Windows 7 annoying compression: why?

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

Hi all. I've recently migrated from Windows XP to Windows 7, using the
soundcard on the motherboard for screen reader speech and the USB E-mu 0202 for
audio. I cannot get rid of this awful compression that Windows 7 thinks I want
and need. Any help will be appreciated.
Orlando Enrique Fiol

[polymod]

"Orlando Enrique Fiol" wrote in message
. ..

Hi all. I've recently migrated from Windows XP to Windows 7, using the
soundcard on the motherboard for screen reader speech and the USB E-mu 0202
for
audio. I cannot get rid of this awful compression that Windows 7 thinks I
want
and need. Any help will be appreciated.
Orlando Enrique Fiol
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Orlando,
Your question was posted on another forum I frequent and was answered with
this reply:

Hi Orlando,
I don't believe there are windows 7 drivers for the old e-mu interfaces. I
had to replace my 404 when I went to Windows 7 from XP.
I've gotten several FocusRite interfaces over the years and love them. The
i202 should do the trick if you're working in stereo with mic or line
inputs.


Poly

[Bill[_20_]]

In message >, Orlando
Enrique Fiol > writes
>Hi all. I've recently migrated from Windows XP to Windows 7, using the
>soundcard on the motherboard for screen reader speech and the USB E-mu
>0202 for
>audio. I cannot get rid of this awful compression that Windows 7 thinks I want
>and need. Any help will be appreciated.
>Orlando Enrique Fiol
I may have completely misunderstood the question, but I believe it is
possible to remove all the effects on most systems.
In Control Panel -> Sound -> Manage audio devices
Then for both Recording and Playback, select individual sources or
destinations, then
Properties -> Enhancements tab.
Then deselect "Disable all sound effects".
At this stage the scroll bars, if any, in the box underneath will be
enabled and you will be able to access and deselect all the individual
effects.
Then you can re-disable on the tick box.

This has to be done for all devices that are in use.

It is very easy to have something scrolled out of the little window that
is not seen because the scroll bars are disabled.

There may also be a separate control panel area for the manufacturer's
settings. These may or may not follow the Microsoft settings.
There may be separate settings in the Communications tab.

I don't know why Microsoft manage to make a simple thing like this so
obscure.

*Thinks..... this is something I need to check in Windows 10 preview*
--
Bill

[Mike Rivers[_2_]]

On 10/27/2014 6:56 AM, Bill wrote:
> I don't know why Microsoft manage to make a simple thing like this so
> obscure.

Because most users wouldn't understand it. Reducing tech support
questions is a high priority.

Also, it depends on whatever it depends on. This wasn't familiar to me
so I just looked at one of my Windows 7 computers and I don't have an
Enhancement tab for either the built-in sound card or a pretty
respectable USB audio interface. So your suggestion may or may not help.

And furthermore, we don't really know just what "compression" means in
this context. Could he simply be listening to program material that's
annoyingly compressed? Or does he mean that whenever he records
something, it's in a data-compressed format? Or something else?

--
For a good time, visit http://mikeriversaudio.wordpress.com

[[email protected]]

Mike Rivers:

Compression - one of the most easily misused terms in the context of digital audio. LOL!

[Phil W[_3_]]

"polymod":
> "Orlando Enrique Fiol":
>
> Hi all. I've recently migrated from Windows XP to Windows 7, using the
> soundcard on the motherboard for screen reader speech and the USB E-mu
> 0202 for
> audio. I cannot get rid of this awful compression that Windows 7 thinks I
> want
> and need. Any help will be appreciated.
> Orlando Enrique Fiol
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> Orlando,
> Your question was posted on another forum I frequent and was answered with
> this reply:
>
> Hi Orlando,
> I don't believe there are windows 7 drivers for the old e-mu interfaces. I
> had to replace my 404 when I went to Windows 7 from XP.
> I've gotten several FocusRite interfaces over the years and love them. The
> i202 should do the trick if you're working in stereo with mic or line
> inputs.

.... and with a Focusrite interface, you also have quite a safe bet, that
there won´t be any driver updates for your new interface. :-\

[Scott Dorsey]

Orlando Enrique Fiol > wrote:
>Hi all. I've recently migrated from Windows XP to Windows 7, using the
>soundcard on the motherboard for screen reader speech and the USB E-mu 0202 for
>audio. I cannot get rid of this awful compression that Windows 7 thinks I want
>and need. Any help will be appreciated.

Do you mean lossy compression or dynamic compression? And what is awful
about it?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Luxey]

On Monday, 27 October 2014 11:56:35 UTC+1, Bill wrote:
> In message >, Orlando
> Enrique Fiol > writes
> >Hi all. I've recently migrated from Windows XP to Windows 7, using the
> >soundcard on the motherboard for screen reader speech and the USB E-mu
> >0202 for
> >audio. I cannot get rid of this awful compression that Windows 7 thinks I want
> >and need. Any help will be appreciated.
> >Orlando Enrique Fiol
> I may have completely misunderstood the question, but I believe it is
> possible to remove all the effects on most systems.
> In Control Panel -> Sound -> Manage audio devices
> Then for both Recording and Playback, select individual sources or
> destinations, then
> Properties -> Enhancements tab.
> Then deselect "Disable all sound effects".
> At this stage the scroll bars, if any, in the box underneath will be
> enabled and you will be able to access and deselect all the individual
> effects.
> Then you can re-disable on the tick box.
>
> This has to be done for all devices that are in use.
>
> It is very easy to have something scrolled out of the little window that
> is not seen because the scroll bars are disabled.
>
> There may also be a separate control panel area for the manufacturer's
> settings. These may or may not follow the Microsoft settings.
> There may be separate settings in the Communications tab.
>
> I don't know why Microsoft manage to make a simple thing like this so
> obscure.
>
> *Thinks..... this is something I need to check in Windows 10 preview*
> --
> Bill

Right. From time to time it seam to forget what the set up was, though, and reintroduce all those enhancements. Then you switch them all on, apply, switch them all of, apply, or something equally ...., and you're all good again.

[Bill[_20_]]

In message >, Mike Rivers >
writes
>Also, it depends on whatever it depends on. This wasn't familiar to me
>so I just looked at one of my Windows 7 computers and I don't have an
>Enhancement tab for either the built-in sound card or a pretty
>respectable USB audio interface. So your suggestion may or may not help.
>
>And furthermore, we don't really know just what "compression" means in
>this context. Could he simply be listening to program material that's
>annoyingly compressed? Or does he mean that whenever he records
>something, it's in a data-compressed format? Or something else?

Yes, I agree with the first sentence.

Most of the laptops I have here have an Enhancements tab. The one I'm
typing on has one that includes a tickable DC Offset Cancellation under
a tickbox to Disable all sound effects. Is DC Offset a sound effect? Why
would anyone ever want DC Offset on the mic inside a laptop?

My experience is that if there are things in the list that are off the
bottom of the box and which are ticked, they happen whether or not the
Disable all Sound effects is ticked.

A lot of recent laptops have the microphone placed beside the fan and
the hard drive and come with noise cancellation enabled. The sound can
be unbelievably bad.

And regarding another branch of this thread, I'm fairly certain I've
used my EMU 0202 on Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit machines. There is a
beta driver on the Creative site.
--
Bill

[Luxey]

Also, one can always try Ploytec.de, for 3rd party drivers. Not cheap, but not
expensive either. May not support all the functions, but they do work.
Whish they'd make something for Behringer BCA2000, to work in W7/64.

[jason]

On Mon, 27 Oct 2014 16:48:33 +0000 "Bill" > wrote in
article >
>

>
> Most of the laptops I have here have an Enhancements tab. The one I'm
> typing on has one that includes a tickable DC Offset Cancellation under
> a tickbox to Disable all sound effects. Is DC Offset a sound effect? Why
> would anyone ever want DC Offset on the mic inside a laptop?
>

It seems that all the newish computers I see have integrated audio by
Realtek, whoever they are. I use the Dragon speech recognition software
and in response to a tech support question from somebody else, they said
that Realtek audio fails their qualification tests on every system they
tried. (They recommended a cheap USB headset instead!)

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

In article >, writes:
>I may have completely misunderstood the question, but I believe it is
>possible to remove all the effects on most systems.
>In Control Panel -> Sound -> Manage audio devices
>Then for both Recording and Playback, select individual sources or
>destinations, then
>Properties -> Enhancements tab.
>Then deselect "Disable all sound effects".

This Enhancements tab is only available for my motherboard soundcard that uses
real Windows 7 drivers. It's not available for the E-mu 0202.

>At this stage the scroll bars, if any, in the box underneath will be
>enabled and you will be able to access and deselect all the individual
>effects.

Not if the E-mu drivers have disabled the entire enhancements tab.

>It is very easy to have something scrolled out of the little window that
>is not seen because the scroll bars are disabled.

Noting that I am totally blind, how would I know if the scrollbars are now
outside of the window boundaries?

>There may also be a separate control panel area for the manufacturer's
>settings. These may or may not follow the Microsoft settings.
>There may be separate settings in the Communications tab.

The E-mu does have a small inaccessible applet that only governs sample rate
changes. My communications tab only governs whether Windows sounds get muted or
reduced.

>I don't know why Microsoft manage to make a simple thing like this so
>obscure.

Especially for blind users.

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

In article >, writes:
>... and with a Focusrite interface, you also have quite a safe bet, that
>there won?t be any driver updates for your new interface. :-\

That doesn't sound positive to me. I'd like a device with current drivers.

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

In article >, writes:
>And furthermore, we don't really know just what "compression" means in
>this context. Could he simply be listening to program material that's
>annoyingly compressed? Or does he mean that whenever he records
>something, it's in a data-compressed format? Or something else?

I mean that uncompressed, unlimited prerecorded material is now annoyingly
compressed and limited with the worst possible attack, release and threshold
values. Being very familiar with hardware and software compressors, I could
easily change these ratios if Windows would give me access to them.

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

In article >, writes:
>And regarding another branch of this thread, I'm fairly certain I've
>used my EMU 0202 on Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit machines. There is a
>beta driver on the Creative site.

I am using that very beta driver. In addition to chronically compressed and
limited audio, the E-mu is now extremely selective about which applications'
sounds get played. Many of my screen reader applets convey important
information through assignable sounds that are muted if routed through the E-mu
card rather than the one built into the motherboard.

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

In article >, writes:
>Do you mean lossy compression or dynamic compression? And what is awful
>about it?
I mean dynamic playback compression. The transients are abnormally boosted and
audio below the apparent threshold is excessively pumped.

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

"Orlando Enrique Fiol" > skrev i en meddelelse
. ..

> In article >,
> writes:
>>I may have completely misunderstood the question, but I believe it is

>>possible to remove all the effects on most systems.
>>In Control Panel -> Sound -> Manage audio devices
>>Then for both Recording and Playback, select individual sources or
>>destinations, then
>>Properties -> Enhancements tab.
>>Then deselect "Disable all sound effects".

> This Enhancements tab is only available for my motherboard soundcard that
> uses
> real Windows 7 drivers. It's not available for the E-mu 0202.

Erm, this never was a windows question, it has been a sound card driver
question all the time.

>>I don't know why Microsoft manage to make a simple thing like this so
>>obscure.

The only way Microsoft hides simple things is by putting them on the
"advanced" tab.

> Especially for blind users.

I don't always agree with them, but they ARE quite good at user interfaces.
You have a sound card driver problem, flame
. If you wanna flame microsoft: find a
better war.

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[[email protected]]

OK, just so we are all on the same page

the OP is appernetly talking about DYNAMIC RANGE comprssion

not data rate compression

Mark

[Sean Conolly]

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> In message >, Mike Rivers >
> writes
>>Also, it depends on whatever it depends on. This wasn't familiar to me so
>>I just looked at one of my Windows 7 computers and I don't have an
>>Enhancement tab for either the built-in sound card or a pretty respectable
>>USB audio interface. So your suggestion may or may not help.
>>
>>And furthermore, we don't really know just what "compression" means in
>>this context. Could he simply be listening to program material that's
>>annoyingly compressed? Or does he mean that whenever he records something,
>>it's in a data-compressed format? Or something else?
>
> Yes, I agree with the first sentence.
>
> Most of the laptops I have here have an Enhancements tab. The one I'm
> typing on has one that includes a tickable DC Offset Cancellation under a
> tickbox to Disable all sound effects. Is DC Offset a sound effect? Why
> would anyone ever want DC Offset on the mic inside a laptop?
>
> My experience is that if there are things in the list that are off the
> bottom of the box and which are ticked, they happen whether or not the
> Disable all Sound effects is ticked.
>
> A lot of recent laptops have the microphone placed beside the fan and the
> hard drive and come with noise cancellation enabled. The sound can be
> unbelievably bad.
>
> And regarding another branch of this thread, I'm fairly certain I've used
> my EMU 0202 on Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit machines. There is a beta
> driver on the Creative site.


The last time I checked about a year ago they had dropped support for the
0202 entirely - no drivers available for any OS.

Since then I managed to find my original disk with the drivers for XP and
Win7, at least 32 bit since I installed them, not sure about 64 bit.

Sean

[[email protected]]

10:25 wrote:
"OK, just so we are all on the same page

the OP is appernetly talking about DYNAMIC RANGE comprssion

not data rate compression

Mark "

Figgered as much! LOL


Yeah, if there is one definite way digital audio "sucks", it's how many terms are used that have different meanings based on context.

Compression: Dynamic range in audio, data-compression for file size reduction.


Brick wall: A dynamics limiter in audio, or, a steep filter just above the Nyquist freq.

Uggh! Must. invent. new. words. for all of these!

[Sean Conolly]

"Peter Larsen" > wrote in message
k...
> "Orlando Enrique Fiol" > skrev i en meddelelse
> . ..
>
>> In article >,
>> writes:
>>>I may have completely misunderstood the question, but I believe it is
>
>>>possible to remove all the effects on most systems.
>>>In Control Panel -> Sound -> Manage audio devices
>>>Then for both Recording and Playback, select individual sources or
>>>destinations, then
>>>Properties -> Enhancements tab.
>>>Then deselect "Disable all sound effects".
>
>> This Enhancements tab is only available for my motherboard soundcard that
>> uses
>> real Windows 7 drivers. It's not available for the E-mu 0202.
>
> Erm, this never was a windows question, it has been a sound card driver
> question all the time.

Well I have the same interface, and poking around in the manual and the app
that comes with it - and no, there are no settings available other than the
sample rate. Note this is the original distribution from E-mu, not the beta
driver which is available now from Creative. If anyone is interested in
getting a copy I can probably put an ISO image up on my website.

I don't have a Windows 7 system set up for blind users, but I would not be
at all surprised to find audio options that are not normally present in a
typical installation.

So to the OP I would suggest calling Microsoft and asking them about it.
Can't hurt.

Sean

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

In article >,
>Erm, this never was a windows question, it has been a sound card driver
>question all the time.

I agree to a point, at least insofar as this particular card interacts with
Windows 7. None of these problems existed with XP.

>I don't always agree with them, but they ARE quite good at user interfaces.

You would never say anything close to that if you were blind.

>You have a sound card driver problem, flame
. If you wanna flame microsoft: find a
>better war.

That could be true. I've considered alternatives, but their reviews are
inconsistent. Some newer devices are excessively noisy, while others have an
equally problematic relationship to Windows 7.

Orlando

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

In article >, writes:
>The last time I checked about a year ago they had dropped support for the
>0202 entirely - no drivers available for any OS.

The beta drivers still exist.

>Since then I managed to find my original disk with the drivers for XP and
>Win7, at least 32 bit since I installed them, not sure about 64 bit.

Could you send me those, since I no longer have the disk? I could try running
the drivers in 32 bit.
Thanks,
Orlando

[Orlando Enrique Fiol]

In article >,
writes:
>the OP is appernetly talking about DYNAMIC RANGE comprssion
>not data rate compression>
Thanks for pointing out what I had repeatedly stated in response to questions
about the kind of compression I meant.

[[email protected]]

Orlando Enrique Fiol wrote: "Thanks for pointing out what I had repeatedly stated in response to questions
about the kind of compression I meant. "

Regrettably, digital audio is one of those fields where one has to be very specific with regards to certain terms. It sucks to have to spell out dynamic(range) compression, or at minimum DRC, but thats the nature of this beast.

[Sean Conolly]

"Orlando Enrique Fiol" > wrote in message
. ..
> In article >, writes:
>>The last time I checked about a year ago they had dropped support for the
>>0202 entirely - no drivers available for any OS.
>
> The beta drivers still exist.
>
>>Since then I managed to find my original disk with the drivers for XP and
>>Win7, at least 32 bit since I installed them, not sure about 64 bit.
>
> Could you send me those, since I no longer have the disk? I could try
> running
> the drivers in 32 bit.
> Thanks,
> Orlando

Sent you a message at the address above, let me know if you don't get it.

Sean