[Phoenix84]

Hey everyone. I've had my tablet for 2 weeks now, and I have this odd audio issue.
Occasionally, if a notification comes in, or I press the volume buttons while it's asleep, then it plays a loud static noise.

The volume is constant no matter what the volume is actually set to. This has happened with every single ROM, including pure stock. This sound will continue for as long as some sort of audio is supposed to be played, +5 secs. However the stock ROM seems to be able to reset itself after a short period, while the other ROMs require a reboot to restore sound.
Sometimes however, the audio will just go silent, not even the static sound.
I've seen this issue reported elsewhere, but there hasn't seemed to be a resolution. I'd like to know if others have seen this issue, or if should send mine in for repair.

Unfortunately, on the stock ROM at least, there isn't a useful logcat when the the static is played.
I'll try to see if I can get a logcat on a different ROM, because with stock there's another issue of the USB disconnecting when it sleeps.

Thanks for any help!

This post has been edited by Phoenix84: 15 April 2011 - 01:02 AM

[dwkennedy]

Viewsonic CS did say they had a fair number of units with the same problem so at least we are not alone.

I had the exact same problem, I had to send it back to viewsonic. 2 weeks later I got the same unit back, hasn't hissed at me since (1 wk)

Sometimes it would hiss, I would reboot, and it would hiss almost immediately. Sometimes it would go several days w/o the problem. Sometimes the audio would quit (no sound) until reboot. I am hopeful it is fixed for good!

[Phoenix84]

dwkennedy, on 15 April 2011 - 01:05 PM, said:

Viewsonic CS did say they had a fair number of units with the same problem so at least we are not alone.

I had the exact same problem, I had to send it back to viewsonic. 2 weeks later I got the same unit back, hasn't hissed at me since (1 wk)

Sometimes it would hiss, I would reboot, and it would hiss almost immediately. Sometimes it would go several days w/o the problem. Sometimes the audio would quit (no sound) until reboot. I am hopeful it is fixed for good!

Thanks for the response. I guess I'll have to send it in. I just didn't want to be without for 2 weeks. :'(

[Phoenix84]

I'm posting this mostly for reference, in case someone else runs into this.

Here's the steps I use to reproduce it (with the stock ROM only ATM):
1) Lower volume a few clicks from max
2) Plug tablet into computer (used to know when it's asleep)
3) Press power button to make device sleep, make sure screen stays off
4) Wait about 30 seconds, until Windows makes a device disconnect noise, indicating when tablet is really asleep (logcat will show NvddkAudioFxSuspend(true), just before dieing).
5) Press Volume up several times to wake device up, until the volume notification shows up.
6) Audio should either be static (SHHHHHHHHH), or be silent while changing volume.

If for step 5, you press Power instead of the volume key, it'll wake up just fine everytime.

It seems like the audio is accessed before it's had a chance to wake up.

After that, in this case, there's no audio. During the actual time there's supposed to be audio, and it's either silent or static, there's no log entry.

If I repeat the steps again, but change step 5 as listed above, the audio comes back and I don't have to reboot.
I've attached logcats for each case.

Attached File(s)

•  good.txt (118.1K)
  Number of downloads: 4
•  bad.txt (117.07K)
  Number of downloads: 2

[novalkar]

Phoenix84, on 15 April 2011 - 10:31 PM, said:

I'm posting this mostly for reference, in case someone else runs into this.

Here's the steps I use to reproduce it (with the stock ROM only ATM):
1) Lower volume a few clicks from max
2) Plug tablet into computer (used to know when it's asleep)
3) Press power button to make device sleep, make sure screen stays off
4) Wait about 30 seconds, until Windows makes a device disconnect noise, indicating when tablet is really asleep (logcat will show NvddkAudioFxSuspend(true), just before dieing).
5) Press Volume up several times to wake device up, until the volume notification shows up.
6) Audio should either be static (SHHHHHHHHH), or be silent while changing volume.

If for step 5, you press Power instead of the volume key, it'll wake up just fine everytime.

It seems like the audio is accessed before it's had a chance to wake up.

After that, in this case, there's no audio. During the actual time there's supposed to be audio, and it's either silent or static, there's no log entry.

If I repeat the steps again, but change step 5 as listed above, the audio comes back and I don't have to reboot.
I've attached logcats for each case.

This worked for me , I've been having this audio problem for weeks, and since in my country there is no VS support (bought it through the intertubes), shipping the device would take more time and money .

One curious thing is that i had a different experience with your fix, i followed steps 1 to 4 and then tried the alternate 5, sound went back and shutted down inmediately (it sounded like if i tapped the notification button), no sound after that, then i followed the steps again, and i got a crash !, then i rebooted the device and the sound was fine.

I saved the last part of the crash (my console buffer couldn't handle the whole thing ), now i can't reproduce the sound problem using the method you posted, but if i ever get the sound problem again, i'll try to reproduce the crash and catch it completely a file xD. I'll attach the portion that i could recover.

Now i'm happy and with sound ^^ thx Phoenix, you deserve a cookie !

[Phoenix84]

novalkar, on 16 April 2011 - 05:47 PM, said:

This worked for me , I've been having this audio problem for weeks, and since in my country there is no VS support (bought it through the intertubes), shipping the device would take more time and money .

One curious thing is that i had a different experience with your fix, i followed steps 1 to 4 and then tried the alternate 5, sound went back and shutted down inmediately (it sounded like if i tapped the notification button), no sound after that, then i followed the steps again, and i got a crash !, then i rebooted the device and the sound was fine.

I saved the last part of the crash (my console buffer couldn't handle the whole thing ), now i can't reproduce the sound problem using the method you posted, but if i ever get the sound problem again, i'll try to reproduce the crash and catch it completely a file xD. I'll attach the portion that i could recover.

Now i'm happy and with sound ^^ thx Phoenix, you deserve a cookie !

Wow, I'm glad you got it to work! However my post wasn't actually a fix, I was just documenting the behavior.
Rarely, I think I've seen the same shutdown issue as you. I forgot about that. The tablet would just power off completely, seemingly randomly. I don't know if it was audio related or not, but I think it happened when the audio would go out.
Anyway, I'm glad I was able to help somebody, even if unintentionally.
*nom, nom, nom*

[socityfuel]

Though I was the only one who had this problem. I went a week without hearing the hissing. This hissing pops up at the most random times. Not sure if I can post links yet but here is what mines sounds like

gTablet random audio hissing

[Phoenix84]

socityfuel, on 17 April 2011 - 12:59 PM, said:

Though I was the only one who had this problem. I went a week without hearing the hissing. This hissing pops up at the most random times. Not sure if I can post links yet but here is what mines sounds like

gTablet random audio hissing

Thanks for the post. The audio quality on that video isn't the best, but it does sound like what I get. Even the warbling at the end.
I'm going to send mine in sometime this week. We'll see what they do.

EDIT: I called them. The 800 number they provided in the box had an announcement about Flash, then went to dial tone. I had to call the 310 number.
They are doing a unit swap. I'll be without mine for several weeks.
EDIT 2-May-11: Unit was delivered to destination on 25-Apr.
Heard nothing until today when I got it back. Exact same unit, same packaging and everything (still packaged the way I packed it). Even came back in the original Woot box I shipped it in.
EDIT 11-May-11: I spoke with VS support again, and it turns out they didn't test the issue correctly. I clarified it was a sleep issue, and they're having me send it back again. The tech mentioned it was the motherboard. I will supply repro steps this time.
EDIT 25-May-11: Finally got my tablet back today. I can't tell if it's been replaced or fixed (didn't write down original SN), however the SN sticker is peeling slightly at the edges. Also, the GTablet box is not the same one I sent. So far I haven't had any issues, but we'll see. Interestingly enough, the device is updated to 1.2-4349. I sent it to them as 1.1-3588.

This post has been edited by Phoenix84: 25 May 2011 - 03:26 PM

[socityfuel]

Phoenix84, on 17 April 2011 - 08:39 PM, said:

Thanks for the post. The audio quality on that video isn't the best, but it does sound like what I get. Even the warbling at the end.
I'm going to send mine in sometime this week. We'll see what they do.

Shot it with a pos intercept, not a video exactly screaming to be shot in HD and with an external mic. Since I don't use this on my daily commute (by train) and it would probably get beat up in my backpack probably just going to end up living with the hiss. I will have to start keep tracking of when this thing hisses but it's basically been a week since I've last heard it hiss. I usually get this hiss on startup or resuming from sleep; I wonder if setting this thing to silent mode before powering off/sleep would prevent the hiss.

[Phoenix84]

socityfuel, on 18 April 2011 - 11:24 AM, said:

Shot it with a pos intercept, not a video exactly screaming to be shot in HD and with an external mic. Since I don't use this on my daily commute (by train) and it would probably get beat up in my backpack probably just going to end up living with the hiss. I will have to start keep tracking of when this thing hisses but it's basically been a week since I've last heard it hiss. I usually get this hiss on startup or resuming from sleep; I wonder if setting this thing to silent mode before powering off/sleep would prevent the hiss.

I think setting it to silent might help. It seems it tries to play something before the audio system has woken up.
The only problem I have with that is that's the only way to get notifications. There's no visual notification indicator, so the sound is the only way. Since it's not a phone, it's not a huge deal, but it's still important if I'm using it to IM.

EDIT: See my above post for status updates on RMA.

This post has been edited by Phoenix84: 18 April 2011 - 01:40 PM

[novalkar]

Phoenix84, on 18 April 2011 - 12:40 PM, said:

I think setting it to silent might help. It seems it tries to play something before the audio system has woken up.
The only problem I have with that is that's the only way to get notifications. There's no visual notification indicator, so the sound is the only way. Since it's not a phone, it's not a huge deal, but it's still important if I'm using it to IM.

EDIT: See my above post for status updates on RMA.

if they return you the same unit but fixed, use NVFlash to back up all the internals pls

http://www.slatedroi...2-based-images/ there are instructions on how to do that

This post has been edited by mrsburnout: 20 April 2011 - 10:25 AM
Reason for edit: Mod edit: changed link-- We don't mind linking outside, but when the info is here, please link it here. Thanks!

[Phoenix84]

novalkar, on 20 April 2011 - 08:38 AM, said:

if they return you the same unit but fixed, use NVFlash to back up all the internals pls

http://www.slatedroi...2-based-images/ there are instructions on how to do that

They are going to do a swap out, but I was going to nvflash backup the new one anyway. Not sure if you're interested in that one, but I wanted to post that backup here anyway (my original tablet had different partitions, but I lost them when I nvflashed to bekit 1105).

[Phoenix84]

So I finally got my tablet back. It's the exact same one I sent them. They even sent it back in the original Woot! box I used. The only reason I know they opened it is because my receipt was on top before, and this time it was on the bottom of the box.
They said they were going to do a swap out, so I'm a little suspicious. I haven't encountered the audio issue yet, but I'm still testing (it's only been a few hours). I did an nvflash backup before doing anything else.

This post has been edited by Phoenix84: 02 May 2011 - 09:39 PM

[dwkennedy]

My tablet has been hiss-free for several weeks now, since receiving it back from viewsonic.

Let me tell you, it was stressful having that thing "go off" in meetings... hissing at full volume, even muting wouldn't shut it up.

[kwak]

I've had mine for 4 weeks and it recently started doing that. I'm on TnTLite 4.4. The only possible connection I can think of is that it started after enabling keyboard sound. Bringing up the keyboard can cause it. Pressing the volume button while a Flash file is loading on a webpage has also caused it. But nothing reproducable. I'm back to keyboard sound off, and hoping that stops it.

[Phoenix84]

Interesting, when I would get it, it would usually be from a notification. I'd rarely encounter it during normal use. Which keyboard are you using, TnT? I didn't know that one had sounds.

An update: I can still reproduce the silent audio (audio goes out completely, as opposed to static). I have yet to hear any static though (difficult to do with stock-based ROM, may have to switch to another). I suppose I can live with just the silence. It's the static I just had to stop. I'm still not convinced Viewsonic (really US Merchants) actually did anything. However if the static doesn't return, I may call it good.

EDIT: While I was eating dinner after I got home, I heard the static. I'll be calling them up tomorrow asking for an explanation.

This post has been edited by Phoenix84: 03 May 2011 - 08:24 PM

[kwak]

Phoenix84, on 03 May 2011 - 07:24 PM, said:

Which keyboard are you using, TnT? I didn't know that one had sounds.

TnT keybard, sound is off by default in TNTL.

[novalkar]

Phoenix84, on 03 May 2011 - 07:24 PM, said:

Interesting, when I would get it, it would usually be from a notification. I'd rarely encounter it during normal use. Which keyboard are you using, TnT? I didn't know that one had sounds.

Adam keyboard has sound enabled on that ROM.

Phoenix84, on 03 May 2011 - 07:24 PM, said:

An update: I can still reproduce the silent audio (audio goes out completely, as opposed to static). I have yet to hear any static though (difficult to do with stock-based ROM, may have to switch to another). I suppose I can live with just the silence. It's the static I just had to stop. I'm still not convinced Viewsonic (really US Merchants) actually did anything. However if the static doesn't return, I may call it good.

EDIT: While I was eating dinner after I got home, I heard the static. I'll be calling them up tomorrow asking for an explanation.

Did you install another Rom? or were still using viewsonic stock?

oh! and can i get a hand on your nvflash backup plz? upload it to mediafire or something like that XD.

This post has been edited by novalkar: 06 May 2011 - 11:11 PM

[kwak]

After a few days of running with keyboard sound off, the speakers going to full static just happened again (tntl 4.4). A webpage automatically started a Flash video which caused it. This was after a few days of successfully using videos.

[Phoenix84]

novalkar, on 06 May 2011 - 11:06 PM, said:

Did you install another Rom? or were still using viewsonic stock?

oh! and can i get a hand on your nvflash backup plz? upload it to mediafire or something like that XD.

I was still stock at that point. I did that specifically to see if it was still reproducible.
I since flashed TnT-Lite, and the sound is almost always static now, as opposed to stock silence.

I don't think they did anything to my tablet. I haven't had a chance to call them yet, I will next week.

my backup link: http://www.mediafire...bc7i5942cgsj4r1