Audio sync issues when using NTSC games with PAL60 video mode

[Former user]

Original [issue 192](https://code.google.com/p/genplus-gx/issues/detail?id=192) created by veryape555 on 2011-10-13T10:59:45.000Z:

What steps will reproduce the problem? 1. Play any game for an hour or so 2. 3.

What is the expected output?

After about an hour or so the audio goes out of sync with the picture. It sounds like its stuttering for about 10 or 20 seconds, sometimes up to a minute. If i turn hq audio off and then go back to the game and then turn it back on and go back again the sync issues disappear for a further hour or so.

What version of the emulator are you using (official, SVN revision,...)?

1.6.0 (though i first noticed this issue with 1.4.1)

Please provide any additional information below (Video settings, Console region,...)

This is on a pal wii, in pal60 mode using ntsc roms.

[Former user]

Comment # 1 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-13T12:52:39.000Z:

Any games ? That's quite curious and I cannot reproduce that,I have been playing recently 2 hours or so without any issues. Could you try with no audio filter and see if this still happens, I think I already noticed strange sound issues after a while when Low Pass filter is enabled, but certianly not for every games.

Also please give the Video settings you are using, they are important.

A video capture when this happens would also help if you can do it, since I'm not sure to get how it exactly sounds when it goes "out of sync" or if stuttering is actually the real issue.

[Former user]

Comment # 2 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-10-14T18:11:12.000Z:

My video setting are:

original 60hz gx bilinear filter off vl trap filter off vl gamma correction 1.0 ntsc filter off borders off aspect 4:3

I've tried with low pass filter off and still had this almost warbling effect on the sound after a while, hard to explain i'll try and get a recording of it. Specific games its happened in are sonic 1 and 2, shining in the darkness and shining force 1. But i just want to rule out that i might have installed the emulator improperly. I've tried simply copying the apps folder to the sd card and i've tried renaming the gensplus\_wii.dol to boot.dol and replacing the one in the apps folder but with both ways i still get the sound issues. Do i have to copy the apps folder as is in the zip to the sd card and move the gensplus\_wii.dol into it having it along side the boot.dol aready there? I've tried looking through your readme but its a bit vague on this.

[Former user]

Comment # 3 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-15T08:51:25.000Z:

Do as the user manual says, simply copy the /apps folder to your SD and don't bother with genplus\_wii.dol, it's just there for people who uses other methods than HBC to load homebrew.

Anyway, this has nothing to do with your issue, if the emulator is launching and run games, it is correcly installed.

Does this also occur when High-Quality FM is turned OFF ?

Also try with NTSC ROM and TV mode set to 50hz (since you have a PAL Wii just like me, i guess your TV supports it).

Lastly, go there: http://code.google.com/p/genplus-gx/issues/detail?id=108

and check comment comment 9\.. Download the test dol and follow the instructions in the comment then upload the timings log here. If you can also try with NTSC roms and TV mode set to 50 Hz (or PAL roms and TV mode set to 60hz), this could be useful too. This will tell me if the audio/video timings of your Wii are the same as the default ones we measured. Slightly different timings could indeed result in sound slowly shifting as time passes, then messing up completely.

[Former user]

Comment # 4 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-15T15:35:34.000Z:

Btw, be aware that the test dol is from an older version, you should backup then delete your config.ini file before starting it.

Before I forget, another thing you could try with the current version is to see if setting Rendering mode to INTERLACED fixes the issue.

Also, when you say you "first noticed this issue with 1.4.1", does that mean that you have this issue with all versions since 1.4.1 or only in 1.4.1 and this one (but not 1.5.0 for example) ? What about 1.4.0 ?

[Former user]

Comment # 5 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-10-16T15:51:48.000Z:

I just tried with hq audio off twice and it froze both times after about 30mins. Do you think somethings gone wrong with my softmod? I mean if this was a problem caused by your emulator surely other people would have reported the same problem. About a month ago i had the same freezing problem but it happened after about a 30 seconds but that went away when i deleted and then reinstalled ios 56. Is modmii the best way to completely reinstall a softmod?

[Former user]

Comment # 6 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-16T16:09:20.000Z:

There is no point in deleting/re-installing anything until we figure the cause of this. And I don't think anything you installed on your wii can be the cause of program crashing, all homebrew applications only use one IOS, which is the one HBC is using if you use HBC to load homebrew. The only other thing that run is the emulator.

Now, it must indeed be something with YOUR setup since I left Shining Force running for hours and sound was still fine when I came back. Please give me ALL the setting (system, video, audio, controllers) you are using so I can make sure we at still use the same emulator setup when trying to reproduce your issue.

That's said, freezing is very weird and I believe cannot be caused by the emulator itself but exceptions occurring in the low-level library (libogc). Try to delete <no\_ios\_reload> line from meta.xml file in /apps/genplus and see if it still freezes. Also make sure that there isn't any unsupported devices connected and remove anything from USB or Memory Card ports.

Lastly, PLEASE try the test dol as I asked you in my previous message and UPLOAD the logtiming file here. I need data to understand what's going on and eliminate causes.

[Former user]

Comment # 7 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-10-17T20:14:40.000Z:

Thanks, deleting the <no\_ios\_reload> line got rid of the freezing however the audio issues remain. Heres the log timings file from playing shining force with hq audio on and low pass filter on at 20 percent. I could only test interlaced and original though as my tv doesn't support progressive. Hope it helps.

[Former user]

Comment # 8 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-18T08:30:48.000Z:

It didn't help, your video timings are the same as any other Wii, so it's something else. Could still be your Wii audio timings (exact samplerate) being slightly different than the one I measured but I doubt that.

Here are some other stuff that could help figuring what's going on:

1) Give me ALL the default settings you are using when the problem occurs (audio, video, system, menu AND controllers), this could give me an indication and I could at least try to reproduce your issue with the exact same setup as yours. Also please confirm that when you select the "Exit" option, the string "Genesis Plus GX 1.6.0 (WII)" is displayed in the message box.

2) Are you using a background music in the emulator menu (by having a Bg\_music.ogg file in the /genplus directory) ?

3) Does it still happen when High-Quality FM is turned OFF ? Audio timings are a little bit different depending of this option.

4) Does it still happen when "TV Mode" is forced to 60hz in Video Options AND "Console Region" forced to EUROPE in System Options ? When these two options are set like this, the emulator synchronizes itself with audio instead of video, which is again a little bit different.

[Former user]

Comment # 9 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-10-19T21:14:26.000Z:

This is driving me crazy, i just tried running shining force with hq audio off and filters off and it keeps freezing after 20mins or so again. Evidently deleting the no\_ios\_reload line makes no difference :( But i'm actually quite surprised the interlaced timings were correct, the audio was becoming garbled every five seconds or so.

1: Would a copy of my config file be ok? I've attached it and yes it does say Genesis Plus GX 1.6.0 (WII) in the message box when i press exit. My controller is the wiimote controller. I use the official wii scart too but i doubt that makes any difference.

2: no music in the background

As for four, will i have to start the game in usa console mode then change it once the game is running to eur to get around the region lockout? Do you think its worth seeing if a pal rom of shining force in eur console mode still produces this freezing?

[Former user]

Comment # 10 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-20T07:56:23.000Z:

Just set the CONSOLE REGION option to EUROPE, TV MODE to 60HZ and reload a game that you previously had issues with.

Another question, does the freeze or the sync issues always happen at the same location in game or is it more a matter of time (i.e if you just leave the game intro running where music is playing, does it still happen ?)

Garbled audio in interlaced mode and freezing when hq is off is definitively weird, I'm starting to wonder if the issue is not with your Wii :-/ Do other emulators work fine ?

[Former user]

Comment # 11 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-10-20T18:03:00.000Z:

I haven't really played other emulators as extensively as this one so i can't tell for certain but i've never had any freezing occur when i have used them. But i tried running shining in the darkness today in eur console mode at 60hz and left it running for about two hours and it never froze. Whereas when i tried japan and usa console modes it froze after about 20 or 30 minutes. This is with hq audio off and filtering off. So i guess if you can't reproduce this on your wii which is also pal it must be some weird hardware fault. But in the end this isn't a major issue or anything all i'll have to do is press the menu button on my wiimote every hour or so to get rid of any garbling audio. In every other respect this emulator works flawlessly.

[Former user]

Comment # 13 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-20T18:35:31.000Z:

Ok, can you do the same thing with hq audio on (I don't think filtering option makes any difference in your issues) and eur console mode at 60hz ? See if the original issue (audio desync and stuttering) is fixed as well ?

In this case, this could indeed be some kind of unusual timings when VSYNC is used to synchronize audio/video, I will try to post a new test dol that you could run so I can measure accurate output samplerate of your Wii.

[Former user]

Comment # 14 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-10-20T21:19:26.000Z:

I'll try that tomorrow. Though i have tested the test dol in interlaced with hq audio on and in usa console mode theres constant pops and every five seconds it becomes slightly garbled whereas if i change it to europe console mode the audio is fine. So i'm guessing when i do test the 1.6.0 version the audio problems will probably vanish there too.

[Former user]

Comment # 15 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-21T06:05:34.000Z:

Actually the problem you got in interlaced mode with the test dol is normal, this dol was made to test a specific timing issue in this mode, which was not yet fixed at that time. You should have different result in interlaced mode with the 1.6.0 version.

[Former user]

Comment # 16 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-10-22T17:14:56.000Z:

I've been testing it in Europe 60hz mode and so far i've not had any problems with the audio.

[Former user]

Comment # 17 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-22T17:55:40.000Z:

Ok, can you try in EUROPE + 50HZ + INTERLACED ON ? In this configuration, the emulator uses the same sync method as USA + 60HZ but same timing as EUROPE + 60HZ. This will help figuring which one from sync method or timing value is the cause of your issue.

[Former user]

Comment # 18 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-10-27T18:13:19.000Z:

I played shining force today in eur in 50hz with interlaced on and didn't notice any sound problems.

[Former user]

Comment # 19 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-10-27T18:34:23.000Z:

Ok, two last ones to test (with 1.6.1 off course, not the test dol):

1) EUROPE + 50HZ + ORIGINAL

2) USA + 60HZ + INTERLACED

3) USA + 50HZ (ORIGINAL or INTERLACED, should not matter)

This should narrow down the problem even more.

[Former user]

Comment # 20 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-11-02T14:41:29.000Z:

Sorry for the late reply but i've tested those modes and i only noticed any problems with the sound using USA 60hz interlaced.

[Former user]

Comment # 21 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-11-03T01:00:08.000Z:

So basically, to resume, you only got sound sync issues with this specific setting:

1) emulator region set to USA (or AUTO with a NTSC game), i.e Genesis emulation running at 60hz

AND

2) TV mode set to 60hz (or 50/60hz with NTSC game), i.e Wii set to PAL60 and emulation (normally) running in sync with Video Interrupt (60hz)

Also: - ORIGINAL or INTERLACED timings are both affected without differences - issue happens with HQ FM option ON or OFF, with only some difference to desync effect

[Former user]

Comment # 22 originally posted by veryape555 on 2011-11-03T08:52:03.000Z:

I'd only add that when i have hq off in usa mode and 60hz it will freeze instead of producing sound errors. So is there anything that can be done?

[Former user]

Comment # 23 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-11-04T09:39:11.000Z:

No idea, still trying to figure why it doesn't work with your console specifically. I'm quite baffled since your video timings in ORIGINAL & INTERLACED 60hz modes are as expected, and if audio timings were not right, other modes which use VSYNC would be affected as well.

I will try to post some test dol after the next version is released.

[Former user]

Comment # 24 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-11-04T09:40:46.000Z:

[Former user]

Comment # 25 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-11-04T09:41:20.000Z:

[Former user]

Comment # 26 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-11-04T09:42:25.000Z:

[Former user]

Comment # 27 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-12-23T16:27:58.000Z:

[Former user]

Comment # 28 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2011-12-23T16:28:54.000Z:

[Former user]

Comment # 29 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2012-01-17T21:40:49.000Z:

[Former user]

Comment # 30 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2012-03-12T22:22:31.000Z:

If you got the chance, pleas try this test version and report the logged files as explained there:

http://code.google.com/p/genplus-gx/issues/detail?id=196\#c20

[Former user]

Comment # 31 originally posted by ekeeke31 on 2012-03-12T22:33:07.000Z:

Btw, seems both issues should be merged as they are similar.