CD Spin Doctor and Filter Distortion

[SNPG]

Hi,

 

When using the newly updated CD Spin Doctor (4.0.2.333t) I am experiencing what I can only describe as distortion when using Filters.

 

If you play a recording it is fine, as soon as you select Noise Reducer you experience as kind of buzzing. If you select Sound Enhancer the buzzing gets worse and turns to distortion when you start increasing the sliders.

 

If you turn off the filters the sound goes back to normal.

 

If you apply the filters you have set, the resulting filter-applied sound is fine (no hint of any buzzing or feedback).

 

I have tried different headphones, rebooted the machine, ensured the sound output is correct, but nothing fixes the problem.

 

I am using Leopard 10.5.1 on a Macbook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz with 2GB RAM.

 

Is this a new bug in this latest update? This problem did not exist in the previous release under Tiger.

[sneeuwitje]

I have this too on both a Mac Mini Duo 1.6+Leopard and iMac g5 1.8+Tiger:

- static noise on playback of AIFF 44.100 with any filter enabled;

- once applied the file is OK...

 

seems only playback with filters on is damaged

 

The noise I get compares best to the one I had a few years ago converting 48.000MHz AIFF to normal bitrate mp3 44.100 using Quicktime Pro;

>> a static ticking with an irregular pulse of about 1/10 of second.

 

Might that be related?

 

 

Hmm... just noticed there's a Toast 8.04 update that also contains a Spin Doctor v4.0.2.333t... That's the same version that came with my current Toast v8.03, but who knows they solved something in Toast that caused this?

 

I'll try and let you know.

 

[sneeuwitje]

No dice

 

They prob fixed it in Toast v9 , or will in v10 *haha*

[thebernreuter]

In my case it seems to have something to do with my Griffin iMic. If I change the Sound System Preference to the built-in speakers or "Headphones" the distortion doesn't occur when I turn on the Noise Reducer or Sound Enhancer.

 

Aha! Thank you. I would never have thought of that. I'm using an iMic too, so I bet that's the deal on my end too. Really weird bug that someone should be able to fix, like that old one where if you let Spin Doctor play all the way to the end of a file it crashed. That was cute.

[MacBrian]

I have had exactly the same problems as reported above.

 

Misery loves company, I guess.

 

I didn't have any luck going back to an older version, but maybe I should try again? All I got from the older version was an immediate crash just after "generating wave form" so I couldn't tell if the filter situation was any better using the older Spin Doctor or not. I tried several times and occasionally could get past the crash after generating the wave form, but as soon as I hit the "play" button the beachball would start spinning and I'd eventually have to force quit to get out of it.

 

Roxio is "good enough" to provide these forums, but really, when it comes to a fault in the programming or an incompatibility such as this, they don't monitor our pleas for help and they don't respond to emails. Or if they do, it's a canned response that is useless. This thread started in November and here it is February with no solution, so I'd say look elsewhere for your audio editing needs. It's a shame too -- the interface is brilliant and easy to use for the novice and not-so-novice alike. Too bad the stuff behind the interface that makes it all work has been neglected.

 

But notice it's still for sale! They're very efficient in taking money for a broken, useless product!

 

--MacBrian

[m-j]

I have exactly the same problem. Noisy distortion when trying to use the filters. This happened with the previous system I had: 10.4.10 on a G5 iMac using toast 7 with the latest update of CD Spin doctor. I had to "downgrade" CD spin doctor to the previous release to avoid the distortion when using filters.

 

Then I baught a new iMac with Leopard, and as I was uable to use CD Spin Doctor due to crashed of the application at startup, I decided to ugrade to Toast 8 which didn't make CD Spin Doctor to crash when opened, but only when trying to used the function to automatically detect tracks. I discovered that the distortion in the filter (mostly in the enhance section) was still there. This is making the piece of software unusable which is a shame.

 

I have then now to use Bias Peak to edit my audio files + Izotope RX software to clean up the sound. Izotope RX is from far much more expensive than Toast, but the quality of the cleaning is really impressive: it just cleans up the file without altering the sound.

 

Anyway this is a shame for Roxio and also the company who is developing CD Spin Doctor to deliver a piece of sofware which is not usable on actual systems. Even if this is coming from a new version of Quicktime it is not serious not having testing it before selling it.

 

I hope the customer support of Roxio will soon take care of this and come up with a new, more reliable version of CD Spin Doctor, or maybe just stop advertising and selling it as a part of their software....

[envy]

I also had exactly the same problem. From the Toast 8 CD-ROM, CD Spin Dr. was fine, but after updating to Toast 8.0.3, distortion occurred in the updated CD Spin Dr when a filter was selected.

 

I wasn't able to find a solution. So I dumped Toast 8.0.3, reinstalled Toast 8.0 from the CD, d/l Toast 8.0.3 and updated each app in the Toast folder except CD Spin Dr. Happiness ensued.

 

I'm disappointed that there isn't a Roxio monitor on this forum to answer such problems.

[MacBrian]

No dice

 

They prob fixed it in Toast v9 , or will in v10 *haha*

 

 

I briefly tested the new CD Spin Doctor that came with Toast 9 and the filters seem work w/o distortion just like they used to. I haven't recorded or applied the filters and saved anything yet, but based on my short test at least the problem seems to have been solved with the upgrade.

 

That's kinda good, and kinda bad because I don't think a pay-for upgrade should be THE solution to a bug. But, the 'bug' seemed to be caused by a change in either Quicktime or Leopard (or a combination of both), so I guess we can't expect the programmers to have a crystal ball when it comes to operating system or Quicktime changes. I would think they at least owe those using Toast 8 a patch to fix it however, but where's their profit motive for doing so? (Other than the obvious good-will they would generate instead of alienating their user base to the point they might not continue buying Roxio upgrades.)

 

Roxio must not believe in much of a beta-test cycle. There are so many kewl things in the new Toast 9, some of which are totally broken and useless (on my system, anyway). For example, editing a .TiVo file is a total fiasco for many Mac users. If you trim out the commercials (using a very very coarse and non-precise means of marking in and out points), the AUDIO doesn't get trimmed. So the saved result is a video file that is missing the video of a commercial (good), but the audio continues on as if it had never been cut out (bad). This makes the edited results totally useless, and a colossal waste of their users' time. I can't believe they'd let it out the door being that broken, so there must be something fairly common that most users have installed that is fouling up the process and giving results that they didn't expect or anticipate when they released it. Here's hoping enough people initiate an incident report (or whatever they call it) so this issue will get their full attention.

 

--MacBrian

[Scott_S]

For those looking for an alternative noise filtering solution to CD Spin Doctor, assuming you have another means of recording from vinyl or tape, I have had great success with some amazing tools from retired mathematician Brian Davies, found here:

http://wwwmaths.anu.edu.au/~briand/sound/

 

While not pretty nor as simple as CD SD, these tools, particular ClickRepair, do not degrade the audio quality as they are not filters. They actually find the clicks in the audio and remove them. The result in my view is spectacular. No relationship just a very happy customer.

[danthewelch]

I've also had the same problem. Fortunately, I didn't empty the trash after the newer version was installed, and so I have both versions on the computer. I use the pre-update version for all filtering. Everything works fine, except for the periodic lock-up which CD Spin Doctor has been notorious for. For those who have experienced the problem, perhaps deleting Toast and then re-installing the program, (but not installing the updates), will work.

[djhubba]

I have the same problem everyone is talking about. At first I thought it was the turntable needle..it wasnt..then i bought a whole new usb turntable..that didnt fix it..then I bought (or rebought I should say) a new copy of Toast 8 and that didnt correct it. Then I downloaded the upgrade to toast and Nothing. It has gotten so bad I can only record a couple of songs at a time then have to restart my Mac and do a couple more. VERY Frustrating. If anyone figures out this problem..let me know..I still have about 600 records to record. I am a dj and bought the Mac laptop and Toast so I could record these records and am out alot of dough and frustrated. I will say when it was working..I loved it! The simplicity of the interface and filters is wonderful. I just wish it worked like it should and did in the past. My email is ethylpump66@yahoo if anyone has any suggestions for me. thanks

 

[MacBrian]

From Roxio's technical support today:

 

Thank you for contacting Roxio Technical Support

 

The issue has been reported by a few users after Quicktime update. We are currently looking into this problem.

Thanks for your patience during this time.

 

Regards,

 

Roxio Technical Support

 

Hmmm. We'll see....

[Scott_S]

Misery loves company, I guess.

There's another thread on the exact same problem where I posted a "me too":

http://forums.support.roxio.com/index.php?showtopic=33827

 

I'm running Tiger (10.4.11) on Intel, so its not a Leopard-specific problem. Very disappointing and I do not have the previous version to revert to... so I'm stuck.

 

I really like(d) the filters in CD SDoctor as they work(ed) well on vinyl recordings to remove surface noise and clicks. Now its a nightmare of trial and error to use them... as others have found the filtered output file is OK, just the audible preview is _useless_.

 

Anyone know of another product with an effective crackle & click filter?? I have looked through the filters that Apple supply and are used in Sound Studio and Toast itself, but there's no simple equivalent 'out of the box'.

 

Scott.

[ctopher]

Just to add my $0.02 I recorded an LP at 48000Hz, 16 bits using my aluminum iMac's line input.

 

I saved the file and then tried "Auto Define" and it crashed Spin Doctor. A restart of the app, and it worked. Tried the filters and got an awful distortion during playback. Impossible to use them.

 

I'm using Leopard 10.5.2, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo with 3 Gigs of RAM, CD Spin doctor version 4.0.2.333t

 

 

I just fired up Jam 6.0.3 and I hear the very same distortion when I preview tracks.

 

This is very annoying. It appears as if Roxio blames Quicktime for this? Sounds plausible, but I still haven't heard exactly what the problem is. (other than the symptoms)

 

FYI - I'm running Quicktime v7.4.1

 

[MacBrian]

Hi,

 

When using the newly updated CD Spin Doctor (4.0.2.333t) I am experiencing what I can only describe as distortion when using Filters.

 

Oh, for crying out loud IT'S JANUARY 6 AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPLIES TO THIS SINCE THE ORIGINAL NOVEMBER 20 POST??!!

 

I discovered the same problem with totally distorted filters and a search found this completely UNANSWERED thread. How frustrating.

 

The noise heard when one turns on the Noise Reducer and/or Sound Enhancer makes the Filters totally useless since you can't hear a decent preview of the filters.

 

In my case it seems to have something to do with my Griffin iMic. If I change the Sound System Preference to the built-in speakers or "Headphones" the distortion doesn't occur when I turn on the Noise Reducer or Sound Enhancer.

 

I discovered if I'm playing audio with CD Spin Doctor and I plug the headphones into the jack on the front of my MacPro, Spin Doctor's playback stops and can't be restarted until the application is quit and relaunched. Of course, as has always been common with CD Spin Doctor, you poke at it too much and it just responds by crashing.

 

In the meantime I noticed the Sound System Preference panel changes to read "Headphones" as soon as you plug headphones in the jack. I'm guessing this dynamic sensing of the output port is disrupting CD Spin Doctor.

 

I'm very disappointed -- I waited a long time to upgrade to Leopard and thought by now most major issues would have been fixed. Obviously CD Spin Doctor is simmering on a back burner. Waaaay in the back.

 

Mac OS X v10.5.1 Leopard

2x3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon

2 BG 667 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM

[ctopher]

From Roxio's technical support today:

 

 

Hmmm. We'll see....

 

Just to add my $0.02 I recorded an LP at 48000Hz, 16 bits using my aluminum iMac's line input.

 

I saved the file and then tried "Auto Define" and it crashed Spin Doctor. A restart of the app, and it worked. Tried the filters and got an awful distortion during playback. Impossible to use them.

 

I'm using Leopard 10.5.2, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo with 3 Gigs of RAM, CD Spin doctor version 4.0.2.333t

 

 

[MacBrian]

There's another thread on the exact same problem where I posted a "me too":

http://forums.support.roxio.com/index.php?showtopic=33827

 

Anyone know of another product with an effective crackle & click filter?? I have looked through the filters that Apple supply and are used in Sound Studio and Toast itself, but there's no simple equivalent 'out of the box'.

 

Scott.

 

I've been using BIAS "SoundSoap". It's seems better than the filters in CD Spin Doctor, but I like Spin Doctor's interface better. Incidentally, after installing SoundSoap I found out some kind of plug-in it installs is poison to CD Spin Doctor. I don't remember the details, but that plug-in needed to be removed. There were also problems with CD Spin Doctor not opening a file after SoundSoap saved it. I just can't remember the full details now...it's been months.

 

On Jan 8, 2008 I opened a ticket with Roxio's support for this issue. I pointed them to one of the threads here at this support forum. Then I opened another ticket pointing it to a different thread on the same subject. The first response I got from them was asking all sorts of questions about my system. It didn't come to me as an email so I didn't know they had responded and the ticket was closed. The 2nd ticket I had opened also had a response -- basically chastising me for opening "multiple tickets for the same problem" and that doing this would only delay their response. SHEESH. You'd THINK they'd APPRECIATE quick links to our descriptions of the problems. It appears "proactive" isn't in their vocabulary. Mine either -- I didn't realize I'd have to go specifically to check and see if they responded. I incorrectly presumed I'd get some kind of notification.

 

I've re-opened the first ticket and added all the information they requested about my system. We'll see what response that brings. Maybe I'm crazy, but JUST MAYBE they'll launch a copy of CD Spin Doctor under Leopard and turn on a filter so they can hear the problem for themselves!

 

--Brian

[Judy D.]

I have had exactly the same problems as reported above. My problem is NOT relate to the Griffin iMic, since I don't have one. I can clearly hear both the noise and the distortion through the built in speakers of my MacBook Pro (15", 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo). I have not tried applying any of the filters to the recording because, as MacBrian pointed out, you can't preview the effect of the filter before making the change. Useless! I've put in a ticket with Roxio. We'll see if anything happens. If I get any useful feedback, I'll post it (but don't hold your breath; I'm certainly not holding mine). Maybe I'll try the re-install approach described by "envy".

[ctopher]

I have some new news on this topic.

 

In a previous version of Toast (Maybe 7?) I used the CD Spin Doctor to capture a record. I didn't get around to separating the tracks until now.

 

I was using a PPC eMac and Tiger probably, I'm really not sure, BUT, when I load them into my new version of CD Spin Doctor (Version:4.0.2.333t) on my Intel iMac, I can use the filters without the distortion!

 

So maybe it's the files themselves?

 

The old file (captured with some older version of CD Spin doctor) was captured at 44100 Hz 16-bits 2-Channel

The NEW file (captured with this version of CD Spin Doctor) was captured at 48000Hz 16-bits 2-Channel

 

I'll fool around some more, but perhaps that will help the Sonic Solutions folks.

 

On the iMic front, I tried to switch between the iMic output and I still got the distortion, no matter which I picked. Also, if I changed the output while CD Spin Doctor was playing, the app crashed. Guaranteed.

 

I'll keep this thread posted.

[bedward]

Exactly the same issue with me....

 

what the f**K

 

Leopard on 2.4g MBP

Toast 8.03