Audio Issues

[lithgowlights]

Being new to xLights, I can only say 1 thing - WOW! It's great, but I seem to have an issue not with xLights, but with FPP running the resultant files. The lights, all 2080 programmed so far, are perfect, and I cant fault their setup and operation, but the music out of the Pi sounds like, well, rubbish

The audio files are 128kb CBR MP3 files that have been used in my display for up to 10 years, so I don't think there is an issue with quality, and through xLights they sound perfect too. If I drop the volume down in FPP I get this terrible crackly echo that is still noticeable in low volume periods in the music (Listening through headphones, hence dropping volume to 75%). The hardware is a Pi V3 which arrived today

Open to suggestions please

 

[StuartW]

Hi Lithgowlights
The Pi is let down by the sound quality a bit but there is a discussion over on the Falcon site re this and the use of a board called a Hi Fi Berry (I think) so might be worth looking over there.
Last year I resurrected the amp from my old Marantz system that I just can't part with and connected the Pi through that and the sound was great.
Also all of my audio files are 192kb due to a problem with audio playback when Xlights first went to the new grid editor and waveform layout that required all audio to be 192kb as a workaround for a bug. It might be worth converting a track to 192kb to see if it improves the quality.


Stuart

 

[lithgowlights]

Tried the 192 and no luck, still the same. I'd bet it's likely to be an issue with the new Pi V3, and with luck it might be fixed, else I'll need to simply run the output at 100% and people will have to turn down their stereo's (as long as the Tx can handle that volume, which it should)

It's popped up mostly due to me testing with headphones, and 100% volume being too loud

 

[battle79]

I had the same problem. Firstly, as far as the crackly echo, sometime it can be the plug going into the Pi. Don't push it all the way into the Pi, I found I got a better result.

Secondly, the bass is lacking from the onboard sound. Two ways to fix it:-

1. Buy a USB audio unit such as below. Sound much better than Pi audio.
https://www.adafruit.com/products/1475

2. Buy a Sainsmart PiHat to output the audio. Sounds the best, but you can't directly output pixels, and use this card or onboard audio FYI. Probably not an issue, but just incase.
http://www.sainsmart.com/sainsmart-hifi-dac-audio-sound-card-module-i2s-interface-for-raspberry-pi-2-b.html

I have both and they sound much better in the low end than the Pi.

My nextdoor neighbour is building a Tardis and his Pi looks like a frankenPi now with all the switches and dongle hanging off it.

 

[lithgowlights]

I just bought a couple of the USB audio devices - I'll use them somewhere if not on the Pi, thanks.

 

[logandc99]

I had the same problem. Firstly, as far as the crackly echo, sometime it can be the plug going into the Pi. Don't push it all the way into the Pi, I found I got a better result.

I had a similar situation with poor sound and crackling sounds but the opposite worked for me. I found that the shape of the plastic of the audio plug on the lead I was plugging into the Pi was shaped in such a way that the plastic case surrounding the Pi didn't let the plug go fully into the Pi's audio out. When I use a different lead that could click all the way into the Pi's audio plug, the sound came clear. Is you Pi in a plastic case? Maybe try plugging the audio cable into the Pi's audio without the Pi's case on and see if it fits better and if the cracking sound goes away.
Just a thought .