An audio card that does not produce audio is a particularly obvious problem. There are some common causes for this symptom. Users should verify that the audio equipment connected to the 1010 is functioning correctly by directly attaching headphones to the synthesizer or other device before troubleshooting the 1010. If the headphones produce sound, verify that the cables are connected properly and consider swapping with other cables to completely verify that the problem is with the 1010 itself.
Device drivers are the most common culprit in audio cards. A PC cannot establish any communication with a device unless the proper operating system software has been installed. These drivers are included in the 1010 packaging and must be installed before using the 1010. Visit the "Sounds" section of the "Control Panel" to see if the 1010 is listed as an audio device. If not, the drivers may need to be installed or re-installed.
Unfortunately, when drivers are not the issue, another common problem is a resource conflict. This is a more complicated problem to solve, as it directly involves the computer's motherboard hardware. The easiest attempt to resolve the problem is to remove the PCI card of the 1010 from the computer and install it again into the computer but in a different PCI slot. The PC assigns different resources to each slot, and this often resolves conflicts. If it does not fix the problem, remove other PCI cards individually and test the 1010. If it works after removing a particular card, the conflict exists between those two pieces of hardware. If you need the 1010, do not re-install the other item.
Aside from having no audio at all, the next major issue possible with a 1010 card is the distortion of audio it produces. This often includes a "clicking" or "popping" sound that repeats frequently throughout any audio passage played back through the 1010. Assuming standard audio recording practices are followed correctly (with regard to decent input levels), special configuration of the 1010 may be necessary.
Calibrate the 1010 with the audio software you use. This is a standard feature provided by professional music programs. The process is quick, and it resets the 1010's buffer settings to suit the computer resources and the software algorithms that use the audio card.
Also disable extraneous computer processes that are unrelated to audio recording and otherwise unnecessary for the functioning of your machine. This includes screen savers, Internet chat programs and, in some cases, anti-virus software. Any software that competes with your computer for resources can cause audio drop-outs and other artifacts to appear in your 1010 recordings.