Severe Audio Stuttering

[clutron]

I am not sure when it started but before I could do whatever I wanted on my computer with VLC playing and nothing skipped or stuttered. Now, no matter what I do the audio on my music will constantly skip and stutter. I am running windows 7 service pack 1, 64 bit, and using VLC 2.1.3 rincewind. Following is the log from opening the file to playing the first 90 second of the file and then deleting it.

main debug: adding item `ForASeason_Oceans.mp3' ( file:///C:/Users/Melkior/Desktop/ForASeason_Oceans.mp3 )
qt4 debug: Adding a new MRL to recent ones: file:///C:/Users/Melkior/Desktop/ForASeason_Oceans.mp3
main debug: Creating an input for 'ForASeason_Oceans.mp3'
main debug: meta ok for Oceans (Where My Feet May Fall), need to fetch art
main debug: looking for meta fetcher module matching "any": 1 candidates
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in C:\Users\Melkior\AppData\Roaming\vlc\lua\meta\fetcher
lua debug: Trying Lua scripts in C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\meta\fetcher
lua debug: Trying Lua playlist script C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\meta\fetcher\tvrage.luac
main debug: using meta fetcher module "lua"
main debug: removing module "lua"
main debug: For A Season - Oceans (Where My Feet May Fall) - Single has already been searched
main debug: art not found for Oceans (Where My Feet May Fall)
main debug: processing request item: null, node: Playlist, skip: 0
main debug: rebuilding array of current - root Playlist
main debug: rebuild done - 1 items, index -1
main debug: starting playback of the new playlist item
main debug: resyncing on Oceans (Where My Feet May Fall)
main debug: Oceans (Where My Feet May Fall) is at 0
main debug: creating new input thread
main debug: Creating an input for 'Oceans (Where My Feet May Fall)'
main debug: using timeshift granularity of 50 MiB, in path 'C:\Users\Melkior\AppData\Local\Temp'
main debug: `file:///C:/Users/Melkior/Desktop/ForASeason_Oceans.mp3' gives access `file' demux `' path `/C:/Users/Melkior/Desktop/ForASeason_Oceans.mp3'
main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='' location='/C:/Users/Melkior/Desktop/ForASeason_Oceans.mp3' file='C:\Users\Melkior\Desktop\ForASeason_Oceans.mp3'
main debug: looking for access_demux module matching "file": 12 candidates
main debug: no access_demux modules matched
main debug: creating access 'file' location='/C:/Users/Melkior/Desktop/ForASeason_Oceans.mp3', path='C:\Users\Melkior\Desktop\ForASeason_Oceans.mp3'
main debug: looking for access module matching "file": 20 candidates
filesystem debug: opening file `C:\Users\Melkior\Desktop\ForASeason_Oceans.mp3'
main debug: using access module "filesystem"
main debug: Using stream method for AStream*
main debug: starting pre-buffering
main debug: received first data after 0 ms
main debug: pre-buffering done 1024 bytes in 0s - 1000000 KiB/s
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "any": 6 candidates
main debug: no stream_filter modules matched
main debug: looking for stream_filter module matching "record": 6 candidates
main debug: using stream_filter module "record"
main debug: creating demux: access='file' demux='' location='/C:/Users/Melkior/Desktop/ForASeason_Oceans.mp3' file='C:\Users\Melkior\Desktop\ForASeason_Oceans.mp3'
main debug: ID3v2.3 revision 0 tag found, skipping 256 bytes
main debug: looking for demux module matching "any": 63 candidates
es debug: detected format mpga
main debug: looking for packetizer module matching "any": 21 candidates
main debug: using packetizer module "mpeg_audio"
mpeg_audio debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:44100 bitrate:160
main debug: selecting program id=0
main debug: using demux module "es"
main debug: looking for a subtitle file in C:\Users\Melkior\Desktop\
main debug: looking for decoder module matching "any": 39 candidates
main debug: using decoder module "mpeg_audio"
main debug: looking for meta reader module matching "any": 2 candidates
main debug: using meta reader module "taglib"
main debug: removing module "taglib"
main debug: `file:///C:/Users/Melkior/Desktop/ForASeason_Oceans.mp3' successfully opened
main debug: Buffering 0%
main debug: Buffering 8%
main debug: Buffering 17%
main debug: Buffering 26%
mpeg_audio debug: MPGA channels:2 samplerate:44100 bitrate:160
main debug: Buffering 34%
main debug: reusing audio output
main debug: Buffering 43%
directsound debug: Opening DirectSound Audio Output
main debug: Buffering 52%
main debug: Buffering 60%
main debug: Buffering 69%
main debug: Buffering 78%
main debug: Buffering 87%
main debug: Buffering 95%
main debug: Stream buffering done (313 ms in 1 ms)
qt4 debug: IM: Setting an input
directsound debug: Windows speaker config: Stereo and stream has 2 channels, using 2 channels
main debug: output 'f32l' 44100 Hz Stereo frame=1 samples/8 bytes
main debug: looking for audio volume module matching "any": 2 candidates
main debug: using audio volume module "float_mixer"
main debug: input 'mpga' 44100 Hz Stereo frame=1152 samples/1053 bytes
main debug: looking for audio filter module matching "scaletempo": 14 candidates
scaletempo debug: format: 44100 rate, 2 nch, 4 bps, fl32
scaletempo debug: params: 30 stride, 0.200 overlap, 14 search
scaletempo debug: 1.000 scale, 1323.000 stride_in, 1323 stride_out, 1059 standing, 264 overlap, 617 search, 2204 queue, fl32 mode
main debug: using audio filter module "scaletempo"
main debug: conversion: 'mpga'->'f32l' 44100 Hz->44100 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: looking for audio converter module matching "any": 12 candidates
main debug: no audio converter modules matched
main debug: looking for audio converter module matching "any": 12 candidates
mpgatofixed32 debug: mpga->f32l, bits per sample: 32
main debug: using audio converter module "mpgatofixed32"
main debug: conversion pipeline complete
main debug: looking for audio filter module matching "normvol": 14 candidates
main debug: using audio filter module "normvol"
main debug: conversion: 'f32l'->'f32l' 44100 Hz->44100 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: conversion pipeline complete
main debug: conversion: 'f32l'->'f32l' 44100 Hz->44100 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: conversion pipeline complete
main debug: looking for audio resampler module matching "any": 3 candidates
main debug: using audio resampler module "samplerate"
main debug: End of audio preroll
main debug: Decoder buffering done in 69 ms
main debug: inserting 352 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (103780): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (186052): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 14453 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (60839): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 150794 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (151635): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (201635): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 15363 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (62979): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (334798): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 4496 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (79968): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 164068 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (165841): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (184867): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 18204 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (70948): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 144769 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (132724): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (199406): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 14659 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (112973): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (214973): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 13061 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (66984): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 137118 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (138982): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (199442): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 16203 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (64895): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 139830 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (141785): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (223860): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 15544 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (85891): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 172567 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (154295): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (190481): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 17524 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (60914): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 132846 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (134846): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (180755): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 18632 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (60984): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 122606 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (134514): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (182402): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 18116 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (60975): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 128930 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (130930): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (186633): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 17131 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (81830): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (181229): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 17569 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (80846): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 174801 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (176778): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (199778): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 15985 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (80982): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (190936): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 17373 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (88987): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (180045): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 15110 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (61773): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 124662 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (104594): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (192993): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 17396 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (79864): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 167764 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (172651): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (208903): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 17295 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (67948): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 140932 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (141841): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (185703): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 17581 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (67853): up-sampling
main warning: timing screwed (drift: 141021 us): stopping resampling
main warning: playback too late (142907): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (184390): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 15485 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (79901): up-sampling
main warning: playback way too late (211587): flushing buffers
main debug: inserting 11924 zeroes
main warning: playback too late (124910): up-sampling
main debug: incoming request - stopping current input
main debug: control: stopping input
main debug: incoming request - stopping current input
main debug: finished input
main debug: removing module "mpeg_audio"
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `mpga', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "samplerate"
main debug: removing module "mpgatofixed32"
main debug: removing module "scaletempo"
main debug: removing module "normvol"
directsound debug: closing audio device
main debug: removing module "float_mixer"
main debug: keeping audio output
main debug: removing module "es"
main debug: removing module "mpeg_audio"
main debug: removing module "record"
main debug: removing module "filesystem"
main debug: Program doesn't contain anymore ES
main debug: incoming request - stopping current input
main debug: dead input
qt4 debug: IM: Deleting the input

[Chimel]

Does it happen on a laptop on battery by any chance?

[clutron]

Nope, on a desktop. But it looks like it is a computer issue and restarting stops the stuttering.

[Chimel]

My similar problem last year was related to power.
It finally went away by itself, and I could also remove the stutter most of the times by removing/reinserting the power cord, as weird as it sounds. KMPlayer audio worked fine at the time, I figured the reason was that both apps did not have the same power requirements. Maybe you also have a power issue. Check also the firmware of your hard drive: I had to install a more recent firmware on 8 Seagate Barracuda XTs 1.5TB on my desktop because the original firmware had a caching bug, but AFAIR the stutter affected the whole playback, video included, not just audio, so that's probably not it.

I fixed my problem with the loss of audio this week by changing the audio module:
https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=118042

Verify also your audio on Windows Media Player, Youtube videos, etc., to see if it's related to audio in general, in which case you should check your Device Manager and Sound Control Panel, or specific to VLC, in which case you might want to try renaming vlc.exe in your Videolan Program Files folder as "vlc2.exe" since the Windows audio mixer has separate settings for every application since Windows Vista, and these applications are apparently identified by their file name according to this old thread: https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=61015