Audio Skipping - not DAW related?

[TrevsAudio]

All my comp spec's are in my signature...
So a few days ago something from outer space hit my PC and there was no other option than to reset it and re-download Win 10 again. Took all my apps with it too
I set it all up again with my Focusrite 2i2 (with current updated driver), but now it randomly skips audio from any source - DAW, pre-recorded MP3's, Internet music etc. This happens a couple of times a minute! Sounds exactly like a buffer size issue in a DAW, but I have it set at 41K sample rate and 256 buffer size which has been perfect in the past.
You guys know me well as a total technophobe, so any layman's advice please?

[JonInc]

First, try a different USB port (preferably on a different controller). If that doesn't help...

This vid goes over some of the more common things to look at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMXz81p0g28&t=2s

If you're still having problems, run the free latencymon utility to identify what's taking up resources.

[TrevsAudio]

Thanks Jon - tried all you suggested and got this message from latencymon

Untitled.png (61.8 KiB) Viewed 10721 times

I'm going to try another AI I have, but if no change, I reckon it's time to get the computer guy in to take a look.

[outteh]

Since you had to reinstall Windows everything went back to default settings, power management, background apps, CPU toggle, etc.. You might want to dust off the old performance improvement articles and go through resetting stuff. Also, a disk defrag (unless it's an SSD) and registry clean out. Sorry you had to go through this buddy, hope it can be resolved quickly. .

Do you have all the win 10 updates?

[chibear]

You didn't put the specs of your drive(s) in your sig. Your previous Windows problem and your other symtoms would suggest to me that maybe your OS drive is either nearing full or about to go belly up. Just a thought.

[TrevsAudio]

Thanks Clyde - It's a 256 gig SSD with 50 gig free space.. getting rather full I think..

EDIT: Seriously thinking of getting a new SSD - maybe 500 gig to use as my C drive, then scrubbing the existing 256 SSD and using it as a secondary drive just for recording on. I have a seperate 500 gig conventional external drive for project storage etc. What say the masses??

[outteh]

Good thing to do! Go for it. The SSD drives have been dropping in price!

[chibear]

I have all my libraries on SSDs other than my C drive too; as a matter of fact Mixcraft is also on another drive as well as any other software I can install not on C. This frees C to do only OS stuff.

I upgraded my C drive about a year ago and paid a few extra $ to have the tech clone old C to new C so I didn't have to reinstall anything.

Ya, Do It

[TrevsAudio]

Thanks fellas - great advice as always

[Thomas]

EDIT: Seriously thinking of getting a new SSD - maybe 500 gig to use as my C drive, then scrubbing the existing 256 SSD and using it as a secondary drive just for recording on... What say the masses??

That sounds like a good idea Trevor. Just remember to send me your old 256.

[Tiasdad]

Trev, I use a 120gb system drive (C Drive) and regularly move all documents, downloads, pics, vids, Mixcraft stuff to a separate HD to keep the system drive as clean as possible. You can still link to them on the Quick Access panel

[TrevsAudio]

Sorry to 'bump' this one up again, but I need your advice again guys

I found a new computer guy who is really on the ball and he's going to be give the old comp a good 'seeing to' (ask the Brit boys). I'm also having another drive installed.

So, I'm going to end up with a 256 SSD main C drive; a 500 laptop 7200 drive and a normal 500 7200 drive which I picked up for next to nothing. So my question; how would you distribute stuff over those 3 drives?

Obviously the OS will be on C and I know it's good to have a seperate drive for recording (would Mixcraft be installed there?). I don't have any vast libraries other than EZDrummer and Miroslav Philharmonik 1.

Any advice muchly appreciated!

[JonInc]

So, I'm going to end up with a 256 SSD main C drive; a 500 laptop 7200 drive and a normal 500 7200 drive which I picked up for next to nothing. So my question; how would you distribute stuff over those 3 drives?

Here's a classic article from Sound on Sound magazine on DAW partitioning (and the reasons behind it). If you don't care to read all the stuff about partitions, just scroll to the end for the section on distributing data.

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... hard-drive

[TrevsAudio]

Interesting stuff - thanks Jon!