XWidgetSoft Forum

The new spectrum core is working well and provides interesting functionality. It simply shows a dynamic spectrum graph of any sound that is playing through your PCs speakers. It could be useful to some.

I tested it on a Dell Latitude e5400 and in my widget with just the spectrum core loaded into my media player widget, there was a loud buzz coming through my speakers which persisted until I played an audio file. The buzzing noise then stopped.

This occurred regardless of which widget I attached the new spectrum core to.

Basically, the spectrum core introduces a persistent and loud buzz as soon as it is attached to any widget. That widget does not even have to be running.

Tony, I suggest you pull the new functionality as it always introduces new bugs and we don't want you to work on new bugs. We want you to fix the old important bugs!

Please remove the spectrum core.

Strange! I will test it and reply..
The spectrum normally should only be a visualization without affecting any sound quality or intensity coming out of the speakers..
Something not feels right here..
Have you checked the player's volume (not the genaral one) and see if it's too loud..?
Or if the spectrum core affects this part..?

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Buzzing and quite loud. It can be stopped by playing any audio track. If I have my media player running and I kill the widget part way through playing a track then the buzzing persists until the media player is restarted and a new track is played.

Then it appears to go away periodically but then returns when selecting and playing a new track but only briefly for a quarter of a second just before the track starts playing. The briefest of buzzes.

As soon as I detach the core from the widget in the designer the buzz goes away. The widget doesn't even have to run. The core is definitely the cause.

Please note - this is important - It is NOT specific to the media player.

I can attach the core to my volume or any other xwidget, as soon as the core is attached the noise generating condition restarts.

It seems that the core is intercepting any audio that occurs, at that point the buzzing starts.

My hardware is this : Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio [A2]
I have the Klite codec pack installed to be able to play the full raft of audio file types.

I just speak to Tony about this..

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You can patch me into the conversation if we can all run the same chat s/w.

I have confirmation that this unwanted bug is also affecting others.

As I read you use WMP? Com'on man..!
WMP was ok years ago. No built-in coders, missing important files support, more ram consumption.
Nowadays is the worst player to use..
Try KMPlayer, VLC Media Player, BSplayer but please no WMP...
(I'm talking about the usage and experience using a proper player)

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Don't be silly Jim, You should know that WMP can be controlled completely in javascript code down to the smallest level. Far more functionality available to a widget using WMP than through any other media player.

How does Xwidget's default media player core access music? through windows media player of course.

Now that you've screwed your head back on you might want to rethink your response. You are aware that the only media player xwidget supports is WMP? I think your head wasn't working when you wrote that.

While you are screwing your head back in you might want to read my article converting my yahoo widget to a Xwidget showing how both versions of javascript support WMP that should explain a lot.

Please let me know when your brain is screwed back in, contact has been made, electricity is flowing in the correct direction and you begin to understand.

Oh my....!
Chill out Einstein!
My reply came from YOUR comment from THIS topic using THIS NEW SOFTWARE X Music Spectrum that works using ANY media player ,because I didn't want to go off topic there..!
https://xwidgetsoftware.deviantart.com/ ... -695118909

Was a GENERIC answer to you about which player you're using. I clarified it even in parentheses..!
..so "let me know when your brain is screwed back in"

The next time I will reply to you in Chinese. Maybe you can understand better.!
Or wait.. Maybe I will not reply to you at all if you use this tone.

_________________
...and remember: don't take life too seriously...
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Jim - you don't always 'get' what people (especially myself) are saying. You don't always understand the tone even when I am joking. You tend to add a negative tone which is not present. No need to chill out as I wasn't being nasty - in fact the opposite. Take a hint from the smile. I wouldn't add a smile if I wasn't trying to convey the tone.

I see your point about it intercepting any sound made by the system but the point is that I am testing Xwidgets and its media player properties, in particular my medi player as stated in the OP. I would not test the spectrum player in any other context than with xwidget because I was testing the latest version of Xwidget (this is a good reason why we shouldn't be using the forum for raising bugs as my original bug report has been misconstrued as general chat).

We should be using a proper bug reporting system and this confusion would not have arisen. A proper bug report would have been much more clear.

Back to the bug, regardless of the source of the sound (that should be immaterial), it distorts the sound when the system is using the LAV codecs. It is the post processing where the buzzing sound occurs that appears to be causing the distortion.

Ok maybe I misunderstood your tone but sincerely your words not seemed so friendly to me.. Anyway...
I know from the first moment that XWidget uses WMP in the background as default, that's why I didn't say anything about your report using the spectrumcore. My observation was only for XMusicSpectrum and for WMP as a pc media player in general.
I don't use wmp for years so I don't have this issue and I can't verify it since I don't have any third part codecs installed.
It's just another point that's all..

Back to the bug I tested again creating a basic player widget with the spectrumcore but I don't hear any kind strange of noise or distortion..
Sound is ok from the speakers and earphones.
Too old drivers on your system? I don't know..

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No problem Jim! Words don't easily imply tone. That's what the smilies are for.

As I said Jim, it is not drivers but I think it is the LAV codecs having a conflict. Codecs are sound processing additions that allow an o/s and its default media player to play specific file types that are unknown to the host os.

Examples would be: .flv, .aac &c

To play these you need a codec. Codecs tend to come in packs to allow the os embedded player (in this case WMP) to play a variety of unknown file types. All media players have/use codecs, some come bundled with a lot built-in, there are always 'alien' types that need new codecs.

A codec intercepts any sounds played and does some processing on the sounds. Codecs are VERY common, especially when it comes to WMP, and as we are talking Xwidgets then it is WMP alone we concern ourselves with here.

The bundle I am using is the most popular, the LAV bundle.

The important thing to note here is that if Xwidget is having a problem with these codecs then it is very likely to be affecting a LOT of potential users as they are widely used.

PS Jim, the Brits use sarcasm a lot and we expect others to just 'get it'. I will have to remember that.

The buzz has not gone when adding the spectrum core, sometimes it is persistent. 1.9.7 of xwidget. When I have a widget on my desktop it can create a persistent buzzing. I kill the widget with the spectrum core the buzzing immediately stops.

I had planned to add the spectrum core to one of my widgets but it makes the system unusable when added.

Question for Tony the developer:

Does the spectrum core intercept the sound and pipe it onward or does it merely monitor the levels? I suspect the former as I can't understand why a simple sound monitor would introduce distortion.

Please note that if a few people are noticing this same issue then it would affect very large numbers of potential Xwidget users.