Hi everyone. I'm brand new to the boards. Looks like a great community

I have a project where I'm using 2 NEMA 34 stepper motors to drive a 2 axis machine. To cut a long story short, it's a rig designed to scan artwork in high resolution.

In testing my stepper motors using Mach3, I've noticed they're very 'crunchy' or seem to be missing steps or badly timed steps. I'm not a big tech guy, and at this point just need them running nice and smooth. I don't need major accuracy or repeatability (for now) as I'm not using it for precision CNC work. I just want smoothness and speed. Motors also seem to stall prematurely if going any faster than in the video.

See video here (sorry, it's terrible but hopefully enough to inform of setup): https://youtu.be/9tiq8ZpfSUA

I've spent a fair bit of time trying out different combinations of micro-stepping/speed/acceleration etc. but with no luck yet. I'm thinking it's either the controller, the breakout board OR the parallel port on the PC. I know these are relatively cheap components, but would at least expect smooth operation.

Parts:
- Breakout board - https://www.ebay.com.au/i/3629843819...MaAoS4EALw_wcB
- Motors/drivers/power supply https://www.ebay.com.au/i/1232007868...YaAqXeEALw_wcB

So far:
- Measured power supply voltage. 60 volts
- Driver amps set too low on stepper driver? - NO - set to 6 amps
- Check wiring for motor - yep, should be good.

Any help would be much appreciated! Many thanks in advance.