ATI AIW Capture Problems - Audio Distortion

[mkdevo]

hello all,

just got a new PC with an ATI All In Wonder 9000. i have a VCR connected to the composite video/RCA audio inputs on the AIW, in hopes of doing some VHS>DVD transfers. however, whenever i play the VCR through the AIW, the audio is very amplified and distorted, even with my line-in volume all the way down.

i tried playing the VCR through my stereo, and the sound is fine. also, i tried playing other audio sources through the AIW's RCA inputs, and they also sound fine. but for some reason, when playing the VCR through the AIW, the audio is really, really, crappy.

obviously this isn't good, as it will totally ruin the entire reason why i got this card. if anyone out there has any clues, it'd be much appreciated. thanks!

[FOO]

This has been a problem with ATI for a long time. It varies
with software version also. The question is where to set the
line-in record volume. Well you can set it all day but the capture
will change it.


I am using MMC 8.5 I have only solved this by editing the record level
in the registry. It works for me but some people claim that even
that gets changed while you are not watching.

[xsbs52x]

ive had that happen to me with that same card. if you switch through the different sources a few times, it should fix it. for example: switch to the tuner, then switch to s-video, then to composite. do that a few times. also try closing the capture program and re opening it. try rebooting your computer.

[mkdevo]

thanks for the replies folks...

FOO - MMC 8.1 came with my card. is there a (free) upgrade available somewhere? also, can you explain what i have to edit in the registry to change the record level? thanks...

xsbs52x - i tried everything you suggested, but to no avail. thanks though..

this card seems like it has such great potential.. are all the AIW's like this? well, just wanna get this one going for now, so i look forward to your comments. thanks!

[Richard_G]

If the audio is very amplified and distorted, it sounds like the audio from your AIW is connected to the mic in and not line in port. You say that even with the line in volume all the way down, it is still loud. Does the volume vary with this slider or does it stay loud all the time? While you have a source connected try going into the record settings in your mixer and mute them one at a time to check which one is being used.

If it is using the mic in, not only will it be very loud and distorted, it will also be in mono. Move the flying lead from the AIW to the line in socket on your soundcard.

[FOO]

The situation I was talking about only happens during CAPTURE
and depends on whatever controls your audio system installs.
You know the Line-In on the normal windows sound control panel
is playback level - you have to goto Options Advanced or something
to set the Record level.

However

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ATI Technologies\Multimedio\Features\TV\Sound

[jdizzy40]

No all the AIWs are not like this. None of my 4 do this. Are you using on board sound or an after market sound card like the Creative Audigy series. I run the Audigy and Audigy 2 cards with my AIW 8500DV, AIW 9000 Pro and AIW 9700 Pro and the captures with sound are perfect.

[allaboutduncan]

I've had something similar to this happen to me as well. Audio is fine most of the time, but then something happens and the levels peak. This is completely on its own, with no changes being made by me in the audio levels anywhere on the computer. I have yet to figure out what causes it, but I found a way to fix it when it happens.

Go into control panel -> Add and Remove Programs -> ATI AIW MMC version x.x


Select Change / Remove and do a repair installation. After rebooting, it should be fixed.

Hope this works

[mkdevo]

If the audio is very amplified and distorted, it sounds like the audio from your AIW is connected to the mic in and not line in port. You say that even with the line in volume all the way down, it is still loud. Does the volume vary with this slider or does it stay loud all the time? While you have a source connected try going into the record settings in your mixer and mute them one at a time to check which one is being used.

If it is using the mic in, not only will it be very loud and distorted, it will also be in mono. Move the flying lead from the AIW to the line in socket on your soundcard.

i will try this when i get home, but i'm pretty sure i'm going into the line in. if i were going into the 'mic' input, wouldn't *that* be the volume i'd adjust in the windows volume control? the volume i'm adjusting is the line in.. and the volume goes up and down when i move the slider, but even at its lowest setting it sounds overloaded (not loud persay, but still distorted when i turn the volume down...).

[mkdevo]

The situation I was talking about only happens during CAPTURE
and depends on whatever controls your audio system installs.
You know the Line-In on the normal windows sound control panel
is playback level - you have to goto Options Advanced or something
to set the Record level.

hmm.. that's one thing i hadn't checked, is the record level... again, something i'll check when i get home today, but, i get the distortion even when just playing the VCR through the AIW in normal TV Mode (not capture)... but i will try to adjust that record level.. thanks...

[mkdevo]

No all the AIWs are not like this. None of my 4 do this. Are you using on board sound or an after market sound card like the Creative Audigy series. I run the Audigy and Audigy 2 cards with my AIW 8500DV, AIW 9000 Pro and AIW 9700 Pro and the captures with sound are perfect.

on-board card... i will check out the above suggestions, and if none work, i will try a pci sound card.. thanks..

[gf]

I had the same problem, I had to connect to the cd input on my motherboard and now it works!

[pixel]

First of all, I would try adjusting the recording volume. When I got my card a year+ ago I found this was my main problem.

Most onboard sound is pretty low quality, and ATI's weren't really made for use with onbaord sound (plus onboard sound is crap in general). Visit Lordsmurf's guide pages Lordsmurf
he knows a lot about ATI's and has some useful guides too

I prviously ran my AIW through my onboard sound, but now use an audigy 2 and the sound quality is greatly improved.

[xsbs52x]

i use onboard sound with no problems

[mkdevo]

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ATI Technologies\Multimedia\Features\TV\Sound

FOO - i went into here, and the value for RecordVolume is set to 343, hex. is that high? what should it be set to?? thanks..

[mkdevo]

with the exception of trying a standalone sound card, i've tried pretty much everything above, and nothing has worked.. however:

I had the same problem, I had to connect to the cd input on my motherboard and now it works!

gf - where can i get the cable to make this connection?? i thought i had one that came with my cd-rw, but it's too big for the connector on the AIW...

[FOO]

Get some initiative. Try something. (lower)

[jdizzy40]

mkdevo: do you have a CompUSA near you. They carry that cable. It has the extra pigtal on the one end for connecting to the ATI's circuit board. Here's a picture for you. [img]https://www.videohelp.com/forum/images/guides/p640320/connector.jpg[img]https://www.videohelp.com/forum/images/guides/p640320/

[jdizzy40]

Sorry, but still can't seem to figure out how to upload a photo on this site. It could be a little simpler, bu ti isn't. E-mail me for a photo.

[pixel]

I would like to see a photo please.

Here is how you upload one:

Beside the "Image 1" upload section, click on browse and choose your pic.
Press "Img" then type the name of the pic you loaded from the "Image 1" section and press "Img" again.

You should end up with something like this imgmypicture.jpgimg
Put the [] around both img though