Reaper 5.26 64 bit playback is distorted, pitched wrong

postmoderncore · 10-19-2016, 05:35 PM

I'd really like to get this sorted, because dad wants to buy Reaper, but I can't get it going for him. I'm baffled where to even begin debugging this issue that seems particular to using Reaper with this laptop, but isn't sound card or audio system specific.

Reproduction
----

On my fathers laptop, simply create a new project, add a track, record an audio track from an audio input, and play it back. It will sound pitched wrong, like a really poor quality pitch shifter is pitching the track down, or like a ring modulator effect.

Alternatively, take a project from my laptop and copy to his. Using the same soundcard, and doing nothing to the project, playback will be wrong on his laptop but okay on mine. The test project is 44.1k, 24 bit.

Rendering the track will result in a wave file that is accurate to the original. It's only playing back the project that has the problem.

Playback proceeds through the project at the normal speed on my dad's laptop, it's just pitched wrong.

Specifications
----

Windows 10 Home 10.0.14393
Reaper 5.26 64 bit (and also 5.25)

Toshiba Satellite L50-A. Intel Core i5-3337U @ 1.8GHz
8GB memory

Happens with both the built in laptop sound card using DirectSound, Realtek High Definition Audio, and with ASIO using my FocusRite Scarlett 2i4.

MikComposer · 10-19-2016, 05:49 PM

You're playrate might be set wrong. Check if it's set to 0.

foxAsteria · 10-19-2016, 07:21 PM

Sounds more like you're running Reaper at a different samplerate than your soundcard will accept. Realtek AFAIK runs at 48khz, so if you are using that for your soundcard, you will probably need to run your projects at the same. Use the Project Settings to set it and you can also save the default project to run at that SR as well.

And welcome to the forums.

postmoderncore · 10-20-2016, 04:22 PM

I've edited my post to clarify based on both these questions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikComposer

You're playrate might be set wrong. Check if it's set to 0.

Rate is 1.0, and is completely unchanged. I'm doing nothing with these projects other than adding and recording a mono audio track.

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxAsteria

Sounds more like you're running Reaper at a different samplerate than your soundcard will accept. Realtek AFAIK runs at 48khz, so if you are using that for your soundcard, you will probably need to run your projects at the same. Use the Project Settings to set it and you can also save the default project to run at that SR as well.

And welcome to the forums.

This isn't a problem. I've taken a project that's fine on my laptop and copied it to dad's. When I use my soundcard to play it back on my laptop it's fine, when I use the same soundcard with dad's laptop it's pitched wrong.

Thanks for the welcome :-)

foxAsteria · 10-20-2016, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by postmoderncore

This isn't a problem.

Well I can almost guarantee that it is. Try running switching the project SR to 48k on your dad's laptop. Your ASIO soundcard does not have the same limitations as the onboard Realtek chip.

postmoderncore · 10-20-2016, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxAsteria

Well I can almost guarantee that it is. Try running switching the project SR to 48k on your dad's laptop. Your ASIO soundcard does not have the same limitations as the onboard Realtek chip.

"Happens with both the built in laptop sound card using DirectSound, Realtek High Definition Audio, and with ASIO using my FocusRite Scarlett 2i4."

"When I use my soundcard to play it back on my laptop it's fine, when I use the same soundcard with dad's laptop it's pitched wrong."

I'm being very careful to try out like for like here - the FocusRite Scarlett 2i4 is behaving differently on my laptop and his.

foxAsteria · 10-20-2016, 10:39 PM

Ok fair enough, didn't see that part, but I've seen the problem you describe before and it's the result of a SR mismatch. Maybe I'm wrong, but how about looking at the related Reaper settings on your dad's laptop, particularly, audio>device>allow projects to override. Checked?

You could try exporting your Reaper config to his laptop to rule out any Reaper settings mismatch. If that worked, you'd just have to go through the prefs afterward and make sure any folder paths are correct, as these get exported as well.

Anyways, hope you work it out. I'm out of ideas.

clepsydrae · 10-20-2016, 10:42 PM

Another thing to try is a "portable install" on your father's laptop. This is a second, unrelated install of reaper that won't overwrite any of the settings of the normal install, but which will guarantee that you are running with all factory settings at their defaults. Just download reaper again, run the installer, choose "portable install", and choose a directory to install it in -- everything will install to only that directory.