Audio clicking in demo soundtracks

[Foebane]

Over the years of watching high-end demos on Amiga emulation, I have noticed a phenomenon with those demos that use single big samples or WAVs (or equivalents) for their soundtracks, whereas there will be a quiet but noticeable rapid clicking in the playback of the soundtracks, most noticeable when the music ends. Not all such demos are like this, but I wonder what causes the clicking.

Attached is a few examples of this clicking, together with one example (BeamRiders) that has no clicking at all, for comparison.

I am using an old version of WinUAE (4.2.0) for the demos and I don't want to upgrade as it would cause problems, but I just want to know what is causing the clicking - it can't be part of the playback routine, surely?

Also attached in the zip is my configuration I use for these examples. I'm not including a log as yet as it may not even be an emulation issue.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Foebane

I am using an old version of WinUAE (4.2.0) for the demos and I don't want to upgrade as it would cause problems

Why would upgrading to the latest stable version i.e. 4.4.0 cause issues?

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by DamienD

Why would upgrading to the latest stable version i.e. 4.4.0 cause issues?

Because it did when I tried it last year: degraded framerate across all the demos I tried, and when I tried it just now on a whim for the audio, still the same issue.

Will you just answer my question: what causes the clicking?

[britelite]

Originally Posted by Foebane

I am using an old version of WinUAE (4.2.0) for the demos and I don't want to upgrade as it would cause problems, but I just want to know what is causing the clicking - it can't be part of the playback routine, surely?

At least when it comes to Metropolice and Supergroove 2, the problem might very well be the playback routine, as I recall having a small bug in the routine that might have caused said clicking sound. This got fixed later, but those two prods might still have the old routine in use.

EDIT: and both Optigan and Past is Prologue also use my (old) player, so that's the mystery solved.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by britelite

At least when it comes to Metropolice and Supergroove 2, the problem might very well be the playback routine, as I recall having a small bug in the routine that might have caused said clicking sound. This got fixed later, but those two prods might still have the old routine in use.

Thanks for the explanation, Britelite. I was only curious as to what the clicking could be, but it's not really a bother once the music gets going and drowns it out, only at the end when it fades out.

I figured it may have been a playback bug and not emulation, but I posted here just in case. Most demos with single wave soundtracks in my collection play just fine, anyway. I think the examples I put in my zip were almost all the buggy ones I have.

[britelite]

Originally Posted by Foebane

I figured it may have been a playback bug and not emulation, but I posted here just in case.

You could've just checked on Youtube for captures done on hardware, and you would've noticed the same bug there too.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by britelite

You could've just checked on Youtube for captures done on hardware, and you would've noticed the same bug there too.

I did notice it on YouTube videos, but it wasn't as clear on them, and when I posted about it here a few years ago (I think), I don't think people could hear it in the videos so couldn't respond to my query.

I thought if I captured it myself, as I have done here, even if under emulation, it would be unmistakable, especially with Audacity here to see the clicks in the waves.

BTW, I didn't record the demos just for the clicks to post here, I've been building a collection so that I can play the audio from these awesome tracks away from my computer, on my phone.

[britelite]

Originally Posted by Foebane

I did notice it on YouTube videos, but it wasn't as clear on them, and when I posted about it here a few years ago (I think), I don't think people could hear it in the videos so couldn't respond to my query.

My point being, if the same clicking can be heard on both real hardware and in WinUAE then it's definitely not a WinUAE bug, so you could've skipped creating the original post in the first place.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by britelite

My point being, if the same clicking can be heard on both real hardware and in WinUAE then it's definitely not a WinUAE bug, so you could've skipped creating the original post in the first place.

True, but when I posted here I clean forgot about real hardware captures on YouTube. Oops!

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Foebane

Will you just answer my question: what causes the clicking?

LOL... I don't do demos and have never experienced this so.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by DamienD

LOL... I don't do demos and have never experienced this so.

Sorry to snap, shouldn't've posted here in the first place, it's not an emulation issue, it turns out.