MAME - Current automatically sets refresh rate, causing audio crackle?

Libretro Cores
#1

I’m using RetroArch 1.9.11 (Windows 10).

I get audio crackle in some games with MAME - Current (2021) core.
It seems to be the ones using 60.606 Hz refresh rate.

I noticed that a refresh rate notification pops up at game launch. MAME - Current is setting the rate automatically. Though MAME 2003-Plus, MAME 2010, and FBNeo don’t display the notification or change the rate.

I’ve tried to using the Estimated Screen Refresh Rate in a MAME.cfg override, but it doesn’t take effect.
video_refresh_rate = "59.952038"

Refresh Rate Notifications:

Asteroids

Setting refresh rate to: 60.000 Hz

Donkey Kong (Audio Crackling)

Setting refresh rate to: 60.606 Hz

R-Type

Setting refresh rate to: 59.940 Hz
#2

Cores send the refresh rate of the original hardware to RetroArch, in the case of arcade hardware the refresh rate will be different from a game to another.

RetroArch will apply those refresh rates or not, depending on your settings (Settings > Video > Synchronization), i guess you might have some setting in there causing those audio crackles. Optimal settings will probably depend on your actual hardware (screen+gpu), personally i only enable “Sync to Exact content Framerate” in there, because if have screen+gpu compatible with freesync, and i don’t hear any crackle, not sure anything else in required in my case since i can’t notice any difference when i enable the other settings.

I don’t know about those “Refresh Rate Notifications” but i can confirm FBNeo is sending various refresh rates to RetroArch, however it seems dkong is currently at 60hz in FBNeo, for better or worse.

2 Likes
#3

Have you tried turning on “Boot from CLI” and using the MAME command line parameter?

i.e. mame dkong -refreshspeed

I’m not sure it would work but it’s worth a shot. :grin:

#4

2021-10-16 03-19-01-00h00m00s542t
2021-10-16 03-19-01-00h00m00s542t1920×1200 196 KB

In the bottom left it shows the refreh rate notification.

I’ve tried a dkong.cfg override to disable audio sync, but it still remains 60.606 Hz:

audio_sync = "false"
video_refresh_rate = "59.952038"

MAME - Current core is the only core that is doing this.

Here’s the MAME.opt:

mame_alternate_renderer = "disabled"
mame_altres = "640x480"
mame_auto_save = "disabled"
mame_boot_from_cli = "disabled"
mame_boot_to_bios = "disabled"
mame_boot_to_osd = "disabled"
mame_buttons_profiles = "enabled"
mame_cheats_enable = "disabled"
mame_cpu_overclock = "default"
mame_lightgun_mode = "none"
mame_mame_4way_enable = "disabled"
mame_mame_paths_enable = "disabled"
mame_media_type = "rom"
mame_mouse_enable = "disabled"
mame_read_config = "disabled"
mame_saves = "game"
mame_softlists_auto_media = "enabled"
mame_softlists_enable = "enabled"
mame_throttle = "disabled"
mame_write_config = "disabled"
#5

Is there a guide on how to setup and use “Boot from CLI” for RetroArch MAME?

1 Like
#6

you change the mame.opt from

mame_boot_from_cli = "disabled"

to

mame_boot_from_cli = "enabled"

Don’t bother though I couldn’t get the MAME core to recognize the command.

I am not getting a notification but I am seeing the refresh rate reported at 60.606 in the verbose log. I don’t notice any audio crackling though.

Do you have “Sync to Exact Content Framerate” enabled in the video options?

1 Like
#7

I enabled “Sync to Exact Content Framerate” and it fixed it. The refresh rate notification went away and the audio crackling stopped.

I don’t have any kind of special monitor, so I didn’t think FreeSync or G-Sync would apply. @BarbuDreadMon mentioned it, but I thought he was talking about Vsync in the Video Settings or the Synchronization in the Audio Settings.

Setup:

  • Windows 10
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
  • HP EliteDisplay 3242 IPS Monitor
  • DisplayPort cable instead of HDMI
1 Like
#8

I think it works with any type of digital connection. The difference (I think :grin:) is that with G-Sync it is a two way change.

#9

Yeah, now that you mention it, there is probably something wrong with the description of that setting, i remember seeing raspberry pi users mentioning the option had an effect for them, while they probably had none of those gsync/freesync/hdmi2.1 features

1 Like