PSone Can't Hit the High Notes

[goemon]

I've had my PSone since 2001, and it's hardly given me any trouble until recently. Sometimes, while playing a game, it sounds like one or two of the sound channels have disappeared. For example, the menu music in Choro Q3 is missing a good portion of the melody. The Stage 2 music in Gaiaseed has part of the bagpipe melody missing. It seems like high notes are cut out the most. I've cleaned my game discs but there hasn't been any change. I'd try them on another system, but nobody I know has a system that can play Japanese PS games, and my PS2 is in storage. Has anyone else had this sound problem, and is there a way to fix it?

[CartCollector]

The Stage 2 music in Gaiaseed has part of the bagpipe melody missing.

Why would you want to hear the rest of the bagpipe melody? Isn't the part of it you hear torture enough?

[goemon]

Why would you want to hear the rest of the bagpipe melody? Isn't the part of it you hear torture enough?

Heh, it's actually a nice song, albeit the weakest on the soundtrack. Which is like being the poorest millionaire.

[OdSquad64]

have you tried cleaning the laser? i don't know that it will fix your problem, but it might be worth a shot

[goemon]

Tried cleaning the laser. Had no effect on Choro Q3; didn't bother testing Gaiaseed or anything else.

Could the problem be with the AV Out connector? Is it safe to clean it with alcohol?

[OdSquad64]

hmm, i say go ahead and clean it, it won't hurt anything. since you can't try the games on another PS, maybe try it on a different TV.

[XYXZYZ]

Hmm, if specific sound channels are missing, I doubt it'd have anythng to do with reading data or anything on the output end. Could be a defective audio processor, or maybe something connected to it is messing it up. Or maybe it stores certain audio channel data at specific locations in RAM, which is defective? Maybe a part in the bus between the RAM and the audio processor? So many possibilities.

[goemon]

I tried cleaning the output and the cable, but no improvement.


Hmm, if specific sound channels are missing, I doubt it'd have anythng to do with reading data or anything on the output end. Could be a defective audio processor, or maybe something connected to it is messing it up. Or maybe it stores certain audio channel data at specific locations in RAM, which is defective? Maybe a part in the bus between the RAM and the audio processor? So many possibilities.

I guess I should get a new one if I want to listen to the music properly then, huh?

[omnedon]

Are you sure you aren't just missing a left or right channel?

[goemon]

Are you sure you aren't just missing a left or right channel?

I think you might be right. Here's the latest update on the situation:

I tested my PS on another PSone LCD. The sound was perfect, although the screen is messed up. So the problem is not with the PS, it's with the screens. I don't have an actual television -- I play games mainly on my PC using a Gamebridge, or I use a PSone LCD when I'm traveling. It looks like the problem is now one of two things:

1) My sound card is broken
2) There's a software thing that's messing up the balance

The Volume setting looks fine. Is anyone here skilled with Windows audio troubleshooting?

[RugalSizzler]

Well when I was without a screen for awhile I used DScaler. I don't have the item used to combine the sound channel ( which is realy cheap ) so I used a seperate PC stereo just for my games ( A Roland:) ) and that is how I got sound thew my PC. I later then used a tape deck to pull all the systems threw. However since I only have one PC that might freeze randomly after awhile of use.

Also if it is the chipset of your PSX then I might guess the PSX is most likely using the same system the SNES uses to generate music and my original SNES sound chips that did the mode 7 started to not cwork correctly Dragon Quest music would go off key.

[omnedon]

To isolate a problem, in order to troubleshoot it, you need to get as much extraneous stuff out of the test as possible. Impossible to troubleshoot otherwise.

[goemon]

To isolate a problem, in order to troubleshoot it, you need to get as much extraneous stuff out of the test as possible. Impossible to troubleshoot otherwise.

I'm pretty sure I have it isolated. It's not the PS, it's not the Gamebridge, it's not the speakers. It either has to be the software or the sound card.

I recently had a new power supply put in, and following that is when I first noticed the sound problems. Could the tech who did it have hooked the card to the power supply incorrectly?