Radio stutter

phoneyLogic · June 20, 2009

This article tries to give a summary of all possible solutions regarding the Radio Stuttering which came across the Radio Stutter Thread. Links to forum posts can be taken as reference, they are orange.

NPCs use the ogg codec.

Wasteland Radios use wave format,

Pipboy uses mp3.

That means there are 3 sorts of codecs you need to play all sounds perfectly.

The "windows default codecs" works fine, since the game wants to use them.

"3rd party" mp3 codecs tend to cause pipboy stuttering, because the default codec get overlayed.

Three basic ways to fix the sound problems:

A) Install some "good" codecs and hope they solve it.
B) Uninstall / Configure "bad" codecs.
C) Disable all codecs you don't need

In some cases option C) may be your best choice, since you are able to deactivate the codecs you don't need temporary - without uninstalling.

A) Install some "good" codecs

Don't forget to reboot your System after (un)installing codecs, otherwise the issue may persist or could cause scratching noises.

Install k-Lite Codec like recommended by pimpbot (post 16)
Go to <Windows Start Menu> \ Programs \ K-Lite Codec Pack \ Tools
Run the Codec Tweak Tool and checkmark Detect broken codecs and filters, reboot (post 82)
Install CCCP Codec Pack (Post 48 & 61)
If you use Vista, you could try the Vista Codec Package.
Try to install MADFilter. (confirmed for Vista and Win7 only)
Use another driver / update your sound-card (be carefully, leave this point if you are not sure)
try doubling audio cache like suggested by frankc (post 2)

B) Deactivate / uninstall "bad" codecs

Uninstall all codecs cine_eater mentioned -> This are: Arcsoft, AC3
(post 17) and the ArcSoft Audio Decoder (post 17)
Also uninstall the TVersity Codec Pack
To deactivate ffdshow make sure that the fallout3.exe has been added to the exception list of the control panel.
http://www.loaditup.de/files/371755.jpg
(taken from post 40, click to enlarge) post 22 and 40 should help.
Under Windows XP change your Hardware Acceleration level (post 43)
Windows XP
- Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices -> Volume tab -> Speaker Settings section -> Advanced... -> Performance tab -> Hardware Acceleration -> Basic
- Don't turn it off, or all sound will end up stuttering!
- If all sound stutters at Basic, go up to the next level.

C) If the Radio is still stuttering

you'll have to deactivate all codecs you don't need

The little tool InstalledCodec is very practical to deactivate codecs.

You’ll have to sort out the codecs you need to play Fallout with all sounds and set them active.

For Windows XP, my suggestion how to do

load the little tool InstalledCodec
run the InstalledCodec.exe
Disable all Codecs (Ctrl + A to select all, then disable all)
Sort to Type (by clicking on tab "Type")
-> hold shift and push arrow up/down to select all Type= driver – video entries
-> enable them
Sort to company (click on tab "Company")
-> hold shift and hit arrow up/down to highlight all “Microsoft Corporation” codecs and enable them
Enable the two Company = Fraunhofer Institut Integrierte Schaltungen IIS – Codecs, this are:
- Fraunhofer IIS MPEG Layer-3 Codec and
- MPEG Layer-3 Decoder

[*] Enable the two Company = Sipro Lab Telecom Inc. codecs

[*] Load a game and see what is happening (wait a while, because of the audio cache)

For Windows Vista and Windows 7, thanks to Gawdzila and Rebooter (post 88, refering to this post}

Download MADFilter
Extract MADFilter.ax and Register.bat from archive and copy them to: C:\WINDOWS\SYSWOW64.
Click on Windows Start Button. Go to All Programs-> Accessories. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator from context menu. Behind the command prompt, type: CD C:\WINDOWS\SYSWOW64 and hit enter. Then type Register and hit enter. If it worked you will get a message saying that MADFilter.ax was successfully registered.
Extract InstalledCodec and run the InstalledCodec.exe.
Find Fraunhofer IIS MPEG Layer-3 Codec in the list, right-click it and select "Disable Selected Items".

good luck

Thanks to anyone who contributed

overload1977 · June 24, 2009

nice one psyclops i was looking for this old topic :) i c people have updated it

Circuitous · June 27, 2009

Not to beat a dead horse (or bring it back from the dead for that matter) but after six hours of fussing I've finally, completely fixed my audio stuttering problem.

Please note, I have Windows XP. A similar fix should apply to Vista, but I don't know where they stash it.

Issue:

In-game music played through the Pip-Boy stutters, pops, and sometimes goes entirely quiet or fails to start the next song.
This is not the same effect as GNR's reduced broadcasting area.
This affects all radio stations that play music (GNR, Enclave, Agatha).
This only affects music (voice clips, all other in-game sound, and non-radio music are not affected).
Effect is pronounced when first loading a game, when changing areas (especially via fast travel) or when loading large environment objects.
Pressing Esc to go to Main Menu, then returning to the game, often fixes it temporarily.

Now that we're clear on what the issue is, here's what I did to fix it.

ffdshow

Do not allow Fallout3.exe to use ffdshow, audio OR video.
- Option 1, add it to the "do not use" list.
- Option 2, disable ffdshow by moving the slider all the way to the left.
- Both options are covered elsewhere in this thread.

AC3filter

This one has been mentioned in threads on other boards.
If you have this installed, either
- Disable it from working with mp3 audio, or
- Disable it entirely. Both options are in the "System" tab.
[*]If you've seen the AC3filter discussions before, you may have seen suggestions to set it to "Wave Out"
- This will cause all sorts of stupid sound problems. Voices get quiet instead of radio in dialogue, sound effects are linked to radio volume... it's bad.

And now, the actual fix, the one that finally took care of my problem (and it's so simple you may hit yourself).

Windows XP

Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices -> Volume tab -> Speaker Settings section -> Advanced... -> Performance tab -> Hardware Acceleration -> Basic
Don't turn it off, or all sound will end up stuttering!
- If all sound stutters at Basic, go up to the next level.

LostIchi · June 27, 2009

@Circuitous:

Thank you soooo much, I've been fiddling with this issue for so long and setting the acceleration to basic solved the issue!

Btw I'm on xp 64 bit and it worked fine too.

Thank you again!

phoneyLogic · June 27, 2009

Windows XP
Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices -> Volume tab -> Speaker Settings section -> Advanced... -> Performance tab -> Hardware Acceleration -> Basic
Don't turn it off, or all sound will end up stuttering!
If all sound stutters at Basic, go up to the next level.

Thx, this was unknown.

Btw:

The Voices work fine because they use the ogg format and Wastelandradios use wave.

Its absolutely and lonely the mp3 codec that is affected from stuttering, since the windows default codec get overlayed by those other ones.

Namely ffdshow, AC3filter and arcsoft are known for causing problems.

Others codecs like klite or madfilter solve it on some systems.

yauster · July 8, 2009

here is my set up

windows xp sp3

creative sound blaster live (yes the old 5.1)

athlon 2500+

nvidia nforce2

sapphire 3850 agp

1.5g ram

(i have like 4 fans, i have the game running on ultra with lag during huge fights)

i had the radio music stutter problem as well. but i have manged to get it to a bearable minimum, heres what i did:

iAudioCacheSize=8192

iMaxSizeForCachedSound=1024

and used ffdshow configuration from klite codec pack

under "direct show control" -> "dont use ffdshow in" this is where u will find fallout3.exe. i took it out

this is my fix so far.

if anyone else has a complete fix on the radio stutter and has a computer similar to mine, plz post.

yauster · July 8, 2009

Not to beat a dead horse (or bring it back from the dead for that matter) but after six hours of fussing I've finally, completely fixed my audio stuttering problem.

Please note, I have Windows XP. A similar fix should apply to Vista, but I don't know where they stash it.

Issue:
In-game music played through the Pip-Boy stutters, pops, and sometimes goes entirely quiet or fails to start the next song.
This is not the same effect as GNR's reduced broadcasting area.
This affects all radio stations that play music (GNR, Enclave, Agatha).
This only affects music (voice clips, all other in-game sound, and non-radio music are not affected).
Effect is pronounced when first loading a game, when changing areas (especially via fast travel) or when loading large environment objects.
Pressing Esc to go to Main Menu, then returning to the game, often fixes it temporarily.

Now that we're clear on what the issue is, here's what I did to fix it.

ffdshow
Do not allow Fallout3.exe to use ffdshow, audio OR video.
Option 1, add it to the "do not use" list.
Option 2, disable ffdshow by moving the slider all the way to the left.
Both options are covered elsewhere in this thread.

AC3filter
This one has been mentioned in threads on other boards.
If you have this installed, either
Disable it from working with mp3 audio, or
Disable it entirely. Both options are in the "System" tab.
[*]If you've seen the AC3filter discussions before, you may have seen suggestions to set it to "Wave Out"
This will cause all sorts of stupid sound problems. Voices get quiet instead of radio in dialogue, sound effects are linked to radio volume... it's bad.

And now, the actual fix, the one that finally took care of my problem (and it's so simple you may hit yourself).

Windows XP
Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices -> Volume tab -> Speaker Settings section -> Advanced... -> Performance tab -> Hardware Acceleration -> Basic
Don't turn it off, or all sound will end up stuttering!
If all sound stutters at Basic, go up to the next level.

not to discredit your method, but i tried it, and it became worse. the only way for people to fix this problem is to have computers with similar setups, cause im running windows xp as well.

yauster · July 9, 2009

ok forget all i just wrote

just get CCCP codec pack

(combined community codec pack)

DarkPaladin · July 16, 2009

I've been checking this thread out because I too have had the radio stutter problem, all the way back to vanilla FO3 install before I even started considering mods, DLC etc

I have an ASUS Striker II Formula motherboard which although doesn't have "on-board" sound as such, does come with a SupremeFX II 8-CH Audio mini card that doesn't take up a PCI slot. Until now it's done me fine.

I am using the radio extender mod for GNR now but that's the same. No better, no worse

So I will try some of the fixes and see how it goes

DarkPaladin · July 18, 2009

Well so far I've managed to make the problem considerably worse following some of the varying instructions here, but only slightly better

Uninstalling old Codec packs has been a pain, and using the Vista Codec pack caused the radio to stutter so badly it was almost impossible to tell what was playing, so I have removed that again!

I'm about to try the K-Lite pack, see what happens with that

Is there a specific thread that can address the issues that seems to generally work for most people does anyone know?

Radio stutter

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