Sound issues Watchout 5.5.2 and Windows 7

[TrondWeil]

We had show running on windows xp with sound using RME Fireface 800. Now it has been moved to new PC with windows 7 and Watchout 5.5.2. There was nothing changed with the show itself.

Problem is that it starts on watchout display without sound. When opened in Watchout Production, sound works perfect.

I have installed this PC according to Tweaks List, but without success.

Sound works from Watchout Production and from QuickTime player, but not when started as display. It worked this way on windows XP.

 

I tried:

- reinstalling whole PC just to be sure everything is as recommended on the tweaks list

- reinstalling Watchout, tried with version 5.1 and version 5.5.2

- changing codecs  and bitrate on sound files in the show

- uploading show from 2 different production PCs

- inserting another sound files with different coding and bitrates to the show

 

I am out of ideas so I decided to post here before we conclude that it won't work and we will have to look at another solution.

I would be thankful for any help or testing idea.

[jfk]

It is pretty common for sound interfaces that worked under Windows XP with WATCHOUT

not to work under Windows 7 with WATCHOUT.

This is due to changes in the sound interface drivers under the different OS versions

I would not be surprised if the only solution is to change to a different audio interface.

[Thomas Leong]

If memory serves me right, Win 7 had problems with firewire in its early days. Maybe google may prove my memory right or wrong.

Is your Win 7 fully updated?

 

Thomas Leong

[jfk]

... sound using RME Fireface 800. Now it has been moved to new PC with windows 7 and Watchout 5.5.2. ...

 

Most firewire audio interfaces are sensitive to the firewire controller in the PC.

For example, the FocusRite Saffire firewire audio interfaces will not work well with motherboard firewire controllers.

A fully compliant PCIe Firewire interface makes them solid as a rock under Windows 7 with WATCHOUT.

i.e. please provide more detail about the firewire interface on the "new PC"?

 

Functioning hardware (like a motherboard firewire controller) are seldom suspect, but can not be eliminated.

 

I still think it is more likely the Win 7 driver is not compatible with the DirectShow mode required by WATCHOUT.

We saw that a lot. 

For example, MOTU firewire interfaces under Win XP supported DirectShow multi-channel mode,

MOTU under Win 7 only supported multiple stereo pairs mode, which is not compatible with WATCHOUT 5 and earlier.

(which did not matter to MOTU as 99% of their market use ASIO, not DirectShow).

i.e. with a DirectShow multiple stereo pairs mode only interface,

everything gets mixed down to one stereo pair output under WATCHOUT,

  more than two channels are not possible.

 

Sound works from ... QuickTime player, ...

 

So on the display computer in question,

assuming the Windows Sound Control Panel - Playback

is set up properly for multi-channel mode (providing the mode is available), then

it would be more useful, but not conclusive, if it worked in Windows Media Player.

[TrondWeil]

It is pretty common for sound interfaces that worked under Windows XP with WATCHOUT

not to work under Windows 7 with WATCHOUT.

This is due to changes in the sound interface drivers under the different OS versions

I would not be surprised if the only solution is to change to a different audio interface.

 

So it means that even if sound interface works perfectly from watchout production when ran on the same PC, it won't work on watchout display??

 

 

If memory serves me right, Win 7 had problems with firewire in its early days. Maybe google may prove my memory right or wrong.

Is your Win 7 fully updated?

 

Thomas Leong

 

Firewire works ok, RME Fireface is working like a charm from system, watchout production program and quicktime, but not from watchout display (wp.exe). When I start production and display on the same PC (yes I know it's not supported) then I can play the show on the screen while sound is comming from production, but that's not how it was designed to work and it's not possible to control it from our medialon system

 

Win7 is fully update with every available update until yesterday.

[TrondWeil]

We are using PCI FireWire card Texas Instruments XIO2213A.

 

Playback is configured to RME Speakers as default playback device with 5.1 configuration. Channels are mapped to digital outputs on RME box itself.

Testing 5.1 speaker configuration from control panel works ok with RME, I get sound from all speakers as required.

 

I'll test if it works in Windows Media Player.

[jfk]

So it means that even if sound interface works perfectly from watchout production when ran on the same PC, it won't work on watchout display??

 

Yea, I missed that meaning, the above statement is more clear.

That makes no sense at all.

[TrondWeil]

That makes no sense at all.

 

I thought that too. Is there any difference in audio processing between production and display?

How can I troubleshoot this issue? System is installed and configured as recommended on tweaks list.

Should I install other watchout version? 

[Thomas Leong]

Googling brings up a lot of problems between 1394 drivers with Windows 7.

Solutions vary from:

- changing the 1394 driver to "1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller (Legacy)"

- opting for the driver from Texas Instruments

- removing or stopping any Apple related services (eg. Apple Mobile Devices, Bonjour Service, iPod Service) except Quicktime, or uninstalling them altogether.

- using the original 1394 cable that came with the hardware

 

Guess you just have to try one by one.

Worst case scenario is, if possible, to revert back to XP on this new PC.

 

Thomas Leong

[TrondWeil]

Problem is solved.

 

I thought there was no change in the show, but it looks like all sound files were slightly out of screen areas. After I moved them to one of the screens and rebuilt the cache, it began to work.

Shame on me for ovelooking this mistake and thank you for your help!