Bug report mameuihiscore64 V0.155 (Oct 17 2014)

Hi.

UPDATE: The problem doesn't happen when in window mode! All my previous test had been done in full screen. The problem happen almost immediately in full screen, then while playing, I press ALT-Enter to drop in window mode and no problem for 2-3 minutes! As soon as I press ALT-Enter again to go back in full screen, the problem happen again almost immediately. This issue doesn't happen with other MAME version in full screen.


There is a sound glitch/synchronization problem that make distortion, crackle and pop every 3 to 15 seconds on average with at least 1 ROM: "Donkey Kong (US set1)". The same ROM work fine with MAMEUI V0.155 (Oct 15 2014) 64 bit and MAMEUIFX V0.155 (Oct 15 2014) 64 bit. As I understand, MAMEUI and mameuihiscore share the same ini file, so they should have identical configuration.

My mameuihiscore 64 V0.155 config:
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Default game proprieties/sound:

Use Sample: YES
Sound mode: DirectSound
Sample rate: 48000
Volume attenuation: 0dB
Audio latency: 2/5

Default game proprieties/Display:

Run in a window: OFF
Start out maximized: ON
Enforce aspect ratio: ON
Throttle: ON
Video mode: Direct3D
Direct3D use Bilinear filtering: OFF

Default game proprieties/Advanced:

Triple buffering: ON
Sync to monitor refresh: OFF***
Wait for vertical sync: OFF***
Refreshed speed: ON***
HLSL: OFF
Emulation speed : 1
Effect: None

Default game proprieties/Miscellaneous

Enable cheat: OFF
Sleep when possible: OFF***
Multi-thread rendering: ON***

***Tested ON and OFF: same result, still sound glitches.
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System spsec:
3 X LCD 1680X1050
Intel 2500K @ 4.7Ghz
16GB RAM @1600Mhz
GTX 660
Realtek HD Audio ALC892, 5.1 mode
Win7 ultimate SP1 64 bit fully patched and all latest drivers
Aero disabled

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Thanks for your great work with this emulator,
Ramon

[Alfman]

I will check this out... brb

[Alfman]

Mmmhhh.... no Problems here. Its running fine. FullScreen and Windowed Modes was tested. Switching with ALT+ENTER was tested also.

Tested my usually Game "Wonderboy" and no Problems there too.

My Test Rig :

Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo
4 GB DDR II RAM
Nvidia 9800 GT
Realtek HD Audio Onboard Sound
Windows 7 Enterprise SP1 64-bit

Games tested with 60Hz & 100Hz because im using a CRT Monitor
Triple Buffer ON/OFF and VSYNC ON/OFF.
Default Mame Settings nothing changed.

I tested on my Arcade Machines too, they are running the ArcadeVGA Cards @ 59Hz @ Arcade Monitor (TV) MameScart.
No Problems and running fine.

If there are Sound Problems, then you should have them with MameUI & MameUIFX too. Really strange.

Ok, I did some more test.

NOTE: My LCD monitor menu tells me I'm playing at 1680X1050 @ 60Hz.

First, I unpacked mameuihiscore64 fresh into its own new folder to avoid any conflict with other MAME version, then copied the single ROM dkong.zip to the ROM folder and tried again. Same result with default settings out-of-the-box configuration: sound issues.

Then I tried a few more things and was finally able to play full screen without the glitch with one of the following 3 methods, independently of one another:

1- Default game proprieties/Advanced: Automatic frame skipping = ON (originally OFF). As soon as it's enabled, problem gone. That's very odd as my PC is obviously more than powerful enough to run donkey kong at full speed without requiring frame skipping to be enabled. Also, other MAME version do not require that to work properly.

2- Default game proprieties/Screen: Switch resolution to fit = ON (originally OFF). When launching donkey kong, my monitor now switch to 640X480 75 Hz (instead of the my original test a 1680x1050 @ 60 Hz) and the problem is gone.

3- Using Direct Draw and GDI instead of Direct 3D. Still plays at 1680X1050 @ 60 Hz, and no frame skipping, but this time no more problem.

I also tried Wonder boy (wboy.zip) and no sound problem. It seems to be limited to donkey kong at this time. I also noted that Wonder boy play at 60 Hz when "Switch resolution to fit = ON", instead of 75 Hz like donkey kong did. Donkey kong ROM proprieties mention an original refresh rate of 60.60061 Hz and Wonder boy is 60.096154 Hz. It seems that 60.6 is considered "too much above" 60 Hz, explaining why donkey kong goes to 75 Hz and Wonder boy stays at 60 Hz when "Switch resolution to fit = ON".

I also tried to force other resolutions like 800x600 and 1024x768 at 60 Hz and 75Hz (still in Direct 3D, no frame skipping). 60 Hz = bad sound and 75 Hz = no problem.

My conclusion: There is something broken for the donkey kong rom, in Direct3D mode, with screen refresh synchronization at 60Hz, that induce some "pop", "crackle" and sound cutting, even when "triple buffering", "sync to monitor refresh" and "wait for vsync" are enabled. The only cure being to either skip frame, to choose a mode that use a faster 75 Hz refresh or to use another API than Direct 3D. Nothing of which explain why I can't reproduce the problem with other MAME version...

NOTE: I have MSI AfterBurner 4.0 and Riva tuner Statistic server installed. I turned them off just to be sure and the problem is still there. I also disabled and re enabled vsync in Nvidia drivers directly, with no changes in the results either way.

Hope this help,
Ramon

Ok, I was able to reproduce the problem with donkey kong with MAMEUI 64 155 and MAMEUIFX 64 155 release!

Default game proprieties/Advanced: Refresh Speed = OFF give me the same sound issue! When back ON again, NO MORE PROBLEM! I did the same with mameuihiscore64 and no change ON or OFF, sound problem identical on both.

NOTE: To be 100% sure, I created a specific dkong.ini in MAMEUI (by right clicking the donkey kong game icon, then proprieties, then change 1 irrelvant config, then apply) then transfered that dkong.ini file to mameuihiscore64/ini folder to have the same exact config on both MAMEUI and mameuihiscore64.

So my new conclusion is that the "Refresh speed" option of mameuihiscore64 seems to be broken, or interfere with Direct 3D @ 60 Hz in some fashion or simply not doing the same stuff as other MAME compilation does.

Thanks,
Ramon