Cubase doesn't get input when line mode selected XPSL502X

Steinberg people answers that I should check that the correct ASIO driver is selected, and that's one problem: where can I find those drivers? do they exist?

I have not used Cubase in many years and don't remember anything about it (I am a Sonar user). The Steinberg people should be able to tell you if the ASIO drivers are bundled with Cubase and how to install them. If they don't include the driver there is a freeware ASIO driver that might work, ASIO4ALL.

In addition to the ASIO driver, your Realtek audio hardware needs a High Definition driver. You can either install the one from Dell's download page, probably the same one that came pre-installed on the laptop, or you can get one from the Realtek site, or you can just use the generic High Definition driver that Windows will install in the absence of a Realtek driver. Because the jacks might not work correctly with the generic driver you should try out a Realtek driver to see if you get better results. However it seems that you have been using the Realtek driver so you might  try the generic one. You can tell which driver is installed by looking at the Sound properties.  For example in this screen shot the microphone is the default recording device, but specifically it is running off the Realtek audio driver which is indicated by the word "Realtek".

In this screen shot a microphone is also the default recording device, but it is running off the generic High Definition driver that is in Vista and 7. That is indicated by the absence of a manufacturer's name.

When you have your High Definition and  ASIO drivers installed, select line-in as the audio device in the Sound properties or Realtek manager and then go into Cubase and make the required configuration settings there. I think that is what they meant by saying to make sure the correct ASIO drivers are selected. You should do that in Cubase and the instruction manual should explain how to do that. Sorry but that's all I can tell you about it.

Quote:

"If I change that selection and make the input Mic, there's no problem, only that as it is a line signal, by beign amplified it gets distorted"

Are you certain it is not the plug/line? With it set up this way wiggle the plug to see if the distortion gets worse.

If you reduce the default volume for plug/line, does that help?

I would think if you make 'Line In' the Default Device instead of Mic under the Recording Tab in Sound options, Cubase would use it for input sound instead of Mic - Cubase might just default to whatever the system is set to default to.

Random stuttering sounds like too many applications trying to access the HDD at once, or competing for RAM. With 6GB of RAM /64Gb that doesn't seem likely, but you could try implementing some of that RAM into a RAM disk and using the RAM disk to cache IE or Firefox - 1Gb should do it. There are plenty of how-to's on the net if you google RAM disk, and it is totally safe. It can speed up multimedia experience with video and streaming substantially, and no other applications are then competing for that RAM also resulting in less RAM fragmentation.

In any case it doesn't sound like a driver issue at all. You could try uninstalling these devices and deleting their drivers then rebooting while connected to the internet, but it isn't likely to achieve anything other than updating your drivers.

Hi! thanks for your answer!

I'll show you a couple of images because... an image wothr a 1000 words ;)

First, the dialog box when connect the line-input

note: I see that I've already launched Cubase when connecting the devise, so tried the connection first and then Cubase, but it's the same.

Next, how the sound is entering the computer

Now, the ASIO options that, I'm sure, came with Cubase because I don't know or at least haven't installed them, the Realtek ASIO specific driver exist

and finally, the Bus options I get from Cubase, where theres no "Line input" or so available

As you can see, the only option is Mic, and if in the first box, instead of Line I select Mic, I have sound. As you might see, the In signal that Cubase is getting is from the integrated mic of the XPS15, 'cause that's the only bus available

Thanks again for your help and for taking the time.

Best regards!

Yes, I'm sure it is not the cable, it's because line signals have a LOT more power than microphone ones, so the mic signals need to be amplificated, so they get as "loud" as line signals. That's why if you plug a line output to a mic input, sound will be distorted

Yes, if I put the volume down enough, lique 5/100 or less, the sound won't be clipped, but thats not the solution I'm looking for

If you look at the pictures I've posted, at the moment I plug something into the Line jack, windows auto puts that as the default (the green check simbol at the bottom of the icon), and it works for other programs, i.e. Dell Webcam Central. There I can record a video with the sound of the line input. No problem. the thing is in the config with Cubase

About the stuttering, I've found another thread in this forum and has nothing to do with the amount of RAm used or so.

http:/en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3517/p/19412524/20024780.aspx#20024780">http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3517/p/19412524/20024780.aspx#20024780 here you can read the full 18 pages ( o.O ) that goes so far

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n3Esc6d9N4 here you can see a video I've just found on YouTube of another person with the exact same problem I have. He said that the Dell people was never able to solve the problem, so he ask for a refound and got a MacBook Pro. I don't want that, so I'm still looking for a solution

Thanks for your Help

Best regards!

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3517/p/19412524/20024780.aspx#20024780

The thread you linked to is the main thread for a recent Inspiron 1545 problem that was caused by a bad Microsoft update. After the solution for the 1545 was found, some people went off topic and starting discussing other models.

The main XPS L502x thread is "l502x audio stutters"

">http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3517/t/19372110.aspx

He said that the Dell people was never able to solve the problem, so he ask for a refound and got a MacBook Pro. I don't want that, so I'm still looking for a solution

I recommend that anyone who receives an XPS with the stuttering issue out of the box, should return it for a refund within the brief return period. After the return period has passed your only recourse is the warranty, but that is only good for hardware problems, and there is no guarantee that Dell will ever find a solution at all. These noise issues make the laptop unsuitable for serious audio production work.

There is no known single fix that works for everybody who has an XPS L502x. Because there is not a silver bullet answer, you could try the solutions that other people have tried that worked for them to varying degrees and see if any of them help you.

On the L501x/502z/702x series many of  the owners think the problem is caused by nVidia graphics and there is a popular registry patch on the nVidia forum that people have been using that helps but does not cure the problem. Some of them have gotten relief by eliminating McAfee anti virus, or just its firewall. Some 502x & L702x owners have found that not all of their processor cores were running which caused the problem. I inserted a bad link yesterday. This is the main XPS L502x thread: "l502x audio stutters"

The XPS 15z owners think that their problem is caused by the Atheros Ethernet driver. Main thread: "XPS 15Z Audio issue"

The  Inspiron 1545 is an older model than the others mentioned here. That model did not have these problems out of the box. With them it started suddenly a couple of months ago and the problem was traced to a bad update from Microsoft that was related to the Intel Matrix Storage (Rapid Share) driver that caused the audio noises. Last year the Latitude E series was hit with the same problem. The solution is to get an updated version of the driver or to roll back to an older version -- either way will get rid of the bad version. Probably the XPS models did not get the bad Microsoft update at all, but i don't know for sure. The Intel Rapid share driver is related to RAID hard drives and as far as I know (this is not my area) you do not need it if you don't have RAID hard drives.

there's also a Bios update to the A07, but its ranked as optional, and that stops me...I don't have that level of knowledge in computers, as I'm reading the Bios Fixes and Enhancements, I don't see anything related to the IMS issue...

The "IMS issue" was a bad driver update and so there would not be a BIOS fix for it. My advice is to never install a new BIOS revision unless it has a fix for a specific problem. Updating BIOS occasionally can go very wrong and it isn't like updating a driver where you can just rollback to the previous version if there is a problem. Let other people experiment with BIOS. If a revision ever comes out that fixes these audio problems you will see people talking about it in these threads. If it works for others then cross your fingers and give it a try.

"...reset the system as it came out of the fabric..." = restore the system as it came out of the factory

sorry, don't know what happened to my english =P

One more thing, the order of the software to update/reinstall is very important! if you want to try it out, do it as he told me!

Best Regards!

Good news!

today I spoked to a Dell support guy and ask him about the safety of the A07 Bios and told him about my problem. He, all the time aknowledge the stutter isue and suggest to install the Bios update, then reinstall some chipset drivers and finally reinstall the audio drivers, saying that 90% of the time, that solves the problem, but in case it didn't, the next thing to do was reset the system as it came out of the fabric. The thing is that it seems to have worked the first solution, listening music right now without those aweful noises, and in adition, suddenly Cubase has recognized the Line input! Happy Day!!

=)

so, in sum, the A07+Chipset drivers+Audio Drivers seems to solve all my problems! or at leas 50%... let's hope for the 100%

Thank you very much for your invaluable help!

Best Regards!