US-16x08 and Win8.1 System interrupts %

[BobF]

A question for any 16x08 users on Win8.1.

In Task Manager>Processes, what percentage CPU do you see for System interrupts both with and without the 16x08 powered up?

I'm seeing increases of 5-10% with the 16x08 powered up, with a lot of variation regardless of use by applications. I've A/B'd this with and without the 16x08 enough that I'm confident these numbers are coming from the 16x08.

If these numbers are normal, then they are what they are I guess. If not, then I may have something faulty with the hardware, although it seems to be working just fine.

 

[Giblet]

I'm seeing a similar thing. On one machine it is showing a constant 25% CPU usage with nothing else running and I can switch between 25% and (close to) nothing by switching it off, unplugging it, or disabling it. So it is definitely the Tascam. It refuses to work on this PC.

On another PC I am seeing a fluctuating CPU usage on a regular cycle between 0% and 100% CPU. Oddly, it works on this PC but extremely slow and sluggish.

Not too impressed! It's useless as it is. An expensive lump of metal.

 

[BobF]

I should've followed up ... When I first reported this, I was always exited the settings panel since I wasn't using any of the functions. I have since discovered that the excessive interrupts stop when I start the panel. It is as if the driver goes into a polling frenzy when the panel isn't running. Or something to that effect.

By leaving the panel running and minimized everything is normal. The interface is working great for me in a Win8.1x64 environment.

USB in the PC world is pretty shaky when you start diving in. Move things around and be very suspicious of USB3.0 used with 2.0 devices.

Good luck getting things sorted out. Even when the interrupt rates were excessive this thing was working great.

 

[Giblet]

You got my hopes up then! Makes no difference here. Cycling between 0% and 100% on a cycle of about 16 to 17 seconds. Having the settings panel running or not makes no difference.

Thanks for trying anyway.

 

[Giblet]

I sorted it. I sent it back for a refund and bought a Focusrite instead. Problem solved.

 

[BobF]

Sorry to hear the 16x08 didn't work out for you. At least you can get on with making music now

 

[BobF]

As I was rearranging the USB gear attached to my DAW, I discovered that the SI% dropped to below zero. I found that the only way to achieve consistently appropriate SI% levels was to have the 16x08 in particular USB port.

Turns out this port is a USB3.0 intended for mass storage devices. The 16x08 specs list the USB connection like this

Every one of the standard USB2.0 ports on my machine result in very high SI% levels when the 16x08 is connected. However, by connecting to the USB3.0 mass storage connection on the PC, the SI% drop to normal and the interface performs flawlessly.

I hope this helps somebody else out there before they end up returning their unit.

 

[cripple9]

Thanks BobF! Switching to USB3.0 helped tremendously. (I'm running Win 7x64) I had to uninstall/reinstall and clean up registry and old driver files from System32 folder, but it worked. My interrupts were up around 15%, but now its floating between 0-4%. I can run the US-16x08 at the lowest latency (64 samples) with fairly heavy projects and tons of CPU hungry plugins. So far no glitches whatsoever...

I never would've guessed it would be BETTER to put it on a USB3.0 port. That's normally a BIG no-no, lol.

 

[BobF]

Excellent!

 

[cripple9]

The new Tascam US-20x20 will be using USB3.0 to full capacity. Looks like it's gonna be a beast.

http://www.tascam.eu/en/us-20x20.html

 

[Mastropiero]

Same problem here.

But I don't have an USB 3.0 port, so what can I do to solve this issue?

My PC matches the requirements (USB2.0), so why should I need a 3.0 port?
IMHO this is a big big big Tascam failure.

 

[BobF]

Update your PC's MB and USB drivers before you give up.

 

[Mastropiero]

I have the latest firmware and drivers installed.