Windows 2008 and Vista SP1 - working for anyone?

[brentw]

I am new to XX. I first tried .9t-7  on Windows2003. Foobar with ASIO sounded much better then XX. Next I went to XX on RTM version of Windows 2008 Server ix86.

Windows 2008 is 96% the same code as Vista SP2. I figured XX would work. But I get an error when I press play. The error is an application error. I forget the details other then it was a "can't assign null value .NET error"

Also when I tried to use the Q3 setting it popped up a "Vista only" message.  Peter what do you need to know about Windows2008 to get it to work? I am willing to help any way I can.

Has anyone had success with XX on Windows2008 or Vista SP2?  Maybe I am doing something wrong because I am new to XX.

~~~~~~

If you are wondering where I got Windows2008 or Vista SP2 .... thePrirateBay.org

[PeterSt]

Thank you very much for your efforts on this.
Both Windows2003 and Windows2008 will be recognized as "not-Vista" and therefore the sound will be, say, "XP". This is easy to solve, although I would need the exact name of the OS that is reported to capture it (and only Windows2008 would be legit to the Vista capabilities).

Where above is easy to solve, the other things might not. For instance, I do not see any reason why to have any audio capabilities in there apart from a loudspeaker beep. Of course it's worthwhile trying, but the first error is already there where obviously there shouldn't be an error.

Of course I can't know why you want to have this running on that server OS, but I think it is better to get yourself a Vista version.
Please don't understand me wrong, because I'm glad to help out. It is quite impossible though to have all those different OS versions installed, especially when they are not suited for the job officially. And without me having the OS that errors out, it's a quite undoable task ...

Peter

[Telstar]

You have just got a PM about RTM sp1

I'm not going to try it until you do and can confirm that this fixes unability to use exclusive mode with terratec cards.

[PeterSt]

Hi,

I'm 95% confident that this is solved already. But if not, I will sure try it for you.
Peter

[Telstar]

Hi,

I'm 95% confident that this is solved already. But if not, I will sure try it for you.
Peter

Peter, I'm going to install the SP1 and the latest version of XXHE tomorrow.

[PeterSt]

As long as you don't think 0.9t-7 or earlier can do the job ! It most certainly can't ...

[Telstar]

As long as you don't think 0.9t-7 or earlier can do the job ! It most certainly can't ...

I mean i'm waiting the new version that will work exclusive mode with terratec drivers. ETA?

[brentw]

Hi Peter,

In the quest for the best sound please don't rule out Server OS. For example Window2003 is much better for USB DACs then WindowsXP. Anyone who has run Windows2003 for anytime will tell you it is a more responsive and solid OS then WindowsXP.
Perhaps Windows2008 Server will also be more responsive and solid then Vista. Time will tell.

I am a DIY USB DAC guy with quite a bit of experience. At one point I thought it was my calling to make DIY DAC kits and sell them. I spent a huge amount of time at it and still do. But I suck as a salesman and still improving the DAC.
Http://diyAudioSystem.com

What I found is that Windows2003 Server didn't have any problems with interruptions in the sound when running other programs or in general. For example: I bought a laptop so I could have a portable computer to demo my USB DAC. I installed Windows XP on the laptop and after 3 days solid of google searches and reinstalling XP I could not get the Laptop to play a song for 1 minute without a glich in the sound. I installed Window2003 on the laptop and the problem was gone. On Windows2003 you can also run into problems if a bad driver is installed, but out of the box it works great.

I maintain Windows servers as part of my Website development business/consulting. My personal Workstation is a Windows server OS to keep me grounded. I know they are not meant for the joe average but boy do they work good and I for one will always run a server OS on my personal workstation. Give it a try.

~~~~~~~~~~

Peter please tell me how I can tell you the Version Number of Windows2008 Server so that you can add it to your program.



Thanks for listening and replying,
Brent

[PeterSt]

Hi Brent,

But I suck as a salesman and still improving the DAC.
Http://diyAudioSystem.com

Nice ... Well, I sure hope that many click your link from here. And don't get annoyed when you find me as competition on your path, hehe.

By now you may not be interested anymore, but the glitches one may perceive from an OS at audio playback most probably (and IMHO) do not come from the OS itself. Indirectly, maybe yes, but always avoideable. Also there seem to be constraints on the USB receiver chip, or whatever it is that makes the 1541 more prone to glitches than anything else. That is, so it seems looking at the "problems" some had, as expressed on this forum.
I use an USB DAC as well ... not often, but when I use it ... I never heard glitches etc. coming from it. Not with XX anyway.

That a server OS is more robust is without doubt, and on that matter we better give it a try. From this robustness I suspect better SQ anyway (and that a "tweaked" laptop OS incurs for the opposite is very clear to me);

With below little program you can get the OS as how it is reported in the way I need it. Just copy paste what it gives in the text box into here, and then I'll adjust XX to that.

Peter

[Gerard]

I use an USB DAC as well ... not often

  Why not alway's?  Or did you mean i normal use the SPDIF?

 

[PeterSt]

Or did you mean i normal use the SPDIF?

Yep. On the same DAC (TwinDAC+).

[brentw]

Hi Peter,

On RTM Windows2008 Ent i86 server your OS test applet returns the following string:

Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 Enterprise   Version : 6.0.6001.65536  Platform : Win32NT

On another topic.... you recently found that XX sounds better once it is Registered.
Do you have a work around for this yet?

My humble suggestion is that you make XX free and charge extra for features that have no affect on sound quality.

[Telstar]

As long as you don't think 0.9t-7 or earlier can do the job ! It most certainly can't ...

I mean i'm waiting the new version that will work exclusive mode with terratec drivers. ETA?

Will it?

[PeterSt]

A couple of hours ago I at last got all working in a way that I can prove is right. So in fact I'm done with what I planned a week ago, and in the mean time more (that would be the 24 bit part).

What remains is ... well ... something very useful for 18bit+ DAC users.
Could take a few hours ... could take 2 days.



PS: This is rather off topic in this thread.

[PeterSt]

On RTM Windows2008 Ent i86 server your OS test applet returns the following string:

Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 Enterprise   Version : 6.0.6001.65536  Platform : Win32NT

Thank you Brent. I will be built in in 0.9u.

On another topic.... you recently found that XX sounds better once it is Registered.
Do you have a work around for this yet?

My humble suggestion is that you make XX free and charge extra for features that have no affect on sound quality.

I responded to this here : The SQ of XXHighEnd Unregistered

[brentw]

Hi Peter,

I tried version 0.9-u0 and it didn't work.  I can not switch to Engine 3 mode. It says "Vista Only" when I try.

The OS Test applet you asked me run reports this string. Maybe you can double check you have it in version u:

Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 Enterprise   Version : 6.0.6001.65536  Platform : Win32NT

Also I should say that I can not get XX to play anything in Windows Server 2008 using Engine1 or 2. Version "t" was the same.
The error message I get:

ee the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at XXHighEnd.XXHighEnd.btnPlay_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
XXHighEnd
    Assembly Version: 1.0.2967.32953
    Win32 Version: 1.0.2967.32953
    CodeBase: file:///G:/install/audio/XXHighEnd/09-u0/XXHighEnd.exe
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualBasic
    Assembly Version: 8.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 8.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualBasic/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll
----------------------------------------
System
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Runtime.Remoting
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Runtime.Remoting/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Runtime.Remoting.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.DirectX.DirectSound
    Assembly Version: 1.0.2902.0
    Win32 Version: 5.04.00.2904
    CodeBase: file:///G:/install/audio/XXHighEnd/09-u0/Microsoft.DirectX.DirectSound.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Data
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_32/System.Data/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Data.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
LogicNP.FolderView
    Assembly Version: 9.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 9.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///G:/install/audio/XXHighEnd/09-u0/LogicNP.FolderView.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Management
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Management/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Management.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.DirectX
    Assembly Version: 1.0.2902.0
    Win32 Version: 5.04.00.2904
    CodeBase: file:///G:/install/audio/XXHighEnd/09-u0/Microsoft.DirectX.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
Accessibility
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.1434 (REDBITS.050727-1400)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Accessibility/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Accessibility.dll
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
    <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

[PeterSt]

Thank you very much Brent. I see now that I did something wrong.

Please try below .exx. Put it in your current XX folder, (move away the old one) and rename it to .exe. Then try again.

[brentw]

Hi Peter,

Thanks your new version works. I now can use Engine #3.

But I still can not use your XX program. When I try to play a Flac or Wav file I receive the following error:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at XXHighEnd.XXHighEnd.btnPlay_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is more to the error message. See my prior post. It works for me in Win XP but not Windows 2008 Server.
Perhaps you can send me a version build with debug enabled so that the error message will tell you what line of code is producing the error.

Cheers,
Brent

[PeterSt]

Hi Brent,

Below is your Debug version. Save your current XXHighEnd.exe, put the .exx in your current XX directory and rename it to .exe.

After pressing Play it can bring you messages between a-z.
Please write down the sequence that's presented to you and let it know.


Cheers,
Peter

[brentw]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for working on this.  The result of the test was [abcdefghij] skip [k] then [lm] skip [no] then [pq] then error.

[PeterSt]

And what about this one ?

[brentw]

Hi Peter,

You did it!  IT WORKS on Windows2008 Ent Server.  One more request before I fade into the background. May I please have a version without the debug pop ups?

~~~~~~~~

Sound quality.....  WOW XX is a huge upgrade from Foobar with ASIO4ALL driver.  I had my doubts that XX would sound better then Foobar.  I listen to computer as source music 90% of my waking hours. This is a big deal to me and my USB DAC making hobby.

Now I want to know how you do it? Not that I want to compete with you, but what is so different about XX that makes is so much better?

Now I have a reason to switch to over to Windows2008 Server.

Hats off to you Peter.

When I get a chance to try the other versions of Windows2008 I will report back here to say if XX works on them as well. If not I am sure it will be a matter of adding the OS string to the program. The 64 bit version will not work until VISTA 64 bit works.

Cheers,
Brent

[PeterSt]

Here you go Brent. For the rest of the 90% of your waking day (some people ...).

Careful though, because I have the feeling there still could be one message "Error Windows2008". Please let me know whether it is there or not.

but what is so different about XX that makes is so much better

It's just me. Well, actually it is someone paying attention to everything and all, instead of a (Hydrongen) attitude "can't be different".
It's "you" out there. We do it all together.

Peter

[PeterSt]

And a question, if I may ...

What is the boot time of W2008 vs. Vista ?
And how awkwardish is the boot procedure ?

[brentw]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the new version without debug popups. I haven't tried it yet. I just booted back into Windows2003 to export my Outlook rules to import in my new Windows2008 home.

I am currently dual booting between Windows2003 and Windows2008. So I can't compare to VISTA but I have to say Windows2008 boots very fast and shuts down instantly. The memory foot print is pretty small. I have 4 GB of RAM and when I login my RAM usage is 400MB (I think).

The way I am dual booting is I use two drives and switch the disk boot order in the motherboard bios. I usually only run one hard drive to keep the noise down, now I have to run two. I try to keep my machine noiseless and fanless. It is hard to do and keep it that way.  I water cool the computer and hard drives. I use a statue water pump that I made noiseless by sinking it in a tub of cement. I can still hear a bit of a his as the water flows in the pipes, but I don't think I could hear it if I had any fans turnning. My room is very lively. Cement floor, giprock walls and cealing.  I used to have my hard drives in cement too, but one died and I had to bust open the cement. I didn't think it was possible to get it out but all it took was a couple wacks with a hammer to crack up the cement. Currently my drives are between sand bags (water cooled).

Anyhow I got to stop talking and get boot back into Windows2008 and fire up my new buddy XX

Keep up the good work. 

BTW I still get a few errors and weird stuff happening. I am not going to say anything about I have more experience with XX and read up on what problems other people are having. Plus I don't want to bother you, you are probably tired of helping me by now and need a break

[PeterSt]

Cement ? hahaha it really sounds like a joke. I do it like this : Happy with this setup and the fans run slowly and inaudible (to me). The (1TB) disks just make *no* noise at all. No spinup noises also. And all keeps cool.

If you have anything to ask, just ask ahead Brent. It's ok.
Peter


PS:

The way I am dual booting is I use two drives and switch the disk boot order in the motherboard bios.

Actually I think this is a good idea ! I think I will organize my W2008 boot similarly. There must be some space left somewhere.