13 Full: Audio now has minor crackle & almost a hollow chamber sound

Windows XP
Sound playback is through RealTekHD

I'd had an ffmpeg error for some time - windows media player wouldn't expand the video, so I had been using quicktime.
I fixed this by downloading pack 13 full.

It uninstalled old, and reinstalled new.
The error was gone.
However, the audio playback is not great.

I had gone with LAV in the selections.
I did a reinstall and swapped the audio selections to ffdshow, however, there was no change.

The problem is that there are so many config settings to try... I don't know where to start.
... and I'm thinking that the problem is probably simple... as previously the sound was fine.

I've tried youtube, quicktime, and media player..... and they all have this audio problem.
A slight hollow chamber effect, and at the end of sentences, a slight vibration or crackle.

Can anybody help?


Notes - programs running:
ffdshow audio decoder
Input AAC stereo, 44100 HZ 90kbps libavcodec
Output PCM stereo 44100 Hz 16 bit integer

LAV video decoder
LAV splitter

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\GNU\ffdshow]
"noDxvaDecoder"=dword:00000001
"noVFW"=dword:00000001
"8bps"=dword:00000000
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"fps1"=dword:00000000
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"h263"=dword:00000000
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[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\ffdshow\default]
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[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\ffdshow]
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"qtrpza"=dword:00000000
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"tscc"=dword:00000000
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"vp6f"=dword:00000000
"vp8"=dword:00000000
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"wvc1"=dword:00000000
"xvid"=dword:00000000
"zlib"=dword:00000000
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"OSDcurPreset"="default"
"OSDpresetName0"="default"
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"supDVDdec"=dword:00000001
"trayIcon"=dword:00000001
"alternateUncompressed"=dword:00000000
"isWhitelist"=dword:00000000
"isCompMgr"=dword:00000000
"lang"="en"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\ffdshow_audio\default]
"volNormalize"=dword:00000001
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"decoderDRC"=dword:00000001
"isvolume"=dword:00000000
"ismixer"=dword:00000001
"mixerOut"=dword:00000001
"mixerClev"=dword:0000008e
"mixerLFElev"=dword:00000064
"passthroughAC3"=dword:00000000
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"decoderDRCLevel"=dword:00000064
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"showVolume"=dword:00000001
"orderVolume"=dword:00000001
"volume"=dword:00000064
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"showEQ"=dword:00000001
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"firWindow"=dword:00000004
"firKaiserBeta"=dword:000003e8
"convolverLevelAdjustAuto"=dword:00000001
"isConvolver"=dword:00000000
"showConvolver"=dword:00000001
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"convolverMappingMode"=dword:00000000
"convolverMixingStrength"=dword:00000064
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"convolverFile"=""
"convolverFileSL"=""
"convolverFileL"=""
"convolverFileR"=""
"convolverFileC"=""
"convolverFileLFE"=""
"convolverFileSR"=""
"isAudioDenoise"=dword:00000000
"showAudioDenoise"=dword:00000001
"orderAudioDenoise"=dword:00000005
"audioDenoiseThreshold"=dword:00000064
"isWinamp2"=dword:00000000
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"winamp32bit"=dword:00000000
"winamp2filtername"=""
"winamp2flnm"=""
"allowMultichannelOnlyIn"="dsp_dfx.dll"
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"isLFEcrossover"=dword:00000000
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"channelSwapAL"=dword:00000200
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"showChannelSwap"=dword:00000001
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"mixerMatrix22"=dword:000186a0
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"showMixer"=dword:00000001
"orderMixer"=dword:0000000d
"mixerExpandStereo2"=dword:00000000
"mixerVoiceControl2"=dword:00000000
"mixerCustomMatrix"=dword:00000000
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"mixerSlev"=dword:00000064
"headphone_dim"=dword:0000000a
"orderOSD"=dword:0000000e
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"OSDisAutoHide"=dword:00000000
"isOSD"=dword:00000000
"OSDdurationVisible"=dword:00000064
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"OSDsaveOnly"=dword:00000000
"OSDformat"=""
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"connectTo"=dword:00000000
"connectToOnlySpdif"=dword:00000001
"useIEC61937"=dword:00000000
"passthroughPCMConnection"=dword:00000001
"outsfs"=dword:00000001
"outAC3bitrate"=dword:00000280
"outAC3EncodeMode"=dword:00000000
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"autoloadFreq"=dword:00000000
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[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\ffdshow_audio]
"aac"=dword:00000001
"ac3"=dword:00000001
"amr"=dword:00000001
"cook"=dword:00000000
"dts"=dword:00000011
"eac3"=dword:00000001
"flac"=dword:00000001
"gsm"=dword:00000000
"iadpcm"=dword:00000000
"imc"=dword:00000001
"law"=dword:00000000
"lpcm"=dword:00000004
"mace"=dword:00000001
"mlp"=dword:00000001
"mp2"=dword:00000001
"mp3"=dword:00000007
"msadpcm"=dword:00000000
"nellymoser"=dword:00000001
"otherAdpcm"=dword:00000001
"qdm2"=dword:00000001
"qtpcm"=dword:00000000
"truehd"=dword:00000000
"truespeech"=dword:00000000
"tta"=dword:00000001
"vorbis"=dword:00000001
"rawa"=dword:00000000
"OSDcurPreset"="default"
"OSDpresetName0"="default"
"OSDpresetFormat0"="1544 1545 1559 1529"
"OSDpresetsCount"=dword:00000001
"trayIcon"=dword:00000001
"isWhitelist"=dword:00000000
"isCompMgr"=dword:00000000
"lastPage"=dword:00000073
"dlgPosX"=dword:00000207
"lvCodecsSelected"=dword:00000000
"dlgRestorePos"=dword:00000000
"dlgPosY"=dword:00000146
"showHints"=dword:00000001
"lvCodecsWidth0"=dword:00000064
"lvCodecsWidth1"=dword:00000064
"lvCodecsWidth2"=dword:000000a8
"lvWidth0"=dword:0000012c
"lvKeysWidth0"=dword:000000f0
"lvConvolverWidth2"=dword:0000012c
"lvKeysWidth1"=dword:0000005a
"lvConvolverSelected"=dword:00000000
"dlgDecCurrentPage"=dword:00000000
"lvConvolverWidth0"=dword:00000046
"lvConvolverWidth1"=dword:000000c8
"dlgVolumeDb"=dword:00000000
"translateMode"=dword:00000000
"multipleInstances"=dword:00000001
"isAudioSwitcher"=dword:00000000
"addToROT"=dword:00000000
"streamsOptionsMenu"=dword:00000000
"autoPresetFileFirst"=dword:00000000
"trayIconExt"=dword:00000001
"outputdebug"=dword:00000001
"outputdebugfile"=dword:00000000
"errorbox1"=dword:00000001
"isBlacklist"=dword:00000001
"streamsSubFilesMode"=dword:00000003
"autoPresets"=dword:00000000
"showCurrentVolume"=dword:00000000
"showCurrentFFT"=dword:00000000
"firIsUserDisplayMaxFreq"=dword:00000000
"firUserDisplayMaxFreq"=dword:0000bb80
"alwaysextensible"=dword:00000001
"allowOutStream"=dword:00000000
"dtsinwav"=dword:00000001
"debugfile"="\\ffdebug.log"
"winamp2dir"=""
"wma1"=dword:00000000
"wma2"=dword:00000000
"ra"=dword:00000000
"atrac3"=dword:00000000
"wavpack"=dword:00000000
"avis"=dword:0000000a
"activePreset"="default"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\GNU\ffdshow_audio]
"aac"=dword:00000001
"ac3"=dword:00000001
"amr"=dword:00000001
"cook"=dword:00000000
"dts"=dword:00000011
"eac3"=dword:00000001
"flac"=dword:00000001
"gsm"=dword:00000000
"iadpcm"=dword:00000000
"imc"=dword:00000001
"law"=dword:00000000
"lpcm"=dword:00000004
"mace"=dword:00000001
"mlp"=dword:00000001
"mp2"=dword:00000001
"mp3"=dword:00000007
"msadpcm"=dword:00000000
"nellymoser"=dword:00000001
"otherAdpcm"=dword:00000001
"qdm2"=dword:00000001
"qtpcm"=dword:00000000
"truehd"=dword:00000000
"truespeech"=dword:00000000
"tta"=dword:00000001
"vorbis"=dword:00000001
"rawa"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\ffdshow_raw\default]
"resizeMethod"=dword:00000009
"subIsExpand"=dword:00000000
"isSubtitles"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\ffdshow_raw]
"multipleInstances"=dword:00000003
"trayIcon"=dword:00000001
"isWhitelist"=dword:00000000
"isCompMgr"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\ffdshow_audio_raw\default]
"volNormalize"=dword:00000001
"volNormalizeRegainVolume"=dword:00000001
"mixerNormalizeMatrix"=dword:00000000
"isvolume"=dword:00000000
"ismixer"=dword:00000001
"mixerOut"=dword:00000001
"mixerClev"=dword:0000008e
"mixerLFElev"=dword:00000064

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\ffdshow_audio_raw]
"multipleInstances"=dword:00000003
"trayIcon"=dword:00000001
"isWhitelist"=dword:00000000
"isCompMgr"=dword:00000000



Since the problem also occurs with those applications, it is not related to codecs or codec settings.

Update your sound driver and have a look at the Realtek settings. That is the only thing that can be the cause.

Thanks for the response.
I will now look into updating the sound driver.

Your response caused me to play again youtube... and I noted that my alerts showed no codecs in action
.... but this only came about after changing the codec pack.

I say this with 100% certainty.
The moment I played a video, the poor sound quality was apparent.

Here's an aup recording of "and erm".
It shows the machine-gun effect.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9HHPLN8L5MxTXlIUnlyQWVpT1E/view?usp=sharing

I note that the sound wave has very compact waves during the periods of the erroneous effect.

I've tried different realtek environments, and the effect can be accentuated, but never eliminated.
Something has changed.

It's not a total disaster.
It's just not very good audio now.

I'll report back... but at this moment in time, I have a heavy heart

YouTube does not use anything from the codec pack. It either uses an internal codec from the browser (Chrome) or it uses a standard codec from Microsoft (IE and Firefox). QuickTime also uses its own internal codecs. The codec pack does not have any effect on audio playback in those applications.

Thanks again for the response

It came back to me, that really... I should re-boot.

Evidently, we can easily forget our basics.
It has been some time since I immersed myself into 'configuration' (stupid excuse).

When housekeeping, it's possible to be a good boy, and follow through with good practice.
But when the fog of war descends... basic methodology can be overlooked (experience).

I realised this, however, I just.... responded to an open page... which led to another response...
... then boom!
A blue screen memory dump.

I thought, fair enough.

Re-booted... fully expecting the audio to be fine... and it was
I also (strangely enough) got an 'office security' batch download.

Memory usage was initially very high, but that seems to have returned to normal.

I'm now going to carry out some basic housekeeping.
However, I think that the lesson learned, for when a miscreant is crying for help... "is to first recommend a reboot."

Of course, they (I) should know better.
They should have already rebooted.
But I have 3 decades of computing experience, and I still forgot to reboot.

It would appear that 'being a knobhead' is something that happens to us as part and parcel of our lives.
I don't think that anybody is immune from this.

Anyway, the audio is fine, and no more errors.
So it was a journey worth taking.

Thanks for being there for me

Ongoing Reporting on sound issues:

I ended up deleting the pagefile.sys

It came to a head, when I installed voicemeeter.
It would work... then it wouldn't work.

I was getting IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL blue screen mem dumps at 'switch off' constantly.
... but I truly don't know what was the original cause, to corrupt the swap file.

It may be a coincidence, that it came to a head when solving ffmpeg error.

I used Puran 'boot full defrag' to prep the drive for total free contiguous free space.
Set swap to 0
Repeated Puran 'boot full defrag' as the reboot.
Deleted the pagefile.sys that was still in place (it should have disappeared)
Set the pagefile size.
Repeated Puran 'boot full defrag'.
Checked that I had a correct pagefile.sys

Of course.... by this time I was getting used to it
So I did one more Puran 'boot full defrag'.
****
It was sort of 'over the top' but I merged the process with other mundane tasks, so it was fine.
One also gets a kick out of seeing one's drive, totally compacted, without any gaps.

So far... so good.
Like I said..... the original cause is a mystery.

I highly doubt your problem is PageFile related. The contents of the PageFile is refeshed during each boot. Disabling it can result in problems.

The blue screen is driver related. You may be able to figure out which specific driver with this tool:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

When I researched IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL blue screen
One of the fixes discussed disabling memory cache.

It made me thing about the pagefile.sys.
It was just a hunch.
I know that they can get corrupted.

Setting virtual memory to zero should remove the pagefile.sys.
If it doesn't, then it's corrupt, and must be manually deleted.
Then the virtual memory can be reset, and a new file created.

I ran the Puran boot defrag because it compacts everything, and checks the disk.
To leave clear open space for the new pagefile.sys.

Anyway, it worked.
The PC will now power down, without the blue screen.

Whether this has fully fixed the problem only time will tell.
But so far it's a win, and Wow!... the PC boots quickly now, so it was worth doing.

My main concern is with Voicemeeter.
It's a great bit of software, but there were driver issues.
Change Control Panel sound options, and it would require a re-boot.

I have yet to start modding the sound setup... so we'll see if the blue screen returns when I do.