[vox-tech] Skipping sound

[Mike Simons]

On Thu, Feb 27, 2003 at 03:03:22PM -0800, Samuel Merritt wrote:
> > > > If I have music playing and I move a window around, switch windows, or
> > > > scroll a window, the music stutters. I'm using XFree86 4.2.1 and ALSA
> > > > 0.9.0rc2 (defaults for Mandrake 9). 

===
latency_multiplier   8

min_grant_clocks  72, max_latency_clocks    0
min_grant_clocks   0, max_latency_clocks  640
min_grant_clocks  16, max_latency_clocks  192
min_grant_clocks   0, max_latency_clocks    0
min_grant_clocks 160, max_latency_clocks  320
min_grant_clocks 128, max_latency_clocks  272

sum of minimum grants 376
lowest latency allowed 192
====

  According to that last URL your situation is hopeless,
because the sound device says it can't wait more than 
192 ticks, before being serviced and if the guy with 
160 and 128 happen to come along the sound card has hard 
to wait too long.
  I personally think that is bogus... there has got to be a way to have
them play along.


  I don't expect this to work... but try it and let me know what the
results are:
====
# "open up" the PCI bus by allowing fairly long bursts for all devices,
# increasing performance
setpci -v -d *:* latency_timer=b0

# maximize latency timers for network and audio, allowing them to transmit
# more data per burst, preventing buffer over/underrun conditions
setpci -v -s 02:04.0 latency_timer=ff  
setpci -v -s 02:06.0 latency_timer=ff
===

that advice comes from the following URL:
  http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-hw2.html

  Basically if it doesn't work I'd like to try some other settings.

    Let me know,
      Mike

ps: it's remotely possible your machine will lockup when you run those
set PCI commands, so be sure to save anything important.