Crashes when merging large/long tracks

[schmargle]

Hi there.

I'm having a strange crashing issue with merging.

Years ago, I recorded a number of live gigs with DP. I edited the various tracks and now I want to consolidate (i.e., merge) each track so I can hand off the tracks to someone else for mixing outside of DP. I'll also create some stereo stems, but what I want now is just a single audio file for each track.

The projects are large. I recorded a full set (about 45 minutes) per project. So a single merged track could be up to about 1 GB.

I started by selecting all tracks and merging, but the project kept crashing. So, I tried...

—Merging one track at a time: Sometimes it works, other times either DP crashes or I get a spinning beach ball.
—Removing all plug-ins: Same result.
—Reducing the number of tracks (like deleting all except for the drums): Same result.
—Trying another live project: Same result.
—Saving the project in DP 11 first: Same result.
—Deleting the analysis files first: Same result.

I haven't had this issue with smaller (shorter) projects, where it's just a single song. But I can't figure out why DP would have a problem with long tracks...and only some of the time.

I know there's probably a way I can bounce in mono or something, but I rather use merging if possible, since that's how I've done it for years in the past.

Any insights or suggestions?

Thanks!

Oh, I'm using DP 11.11 on an M1 MacBook Pro with 32 GB of RAM running MacOS 12.5.1.

[mikehalloran]

Increase your buffer and see if that has any effect.

Is your project on your System drive or an external?

Is it actually crashing or just hanging and not completing?

Are you running Native or over Rosetta 2? If Native, what about any plug-in?

[schmargle]

Thanks for the reply.

—OK, increased my buffer to the max: Same result.
—I've tried both the system drive and external drives (two different ones): Same result.
—Crashing or hanging: Both. Sometimes it gets about halfway through the merge and just hangs forever. Other times it gets almost to the end and crashes.
—I've removed all plug-ins: Same result.
—I had been running DP native. I just tried with Rosetta: Same result.

I've also tried creating a clipping with the files and bringing the clipping into a new project, but the same thing happens.

[EMRR]

Odd. I record a 2 hour 40 track radio broadcast every few weeks. Merges might be slow on my 2012 iMac with data on an external drive, but it’s never crashed.

[mikehalloran]

Odd. I record a 2 hour 40 track radio broadcast every few weeks. Merges might be slow on my 2012 iMac with data on an external drive, but it’s never crashed.

Like Doug, I run lengthy projects without problems.

What do MOTU & Apple say about the crash reports?

[schmargle]

Just submitted a ticket to MOTU with the crash report. I'll let you know what they say.

[schmargle]

Well, still no luck. I've updated Digital Performer to the new version (11.2) and tried MOTU's suggestions, including deleting the Com.MOTU.MOTUAudioSystem folder from Library>Preferences. But I'm still getting the same results: projects continue to hang or crash.

I didn't get the sense that MOTU is reading the crash report (or that it provided any meaningful info).

So, I give up.