Collecting Data In the Interest of Solving Problems

[Shooshie]

Please don't skim over this post! Take a moment to see what I'm asking you to do. At least read the bottom paragraph, and quickly post your drivers (it tells you where to find them).

Since many of the problems persist, and people continue to report crashes, quits, stuck notes, Bounce To Disk problems, and all other sorts of inconsistencies, I'm proposing a thread to attempt to get to the bottom of it. I'm wondering if these problems are related to drivers. I use older drivers, and I have no problems to speak of. When I upgraded to the newest MOTU drivers, my setup became a bucket of bit havoc, so I downgraded back to the following:

••• Motu MIDI Driver.kext: v. 1.3.1, created 4/12/05
••• MOTUFireWireAudio.kext: v. 1.2.5, created 4/28/05
••• MOTUPCIAudio.kext: v. 1.0.8, created 4/25/05

My Problems:
Almost none. I've had a few unexpected quits since DP5, but prior to that, I have had almost no problems at all for well over a year.

In addition to those, here are my basic background apps:

••• Clockworks (app) v. 1.51, created 12/2/03, modified 1/1/06
••• MOTU Firewire Console (app), v. 1.1, created 4/5/05, modified 1/3/06
••• CueMix Console (app) v.1.41, created 11/21/03, modified 1/1/06
These are not necessarily active unless you have them open, but since they do create settings that remain active in your hardware, they may be of some importance.

My system:
-10.4.4
-Dual 1GHz Quicksilver (2002) with 1.5GB RAM
Hardware:
-MTP-AV (USB) networked to MTP-AVSerial (only the USB is in use most of the time)
-MOTU Audio Interfaces:
--PCI-424: 1296, 2408mkII
--Firewire: 896
Apps
-DP5
-Waves Platinum
-Ozone
-MOTU Symphonic Instrument
-Mach Five
-Ivory
-Akoustik Piano
-Elemental Audio Inspector XL
-PSP plugins
-Bias Soundsoap

I will compile this into a chart in a week or so, after we get as much info as possible. I don't expect everyone to post everything. In fact, if you posted more than this, it would get very confusing. But the bare minimum should be the versions/dates of:
Motu MIDI Driver.kext
MOTUFireWireAudio.kext
MOTUPCIAudio.kext

To get to these, go to your main hard drive folder (not the user folder) and follow this path: /system/library/extensions Type "motu" and you should be at the first one. You can copy their names from the finder, but you'll have to type the version/date yourself.

Please, if you have the time, do this. If you're one of the people reporting serious problems, it is VERY important, but it's also important to know what systems are stable. Be sure to list your drivers, the problems you've had (or say "no problems"), and if you can spare the time, please list your computer type and OS version. Any other information might be helpful, but at the bare minimum please do at least this much. If I can write this message and volunteer to collate the information into a meaningful chart in the interest of solving problems that I don't even have, might you find the time to contribute?

If a pattern emerges, it'll help us all. If nothing conclusive develops, then I guess we can rule out these things, right? Even that's important.

Thanks everyone

Shooshie

[billf]

When I upgraded to the newest MOTU drivers, my setup became a bucket of bit havoc, so I downgraded back to the following:

••• Motu MIDI Driver.kext: v. 1.3.1, created 4/12/05
••• MOTUFireWireAudio.kext: v. 1.2.5, created 4/28/05
••• MOTUPCIAudio.kext: v. 1.0.8, created 4/25/05

I'm using the same drivers.

In addition to those, here are my basic background apps:

••• Clockworks (app) v. 1.51, created 12/2/03, modified 1/1/06
••• MOTU Firewire Console (app), v. 1.1, created 4/5/05, modified 1/3/06
••• CueMix Console (app) v.1.41, created 11/21/03, modified 1/1/06
These are not necessarily active unless you have them open, but since they do create settings that remain active in your hardware, they may be of some importance.

My system:
-10.4.4
-Dual 1GHz Quicksilver (2002) with 1.5GB RAM
Hardware:
-MTP-AV (USB) networked to MTP-AVSerial (only the USB is in use most of the time)
-MOTU Audio Interfaces:
--PCI-424: 1296, 2408mkII
--Firewire: 896
Apps
-DP5
-Waves Platinum
-Ozone
-MOTU Symphonic Instrument
-Mach Five
-Ivory
-Akoustik Piano
-Elemental Audio Inspector XL
-PSP plugins
-Bias Soundsoap




Thanks everyone

Shooshie

Hardware:

G5 dual 2.7
Radikal SAC-2k control surface
MOTU 828 mkII
MTP-AV (USB)
MOTU 2408II
PCI-424
ADAT Blackface


Apps:

DP 5.0
Peak 4.14
Logic 7.2
Final Cut Studio 5.1


Plugins:

Waves Gold 5.02
MachFive 1.2.3
PSP Vintage Warmer and Compressor
Autotune 4
MicModeler
Elemental Audio Inspector XL

[emulatorloo]

I'm proposing a thread to attempt to get to the bottom of it.

See also croyal's excellent post along the same lines asking for configuration info. . .maybe the two questionaires can be combined somehow.

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11939

[Shooshie]

croyal had the right idea, but it was just too much info. We don't have time to look it all up and answer all the questions. This is more basic, and I'm zooming in on some suspected problems, rather than trying to cast a net over the entire system.

Billf, do you have any problems to report?

Always include your problems (I mean, those related to DP. Your wife or girlfriend stuff goes in the Griping forum )

Shooshie

PS: Loo... where's your info? c'mon, man, the snakes may not get you, but I will! Bwaaahahahahaha!

[Klaus]

croyal had the right idea, but it was just too much info. We don't have time to look it all up and answer all the questions. This is more basic, and I'm zooming in on some suspected problems, rather than trying to cast a net over the entire system.

Billf, do you have any problems to report?

Always include your problems (I mean, those related to DP. Your wife or girlfriend stuff goes in the Griping forum )

Shooshie

PS: Loo... where's your info? c'mon, man, the snakes may not get you, but I will! Bwaaahahahahaha!

Rig details report is ok, but 'failing action detail'
needs to go with it, and should be probably the 1 st parameter in the database, not ?

At the moment no problem with DP 4.61
2 x 1.2 G-4 MDD, 2 gB ram, 10.4.3, QT 7.03
Several other partitions ( Panther, OS 9.2.2 )
2 Seagate Barracudas 80gB
896HD
Latest MotU drivers, but striped binaries ( only PPC )
Wavearts 4 ( no latency compensation this version )
PSP VW
Altiverb 4
Reason 2.5
EXSP 1.1

Best

Klaus

[Frodo]

MIDI Driver-- same 1.3.1
FW driver-- none
PCI Audio-- same 1.0.8

Problems:

Recent issues with audio routing, CueMix silent since having 424 card updated this year. No crashes since updating RAM... otherwise stable.

Bgnd Apps:

Clockworks- same 1.51
FW Console -- none
CueMix-- same 1.41

SYSTEM:
10.4.5
Dual 2.5 (late 2004), w/6 GB RAM

HARDWARE:

MTP-AV USB-- no network
PCI 424, 2408mk3

APPS:
DP 4.61
UAD-1
Altiverb 5
Elemental Audio Inspector XL
Ivory
Miroslav Vitous Philharmonik orch library
Vienna Symphonic Library Virtual Instruments
Vienna Symphonuc Library Pro-Edition (for Logic XS)
Pop and R&B sound sources are external.

[billf]

Billf, do you have any problems to report?

Ah! Yes, a couple:

1. DP5 BTD issues (empty bounces)

2. Stuck MIDI notes in DP5 and Logic 7.2.

[Shooshie]

At the moment no problem with DP 4.61
2 x 1.2 G-4 MDD, 2 gB ram, 10.4.3, QT 7.03
Several other partitions ( Panther, OS 9.2.2 )
2 Seagate Barracudas 80gB
896HD
Latest MotU drivers, but striped binaries ( only PPC )
Wavearts 4 ( no latency compensation this version )
PSP VW
Altiverb 4
Reason 2.5
EXSP 1.1

Best

Klaus

Klaus, could you tell me the version number of those drivers?
Look in System/Library/Extensions/

Thanks

Shooshie

[Shooshie]

I've got an Excel database started, and everyone's info up to this point has been entered. Wow. This is hard work!

C'mon everyone. Give us your info. Be sure to give your driver versions, and state your problems.

Klaus, I looked up the latest Firewire driver, which is 1.4.1. If yours is different, please let me know.

Shooshie

[Klaus]

Sorry to be not clear
Both machines same OS, same DP 4.61
On my studio machine :
MIDI kext 1.3.1
FW kext 1.3
PCI kext 1.0.8
On my 'live' machine ( same 2x1.2 MDD ):
MIDI kext 1.3.2 ( striped to PPC only )
FW kext 1.4.1 ( striped to PPC only )
no PCI kext

One note :
Dashboard disabled
Spotlight disabled ( at startup, via Spotless )
My 2 cents...
DP versions differ, and file compatibility to...
Everytime I got an error when opening files in a different version, I realised this, and just clicked the plugs away ( or whatever it is ), but starting new projects from an original template in different versions worked smooth...so far

Best

Klaus

[Shooshie]

Thanks, Klaus. I've got you down twice now. (two computers = two sets of parameters, etc.)

Ok, so far a pattern is forming: here's what I've figured out:
Klaus, Billf, Frodo, and I are doing all the work. Everyone else is sitting on their asses.

[edit] This was intended as a joke! Please don't take it seriously! It was late, and I was just trying to prod everyone into participating. I sometimes assume familiarity that is perhaps overreaching. Sorry. BTW, the only reason *I* have the time to do this is because I've got a few days off here, so I do understand the concept of being busy! [/edit]


Conclusion: DP users are either asleep or lazy! Let's have some participation! This data ain't any good if we don't get enough to make some sense! Go to your main hard drive folder (not the user folder) and follow this path: /system/library/extensions. Tell me your version numbers on the following files:
Motu MIDI Driver.kext
MOTUFireWireAudio.kext
MOTUPCIAudio.kext

Tell me the problems you're having (or none), your current mac, current OS, current apps/plugins if they might have anything to do with the stability of DP. (in other words, I don't need Photoshop or even Sibelius, but Waves, Reason, or Rewire, yes, etc., etc. ) The more relevant info you feel like listing, the better. I've got lots of columns in Excel to hold whatever you want to put in here.

Shooshie

PS: if you don't want everyone knowing what you have, send it to me in a PM, and I'll enter it as Anonymous-1, Anonymous-2, etc. Once I've got it, you can delete your posts in here, by the way. I'll make the spreadsheet available for everyone when I'm finished inputting the data, but I'm happy to make anyone "anonymous." Just send me a PM.

[Frodo]

FWIW-- iSight, Dashboard, and a ton of fonts have been disabled. No automated features are on.

You know-- it really looks like a lot more work for the individual than it really is to collect the data. Only took a couple of minutes for what could be a priceless user database of potential solutions.

Very clever and pro-active, Shooshie. Thanks.

[philbrown]

Shooshie
it's not entirely clear to me what you're targeting. Is this for DP5 problems or everybody?

Phil

[Shooshie]

Anyone who uses DP, Phil. I'll put your version in with your other data. People have been getting stuck notes now for several versions of DP. Now they're getting Bounce to disk problems, crash on startup, and other thigns. I do not have many problems (almost none, except for some occasional sudden quits), but I want to figure them out. I'm compiling the info in Excel, and can sort on any parameter to see if a pattern emerges, relative to that parameter. It just takes a couple of minutes to tab over to your finder, locate those extensions and applications, and type in your versions. Dates might be helpful, as well, but I'll take anything I can get at this point.

It doesn't matter what version of DP you're using, as long as you tell me what it is, and what your problems have been (or that you have no problems at all).

If anything emerges from this, I'll send the spreadsheet to MOTU. Plus, I'll post it in Excel and in PDF formats for everyone who wants to see for themselves or play with the data. Tell me if you'd rather be anonymous. Come to think of it, I may just publish it with everyone's names removed.

One other thing: my time is limited. I'm between projects, and I have about a week to do this, so please don't put it off. I won't be putting a lot of time into this after about 5 days.

Shooshie

[Pappy725]

Here's mine:
Ti PowerBook 1 GHz, 1GB RAM
OS 10.3.9, DP 4.61 no third party plugins
MOTU 828mkII, 80 GB external FW drive
Motu MIDI driver Version-1.2.7
Created-1/27/05
Modified-2/20/05
MOTU FireWIreAudio.kext V-1.2.4
C-2/9/05
M-2/20/05
MOTU PCIAudio.kext V-1.01
C-3/26/03
M-4/19/04
No problems other than user errors. DP is rock solid!
Thanks, Shooshie!
Stephen