# why PsychPortAudio('Start', ... ...) takes so long

**URL:** <https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/why-psychportaudio-39-start-39-takes-so-long/636>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [July 17, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/why-psychportaudio-39-start-39-takes-so-long/636 "2009-07-17T08:34:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Allen\_Ingling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Allen\_Ingling](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/Allen_Ingling)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/why-psychportaudio-39-start-39-takes-so-long/636/1 "2009-07-17T08:34:33Z")

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I am using psychtoolbox to develop some behavial experiment.  
  
here is beginning of my code  
=======================  
  
triggerlevel = 0.05;  
InitializePsychSound(1);  
freq = 44100;  
pahandle = PsychPortAudio('Open', [], 2, 2, freq, 2, [], 0.02);  
PsychPortAudio('GetAudioData', pahandle, 5);  
PsychPortAudio('Start', pahandle, 1, 0, 1);  
Run\_time = GetSecs;  
max\_RT\_duration = 5;  
fprintf('0 sec -- experiment start. \n');  
  
... ...  
... ...  
=======================  
  
When I run my program, most of the time, I have to wait at least 30 maybe 60 sec to get the display ''0 sec -- experiment start.'  
  
Can anybody tell me what's wrong with the 'PsychPortAudio('Start', ... ...)', and why it takes so long? is there anything wrong with my parameter setting?  
  
I am using PTB - 3 on windows xp, my computer is HP XW4600  
  
Any advice is appreciated.  
  
Simeon