Jerks in Midi file playing

[jan1kow]

Jerks with midi file play. During a midi file playing I experience about 3-4 jerks per hour.
I suspect it is my laptop trying to make wireless internet connection which uses up resources
and causes a midi file to jerk during playing?
My Compaq pesario has a enable/disable wirless lan internet button beside the main on/off power button.
I now disable my wirless internet to avoid this. BUT it appears that the disable wireless
internet connection then needs my pc to re-start in this mode for full effect (rather tan on the fly).
So my laptop must be switched on with the wireless internet dissabled before switching off during the previous use?
Also todays jerks were worse than normal as I tried to rip a cd that somebody gave me before my gigi started.
I used windows media player to do the Cd ripping. However I did not have enough time so I minimised the media player without starting the ripping procedure
for later use on my break.
Usually the jerks are not very noticeable but today they were the worst I ever experienced. Here I suspect that although the wireless lan was dissabled
Windows media player was still trying to access the internet for CD song and label information etc.
On my break I decided close Windows media player and restart my laptop in the disabled wirless internet mode.
Result - I never has one jerk in the second half of my gig? Coincidence?   
Having said all this I have not experienced this ever with my other dedicated midi file software before I bought this amazing VArranger.
I have not been able to test this problem in live style playing yet as I am still in the process of setting up my styles etc.

background info.

My laptop is quite high specifications,  windows Vista, AMD dual core 2.10 GHZ, Ram 4GH, 32bit. service pack 1. 
My power management settings are at high performance (the best) if this is a power dip issue?
My laptop is directly connected to my SD2 by usb midi lead out and midi accordion by usb midi lead in.
In this minimum small set up with no other midi/FX units.
I had one USB connection with 2 foot switches (which are cloned to my laptop keyboard shortcut keys)
set for + / - channel volume controllers and another USB connection set for one start/stop foot switch (also cloned to a pc shortcut key) in this set up.
I also have about 10 other controllers set for various keyboard shortcuts etc. Further I also have other controllers for set to 4 different midi channels
for USB swell volume pedals (midi type-controllers) and fills switch pedal (midi type-Program) controllers options. But these were not in use on this gig.   
Has anyone experienced this. If not - Please also let me know if you have left you wirless internet lan on without jerks etc. so I can dismiss my theory??
Jon
edinburgh

[Lionel]

Hi Jon,

I use Wireless exclusively on my laptop and have no issues at all.

Playing a midi file uses very little CPU unless it is routed thru VST which changes that dramatically.

For starters have you Defragged your hard drive lately as that can causes so called jerk.

Also if you wanted to test your wireless for possibillty - there should be a function shortcut to switch off rather than disable completly.
Mine is button marked Fn + F2 key

Let us know how it goes

Lionel

[jan1kow]

Lionel
I have a connect or disconnect option (not Fn 2) but dissconnected may still allow pc to look for a way look to try to re-connect with another  network .  I think the wireless which I also use exclusively in my house would still be searching for a  new network if only dissconected rather than dissabled.
Maybe Playing a midi file uses very little CPU but its what my laptop is doing in the background  that may be the problem.
Also I have never have this problem with my 2 other midi file software programms?
Its still strange that when I did switch off the wirless that there were no problems thereafter   
I have not defragged for many months so will try this .
Thanks for some ideas.
jon

[Dan]

I personnaly disable some devices on the windows device manager before important gigs. Wireless, network.....
Not sure if this change someting or not, it's just that I feel better

Dan

[jan1kow]

Loinel
My laptop said it was not necessary to defrag?
Strange as I have never done this for 20 months or ever before in this vista laptop. 
Anyway still did a defrag but after 4 hours pc was till doing the defrag task.
After 7 hours I checked again to find a message saying again that
it was not necessary to defrag again. So not sure if its done or not?
Im going to double make sure the wireless lan is dissabled prior to switching off the pc before going to a gig.
so when I switch on my pc it booting / starting in the wirless dissable mode
If I still get jerks I will know this is not the reason.
jon   

[Lionel]

Hi Jon,

When you run defrag did you do a analyse 1st, which would tell you percent the disk is fragmented.

If the defrag took 4 plus hours it sure was doing something even if defrag was canceled part way thru it has already done part defrag.

I was using Vista Ultimate before I went to Windows 7. Well that was a big positive for the laptop. (Just a note only)

You can try what Dan said, but it does not correct original problem as you said it was ok until recently, therfore something has changed.
Meaning system is like you mentioned doing background tasks, for example my system if I am running a program and leave it for a few minutes Norton will do a background system scan, to overcome this I make sure it has done this at somepoint in the day before I use it and it knows a system scan has been done for the day and does not do another, if that makes any sense to you.

Another option but can take time is start task manager, and run your program and midi file and switch to task manager and see what processes are running, but as you said you get 3 or 4 an hour you have to catch it at the right time.

The jerks you mention is saying to me something is hogging the system resources momentarily as playing a midifile is very small cpu load.

See how you go and let us know as this may help others at some point in time.

Lionel

[jan1kow]

Lionel.
It does analyse the c drive first but no percentages etc are shown.
I will see how it goes and get back soon.
jon

[lmbmusic]

I went into the task manager and set the priority of the varranger. seems to have taken care of my problems.
ctrl/alt & del buttons. Just a thought.

[jan1kow]

hi
Does the task manager priority option need to be set for each use of VArranger
jon

[Lylo]

Vista is a bad OS for audio applications

[lmbmusic]

I always shut off all resources I don't use before a gig. I am using Vista and have no problems. I also have several applications open at the same time. There is a place in windows that you can set up a scheme so you have a choice at power up. You would have to read the help file.