found the course a troijan hors responsable for the disk activities.....unfortunately that wasn't the cause. Problem still exists. Please help.....how to stop this irritation's
See attachment for settings.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: Eric on October 23, 2009, 02:00:04 pm
Johan,
I am afraid I have been suffering from the same behaviour in my setup. For some reason the interruptions mostly occur when I am having visitors  :). For the time being, I keep my disks running all the time. I know that this is not a real solution, but it gives me peace of mind when I am enjoying the excellent sound of 0.9y-4.
Cheers,
Eric


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 23, 2009, 04:06:59 pm
Quote
 ...I have been suffering from the same behaviour in my setup  
I'm not the only one!  :drinks: At least some problems with the disc's has been solved in XX by this Topic.

The computer is standing in the listeningroom so I hate computer noise or the spinup sound of the external drives inclusive the stuttering sound in this version. I'm using a fanless CPU cooling, so why keep the disc's running.

And when "copy files to XX-drive" is marked I'm expecting no disk activities from XX.

Last but not least, music is very important for me and XX is the best way to reproduce the music!

Regards


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 25, 2009, 01:25:40 am
Quote
 Today after the first cd i did hear again external disk activity. At a certain moment every minute.   
This evening again! After Four or five times every minute when this happens (music stutters for one second) I switched the external drive off resulting in an application crash. I'm not certain but i have the impression that this sometimes happens after 3 or 4 tracks.... It make's no difference when quad, arc prediction option is deselected.

Is it possible to create an option to switch off the extarnal drive(s) when "copy to drive" is selected and after a play command  and all was copied to the internal drive? Did I make an error by copying to the gallery or ....


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 25, 2009, 06:55:23 am
Hi Johan,

Thus far I always found a "bug" regarding this, so I guess there's just one other hiding somewhere. But the problem is, I have nothing to hunt for. I mean, if you switch off the disks (like you told in an earlier post) and all keeps on running, what to do or what to think. I sure won't say you're on your own, but I am afraid it is you who can find out in this case ... not me ! :cry:

It can *very well* be that Vista is doing this to help you out so to say. For sure if you didn't apply all those "Vista to dead" things. Hard to explain, but it (otherwise) wants to keep notice of what you used, prepares for when you may use it again, copy it to a "fast" place etc. ... this really is so.

If this is happening and XX crashes, maybe we can do something with that. I guess not, but maybe. Does that happen always ? screencopy of the error maybe ?


One very different thing I wanted to ask you for a long time : How can it be you hear your disks spin up ? I am buying random brands for the last 3 years (say each 3-4 monts a new disk), and none of my disks are audible. Not for spinning, and not for spinning up. And most certainly no clicks. These clicks, to me, seem from the past, where the head was locked at spin off for transportation. And I mean the past like 25 years ago. So maybe something is wrong with that itself ?

Quote
Is it possible to create an option to switch off the extarnal drive(s) when "copy to drive" is selected and after a play command  and all was copied to the internal drive?

Yes, I think so. Last week I downloaded the latest DDK (Driver Development Kit) just for this. I didn't get around to it yet, but it was my plan already. This is sneaky stuff because officially it can't be done.

You may post the log files from such a situation (XX and X3) ... but I'm sure by now you know how to read them and saw nothing yourself ...
If that crash can easily be re-done, and you'd have log file of that, this would be the best (if it is XX crashing you meant).


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 25, 2009, 12:56:29 pm
Hi Peter,

A lot of frustrations here...great sound.....disks spin-up....stuttering sound...spin-down..great sound........

Quote
 .....How can it be you hear your disks spin up ? I am buying random brands for the last 3 years (say each 3-4 monts a new disk), and none of my disks are audible. Not for spinning, and not for spinning up. And most certainly no clicks.  

Samsung Spinpoint drives got good testresults, special energyconsuming and 'soundlevel' So I only have samsung drives 500GB and 750GB. On another PC I hear the same sound Spinup, clicking sound, From the side of Samsung " All hard disk drives make some noise, usually during spin-up or spin-down cycle; this is normal " Other remark on Internet about the clicking sound: " ...it is the drive heads retracting into their parked position."

 
Quote
 ....But the problem is, I have nothing to hunt for. I mean, if you switch off the disks (like you told in an earlier post) and all keeps on running,  

I have noticed 2 situations after the play command when all music is copied to the internal drive:
1 I switched the drives off during the first track, the music keeps playing;
2 After some tracks I hear the sound of the external drives. Switching the drives of results in a couple of times in "Music file does not  exist......" and once in an XXapplication crash.

See attachment for "Music file does not exist" message, inclusive the log files (I: is the external drive)

Is XX responsable for the external diskactivity during playback or Vista?
 


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 25, 2009, 01:20:46 pm
Johan, where is your XX Log file ?

I only need it to proove to you that you didn't apply "Copy to XX drive". Or at list it looks like it;
Your file comes from the I: drive. Here is works okay ...

Keep in mind to test with the same (kind of) .wav files as you did with the test from the log files, or otherwise things workout differently to start with.

At the 8th line of your X3 log file is says :

10:53:17.9255635 Track Name : I:\Music\Jazz\ERICVL~3\2009-L~1\01-COR~1.WAV

this should be something like

13:04:29.9065429 Track Name : 01-RIV~1.WAV

which I just got from my own log file.
Keep in mind : use normal .wav to test this.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: ed linssen on October 25, 2009, 01:30:52 pm
Hi Johan,

I work with WD caviar blue, 5400 speed, 8MBcash. Higher is more noise in starting, stopping, running, parking and seek. The caviars don,t park on zero( I think) so there is less movement of the head mechanisme. And if you want realy dead quiet discs, than choose for the 2.5 inches, the laptop ones. You will not be aware the is a disc(discs) in your computer! Negative thing is, the smaller ones are more expensive than their bigger brothers. But if you can live with 320gig ones, they are quite affordable.

Ed


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 25, 2009, 01:38:22 pm
Quote
 Johan, where is your XX Log file ?
 
I did not found them. I do a new attemp to create this situation this evening.
XX setting is always "copy to XX drive" I will check this.
I only work with normal .wav files


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 27, 2009, 06:30:35 pm
Difficult to reproduce this messages, but today all the messages for another cd:
"Music file does not exist" message
Application crash.

1 What i did was loading the playlist and play. After a few tracks pause and again a play command. I don't know if this is relevant.
2 At a certain moment i hear the external drive activated
3 small brake in the music but music keeps playing
4 after the second time I'll wait and switched the external drive off
5 music keeps playing, untill a fraction before it end's
6 message "Music file does not exist" This message disappears automatically within a couple of minutes.
7 XX stops
8 Application crash

Settings "Copy by XX drive standard", for me it is D: drive

See attachment all logfiles


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 27, 2009, 07:28:52 pm
But to be clear ... was your Copy to XX Drive always on ?
I mean, thus your previous posts are about when this was set to On ?

Also, can you please lookup the XX log file which is one "version" older than the one you attached ? So, the one you attached was after XXHighEnd restarted, while there must be another one from when you started playback. It should have a time (in its file name) of around 17:38 (and not 17:53 which is the one you attached).

Thanks !
Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 27, 2009, 08:54:05 pm
Quote
 But to be clear ... was your Copy to XX Drive always on ? I mean, thus your previous posts are about when this was set to On ?   
YES, its alway on. I don't like the sound of the external drive.

Quote
It should have a time (in its file name) of around 17:38
See Attachment


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 28, 2009, 08:50:56 am
Hi Johan,

Please help me with one tiny thing more (only takes 2 minutes);

Load that same album (Mike Manieri), switch On "Start Engine3 during conversion" and press Play, the same as you did it yesterday. When all tracks have been processed and XXHighEnd has disappeared, please attach the XX log file of that.

I don't expect this "Start Engine3" to help, but it helps me comparing with what I always see in my own log files. But also, it is the only thing you have set different (and may matter) compared to my own situation. And in your case it just takes the files from I: !
By now it is almost more interesting how it is possible that you can play a whole album without that drive attached. So there is more (and it could be just playing FLACs or tracks to otherwise convert).

Very strange so far ...


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on October 28, 2009, 08:47:04 pm
On your request, See attachments
Load, Play, Stop


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 29, 2009, 11:55:54 am
Quote
I don't expect this "Start Engine3" to help

But it does anyway. I don't know why yet, but you'll see if you try it with this setting, it works (at Unattended of course).

:whistle:


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on October 31, 2009, 12:12:31 pm
And ?


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on November 01, 2009, 05:37:24 pm
Quote
 And ?  
Indeed I have the impression that the setting "Start Engine3 during conversion" solves the interrupptions. Although this morning I did hear disc-activities. I Switched the external drive off and guess ...again a message "Music file does not exist on I:\\music\jazz (see attachment)

The setting "Start Engine3.." is responsable for missing the first OSD Text after a play command. At the second track the album and track information is ok. So when i unticked the option "Start Engine3" the OSD Text information will be presented at the first track. This was the reason I unticked this option in the first place.

So yes it seems to me until now that "Start Engine3" works.....but why do I have the diskactivities while I use Copy to XX..." (this morning I had one interruption)

Log file are attached


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 02, 2009, 10:27:11 am
Hi Johan,

This is the pure coincidence of an internal error occurring, which by *another* coincidence this error does not show to you (but shows in the log file).
I think I saw that before in your log files.

I should be able to solve that ... (:heat:)


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on November 02, 2009, 01:04:04 pm
Quote
 I should be able to solve that ...   
Do you mean these diskactivities during playback.

.....but why do I have these external diskactivities while I use "Copy to XX..." during playback in unattended mode? Did I do something wrong when I added the music to the Gallery? Wrong pointers? I have the impression that XX triggers this external disc-activity.



Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 02, 2009, 01:35:30 pm
The error implies the disk activity. Or at least that is what I think without having looked in the program yet.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on November 08, 2009, 02:50:44 pm
Quote
 Indeed I have the impression that the setting "Start Engine3 during conversion" solves the interrupptions. Although this morning I did hear disc-activities.  
Today again the interuptions in the sound! Sometimes every minute external disc activities.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on November 10, 2009, 12:26:23 pm
Hi Peter,

This disc activity thing keeps me busy for a while. I had always the impression that it starts after 4 or 5 tracks of a record. Yesterday I was thinking about that and i realise that I frequently use the pause command and followed by a play command again.
I did a clean start of XX load a record in the playlist and play unattended. After that I switched the external drive(s) off and all plays ok without a message.
After switching the drives on I did load again a record in the playlist and give a play command. After some tracks I give a pause command and play again (i am not sure if works for the first time,..) the next track I hear external disc activities.  I have done this test again with the pause command. After the first notes I switched the external drive off and during that number I get the message "Music file does not exist on I:\\music\jazz . I am not 100% sure about this but its a direction I  am thinking about.

Second thing I have noticed is that when you give a play command after a pause command , it looks like all the next tracks are loading again from the external drive (I hear external disc activities!!!).
I have test this by switching the external drive off after a pause command and then a play command again. Then you get this message "Music file..I:\\.." again. This works also when you give a stop command during playback, followed by a play command. in my opinion this reload of the wav. files is not necessary because all the wav files are still in the XX directory. Only switching XX off clears the wav. files in the XX directory.

Last thing. Starting XX it shows the old playlist. I have the impression that when I select a track it also activates the external drive when it is in a powersave condition. Is that necessary?

Could you increase the text area for a reply, because I get a strange behaviour when I type more text then there is space for it?

Regards Johan


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 10, 2009, 06:27:57 pm
Hi Johan,

Thank you for spending all the time on this, but I guess it is not for nothing ...
You will be correct !
I must look into everything whether is is solveable in an easy fashion. Maybe not ... :scratching:
(outside the currently needed parameter of course, that sure will be solved in the next version (0.9y-5).

Also, by now I guess it is a psychological thing, so now you know what causes it, maybe this does need to be solved at all ??

Again thanks,
Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 26, 2009, 05:49:58 pm
Hi Johan,

The other day I looked at the "Start Engine3 during conversion" parameter, which seemed the cause for reading from your external drive(s), but could find nothing. Today, by pure coincidence I run into a situation of which I said at first "hey, how come I see those external drive letters in the log files ?!" but ...

We forgot about one thing : This only works when playing from Galleries !!
... and this is what I did not do this time. Now, I bet you don't do as well, occasionally.

Similarly to your remark (IIRC) "but the files are all on the local disk" in relation to the Pause etc., this is not enough ! That is only the files, and not the data about the files (could be .cue data, coverart). So, the data about the files is stored -locally !- in the Galleries.

Apart from the Pause thing, can we conclude and agree that it is solved now ?
Btw, you'd have to agree, because I can't find anything else ! haha

Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on November 27, 2009, 12:54:32 am
Quote
 .....the "Start Engine3 during conversion" parameter, which seemed the cause for reading from your external drive(s),   
I have never said that. I have the impression that you made that suggestion so that i get rid of that hickups. I did not use that option because i sometimes mis the Title and first track information during unattended playback. Without that option i have the same external drive problems. I have the impression that the option reduces the hickups in the sound.

Quote
 We forgot about one thing : This only works when playing from Galleries !!
... and this is what I did not do this time. Now, I bet you don't do as well, occasionally.
 
I can't follow you. Please can you give me a more clear explanation. I always play from the Gallary (internal drive)!

Quote
 So, the data about the files is stored -locally !- in the Galleries.
 
...but after a play command and the option copy to....then all data and files are on the internal drive. What is the reason to read again from the external drive when you give a play after a pause command? I have the impression that after the pause command XX don't works correct. Reading several times the external drive during one track. (unattended / copy to ..drive)

Quote
 Apart from the Pause thing, can we conclude and agree that it is solved now ?
 
  :no:

The OS is now Windows 7 on SSD and i still hear sometimes external disc activities during playback.



Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 27, 2009, 07:22:45 am
Quote
I have never said that. I have the impression that you made that suggestion so that i get rid of that hickups. I did not use that option because i sometimes mis the Title and first track information during unattended playback. Without that option i have the same external drive problems. I have the impression that the option reduces the hickups in the sound.

Then I ask you politely to pay attention better ... *I* concluded that. Read back. If you are not even using this information, we'll NEVER get there.

Quote
What is the reason to read again from the external drive when you give a play after a pause command? I have the impression that after the pause command XX don't works correct.

Why ask this for a second time, while I just answered that. You are NOT going to solve it by repeating questions like this.

Dear Johan,

I explained to you how the log file should look like when all is right. Now, if you hear clicks from whatever it is, it is you who can look in the log files to check whether indeed the data is coming from the external drives. You don't even need to wait for clicks because you just can check the log files. But WHEN that happens, it is you who must think what he now does differently from before. I can't help with that, and I did my best sufficiently enough at this moment.

This is NOT about Pause for now. I just asked you to leave that out. So DON'T come back on it (again). It is another problem.

If you don't wish to coorporate with this, also fine.

Did I just sound irritated ?


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 27, 2009, 08:02:18 am
I was just thinking ...
Since you didn't help me much with your previous post, can you please try to pick from the below small list (more are allowed to be true) :

1. When I play an album -and sure never used Pause/Play- external disk activity can occur. 100%.
2. When I hear disk activity, the log files show that I am using the external disks. Always.
3. When I used Pause/Play the newest log files show that I am using the external disks.
4. When I hear disk activity, the log files show that I'm using the local disk.

This denotes where the files come from :

Take the X3 log file. Here's an example :

08:02:24.8700000 Trackload started
08:02:24.8730000 Get file for track
08:02:24.8730000 XXDat0000.dat exists
08:02:24.8730000 Not read twice
08:02:24.8730000 Continue here with XXDat1
08:02:24.8730000 Implied track sequence number : UnicodeTrack0001.wav
08:02:24.8730000 Reading XXDat0000.dat
08:02:24.8740000 Track Name : G:\WAV\PS\10CC\MEANWH~1\02-WON~1.WAV

At the 8th line (the last shown here) at "Track Name : " the location of the track/file is shown. In this case an external drive.

08:01:34.4280000 Track Name : 01-WOM~1.WAV

In this case, since there is no drive letter, it is taken from the local disk (actually, the disk where XX resides).

20:27:30.6280000 Track Name : UnicodeTrack0001.wav

Again local.


One more thing, now we're in the mood again :
What I said in my earlier post about not using the Gallery and then it can't work, now appears to be a mixture of the truth and something which may be wrong. I mean, when I try to copy that behaviour now I can't do it and the tracks show as local. Earlier though (and I still must have that log file) it showed as external. This can not be related to using the Galleries or not, because the Copy to XX Drive should always make it local. I only want to say, I guess I had an example myself (which coincidentally initiated outside the Galleries -> I didn't have that album in a Gallery yet).

In the end it is all a matter of "when does it happen", and this is not random. It is related to what you do, and what the source is (e.g. a FLAC behaves differently from a WAV because a FLAC always goes to the local drive (converted version) ... but there are many more (complex) examples).
Because it is related to what you do, a "Pause" thing should not be mixed up with the general problem, unless it *is* the problem. See before list to choose from, and see my earlier post.

Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 27, 2009, 11:39:03 am
I just found one reason for the external disks to be accessed ... when there is no main coverart available ... (the situation that the large X shows).

That won't be your case, will it ?
(leave out the Pause thing !)

If so, that will be solved in 0.9y-5 I guess, because I have to solve that for another reason.


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on November 27, 2009, 09:01:31 pm
Hi Peter,

Today after a fresh start of XX a small detaill of the X3 file  after I hear external disc activities:

20:03:32.4345703 Track Name : I:\Music\Jazz\MARCBI~1\2009-L~1\02-LAT~1.WAV20:03:32.4345703 Data Parameter : 00;290:DATA:I:\Music\Jazz\MARCBI~1\2009-L~1\02-LAT~1.WAV:TIME:7:16.13:BITRATE:1411:TYPE:WAV:START:00:00.00:CV:C:\Galeries\Jazz\MARCBI~1\2009-L~1\folder.jpg:CB::VL:-6:IV:1:SB:1:SM:1:OS:1:FN:I:\Music\Jazz\Marc&spBischoff\2009&sp-&spLater&spIs&spToo&spLate\02&sp-&sp&spLater&spIs&spToo&spLate.wav

Do I see external disc activity? I am not familiar with interpreting the log files. But all after unattended, copy to C:, only wav files, playing from the Gallary,...All cd's has a coverart,......

Regards Johan
















Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 28, 2009, 08:29:15 am
Do you recall what you did last before this ? This is important ! For example, you could have had this (track/album) in the Playlist Area before, and somewhere underway stopped listening. This can have gone by means of Alt-S (or remote) or by means of Alt-X and click stop.

Keep in mind : In the Alt-S situation (Alt-E, Pause the same) the start of XXHighEnd (even days later :)) is not "fresh" as such and it re-uses the local data.
This only disappears when XXHighEnd is started and Quit without playing something. So after that the start would be "fresh" indeed. Even in that case though, there's the Playlist Area contents and the data in there too is used to "not re-do things".

I hope we are getting closer !
Peter


PS: What about posting the X3 (and XX) log files from just *before* that situation ? You just preserved the date/time of the "wrong" situation, so you will be able to find it !


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on November 28, 2009, 01:58:46 pm
Hi Peter,

Yesterday i only did a start without any other action.

I am sorry but  i don't have the log file's anymore.

Today a fresh start with the same album Marc Bischoff "Later is too Late" nice album by the way.

I still have the impression that there where disc activities during playing unattended. I didn't touch XX after the play command. See log files from today. Am i right about the disc activities? The last time when i listening i am more focued on the music then the disc activities. I had the impression that you were working on it to solve this problem.

What I noticed working on this reply when i activate the <browse> button for an attachment is that it also activate the external disc....I have noticed this before. Could it be possible that when during play back XX loading tracks from the internal drive is automatic triggers the external drive? Is this Windows behaviour?

Johan


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on November 28, 2009, 05:35:14 pm
Hey Johan,

You are definitely right about the access to your external disk(s). As the earlier log line shows ... I:\
But not the one from today.

Quote
Could it be possible that when during play back XX loading tracks from the internal drive is automatic triggers the external drive?

Yes, but once the I:\ is shown in the X3 log file it is for real (and 100% sure caused by me myself and I :)).
The question is : when does it happen ? I can't see it in the code, but the code is complicated (meaning : it can easily go wrong without me being able to see it).
Maybe I can apply a backdoor solution, like afterwards (just before real playback is initiated) notice that the drive where the track is coming from not is the "XX Drive" while Copy to XX Drive is ticked. That may be better than both you and me looking forever when it goes wrong.

Ok, I think I will do just that.
Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: PeterSt on April 03, 2015, 06:32:29 pm
Johan ...

I have been reading most of this post to be sure I found the right one to respond to (there were 3 similar others as well) ...
So for your reward(ding) :

I ran into a situation at working with the LAN dynamically Off (thus Keep LAN - Not Persistent) that no Coverart would show; I know this for about a year and a few days ago I finally saw the reason : how can the Coverart be obtained from wherever the data is - Original or Gallery - when this is not on the local (OS) disk, where it is never (in any normal situation) ... that storage where the Coverart is (LAN) being shut off.

In this topic I also talk about obtaining the tracks form Cue Files "and how to do that from the local disk". However ... this (all in this topic) assumes that the Galleries are local. So on the OS disk.
This is at least not so in any "music from the LAN" situation, although it could be. So notice that in my case (and many years and versions further) the Galleries are behind the LAN as well.

I just solved this after a small two days of work (well, almost, but the hard part has been done now to know that it will be OK) and if NOW still any "external disks" wake up, then I'll eat a hat.

Of course, what it implied without me realizing it, is that with the LAN always On, at each next track the Coverart had to be downloaded over the LAN.

Summarized, whether people don't use Galleries or whether they do but don't have them stored on the OS disk, that disk somewhere else had to wake up per new track;
Quite some reports have been there that "something" happens close to the end of a track and I now think this has been this.

So, solved in the next version - also when no Galleries are used. Only 5.5 years later ...
:swoon:

Regards,
Peter


Title: Re: Spinup the disks (09x-7)
Post by: JohanZ on April 03, 2015, 11:56:06 pm
 :NY02:

I've red the hole story again..pffff.  :swoon:

Regards johan.

P.s this was an evening with a lot of stops is windows 8. I'm still thinking to go back to 7.