Troubleshooting and Tips

PROBLEM:

SoniClear seems to start running, but no window is displayed.

SOLUTION:

This will happen in rare instances with Release 5.1 and more often with the initial Release 6.0 build 6.0.71. The temporary fix is:

• Reboot the computer
• Delete the SoniClear preference file:
  C:\Program Files\SoniClear_60.prefs or SoniClearMP_51.prefs
• Run SoniClear
• Enter any custom preference setting using Edit/Preferences.

The permanent solution is update to a newer version of SoniClear 6.0. Contact Trio Systems for instructions on how to obtain the update.

PROBLEM:

Configuring computer based on instructions in SoniClear Installation Guide causes programs to fail.

SOLUTION:

The Installation Guides for SoniClear and ClearScribe products include recommendations for improving performance for audio applications by changing system performance preferences. This includes setting the Memory Usage to favor System Cache. On some systems this will cause programs to generate errors or crash unexpectedly, including SoniClear.

To correct this problem, adjust the setting by clicking Start/Control Panel/System/Advanced/Performance Settings/Advanced/Memory Usage. The Memory Usage option should be set to "Programs" instead.

The Installation Guides have been revised to reflect this change. The new guide is included in all software updates, and is also available from the website. Contact Trio Systems for more detailed instructions.

PROBLEM:

SoniClear fails to run on Windows Vista.

SOLUTION:

If you encounter problems running SoniClear on a Windows Vista computer, there are two steps that may correct the problem.

1. Consult with your computer support staff to ensure that you have the latest audio drivers running on the computer. These are being updated often as problems with Vista software are discovered by Microsoft and the computer manufacturers. Also, be sure to update the Vista operating system itself using Windows Update.

2. The second step to try is running SoniClear in Windows "Compatibility Mode". Consult with your computer support staff for assistance with this process. You can also read about how to manually configure software for Compatibility Mode in a CNET Article on the subject. Or contact Microsoft technical support.

Please contact us for assistance if you find that you cannot run SoniClear on your Vista computer with either of these suggested solutions.

Low sound level on recording.

SOLUTION:

If the recording level slider is set to maximum (all the way to the right), and the recording volume from the microphone is still low, this can be caused by an incorrect sound card setting for the microphone input. To check this possibility, do the following:

1. Open the Windows Volume Control Panel (double click on the speaker icon in the lower right corner of the screen).

2. Select Options/Properties from the pulldown menu.

3. From the Properties popup dialog, click on the Recording option, and make sure the Microphone volume control is checked. Then click OK.

4. This will display the Recording Control panel. Under the column for Microphone, there may be a button labeled "Advanced". If the Advanced button is not shown, select Options/Advanced Controls from the pulldown menu, this should cause the button to appear. Click on the Advanced button in the Microphone column.

5. Under Other Controls, make sure the MIC Boost option is checked. Then click Close, and close the Recording Control panel.

Your sound card may have a slightly different method for displaying the Advanced options. Just make sure that if there is an option to amplify the microphone input that this is selected.

If your sound card does not allow for boosting the microphone input, the problem may be an incompatibility of the microphone with the sound card. Check with your computer manufacturer for more information.

Another possible source of incorrect volume is that the sound card being used is not compatible with the standard Windows Mixer control driver. This is typically true for professional sound cards. In that case, use the volume control panel provided with the sound card driver to control the input volume.

PROBLEM:

Removable USB audio device is not recognized by SoniClear.

SOLUTION:

Normally SoniClear will automatically detect a removable USB audio device and use it for recording and playback. However, some USB devices are not recognized as removable by SoniClear, such the Phoenix Duet Speakerphone. SoniClear can be configured to record and/or play back to any device, including USB devices that are not automatically detected.

Use the following steps to force recognition of the device for recording:

1. Start SoniClear
2. Select Edit/Preferences from the pulldown menu.
3. Select the Hardware tab.
4. Set the Default Recording Device to the USB audio device that is not automatically recognized (such as "USB Audio").
5. In the section "Removable Recording Device:" click on the button labeled "Set Default Device as Removable".
6. Uncheck the option "Automatic Removable Device Selection".
7. Restore the Default Recording Device to the internal sound card.

Use the following steps to force recognition of the device for playback:

1. Start SoniClear
2. Select Edit/Preferences from the pulldown menu.
3. Select the Hardware tab.
4. Set the Default Playback Device to the USB audio device that is not automatically recognized (such as "USB Audio").
5. In the section "Removable Playback Device:" click on the button labeled "Set Default Device as Removable".
6. Uncheck the option "Automatic Removable Device Selection".
7. Restore the Default Playback Device to the internal sound card.

See also, "SoniClear does not display the recording or playback volume control slider.", below.

PROBLEM:

SoniClear does not display the recording or playback volume control slider.

SOLUTION:

Normally SoniClear will allow the user to control the volume for recording and playback using a slider. However, some USB devices are not recognized by SoniClear, such the Phoenix Duet Speakerphone and some professional sound cards with complex controls. In this circumstance, you must use the Windows Volume Control panel, or the control panel supplied with the sound card. For instructions see the section "Setup Using Internal Sound Card" in the SoniClear Installation Guide.

PROBLEM:

Unexplained gaps in the audio recording or software plays back only first part of recording.

SOLUTION:

The only way that SoniClear can fail to record audio, without giving an error indication, is if the operating system or computer stop running. Complete failure of the hardware will probably be easy to detect when it happens. However, it is possible for the computer to go into Hibernation (or other type of suspend mode), or to reboot for Windows Update installations, without the user noticing what happened.

The symptom of Hibernation types of events will be that sections of a recording will be missing audio. This happens because the program has been suspended from running during that time, with the program resuming as if nothing happened when the user moves the mouse or types on the keyboard.

In the case of hardware failure, the computer rebooting automatically, or the computer being turned off without stopping recording, the symptom will be different. The audio file data will have been written to disk, but the file header will have incorrect information. In the case of SoniClear Release 4 or earlier, the result will be either display of an error message, or playback will stop before reaching the end of the recorded data.

Starting with SoniClear Release 5 products, the software detects the file was not closed properly and gives the user the option of repairing the file. This should allow the playback of audio up to the point of system failure.

Consult the notes below that deal with fixing the Windows Update and Hibernation problems. Ensure that the SoniClear program stops recording before turning off the computer (or closing the lid of a laptop computer, which forces shutdown on some machines). For hardware failures, consult with your computer administrator or support technician.

PROBLEM:

Windows Update attempts to download or install updates while recording.

SOLUTION:

Windows Update
If the computer is set for automatic Windows Updates, this can interfere with recording unexpectedly. For example, it is possible for the computer to download the update software one day and start installing it on the computer (including rebooting) on a later day, even if the computer is offline. If you are in the middle of recording, this will cause the SoniClear software to stop recording.

To disable automatic updates, follow these steps (This is for XP. Other versions of Windows will be similar.):

1. Open the Windows Control Panel (click Start, then Control Panel)
2. Double click on Security Center.
3. Click on the Automatic Updates link in the section "Manage security settings for:".
4. Change the update setting. If the computer is connected to the network while recording, the only reliable setting (from a recording point of view) is "Turn off Automatic Updates". However, this will make it harder to keep security patches up to date on the computer. A compromise is to select the option "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them.". This will probably not interfere with recording and will consistently notify you when important updates have been made available.

PROBLEM:

The laptop goes into standby mode during recording, or during processing of Export to Image Folder or Archive Management.

SOLUTION:

Some laptop computers will suspend or hibernate when there is no keyboard activity for an extended period of time. Even though the recording process is running constantly, or the export operation is running, these laptops do not recognize this and will turn off. The SoniClear software attempts to prevent this from occurring and on most systems, this will not be a problem.

The work around is to disable the power management features of the laptop while recording or exporting. Because each laptop manufacturer provides customization to this aspect of the computer, you should check the user guide or consult with your system administrator to ensure the correct settings. Following are typical settings that will prevent the system from turning off:

Win98 -
Start : Settings: Control Panels : Power Management
Set Power Scheme to "Always On"
Set System Standby to "Never"
Set Turn Off Hard Disks: "Never"

Windows 2000: (On A DELL Laptop)
Start : Settings : Control Panels: Power Options
Power Schemes Tab -
Set Power Scheme to "Always On"
Set Turn Off Hard Disks to "Never"
Hibernation Tab -
Deselect the "Enable Hibernate Support" check box

Windows XP: (On an IBM ThinkPad Laptop)
Start : Settings : Control Panels : Power Options
Power Schemes Tab -
Power Scheme - "Always On"
System Standby - "Never"
Hard Disks Off - "Never"
System Hibernates - "Never"
Hibernate Tab -
Deselect the "Enable Hibernation" check box

If the computer is still suspending or hibernating after making these changes, please contact Trio Systems Support to discuss other settings that will prevent this action.

PROBLEM:

"Heartbeat" background noise or other audio quality problems.

SOLUTION:

Some Dell laptop computers have a design flaw that causes there to be a background noise on the recording that sounds something like a heartbeat. This appears to be caused by the audio circuit picking up noise from the disk drive as it is writing out audio data at regular intervals.

An updated driver is available from Dell to reduce this noise. However, the Dell laptop audio processing on these machines is not as good as it could be, even with the updated driver.

Poor audio quality is also possible with laptop and desktop computers other than Dell. If the sound quality is not satisfactory after checking all of the settings discussed in this Troubleshooting Page, you may need to use a replacement sound card, or an external USB audio adapter.

The least expensive solution to sound card problems is to use a Griffin Technology iMic USB audio adapter to connect the microphone to the computer. This will result in much higher quality recordings without the background noise. Other types of sound cards and USB audio adapters are discussed on the Microphone Notes Page.

PROBLEM:

SoniClear reports an error opening the audio device.

SOLUTION:

If the sound card is a USB audio adapter that is plugged into a USB hub, connect the adapter directly to the jack on the computer itself. Some USB audio devices are incompatible with some hubs.

This error may also suggest that there is a problem with the sound card itself, or there is another program using the sound card. Only one program can use the sound card at a time. Close the conflicting program before starting SoniClear.

PROBLEM:

During recording the level meters do not light up or remain in a fixed position.

SOLUTION:

The level meters are active when SoniClear is in Recording mode. This is after you have created or opened a file and clicked the Record button (or pressed the "r" key). If the level meters do not display while in record mode, check the following:

1. The most likely source of this recording problem is that the sound source may be defective or improperly connected. For example, the microphone must be plugged in to the correct input and must be compatible with the sound card (not all microphones and sound cards will work together). Some microphones require a battery for power. In this case, check to make sure the battery is working. Some microphones have an on/off switch which must be turned on. For line input devices, such as a tape recorder, make sure that the device is connected correctly to the line input of the sound card (not all sound cards have a line-in jack). One other connection problem is with defective cables. Test the cables with another computer or other sound equipment.

2. The recording volume slider must be set to a point where the sound being recorded registers in the middle of the range in the level meter. If there is very little sound being recorded (some sound, but too low a level), this may be caused by an incompatibility of the microphone with the soundcard. It may also be caused by an incorrect setting in the Volume Control Panel (see note below "Low sound level on recording").

3. Another rare cause of this recording problem occurs with the processing of stereo inputs on some sound cards. In this case, the sound card sends the microphone input to the Right channel. When SoniClear records in mono (the default), SoniClear records from the Left Channel (the normal default for sound cards). As a result no sound is stored in the file.

Workaround: record in stereo and save file in mono. You can create this setting in the Custom record type. From Edit/Preferences dialog, click on the Recording Options Tab. Select the Custom "Sound Quality" type. In the Display section, select the type of recording you want to make from the combo box, click Set Defaults, and confirm that you want to reset the Custom settings. In the Recording Format Section, Set "No. of Channels In" to Stereo. Click OK to save this setting. When you make a new recording, always select the Custom record type. This is the only solution, since it is caused by a defect in the sound card driver software. You may also find an updated driver from the sound card manufacturer, which could solve this problem.

4. If you are using a microphone preamp, you must make sure that the microphone input is connected to the Left channel of the sound card. Using the cables in the Microphone Bundles, the plug connected to the White wire is the Left channel, and the plug connected to the Red wire is the Right channel. If you are experiencing this problem of no sound, try reversing these plugs. In addition, make sure the preamp is working correctly (power is being supplied to the unit and it is turned on), and that the volume level is set correctly.

PROBLEM:

No sound when playing a WAV file recording.

SOLUTION:

You may not be hearing sound from the WAV file because of problems playing back the file, or because there is no sound recorded in the file.

1. Make sure the speakers are properly plugged in and running.

2. Make sure the volume is up using the Windows Volume Control. The Windows Volume Control program can be started by double clicking the speaker icon in the "system tray" (the icons at the lower right corner of the screen). Make sure that the Volume Control and Wave controls are not muted, and the volume sliders for those two controls are not set at the lowest position. For more details about controlling the sound card, see the section below, "Using The Volume Control Program".

3. If there is no speaker icon displayed, consult with your computer documentation for instructions on setting sound level.

4. If there is still no sound after setting the volume level, there may be some problem with the recording in the sound file. If you recorded it using SoniClear, consult the question/solution above, "The level meters do not light up for recording."

5. On some systems there may be a problem with the default sound device selected by SoniClear at installation time. Select Edit/Preferences from the pulldown menu. Click on the Hardware tab. This will display the hardware setup for SoniClear. Under the "Playback Device" setting, it will either show the name of the first sound card in the computer. This may be "ESS Maestro", "SoundMax", or one of many other types of sound cards. If the automatically selected card is incorrect, adjust it in this dialog.

PROBLEM:

A loud howling sound comes out of the speakers when a Microphone is plugged in.

SOLUTION:

This is caused by "feedback". This happens when the sound from the speakers is picked up by the microphone and then sent back out the speakers, around and around, until a loud tone results. This can be stopped by one of three methods:

1. Turn down the speaker volume when the microphone is plugged in. This is easy, but not as convenient as the other methods. This can be accomplished using a manual volume control available on some speaker systems. Alternatively, single clicking the speaker icon in the system tray (lower right corner of screen) and selecting "mute" can turn off the speaker.
2. Use headphones for monitoring while the microphone is plugged in.
3. Start the Volume Control program and mute the Microphone source in the Playback display. See the section , "Using The Volume Control Program" in the SoniClear program documentation.

PROBLEM:

Recordings have a "wobbly" or uneven sound quality.

SOLUTION:

This is caused by an incompatibility between a sound card and a SCSI disk controller on the same computer. Consult with your computer vendor or service technician to reconfigure the system to resolve the conflict. This may involve changing DMA settings on these two devices, or installing new sound card and SCSI device drivers.

PROBLEM:

Recordings have loud clicks randomly in the sound.

SOLUTION:

This is most likely caused by a small quantity of samples being "dropped" (lost). This happens when a buffer of sound data cannot be written to disk fast enough, and is lost when more sound data is received from the sound card. This causes a loud clicking noise in the recording. See the Problem below on "Dropped samples!" for suggestions.

PROBLEM:

Recordings have a garbled sound.

SOLUTION:

This is most likely caused by large quantities of samples being "dropped" (lost). This happens when many buffers of sound data cannot be written to disk fast enough. See the Problem below on "Dropped samples!" for suggestions.

PROBLEM:

The program displays the error message "Dropped samples!" or "Buffer Overrun".

SOLUTION:

One of these two error message will be displayed when a large amount of audio data have been lost during the recording process. In rare cases the program may loose audio data momentarily causing slight audio noise, but no loss of words being spoken. In that case an error may not be reported.

Use the following troubleshooting to identify and resolve the source of the problem.

Audio data can be lost for a number of reasons, including:

1. The computer processor running SoniClear is too slow (for example, computers slower than 300MHz).
2. There is a problem with the setup of the computer (for example, disk fragmentation, or too many programs running at once for the amount of available RAM memory).
3. Another program running on the computer at the same time is using large amounts of processor or disk access resources during recording. Close programs that cause this problem while recording with SoniClear.
4. Some computers will also have antivirus, spyware protection or other specialized monitoring software installed that may start running unexpectedly while recording. Normally these program do not interfere with operation of the SoniClear software. However, if you are experiencing this problem you should consult with your system administrator or computer vendor to determine if the computer has monitoring software causing a problem with CPU or disk resources being overloaded.
5. Windows Update can cause the computer to stop functioning properly while downloading or installing an update. The update process may even reboot the computer automatically, causing the SoniClear software to stop running. Disable automatic Windows Update to prevent this from happening (leave on update notification to ensure that the computer is updated with security patches when not recording).
6. You can control the amount of CPU time that the recording process of SoniClear takes by adjusting the "Recording Process Priority" setting. Access this setting by opening the Preferences dialog (Edit/Preferences), then select the Hardware tab. The default setting is either "High" or "Automatic", depending on which version of the program is running. If the program is set to "Automatic" you can set the priority to "Medium" or "High" to ensure more time is available for recording. With these settings you may not be able to run other programs in the foreground while SoniClear is recording. Experiment to find the best setting for your requirements.
7. When working in a Windows 2003 Server environment with Active Directory, it is typical for My Documents to map to a network drive. It has been observed that writing the SoniClear audio recording file to a network drive in this configuration will not keep up with the data being received from the sound card. In addition, accessing a network drive while recording can cause the system to hang long enough to generate Buffer Overrun errors. The solution in these cases is to modify the preferences settings (Edit/Preferences) to write files to a local drive (not the default MyDocuments). In addition it is important to instruct users to avoid accessing network drives from the Windows Explorer or other programs while recording.
8. It has been reported that running Office 2003 in combination with Adobe Acrobat 5 will result in irregular and unexplained system hangs. The solution is to upgrade Acrobat to a newer release.
   
   

PROBLEM:

Webcast recording does not load when playing from a local disk drive or network drive.

SOLUTION:

A new set of security controls were added to Macromedia Flash with the introduction of Release 8. This included a more restrictive method of controlling file access on the local disk drive. When you select Play from the Manage Web Archives in Gov Webcaster, or open the index.html file in the recording directory generated by Gov Webcaster, the browser will show the playback screen, but the status message "Loading File ....(0%)" remains on the screen, failing to complete loading of the recording. This is caused the the Flash security preventing the access to the recording on the local drive.

To fix this problem, follow the directions on the Flash Security Override support information page.