Severe stuttering issues w new sound card

[WpnX]

I just installed a SoundBlaster Z sound card and now I get severe stuttering (test, test, one, one, two, two, three, three, etc...) every time I use voice comms online. It works fine in offline mode - only have problem while online. Does same thing in AH2 and AH3 (only online).
I've tried everything I can think of and am out of ideas. DXDiag attached if that helps?

Details:
OS - Win10
Graphics - GeForce 980ti
Audio - Soundblaster Z
Went from motherboard audio to Soundblaster today. Uninstalled all old audio drivers and disabled MB audio in BIOS. Downloaded / ran latest Win10 drivers for SB card.
Mic and playback work great in Windows Control Panel / Sound and in AH offline mode.
Tried different microphones plugged into SB card and USB microphone.
Tried disabling all audio enhancements.
Disabled all other audio devices in Control Panel / Sound
AH Recording and Playback effects turned all the way down.
Tried all levels Mic volume and DB gain in game and Windows.
Uninstalled / reinstalled AH3.

Thanks,
Elvis

[Chalenge]

From Windows desktop right click the speaker icon in the lower right taskbar area which will open up the recording tab of the Sound applet. Right click on the recording device (microphone) that you currently have selected as default, and then click on the Properties link (you can also choose the properties link directly). Choose the Listen tab, and then make sure that the radio button "Listen to this device" is not selected (you want it unchecked).

[WpnX]

From Windows desktop right click the speaker icon in the lower right taskbar area which will open up the recording tab of the Sound applet. Right click on the recording device (microphone) that you currently have selected as default, and then click on the Properties link (you can also choose the properties link directly). Choose the Listen tab, and then make sure that the radio button "Listen to this device" is not selected (you want it unchecked).

It's unchecked.

[Chalenge]

In the game, check the "Options->Preferences->Game Sounds" panel and make sure it is configured with the correct devices.

Do you have another device that has a mic capability, like a webcam, or the beamforming mic?

[WpnX]

Chalenge, I appreciate the help but it's configured correctly there too. Tried the beam forming mic, standard mic and USB mic.

Strange thing is that it only happens when Online. Everything works great in Offline mode and in Windows but starts to stutter as soon as I go online.

[Chalenge]

I was just trying to establish that you may have two input devices with one that Windows uses and perhaps a second that you are using online, though I admit that it should also show up offline.

EDIT: Your DXDiag shows that you have a microphone array called Andrea PureAudio, which I believe is a speech recognition system? Not sure why it would only be echoing online, but that could be it.

[Bizman]

I don't know what causes the delay echo type stuttering, but I have a theory why it seems to appear online only:

While online, the signal goes to Texas and back. While offline, the signal only travels from the microphone to your computer and back to the headphone so any possible delay would be too short to be noticed.

[Skuzzy]

The game VOX system makes your computer the server for that particular function.  Our game server is the client.  It is also UDP based, which means if there is any packet loss on the connection to the server, the voice is going to sound choppy.

The reason you do not hear problems off line is your computer is acting as the server and the client.

Take a look at your actual network connection and see if any packet loss is happening, using Ping Plot.

[WpnX]

The game VOX system makes your computer the server for that particular function.  Our game server is the client.  It is also UDP based, which means if there is any packet loss on the connection to the server, the voice is going to sound choppy.

The reason you do not hear problems off line is your computer is acting as the server and the client.

Take a look at your actual network connection and see if any packet loss is happening, using Ping Plot.

Thanks Skuzzy, I ran the ping details tool that you have in AH2; it showed 25-35ms response and no packet loss. Still echoing / stuttering badly.

[MADe]

2 suggestions

How many vid cards you running? I wonder if you have overburdened your mobos pci lanes...................

there is a tweak you can do to windows media player. Windows has a throttling thing that affects bandwidth, it can be disable in registry. FFFFFFF is entry, been a long time since I thought about it so why I'm sketchy.

In early days I went to onboard audio because creative had issues as you described. Make sure NVidia HD audio uninstalled if not using hdmi.

[WpnX]

Well after trying everything, I ended up doing a fresh install of Win10. Problem is fixed now. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Skuzzy]

Ahhh..  That explains it.

The Windows 10 upgrade does not handle some hardware changes very well at all.  I knew video cards were a problem.  It may be audio is also a problem.