Some Hintpads with a surround sound card and surround system installed may experience an issue where sounds are played twice. This happens if sounds are triggered too early during the startup sequence.
When a Hintpad is configured to use a surround sound card, part of the setup requires the Hintpad program to automatically restart 20 seconds after startup.
This restart is essential: it reinitializes the connection to the surround sound card and ensures the sound system works properly.
However, if any sound is played before this automatic restart occurs, a bug is triggered. From that point onward, every sound will be duplicated.
Once this bug is active, it will persist until the Hintpad is completely restarted.
Typical triggers include:
Automatic sounds at game start
Intro music or background tracks set to play on launch
Early sound effects triggered by actions before the restart
Every sound played through the Hintpad is duplicated (plays twice).
Videos also play double sound, in addition to being shown in slow motion or cuts.
To prevent this issue:
Allow Hintpad to fully complete its startup and restart sequence.
After turning on the Hintpad and opening the program, wait until the automatic restart occurs.
On the in-room display, you’ll notice the screen briefly flash all white before the Hintpad program and timer reappear.
Wait before triggering any sounds.
As a general guideline, wait at least 20 seconds, ideally 1–2 minutes, before:
Playing automatic sounds
Starting background music or videos
Triggering sound effects
If the issue occurs (sounds already duplicating):
Restart the Hintpad to reset the sound system.
Always give the Hintpad time to fully initialize the surround sound card before playing sounds. Following this procedure will ensure stable audio performance.