Would like to 'clean' audio files on-the-fly

[Nisko]

I have over 6,000 tunes that I play using iTunes. Until recently, they played almost flawlessly. However, recently, I've started to hear much random static in all the files. If I play the same file again, the static will occur at different spots in the music. I've tried reinstalling the driver but that doesn't help. Is there any software available that can clean on-the-fly? If not, what steps can I take, if any, to help clear up this issue?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I have over 6,000 tunes that I play using iTunes. Until recently, they played almost flawlessly. However, recently, I've started to hear much random static in all the files. If I play the same file again, the static will occur at different spots in the music. I've tried reinstalling the driver but that doesn't help. Is there any software available that can clean on-the-fly? If not, what steps can I take, if any, to help clear up this issue?

I know of software that will remove ticks, pops, and crackling from sound files "on the fly". Such as from a used LP record that had been scratched up a bit.

However--I seriously doubt it would be useful to you because you say that the "static" occurs at different spots when you replay the same file. That tells me something else is going on.

What that might be, I don't know. But it would appear to be part of your playback process as opposed to something that was embedded into the sound file during the recording process--it's a playback problem, not a recording problem. If the noise were embedded into the sound file, I'd expect the noise to occur at exactly the same spot every time you played the file.

I'd start to examine everything from the sound card on down through the rest of the playback chain--cables, speakers, connectors, playback software, etc.

If you play back one of these files on a totally different PC, does the noise occur?

 

[anwaypasible]

probably a ground issue with the computer & if it is, then your entire motherboard could be suffering, leading up to it's death.

i doubt it is the soundcard's fault.
because capacitors have electrons going in & electrons going out - when they fail, there'd be missing electrons & you'd hear the static from the same notes.
resistors block electrons going through - when they fail they let more electrons through & that might change the tone of the DAC, but it shouldn't cause a static noise (the phase being different is about the only thing that could ever change).
but then again, if the resistor is letting more electrons through - it could be heating up the DAC & causing the DAC to be a little bit errornous of it's timing & those errors would be missing audio, but that shouldn't amount to crackles - it would be missing samples thus a loss of detail.
there's the slight off chance that the change in phase is filtered by the amplifier, but then there'd be lots of audio failing to come out of the amplifier as all those phases would be filtered (and that certainly isn't the same as static from different parts of a song).

i'd either get that motherboard to an electrical repair shop quick, or be saving up & buying a new motherboard before yours dies.