Bug report: Distortions ONLY when on playback screen

[Reddo84]

Hi there, 

after having had the problem of distortions in the playback (little pops and clicks) for a long time with moOde, I found a strange way to "solve" the problem. When I keep moOde in library view, the problem is gone completely. When I go back to playback view, clicks and pops every ~20sec are back immediately. 

I recon it has something to do with moOde loading information for playback view. The distortions are most prominent in the first view seconds when a song starts, until the song progress timer displays the right information. Also, when (if) the album cover appears, this generally is acompanied by a click/pop in the sound. 

If there was a solution for this today, please let me know - otherwise I'm hoping for this to be addressed in future updates. Until then, I'll keep enjoying the otherwise stellar sound quality of moOde, but my screen unfortunately is mostly useless.

[the_bertrum]

I'd try moving things. Put the monitor somewhere else, move the monitor's power cable away from the HDMI cable, try a different HDMI cable, try a different monitor, try a different power supply for the monitor or the RPi. Even making sure the monitor and the RPi are connected to different wall sockets perhaps.

In short, I suspect interference.

[Reddo84]

I'd try moving things.  Put the monitor somewhere else, move the monitor's power cable away from the HDMI cable, try a different HDMI cable, try a different monitor, try a different power supply for the monitor or the RPi.  Even making sure the monitor and the RPi are connected to different wall sockets perhaps.

In short, I suspect interference.

I guess electrical interference would strike no matter what the display mode of the Pi is. Also, the problem persists even if I fully disconnect the monitor from the Pi-device and from power, if the Pi's hdmi output was set to playback mode.

Thus I think electrical interference can be ruled out (Edit: as well as issues with the network or the streaming service).

[the_bertrum]

I guess electrical interference would strike no matter what the display mode of the Pi is.

Not necessarily, but...

Also, the problem persists even if I fully disconnect the monitor from the Pi-device and from power, if the Pi's hdmi output was set to playback mode.

...this would seem to rule out the wiring outside of the the SIG.

I don't have experience of this hardware, so I'll discount myself from offering more advice on this case.  I think there are many folk on the Forum who run these, so hopefully they will be able to help.

[Tim Curtis]

The symptoms suggest something external to moOde software for example electrical/EMI issues, network issues, 3rd party software, tweaks and hacks, etc.

Try loading a fresh, unmodified 7.0.1 image on a stock Pi-3 or 4 and try to isolate the issue.

[TheOldPresbyope]

Well, the OP says 

- moOde 7.0.1
- Allo USBridge Signature (Ethernet)
- Streaming Tidal to device via Bubble-UPnP (Android smartphone)
- miniDSP 2x4 HD (connected via USB of course)
- 24" monitor connected via the USBridge's HDMI output

To start debugging, I would try a fresh install on the Allo board with no monitor installed, the default 32-bit kernel, no changes from the default settings in the System Config panel relating to HDMI, no changes in the Audio Config panel not related to connecting to a USB DAC, and with audio files only on the uSD card. If the noise cycle is roughly every 20s then it should show up at the beginning and then at least once more even with the Stereo Test file.

If still present, then I suppose as a last resort one could also try turning off the HDMI port in the System Config.

I don't have an Allo USBridge Signature and I don't know anything about the miniDSP 2x4 HD so there's nothing specific I can offer.

Regards,
Kent

[DRONE7]

How much memory is assigned to the GPU on your Pi ?

ssh into your Pi and run to check..

Code:

sudo raspi-config

https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentatio...-config.md

[Reddo84]

To start debugging, I would try a fresh install on the Allo board with no monitor installed, the default 32-bit kernel, no changes from the default settings in the System Config panel relating to HDMI, no changes in the Audio Config panel not related to connecting to a USB DAC, and with audio files only on the uSD card. If the noise cycle is roughly every 20s then it should show up at the beginning and then at least once more even with the Stereo Test file.

If still present, then I suppose as a last resort one could also try turning off the HDMI port in the System Config.

So I flashed 7.0.1 on a fresh card and disconnected the monitor from the Pi as well as from power. Then:

- changed MPD-Settings to USB-Output
- switched on UPnP-Client for MPD
Played some music over Bubble-UPnP - everything is perfect. Tindersticks - Friday Night is a good, quiet song to hear eventual distortions.

- I connect the monitor to the Pi and to power.
Played some more music - everything is perfect, no distortions.

- I switch on Local UI Display and reboot. When reboot is done, I'm presented with the Playback-View on the screen. 
Played some more music - now distortions occure as described in my initial post.


- I do the "Tap on the Cover Art to go to Library" thing, which leads me to Library-View on the screen.
Played some more music - everything is perfect again, no distortions. 


So that's that 

[Tim Curtis]

The symptom suggests something external to moOde software for example EMI from the attached display or cable. Something like that.

[Reddo84]

How much memory is assigned to the GPU on your Pi ?

ssh into your Pi and run to check..

Code:

sudo raspi-config

https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentatio...-config.md

There is 64 assigned. I changed it to 128 and to 256, still distortions in Playback-View and no distortions in Library-View.

Then I flashed 7.0.1 to a fresh card and did what I described in above post. After all of that, with Local UI-Display turned on, I once more changed GPU Memory in the Performance Options to 256 and reboot to Playback-View. 

Played some music - distortions as described in my initial post. 
I switch to Library-View and restart the playlist:    No distortions. 
I switch to Playback-View and restart the playlist: Distortions.
I switch to Library-View and restart the playlist:    No distortions. 
I switch to Playback-View and restart the playlist: Distortions.