Community Newsletter: Q&A: 6/23/06 Playing CDs on PC is all snap, crackle, and pop!
- 6/22/06 5:14 PM
6/23/06 Playing CDs on PC is all snap, crackle, and pop!
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 6/22/06 5:14 PM
Question:
Whenever I play any music CDs (store bought) on my computer drive, it sounds like an old phonograph record, full of pops, snaps, and crackles. Not terrible, but enough to be quite annoying. I know it's not the CDs themselves, as they play fine on other CD players. Is this a hardware or software problem? If you have any ideas as to what could be causing this, could you please list the possible causes so that I can troubleshoot these areas? Thanks.
Submitted by: Robert A.
Answer by Miguel K.
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 6/22/06 5:16 PM
In reply to: 6/23/06 Playing CDs on PC is all snap, crackle, and pop! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Answer:
Robert, The "pops, snaps, and crackles" you experience during the playback of compact discs suggest a memory or system resources issue. Multimedia applications use an awful lot of resources, and when several programs don't play nice and try to take more than is allotted to them, bad things happen. The particular media player that you are using may be playing a role, too.
Let me illustrate the last point with a personal example: Years ago, I would routinely play music files or CDs while I browsed the Web, read e-mail, scanned my PC with Norton AntiVirus, or performed other resource-intensive tasks. Regardless of how many programs were running at the time, music playback was flawless as long as I used Windows Media Player (WMP), RealPlayer, or J. River's Media Jukebox. However, as soon as I opened my then-favorite application, Musicmatch Jukebox, the playback would be seriously sabotaged by both skipping and seemingly endless artifacts such as pops and cracks! The situation usually improved only after closing all other applications.
Clearly, the demands placed on my computer by the MusicMatch Jukebox led to conflicts related to the distribution of computer resources. Adding more memory helped, but I saw no reason to spend a lot of energy (and money) trying to solve the issue when other applications already in my computer performed better and allowed me to have multiple programs running simultaneously. Thus, I stopped using MusicMatch Jukebox, despite its considerable strengths.
If you haven't already, play a CD using a different media player. (iTunes would be an excellent choice, but you can visit Download.com for other popular choices.) If the problem is not reproduced with the new application, the problem likely lies with your default media player. Updating to the latest release of the player or reinstalling it to repair corrupt files may solve the problem. The troubleshooting steps discussed below might help, too.
If the issue persists even after you try different media players, start thinking "memory." This is particularly true if your computer has less than 512 MB of RAM and/or has an older processor. Make no mistake, even machines with powerful processors and plenty of memory are not necessarily immune to this problem. Firewalls, antivirus and antispyware software, and operating system components running silently in the background can and do place a heavy burden on system resources. (Spyware would be another consideration, so don't neglect scanning your PC for it!) Adding memory will improve overall performance noticeably, not just during music playback. But let's try a few other tricks first.
Interestingly, you did not mention having any problems playing music files like mp3s - something which, in this day of age, I have to assume you do. And if the issue is indeed limited to CD playback, your next troubleshooting step should be cleaning your optical drive's lens, as debris and dust may be at the root of the problem. You can find inexpensive CD lens cleaners at most electronics and computer stores, as well as office supply retailers like Staples. They are essentially CDs with thin, delicate brushes attached to their playing surface. As the disc spins during playback, the brushes sweep away contaminants off your lens.
However, if the "pops, snaps, and crackles" also occurs during the playback of digital files stored in your computer, you might be dealing with either hardware or software issues - or both. Before investing in new memory, there are several things you can try to optimize the media player/optical drive interaction:
Rule Out a Corrupt or Outdated Driver
Driver problems will prevent your optical drive and media software from communicating as they should. This leads to performance issues.
1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop (or Start Menu, if applicable), and select Properties from the list..
2. On the System Properties box, select the Hardware tab.
3. Click on the Device Manager radio button. The Device Manager box will open, listing the components that make up your system.
4. Your optical drive will be listed under DVD/CD-ROM Drives. Expand this field and find your drive.
5. Highlight and right-click your drive, then select Properties.
6. Verify that the device is working properly. (If a message states differently, click the Troubleshoot button to find out what is wrong and how to correct it. Addressing this issue might be all that's needed to solve your problem.)
7. Select the Driver tab, and click Update Driver. Windows will try to determine whether a new driver is available. You can always visit your drive's manufacturer's website and check for the latest driver version there.
8. If necessary, download and install the new driver.
9. Exit all dialog boxes, and restart your computer.
10. Play a CD to determine if the issue has been solved.
Optimize Audio Playback
The following steps apply to Windows Media Player 11 (Beta) and earlier versions of the player. If you do not use WMP, please refer to your particular software's help files to determine how to optimize audio playback. (It would be impossible to discuss every popular media player here!) The goal is to select those options that enhance playback and sound quality, and compensate for problems present in the digital data.
1. Open Windows Media Player and click on Options.
2. Select the Devices tab on the Options dialog box.
3. Select your CD Player from the list, then click the Properties radio button.
4. In the drive's Properties box, select Digital under Playback.
5. Check the "Use Error Correction" box.
6. Press OK to exit.
7. Play a CD to determine if the issue has been solved.
If none of the above troubleshooting steps solve the problem, it might be time to add memory. At this point, you should also consider the possibility that your optical drive might be failing. The good news is that the price of CD burners and DVD players has fallen considerably, so an upgrade might be significantly more affordable than you suspect.
Hope you find these suggestions useful!
Best wishes.
Submitted by: Miguel K. of Columbus, Ohio
another possibility: directX
by mikimiska - 6/23/06 2:22 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Just another possibility: update DirectX drivers. I had problem with loud clicks when opening/closing/playing DVD unit, upgrading to latest DirectX helped 100%.
Matej
Audio: pops, snaps, and crackles...
by aalopes - 6/23/06 3:11 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This is the first time a read something regarding this issue.
As a matter a fact, I also had this problem (thought I was the only one...) when playing MP3 music files in Windows Media Player.
I noticed it in the very first day I bought my Pavilion notebook. In fact, this was enough to make me return the product to the seller and have a new one.
I realized that if I played me MP3 files in Winamp, those "pops, snaps, and crackles" just desapeared!
I can state that this fenomenum occured eventually because my WMP 9 wasn't so that good, because nowadays I play those same files in WMP 10 without a scratch.
Concerning equipment specifications my computer can handle with ease all audio playback, so the main reason behind all this is concerned with software maulfunction.
HP Pavilion Pentium 4 3,2 Mhz
512 Mb RAM
OPTIMIZING SOUND
by AMIT JAIN - 6/23/06 3:33 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Apart from what Miguel has suggested , which is obviously the right track . I am of the opinion that
the right speakers , maybe Creative with a subwoofer
will cut out all the crackle and other such annoying
sounds by giving it a lot of depth .
It is also possible everything else being okay the
onboard sound is not upto the mark .Depending on
the motherboard even a lower end sound card from Creative themselves would enhance the sound considerably . Believe me the sound is quite good .
The above suggestions can be improved further with Bose speakers but it does not make sense to make such
expenditure and make every thing PC centric .
My Bose wave system is a seperate station . Though the music is all obtained by burning CD's on the PC .
Amit jain
Cd Snaps Crackles and Pops!!!!!!!
by Reevus - 6/23/06 7:21 AM In reply to: OPTIMIZING SOUND by AMIT JAINI used to get this problem on my PC when i burned CD's on my Pc. The problem i had basically was my PC was being overworked. It never affected me as i convert my Cd into the itunes format at the highest quality. When i brought i brand new top of the rang CD rom drive the problem stopped. I advise buting a new CD rom drive you dont have to blow the bank you can get very good cd rom drives for a very resonable price. ebuyer.com is a very cheap website i advise you check it out
Pops , snaps and crackles
by booraz - 6/23/06 4:25 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had this same problem a few years ago when I installed a new sound card on my system. The same symptoms were experienced with two different cards. As soon as I removed the cards the problem went. Eventually I installed an M-Audio sound card, which gave me no problems.
Also, if you do have a separate sound card as well as a built in one on your motherboard then make sure to disable your onboard one in your bios settings as they can conflict.
Sounds like one of the cheap computers
by 4jackie40d - 6/23/06 6:40 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This sounds like a VERY CHEAP computer with only 128 megs of memory and running XP ! The scourge of the O/S's almost as bad as what ME was ! . . You need a good CD-Rom or DVD-Rom that's fast and a GOOD sound card ! These on board sound things are an AFTER THOUGHT by the mother board makers and generally put out a bad quallity sound
First thing to check is the amount of memory and add a lot to it the more the better ! I run 2 gig's . . I bought my mother board on what and how much it would hold
( it has 4 slots can go to 4 gig ) Then check the age CD-Rom or DVD-Rom you have it could be giving you signals of going out . . and last of all check the sound card !
Update Driver
by rimbaud - 6/23/06 7:21 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Good answer! Updating my sound card driver was what fixed my problem!
CD Backround noise!
by bigjtk - 6/23/06 8:49 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
1. Dirty line A/C. This is a big problem In Dallas/Fort Worth. Old Transformers and lines can cause a lot of problems. Put an APC Battery backup on line. This can solve a lot of problems and save your computer too.
2. Bad or cheap power supplys. I see this a lot too.
3. Unshielded speakers. Some older speakers can cause problems.
4. Dirty Computer. I see this all the time. Take all the slot cards and clean the slots with electrical contact cleaner.
5. Old Modems. Hardware based modems can start to buzz.
Pull out your slot cards one at a time, re-boot and check.
6.With Creative software, Check your Line in setting. If nothing is connected to it, turn the volume to 0.
7. I\0 conflicts, Put your sound card in a different slot.
(NT) Now that's an answer!
by risibilis - 6/23/06 8:49 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Check the Soundcard Driver too.
by tkareem - 6/24/06 4:42 AM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Miguel suggest the problem may be a bad driver, than goes on to discuss how to update the CD/DVD Drive's drivers. If this problem doesn't just occur with CDs and occurs with MP3, WMA, web audio or other sound source playback you should update the Sound card/chip drivers instead.
The update process will be the same as he described for the CD/DVD Drive, except it can be updated from the hardware tab of Sounds and Audio Devices in Control Panel. Select your sound card from the list and click the Properties Button. When the Properties dialog is displayed, select the Driver tab and then click Update Driver (pretty obvious).
Bad CD sound
by donaldbellcyborg - 6/24/06 12:41 PM In reply to: Answer by Miguel K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've got 512 memory/xp/1.8 processor
I have a cd drive with nero software and an creative extigy soundcard on my e drive.my problem is when i try to play a cd in my d drive cd rom.cds play perfectly in e drive but scratch pop and skip in the d.i notice when i put the cd in several players open simultaniously,winamp and the extigy player.i'll close one but the sound is still distorted.when i first got the system i could put a cd in the d drive and copy it to the e.this ability ceased in a month.the sound is so distorted i need to download the cd to my hard drive and then burn it.this has been driving me nuts for a couple of years.any suggestions?
Answer by Paul K.
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 6/22/06 5:15 PM
In reply to: 6/23/06 Playing CDs on PC is all snap, crackle, and pop! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Answer:
Hi, Robert, let's see if we can take the Rice Krispies out of your CD. First, let me say, since I don't have any idea what your computer may be or consist of, I will assume XP and all other standard options.
Let's start by tackling what may be a simpler issue, software. Depending on what you use to play your music, Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc...each may play music differently and cause distortion. Some will put out bass better than others, which if the speakers are standard PC speakers, will often cause distortion and noise. Try different software and see if it makes a difference, turn down the bass a bit if possible. If this solves it, this may be a good indication you need better speakers.
Moving on to another issue, dirt. Your cd player has a lens and through this the laser strikes the pits and lands which make up the data on the cd. Now, if that lens becomes dirty, the lens scatters the laser, perhaps enough to not play a cd at all or will create the noises you have been experiencing. Ah, there is a solution, for a few dollars, you can buy a laser lens cleaner just about anywhere electronics are sold. The disk will typically come with tiny brushes attached to a cd\dvd special disk, that when inserted, spins up and wipes away dust and dirt from the lens. What if it's too dirty to play you ask? No problem, many have a certain way to insert the disk so the brushes go across the lens possibly cleaning it off enough to allow the disk to play and continue with a thorough cleaning. In the case there is too much build up from home or outdoor pollutants, the CD player may in fact need to be taken apart to be cleaned by someone who is skilled enough or licensed to do so.
Another problem and more serious is the laser itself. While they can last for a long time, they do wear out. If this happens, the laser will no longer function to read a disk correctly and eventually at all. In that case, it's time to buy another. Luckily CD\dvd drives are getting cheaper all the time and even the cheaper ones may last a long time. Other problems with the drive may occur as well but as with the laser which is most common, the drive is typically replaced.
On to the pc. There is a lot depending on your computer itself. Your speakers play a big part along with your sound card and software you use. The speakers put out your sound which is fairly obvious. If the speakers can't handle sound very well or are older speakers, they do create distortion and can snap , crackle, pop, typically due to the amplifiers no longer working correctly. The best thing to do in this case is to replace the speakers with a better\newer brand of speaker and there are many types and brands to choose form. Another issue with the speaker amplifiers is they pick up other EMI (electro magnetic interference) noise. If you turn on a fan, or some electrical appliance, the older \cheap amplifiers will cause the speakers to hiss, pop, etc...as they pick up on noise. The best solution in this case is to once again, replace the speakers. A dirty or loose connection to the speaker port or bad\bare speaker wires can also cause interference.
Now that the speakers are out of the way, let's discuss your sound card. If you have no sound card, you probably have onboard also called integrated sound which is a sound port connected directly to the motherboard and uses an onboard\integrated chip to control your sound. This is not typically the best sound option to have and many prefer a sound card. The onboard typically does not handle sound very well and can cause a lot of distortion and other noises when playing music. Also the onboard takes your system resources to run as where a sound card comes with it's own. I for one have not had a problem with onboard sound as far as noise goes, but many have. How do you know if you have onboard? Well, taking off the side cover on the pc or however the case may open, and looking to see if your sound port is connected to the motherboard or if it's a card plugged into a PCI slot. That said, the obvious and best way to go would be to get a sound card if you don't have one. There are many to choose from and can range from 9.99 on the cheaper end and up. (note: some pcs come with a sound card and onboard like the hp pavilion 512 w for example) so if you have more than one sound port, this could be why.
To go off this last paragraph, you may have a sound card or integrated sound issue. Typically with the integrated sound, the drivers required to run it may need updating. If updated properly and to the newest working drivers possible but still having these issues, then going to a sound card would once again be the best option. If you have a sound card already, the drivers issue may still apply. As sound technology grows, the drivers may need updating to keep the sound card running properly with your software\players. You may in fact have a sound card that is simply bad and needs replacing or if it is older and can no longer get proper drivers to keep it current.
A few basics to review, clean the cd rom, update your drivers for your sound card, or onboard, testing the sound card with a good set of speakers is a good way to see if it is indeed the card and\or speakers both and If you use a set of speakers you know work well, and still get this noise, or test the speakers on another pc and they work, is a good indication of an integrated or sound card issue. Also, a high EMI can cause distortion even in a good set of speakers and they should be kept away from high EMI devices.
Well Robert, I hope this helps you with your issue and you can eventually enjoy clear sound.
Submitted by: Paul K. of Gladstone, Michigan
Snap, Crackle and Pops caused by Speakers?
by tkareem - 6/23/06 2:09 PM In reply to: Answer by Paul K. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Poor or overloaded speakers do not cause snap, crackle and pops. This is always an indication of something going wrong before the sound reaches the speakers. Have you ever heard any speakers that snap, crackle and pop whether on a stereo, home theater system or radio? They may boom, buzz or hum. The problem was described specifically to be snap, crackle and pop, not distortion or some other kind of noise.
1) However, if you suspect a speaker problem, test with headphones. The problem should not be heard with headphones.
2) If you suspect a CD problem test with other sound sources like MP3s, WMAs or web based audio. The problem should go away. Furthermore if it's a dirty laser or defective CD drive it will have an even bigger problem reading data cds.
3) If you suspect drivers test with other sound sources like MP3s or web based audio. The problem should not go away.
Most onboard sound chips do not create problems for most users and will rival low cost sound cards in sound quality. In addition, they do not require more resources than a sound card if they include a DSP (and with today's CPUs any extra resources used are insignificant), unlike onboard graphics chips which use system RAM and may use CPU resources.
The most likely cause is a driver, IRQ or memory resource conflict.
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