Warble Sound

[Lost in Campbellon]

I recently upgraded to win98 and ran into winamp problems. When I play tunes, especially when other programs are running it sounds like playing old cassette tapes. Kind of like it sounds like the bands are drunk.

[Adrian Shaw]

Sounds like you are having performance problems. Using DirectSound may help. Newer drivers. Reducing system load...

[igloo]

If what you're hearing is a "saturation" warble, an extra splashy sound prevalent in higher frequencies like cymbal hits and vocalists' S's, then it IS just like that sound on your old tapes, but there's nothing you can do about it unless you're creating your own mp3s. You're playing bad rips, and performance problems with your system may compound it, but they're not the source of your troubles. If you're recording files yourself, get a new ripper (test and download one from a real vendor, not one from programmer playing around in his darkened bedroom), or just try turning down the gain when performing the rip (but the playback will be wimpy).

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Lost in Campbellon:
I recently upgraded to win98 and ran into winamp problems. When I play tunes, especially when other programs are running it sounds like playing old cassette tapes. Kind of like it sounds like the bands are drunk.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Rajeev]

I have the same problem with MP3's, as if they were recorded from some low quality tape. The MP3's play fine on my Win98 computer, but they sound like crap on my NT 4.0. The computer is a PIII 450 w/ enough RAM using SP 6.0a, and I got almost all the update possible through windowsupdate.

[Rajeev]

I have the same problem with MP3's, as if they were recorded from some low quality tape. The MP3's play fine on my Win98 computer, but they sound like crap on my NT 4.0. The computer is a PIII 450 w/ enough RAM using SP 6.0a, and I got almost all the update possible through windowsupdate.
Forgot to mention that the same problem is with the Sonique player.

[Tim from The Ostrich]

Partly out of interest what is the bit rate of the warbling files? I have had something along those lines with 56k files I have taken straight from CDs. I am settling on 96k for a reasonable compromise. Did you get warbling on the same files before you changed O/S?
http://forums.winamp.com/ubb/confused.gif

Tim.
tim@digital-ostrich.co.uk

[Lost in Campbellon]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tim from The Ostrich:
Partly out of interest what is the bit rate of the warbling files? I have had something along those lines with 56k files I have taken straight from CDs. I am settling on 96k for a reasonable compromise. Did you get warbling on the same files before you changed O/S?

I had no problems untill I switched to 98. I had downloaded a bunch of MP3s and even used the same files, but now it sounds crappy. I downloaded the latest drivers as well.

Lost in Campbellton
http://forums.winamp.com/ubb/confused.gif

Tim.
tim@digital-ostrich.co.uk

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Tim]

I'm beat then!
http://forums.winamp.com/ubb/redface.gif

That'll be why I'm a junior and not an administrator (except on my own machine where I rule supriem, muahahahaa).
http://forums.winamp.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Tim.

[bkimball1]

It is my opinion, but it seems the current winamp decoder program is NOT running well at all on Pentium III processors. I too am having this "warbling" effect on both of my Pentium III boxes. I record my own mp3 files using Musicmatch Jukebox at the *highest* possible bitrate (etc) offered by this software. I am *not* having performance problems, nor am I over-taxing my system when trying to listen to mp3 files through WinAmp on my P-III (both of them). HOWEVER, WinAmp performs blissfully on my Pentium-II box. This is evidence enough for me that we need some support from WinAmp programmers to sort this out. Please refer to the following for more detail (duplicate of message "What gives? P-II better than P-III?"):

I have WinAmp 2.62 installed at home and at work on 3 Intel-based PC's (all OEM equipment, not proprietary systems like dell, gateway, compaq, etc). Two of them are running Pentium III processors, and neither can run WinAmp audio well. Compare to the other PC running a Pentium II processor. The P-II runs WinAmp beautifully, without fail. Why???
More Info (stats):

PC1 (good WinAmp performance)- Pentium II, 128 Megs RAM, AGP ATI Rage II video, Sound Blaster Live! Value 256 audio, LAN access to the internet (no modem).

PC2 (bad WinAmp performance)- Pentium III, 256 Megs RAM, AGP Matrox Millenium G400 (Dual-Head 32-Meg) video, Sound Blaster Live! Platinum audio, LAN access to the internet (no modem).

PC3 (bad WinAmp performance)- Pentium III, 128 Megs RAM, AGP ATI Rage II video, Sound Blaster Live! 256 Value audio, LAN access to the internet (no modem). -- This machine is pretty much a clone of PC1, except it has a P-III processor.

I have experimented *heavily* with the information available in the FAQ, and on other related Preferences panels in WinAmp. I can make WinAmp sound *worse*, but not much better -- not good enough. I just cannot get WinAmp to play well on either P-III box, even with all other background programs terminated, and little-to-no video activity. Yet, the P-II just powers ahead. I can run almost any assortment of program while WinAmp runs smoothly, no skipping, no distortion, just good clean music.

What gives? How can I get WinAmp to perform on my P-III boxes? Anyone?