WindozeXP test station: why must it be so hard??

[P.O.]

A tale of woes and frustrations...

I picked up a touchscreen computer (ELO D series) recently. It sat in storage for a while, and then I had the brilliant idea to use it in an AudioTester audio Test Station for my bench.
It originally ran windoze 7, but the only Windoze OS I am familiar with and for which I have an install disk is windows XP. So XP I installed on the ELO.
Then I installed Audiotester 3.0. After some guessing, I found out I have "build 7". I realised there is a whole assortment of builds and no real way to tell them apart until you install them, or label them when you get them... And there is no way to know which OS requirement each one has.
So, Audiotester does not want to start. tells me there is a "initialisation error". I did some research on this, seems there is some DLL file missing. Tried patching some DLLs, tried different builds, still no joy.
The great mystery is: AudioTester DOES work on some of the Windows XP laptops I have!
I tried reinstalling Windows numerous times, copying hard disk content from one computer to another, nothing does.

So I decided to explore other FFT packages. there are about seven others. Some are limited time/function demos. I don't mind eventually paying for such software, but for now I'm looking for free... Of course I must limit myself to those that works with Windows XP (not always evident to find). Some are more oriented towards acoustic (room and speaker) work, while others are more for "electrical" testing. I'm looking for the most complete.

Of the candidates, a number don't play with ASIO, which I happen to need to run the MBOX1 interface I want to use.

I have spent at least a week exploring, trying things, cursing. I am not much advanced.
Next step is to look for other Windoze install CDs. Maybe convince myself of using Windoze 7. Or maybe use a laptop that has AudioTester already working. I loved the idea of using the touch screen computer for this, but I already lost too much time.

Fell free to post comments/suggestions.

 

[gyraf]

..winXP is not really fun at all on a touch-screenie - you will want win7 for such hardware. And this might be it - you probably have hardware that is unsupported by your system, which tends to muck up sensitive stuff. And AudioTester IS sensitive - I have him running on a dedicated Win7 machine with little else

Frustrating, but the functionality is worth it

/Jakob E.

 

[P.O.]

Well, the ELO I have IS specified to work with XP. And I have installed the driver for touch function, which works well.
However I really don't like the Digidesign MBOX installer, which seem to install a bunch of junk, including PACE. But then AT3 was refusing to run even before I installed the MBOX driver...
But you are right, I guess I'll be on the lookout for Win7 disks and run a dedicated system for AT3. Thanks for your input!

 

[Ike Zimbel]

This may be off the mark, but...I have had issues with several Windows platforms, including XP, wherein a program will work exactly ONCE and then not again. This turned out to be an issue with the Firewall not allowing required files for the program to run. The solution was to go into Firewall and manually enter the program names as exceptions. The trick is, you would need to know what the programs were called and if Windows was blocking them. I ran into this with a Rane device and got the name of the programs from Rane tech support (RIP). One of them was "ranesock".something or words to that effect (this was a while ago...). Anyway, maybe firewall is blocking the program.

 

[porkyc]

If you are hoping for a magical reply, don't hold your breath.
If you are looking for one package, preferably free, good luck.
WinXP......it is time to move on. And forget the TScreen crap.
I replaced my DellXP testing laptop with a Dell Win7 laptop (one step at at time, please), and Audiotester and TrueRTA both work fine, but I did pay for them.
For bench testing, Audtester seems to do the job, but not in real time. I never got Rightmark to work, except possibly once, so I wasn't going to shell out for a paid version that might not work either.
For console commissioning, I use TrueRTA (Frequency response and level very quickly).
Does your interface run at line level? If not, how do you get to the outside world without too many calibration headaches? You have to think about all of this. Plus, does your interface and possible buffer become part of the very measurements you are trying to take?
I seem to have been my nornal helpful self!

 

[P.O.]

AudioTester is my preffered choice for now. I consider paying for it when the limitations of unpaid version get too annoying (which is not the case now), and if I can get it to work right.
XP is what I'm comfortable with. I have a policy to stick with things and methods I am comfortable with. I have been using it to make music for a long time (running VSTIs and Ambiloop) and it suits me fine. I have used W7 with the touchscreen computer a little while, and it was driving me mad (and not because of the touchscreen part). I'll use it again only if I REALLY need to. I have no desire to switch only to be fashionnable. Plus, as I mentionned before, XP is the only Windoze OS I have install disks for...
I don't know why you bring up the argument of "the interface and possible buffer become part of the very measurements you are trying to take"... Of course the interface is part of the measurement, it's unevitable!
I think I am competent enough to make this setup electrically efficient, that will be enough for me.

 

[flashlamp]

xp and 7 apps work with win ten just use the media creation tool and upgrade from 7.

 

[P.O.]

I have NO DESIRE to go to ten, or even seven, because I have NO DESIRE to spend more money, and months re-learning to ride a bike. I'm a creature of habits, and XP I know how to ride. I am mostly ranting about the unreliability of the windows world...

 

[flashlamp]

I have NO DESIRE to go to ten, or even seven, because I have NO DESIRE to spend more money, and months re-learning to ride a bike. I'm a creature of habits, and XP I know how to ride. I am mostly ranting about the unreliability of the windows world...

use linux and virtualbox then. but dont connect xp or 2000 to internet

 

[P.O.]

I do use Ubuntu and other linuxes on some laptops, but I do not know about "virtualbox". It's a windoze emulator?
Of course, I don't ever let those computers anywhere near the internet!

 

[ivan]

I use almost every day a combination of ELO with MBOX and Visual Analyzer to measure parts.


MBOX drivers are working on Windows XP service pack 3.

 

[P.O.]

That looks like the same computer I have... We sure don't have the same MBOX though... I have the old MBOX1, vertical format. You're using ASIO drivers? I can't figure how to get non-ASIO drivers for mine. My notes show Visual Analyzer not supporting ASIO, maybe we got different versions.

 

[ivan]

That looks like the same computer I have... We sure don't have the same MBOX though... I have the old MBOX1, vertical format. You're using ASIO drivers? I can't figure how to get non-ASIO drivers for mine. My notes show Visual Analyzer not supporting ASIO, maybe we got different versions.

Mine is Avid Mbox 3 3rd gen.
I don't have ASIO settings in the Visual Analyzer.
There is only Inputs and Output selection.

 

[P.O.]

That's an important part of my problem: half of the software packages don't support ASIO, but I need that in order to use the MBOX, which is the best interface I have (and I have two).

 

[Tubetec]

I keep a version of XP for offline usage , mainly due to legacy drivers only useable on 32 bit systems .
I had persistant clicks using windows 7 and my audio interface TC Konnect trying to get digital audio out of the Akai hardisk recorder , in the end using XP and Akai's own file sharing software over USB 1.1 , slow as hail ,but it was the only way I was happy with the sound quality in the end . Theres the inherent limitations imposed by 32 bit in terms of memory , so either way you end up not making the best use of the hardware , That said XP on a modern dual core with an ssd drive , pare out a few defunct microsoft services that are only a vector for malware and other intrusions via the net , you have a machine with very low 'overheads' in other words microsofts internal housekeeping activities are minimal. The number of processes running in Task manager in XP can be kept small, about 15 where Win7 is vastly more complex ,with more chances of it going off about its business at the wrong moment and causing a glitch or dropout in the audio .

Theres a reason the US army pays microsoft to maintain XP for them , its not off trying to wipe your arse for you like the more modern Windows editions do,

If you can spend the time sorting out the drivers for a relatively modern computer to run an OS like XP it wont have anywhere near as much edge for processing but it may well be more reliable in sonic terms for the basic tasks . Still though like any computer based audio recording it takes time to refine a system for audio , Ive seen Windows kick out the audio drivers and refuse to ever load them again untill I did a format and re-install . ASIO seems to still be the go-to standard for audio drivers , I dont trust much else . Asio4all I have tried but I found it a bit flakey at times and it adds another layer of processing in any case and its attendant delay in the buffer .

 

[flashlamp]

what the kxstudio ubuntu asio driver
https://kx.studio/News/?action=view&url=wineasio-v100-released

 

[flashlamp]

use linux and virtualbox then. but dont connect xp or 2000 to internet

I keep a version of XP for offline usage , mainly due to legacy drivers only useable on 32 bit systems .
I had persistant clicks using windows 7 and my audio interface TC Konnect trying to get digital audio out of the Akai hardisk recorder , in the end using XP and Akai's own file sharing software over USB 1.1 , slow as hail ,but it was the only way I was happy with the sound quality in the end . Theres the inherent limitations imposed by 32 bit in terms of memory , so either way you end up not making the best use of the hardware , That said XP on a modern dual core with an ssd drive , pare out a few defunct microsoft services that are only a vector for malware and other intrusions via the net , you have a machine with very low 'overheads' in other words microsofts internal housekeeping activities are minimal. The number of processes running in Task manager in XP can be kept small, about 15 where Win7 is vastly more complex ,with more chances of it going off about its business at the wrong moment and causing a glitch or dropout in the audio .

Theres a reason the US army pays microsoft to maintain XP for them , its not off trying to wipe your arse for you like the more modern Windows editions do,

If you can spend the time sorting out the drivers for a relatively modern computer to run an OS like XP it wont have anywhere near as much edge for processing but it may well be more reliable in sonic terms for the basic tasks . Still though like any computer based audio recording it takes time to refine a system for audio , Ive seen Windows kick out the audio drivers and refuse to ever load them again untill I did a format and re-install . ASIO seems to still be the go-to standard for audio drivers , I dont trust much else . Asio4all I have tried but I found it a bit flakey at times and it adds another layer of processing in any case and its attendant delay in the buffer .

 

[flashlamp]

win 3.1 did not have internet that was the safest windows there ever was . you cant just use nlite and make a custom installer. or just use regular xp and just disable the internet or use comodo firewall.

 

[flashlamp]

win 3.1 did not have internet that was the safest windows there ever was . you cant just use nlite and make a custom installer. or just use regular xp and just disable the internet or use comodo firewall.

xp is good if your need firewire else it's time to upgrade to usb 3 or thunderbolt.

 

[porkyc]

"Fell free to post comments/suggestions." you said.

I did and you have a go at me.
Just sounds like you are not getting the answers you want.
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