Soundblaster Z crackling sound

[INSTG8R]

@alias007 nice links

Sorry for not being to optimistic. One off these days.

I have instilled the driver now on w10 build rs_prerelese 21296.
Ihave not used the reg fixes H10/H14 that worked decent for me before. None here just see, so might take some hours or day to see if i get the switching problem from audio sources.

I have noticed 2 bad parts, maybe more.
I use DTS connect or DD Live depending on driver versions. I have a 5.0 system.
In the menu "Playback" there is now only Stereo, 2.1 surround, 4.0 surround, 4.1 surround and 5.1 surround.
Full range front is still there. Full range pack speakers is gone for back speakers or is now named Surround Speakers? (In old GUI Full range back speakers was an option.)
In that way is the old control panel superior.

The speaker test is ok better that the DING all your neibers can not hear anything anymore. To bad on the 0.1 subbwofer that dont exist and sounds off.

I don't use the Equalizer or scout mode so can say anything about that part.

Overall:
GUI fix on SBX Profile so you cant change settings before activating the on/off button. Might be one ide for later versions.

I will test the driver out and not use reg fixes i normally use just to test and i am on an old AMD bios. (AMD AGESA Combo-AM4 V2 1.1.0.0 patch C)

GUI:
I don't like it. Test to create a new SBX Profile if you want the crystalizer.

On all. Give me my 5.0. 4 full range speakers and a center back. =)

To sum it agen. THEY HAVE STARTED TO DO NEW DRIVERS. Time will tell. And after they say that it was a hardware problem that could not be solved on AMD X570 motherboards. Its a lot better sens last patch. One maybe test to install the new driver and install the old control panel to se the reg keys. =)

On/off Topic:
Do we have a tread on the different behaviors on the revisions on the cards?
I have the first off the two revisions on Z.

Yeah on AMD boards just turn off Spread Spectrum in the BIOS and everything is solved

 

[hACmAn]

Yeah on AMD boards just turn off Spread Spectrum in the BIOS and everything is solved

It still did not solve anything for me. I have had it off sens i got my x570 ordered 2019-10-31 so sens some days after that. =(

 

[INSTG8R]

It still did not solve anything for me. I have had it off sens i got my x570 ordered 2019-10-31 so sens some days after that. =(

Only thing that messes up my ZX, could always try Daniel Ks drivers that have been posted earlier in this thread. I‘m using the latest Creative officials in 5.1 with zero issues as long as SS is off

 

[hACmAn]

Only thing that messes up my ZX, could always try Daniel Ks drivers that have been posted earlier in this thread. I‘m using the latest Creative officials in 5.1 with zero issues as long as SS is off

And what MB cipset are you using? And are you using DTS or DD over tosslink?

 

[INSTG8R]

And what MB cipset are you using? And are you using DTS or DD over tosslink?

MoBo and audio are in my specs, I use analog

 

[hACmAn]

MoBo and audio are in my specs, I use analog

Ok, now i am on the track. Tnx

Edit: Spelling and clarification.
I installed the latest and version of the driver. Then uninstalled it. Then installed the old SBZ_CD_L13_1_01_11.exe and SBZSeriesDriverInstaller.exe (dated 2021-01-06 20:48) (see older posts from@alias007).
Tested and restarted, installed the later/last/curent. Installed the lates and now i have both the new and old control panel active. Did not modify a single line of code or regedit.

I se good potential in future updates to Sound Blaster Command if it reacts this way.
In the video i have both open at the same time and testing around how the settings in the old reacts on the new one. (dated 2021-01-27 18:52(SBZMasterInstaller_3.4.94.03.exe)) The EULA still say 2019 something

I have now done a DDU do to some sound volume problems. I, at this point believe its related on how my JVC handle the DDL signal. So ignore that parts for now.
End edit 2021-01-30 05:11 GTM+1

 

[INSTG8R]

Ok, now i am on the track. Tnx

Installed the latest and version of the driver. Then installed the old some tests and restarts later instaled the lates and now i have both the new and old control panel active. Did not modify a single line of code or regedit.

I se good potential in future updates to Sound Blaster Command if it reacts this way.
In the video i have both open at the same time and testing around how the setings in the old reacts on the new one. GUI.

Yeah I tried the new Commander but it really didn’t offer me anything over the OG CP because I just set 5.1, Full Range and a Classical EQ and turn off all the other “Nonsense effects” like Crystallizer etc.

 

[hACmAn]

Yeah I tried the new Commander but it really didn’t offer me anything over the OG CP because I just set 5.1, Full Range and a Classical EQ and turn off all the other “Nonsense effects” like Crystallizer etc.

I do like the crystalizer, did belive it did work better on the X-Fi Elite Pro i hade/have before. So i might just be nostalgic.

Another que.
The old drivar sayd it fixed Dolby Digital Live channel swapping. DTS was not mentioned in the change note. And its diferent wrappers for DDL and DTS, Id DTS not works after some times try DDL.

 

[marz]

Problem Solved

If you have an AMD 570x mobo (like I do) just change the PCIe slot to Gen 2. No more encoder issues or crackling.

 

[hACmAn]

Problem Solved

If you have an AMD 570x mobo (like I do) just change the PCIe slot to Gen 2. N

To bad it did not work for most of us, I cant change all to one setteing or specific. Thaw another function Creative did wine about they culd not be solved on the 5xx series, That the 4xx series did not have.
I had missed SBZMasterInstaller_3.4.98.00.exe was using SBZMasterInstaller_3.4.94.03.exe
27Jan vs 2Feb.

Q? hav you that uses seen a guge deference between DDL and DTS in channel jumping? Thay did say in an older chancled that DDL was solved and did not remember DTS.

And before i did a DDU to get rid of the drivers and reinstall I uninstall the DDL and DTS software from add/remove program. If you want to test what i did.
The channeljumping for me is now mostly notably in movies. Have them on for houres even if the apliferier is muted. And some long moves in a row or you favorit series in 5-6h. In games it goes faster hover not that noticeable like in a move. Hope you understand what i mean. =(

Yeah I tried the new Commander but it really didn’t offer me anything over the OG CP because I just set 5.1, Full Range and a Classical EQ and turn off all the other “Nonsense effects” like Crystallizer etc.

The new one have profiles. It is less good if you look at my video. The other things the installer does is the interesting part.
Edit:
And that the new and old are so conected so we can prpbly install the old one and disable the new one afterwards to get the old menues working, We lose the Profile part do. For now i just want to test how this new versions work withot me changen more that my windows builds.

 

[INSTG8R]

The new one have profiles.

Old one had profiles you could set and save yourself

 

[bibouli]

I had similar issue. Fixed the issue by seting the sound quality to the same thing in every output and input i was listening to, in my case 24bit, 48hz.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

A custom equalizer, isn't the problem. It's the Crystalizer and the other stuff.

 

[Frauss79]

the only solution to the problem with the latest windows version, you set the audio in stereo from windows audio and kill the sounblaster and creative services.

 

[Athlonite]

You know how I solved this problem I simply stopped using the SB-Z and just used HDMI audio from my GPU into my amp problem solved

 

[Slion]

I still have that issue with the latest drivers and Sound Blaster Command using a Sound Blaster Z on an Asus Z270-WS motherboard.
After a few minutes listening to some stereo audio that's going through DDL or DTS encoding the front channels audio comes out of the surround speakers and its all broken with intermittent crackling. The issue occurred when watching YouTube in Vivaldi and when doing video calls on Microsoft Teams. I wonder if it did occur when playing Fortnite too.
In any case it happens after a period of continuous playback as those Creative Labs driver release notes seems to suggest.

Sounds like a software problem so I'm assuming the latest Sound Blaster hardware also have those issues right?
Is there other hardware out there that does DDL/DTS encoding for SPDIF and that actually works? Sound Blaster or not Sound Blaster.
Crazy to see how hard it is to get reliable surround audio on Windows 10 in 2022.
On an other PC I'm using HDMI and there too it's a mess, mostly Windows/Microsoft issue though in that case or maybe NVidia… who knows…

Looking back up on that thread it looks like Creative Labs was suggesting people to adjust some registry settings to control some buffer size in order to fix the issue.
The registry key in question is:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\cthda\HDB\11020027\HW_CTL_MX_BSIZE
Mine was set to 8. I set it to C which is the next value up Create Labs recommended.
So far so good I could play over 60 minutes of audio without having that issue which is way better than what it could do before, so I'm going to assume that fixed it.

 

[Mittenz]

What motherboards are you guys using?
Power supply?
case?

this is starting to sound like 100% hardware related issues on your PCI-E bleeding emi into it, or power related.

in-fact my SBZ is the only device that gives me solid optical out and DDL and DTS.

now I hope everyone here has tried a fresh OS and DDU to purge all drivers before proceeding further.

I’m just saying you should honestly order new parts one by one on Amazon because I don’t think it’s hardware related to the card, I’m sure it isn’t software either if I had to bet, unless you all are corrupting drivers which a DDU purge and reinstall should help.

All these work around and buffers are just showing you have anolog interference your trying to offset.

I’ve been ordering sbz off eBay that have crackling issues in discriptions cheap and testing them in my cracking verified config that I know has grounding and emi issues, and my fixed machines and they work fine.

so I’m quite sure it isn’t software related.
But you guys all need to also run OCCT stress test and make sure you memory, cpu are all stable aswell under heavy load.

These issues seem too unexplained, unless there is more complexity like your systems have unstable aspects to them, maybe corrupting memory or a bad psu struggling with spikes

but i see it like this, the only time I had crackling issues was with hardware problems, power supply but almost always motherboards and very often with ryzen and more so then intel, but intel can aswell.

When I discovered this and fixed it my SBZ is 100% rock solid on any OS, in fact every one I’ve test has been I have had like 5+ I bought for testing this theory.

Also make sure spread spectrum is enabled on your bios for some emi minimization as having this off messes with analog audio often.

Also if your onboard is working, and gpu they can be isolated for emi where you sbz can be effected by it.

what you should do is try to get a usb mouse (wired) and turn up your volume super loud, along with your in windows and see if you can hear anything when you move it, try front back and all USB ports and if you hear anything you got hardware issues 100%. It might be faint but if you hear anything faint at all when the mouse is polling you have hardware issues on your motherboard imo.



because trying to fix this software wise you’ll never get a cure sorry to say even if you do it’s a temp fix and the issue will show it’s head again one way or another when the buffer can bury the problem.

that is after trying the DDU clean os steps first.


if it still does try different pcie ports, top bottom mid, any difference?

try changing motherboards (avoid asus or gigabyte) fixed?

try using DDU and reinstall drives before trying all that. Try a fresh os even.

it will prolly still be there showing it’s likely not software.

order a second sbz off Amazon and test, same issues? Prolly not the card.

try a different sound card, any weird issues?

There are so many solutions, however this isn’t software, I’m quite sure it isn’t, if you get a temp fix with software by messing with ram buffers

regardless, if you’re spending this much time trying to fix this, time to trouble shoot via hardware swapping.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Looking back up on that thread it looks like Creative Labs was suggesting people to adjust some registry settings to control some buffer size in order to fix the issue.
The registry key in question is:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\cthda\HDB\11020027\HW_CTL_MX_BSIZE
Mine was set to 8. I set it to C which is the next value up Create Labs recommended.
So far so good I could play over 60 minutes of audio without having that issue which is way better than what it could do before, so I'm going to assume that fixed it.

What Creative needs to do is create a utility that gives fine-grained controls over settings like these. That way people can make adjustments without mucking about in the registry directly..

 

[Slion]

What Creative needs to do is create a utility that gives fine-grained controls over settings like these. That way people can make adjustments without mucking about in the registry directly..

That would just be a workaround really. What they should really do is get their shit together and fix the root cause of the issue. They should be able to determine the proper buffer size for your system if that's all there is to it.

 

[lexluthermiester]

What they should really do is get their shit together and fix the root cause of the issue.

Not going to disagree.

 

[hACmAn]

Sadly day say the way the AMD 500 series had implemented the PCIE part its not possible.
I use the regfiles to get it decent. Some of my last BIOSE(UEFI) to my MB did make me change a little. So for me Patch_11020023_H10.reg or Patch_11020023_H14.reg with SBZMasterInstaller_3.4.98.00.exe works best.

The interesting part here is that I use (already mentioned here) Use DTS Connect or DD LIve over toslink. The problem is not Spread Spectrum like some still say. If so it would have worked for the masses.
Based on my X-Fi Elite pro. The files seem very similar to DND_PCApp_2_00_00.exe on the outside. And how mutch have thay changed. I dont now. Its not in hardware there att least. The conversation program.

I have given up. I can normaly now using reg files make it work decent (for weeks) with no shutdown the pc and I dont notice the problem.
From what i know ther is atleast 2 revisions of my card. I have the first.

 

[Slion]

Turns out the HW_CTL_MX_BSIZE registry fix only works properly with the older Sound Blaster Z Control Panel. Installer file name is SBZ_CD_L13_1_01_11.exe, you can still download it from Creative support page. When using the latest Sound Blaster Command the registry key keeps being reset to its default value which ends up breaking the digital encoder again. With the old software the key is not reset and the encoder keeps working as it should.

Another major fail from Creative Labs right there… I mean they suggest their users a workaround for a show stopper issue and then they go on making sure they release a new version of the software that not only does not fix to original issue but also breaks the workaround. Seriously Creative, could you be more disrespectful of your customers? Too bad no other vendor offers DDL/DTS encoding, not that I know of anyway.

 

[Slion]

I did not have any issues for weeks with HW_CTL_MX_BSIZE set to C, until yesterday that bug occurred again. I've changed HW_CTL_MX_BSIZE to 10 and restarted the Sound Blaster Audio Service. No issues so far so it looks like it works at least as good as with C. Time will tell if it still happens occasionally. By the way to fix the issue when it occurs all you need to do is go to Windows Services and restart that Sound Blaster Audio Service.

 

[SixWingedFreak]

I know I'm necroing an old thread, but I wanted to put in my experience.

I'm hooked up through optical to Z-5500s using the DTS encoder (I think the Dolby sounds gross imo). I have Smart Volume and Crystalizer on. I have the Zx's headphone remote plugged in too, for my 'phones. Full tower Corsair 750D case with all fans running through an analog controller. The card is an unobstructed straight shot from my 140mm fronts, with a one PCI slot gap between it and my 2070. Intel.

I've had my SB Zx since November 2013 and has technically been in two different builds of mine. I've had "crackling" (I'd call it distortion) for years upon years, regardless of the OS (I stayed on 7 up until 2020), motherboard, or CPU. To me it sounded like those robot voice filters, but I guess it does sound "crackly." Tried many different drivers and fixes but never found a solution. It'd happen randomly (primarily while watching videos/streams). I'd just restart, and voila, fixed. I've just dealt with it for years. I can't say any specific driver caused or fixed it, it's just always been there regardless.

MUCH more recently though (specifically since mid-winter) I started getting AUDIO CUT-OUT for a second or less. Never, EVER had it before. It'd happen randomly while watching videos, while playing games, or especially while playing a game with a stream playing in the background. It started getting worse as of the past several days, with the cutouts occurring more frequently between them. I tried the "new" driver, with "Sound Blaster Command." Didn't fix anything; same shit, different UI design. I tried those registry tweaks people are posting with many different values but it changed nothing. Switching the encoder on/off did nothing. Restarting did nothing, other than temporarily cool the card down...

Last night I took the card out, removed the red beauty cover, and removed the square plastic abomination covering the main IC (it's actually trapping heat under there; it is NOT a heatsink it's just a hollow chunk of plastic). I also stuck some tiny 8x8 aluminum heatsinks on three chips. The board is packed stupidly dense, so most of the heatsinks have barely any clearance to nearby components. I could NOT get an 8x8 comfortably on the main IC though, so that one is open air. That would have been a bit sketchy imo as an 8x8 heatsink would come dangerously close to some smt caps; 6x6 or smaller will be needed for that one and unfortunately those are hard to obtain. The red metal beauty cover is off and replaced with two M3 nuts to hold the PCI bracket on. I have NOT had the audio cut-out problem since. IMMEDIATELY fixed! Time will tell if I get the "crackles" though as they were more rare. Room is currently 76F.

I think the problem started in the winter because of space heaters and forced air running. I started realizing it'd happen if the room was around or over 75F. In summer the AC is constantly running, so... yeah... heat issue 100%. My question is: why has audio cut-out NEVER happened for 9 years until now? Maybe the BGA balls under the main IC are going bad? Maybe a reflow could help? There's also a very slim chance that it just needed to be reseated or the screws tightened (grounding?). I may do some more testing in the near future to see if I can remove the heatsinks and still be in the clear.

 

[thewan]

I think the problem started in the winter because of space heaters and forced air running. I started realizing it'd happen if the room was around or over 75F. In summer the AC is constantly running, so... yeah... heat issue 100%. My question is: why has audio cut-out NEVER happened for 9 years until now? Maybe the BGA balls under the main IC are going bad? Maybe a reflow could help? There's also a very slim chance that it just needed to be reseated or the screws tightened (grounding?). I may do some more testing in the near future to see if I can remove the heatsinks and still be in the clear.

It's been 9 years. Many things has happened during those 9 years.
During those 9 years have you never changed any other part of your system? It has always been the same old parts? Alot of consumer hardware do not really look too far into the future. It is really unpredictable in the consumer space and frankly a waster of RnD money. So your creative card was probably designed with the 9 years ago hardware landscape. Alot of newer hardware along those 9 years appeared that started to defy those expectations that use way more power and produce way more heat in a small area. The Creative engineers of that time simply didn't think that the inside of a computer case would attempt to expel so much heat out of box, and therefore did not take into account the surrounding heat would overwhelm their chips on their soundcard. Unless you tell me you have never upgraded your hardware, take note that there are alot of other heat sources in your PC that have increased in leaps and bounds during those 9 years. It accumulates until hardware decides its time to start giving up. Its beyond the thermal design of the hardware itself.

Secondly, don't you notice the weather has been going crazy lately. Do not take your room thermometer at face value. Don't forget things like humidity and how the heat really "feels like" after taking into account everything else. Some hardware eventually will take its toll after experiencing all these things. Especially hardware that is designed to work in an environment that was normal 9 years ago. It happens. Just deal with it. Its not like we can command the human race overnight to fix everything.