Gigabeat F40 audio skipping

[PCpr0gramer]

Info:
-Gigabeat F:40
-Most current cvs build
-Current FWIMG01.DAT

Ive read every "my audio wont stop skipping!!!" thread on this site, and have found suggestions with information regarding cpu useage and disabling the equalizer and seemingly impossible tasks of disabling the peakmeter. Ive followed the directions given and my audio still insists on skipping every 1.5 - 2 seconds. Any information would be extremely helpful.

[nls]

Please provide a little bore detail, such as what format are your files encoded in, do they playnormaly on your computer/original firmware, which non standard settings are you using, did it use to work at one point in time, does it happend with all files?

[PCpr0gramer]

Im using mp3 files, they play normally on my computer, and when i had the original toshiba OS the .sat versions did not skip, I am using no odd settings nor am I using any graphics or system intensive graphics or themes. This system seems so much better, but the skipping is sort of defeating the purpose of having an mp3 player.

[bascule]

...seemingly impossible tasks of disabling the peakmeter...

You don't 'disable' it, as such, just use a different WPS that does not contain a peakmeter (or, slightly more difficult, edit the WPS file to remove the peakmeter line).

[PCpr0gramer]

I will edit the file. Will that, however, nullify the skipping problem or atleast make it tolerable? Basically I would love to see another user who has encountered my problem and has fixed it. But thank you, i will remove the peakmeter line. %pm is it?

[bascule]

%pm is it?

Yes.

Will that, however, nullify the skipping problem or atleast make it tolerable?

I don't know, as I do not have a Gigabeat, but it will certainly make it better. Just try it and see

Remember the Gigabeat port is very new and still being optimised daily, so hang in there, it will get better!

If you want to get a better view, go to [Menu]>Info>Debug (Keep Out!)>View audio thread

The top line is the PCM buffer and should fluctuate around the 'full' end all the time, as data is transferred in from the codec buffer (the second line).

If the PCM buffer reaches empty, the music will start to skip.

The codec buffer empties until a 'watermark' level is reached and then it refills from the disk.

I find it quite interesting to watch, especially for some high bitrate oggs which my H120 struggles to decode fast enough, but maybe I'm a sad geek

[sloth]

The most likely cause of audio skipping is a mismatch between the new bootloader and the new rockbox.  If they do not match, you will almost certainly see skipping, and your player will be slow in all things (menus, for example.)

[Mad Cow]

Peak meters don't even faze the Gigabeats 300mhz CPU. I've heard it's because of a bad bootloader like sloth said.

[sloth]

I would add: it is unlikely that the bootloader will change any time soon, at least in any way that will require it to be lockstep with rockbox itself.  Once you have the new bootloader and a post January 12 rockbox, you should be good to go, for a while.

[PCpr0gramer]

ah! it was the bootloader. I was getting so frustrated; I had my wps code down to three lines and I was still getting skipping. I hadnt noticed the slowness in the menus until I downloaded the new bootloader(found it on the wiki page). Its a screamer. Thank you everyone.