Weird problem with audio files...please help!

[MikeH]

I've been mixing 9 audio stems in the latest version of DP 7. Three hours ago I'm doing all sorts of nip/tucks and slicing and dicing and EQ and I decide to EQ a specific region of an audio file...so I make a slight cut before and after the area so I can isolate it from the rest of the track. As soon as I do that, all my audio files go crazy-- it's like they're super-time scaled or something. They're all over the sequencer with chunks missing and whatnot. If I play the sequence from the beginning and just let it run, all the sound information plays perfectly even though the files look all screwed up. However, if I start playback somewhere other than the beginning, then it plays back exactly how it looks onscreen (aka f**** up).

I can't "undo" it because DP doesn't register that I 'did' anything, so after hitting some things and generally fuming I decided to just scrap the tracks, re-bounce and start mixing again. Which I did. After another few hours of work it suddenly happened again and I don't know what the hell I'm doing wrong--it's never done this before.

Thanks guys!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Never heard of that one and without having a hands on, I don't know that I could do much. Have you contacted MOTU? You really should as that sounds pretty serious. It might also be a disk error. How big a disk are you recording to? How full is it? Is it internal? What machine and OS version? Have you run any disk utilities or permission repairs?

[MikeH]

I'm recording to a 600GB internal drive that's only about 10% filled. Mac Pro 2x2.26 Quad Core running 10.6.4. I'll run a permissions repair now.

edit: just realized that I never moved the project folder to my actual project drive (it's on my desktop right now) so it looks like I've been recording to the same drive that DP is running on. I could definitely see that as being a problem.

update! I selected all the tracks, deleted them, and then 'undid' it. They went back to normal! All the full audio files returned intact. So weird...I'll report back if it does it again and we'll see what happens.

[MikeH]

Here's something--

So I'm essentially mixing and mastering in the same project folder where I did the MIDI recording. After bouncing several times and then deleting the files, I think there are problems being caused because the audio files are not actually 'deleted'-- in order to fully remove them I need to go into the audio folder and trash them. So that being said, could a folder full of those old bounces be causing problems with my new bounce that I'm working with? A few weeks ago I was doing another bounce and as I was recording the MIDI onto the 9 audio tracks (simultaneously), I noticed that it would get to a certain place and the audio tracks would stop recording'....the waveforms would just stop. This problem was rectified when I went through and trashed all the old bounces.

Could this be the problem?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

THis really is starting to sound like a hard drive directory issue.

What I would do is start up from your OS install disk, start the install process and switch to Disk Utility and Repair or at least verify the disk. I bet you will find errors.

[MikeH]

I just repaired all the disks and permissions-- still a problem, although right now it could be just this specific file that's the problem (I tried saving it under a different name but no dice). Even after I've restored the complete audio tracks by doing the 'delete then undo' dance, whenever I open the file again it reverts back to the way it looked before (all messed up). I'm going to go through the audio folder and delete all the unnecessary files and see if that changes anything...

[MikeH]

Deleting all the old audio files and soundbites didn't fix anything....the file still opens up looking wacky.

Here's the normal audio tracks (which I retrieve after doing 'delete, then undo'):

http://a.imageshack.us/img97/9718/goodf.png" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

..and here's the audio tracks upon opening the file-- looks like some sort of time stretching error...

http://a.imageshack.us/img19/4706/badw.png" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Any ideas?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I really think it is a directory problem. You might reinstall DP for starters, but if it is a directory, then until that gets fixed (either with Disk Utility from your OS install disk, or a prog like Disk Warrior) I suspect the problem will remain and probably get worse.

If the directory is corrupted, then DP doesn't know where the files start and end, or where certain data is and/or where it belongs. Looking at your picts, it is clear that the soundbites are not properly aligned when they are included, which again, leads me to believe the HD directory is the problem.

If the DP file itself is corrupted, you might start a new project, import the soundbites (forcing DP to rewrite the files in the process) and reconstruct the sequence(s).

[newrigel]

Sounds like some corruption. I'd run system HD repair (ONYX) and then disk warrior to rebuild the directories on both drives. Then, I'd try running some stress checks on that drive to see if it gets any errors. How long have you had these drives? They could just start showing their ready for the bone yard. These are the telltale signs of future disc failure.

[MikeH]

Thanks guys-- I'll check it out.

I bought the computer new last May (drives were pre-installed). Could they really be on their way out? I haven't done much intensive work on them...

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I'm not as pessimistic as the previous poster. You probably have a simple directory problem.

[newrigel]

I'm not as pessimistic as the previous poster. You probably have a simple directory problem.

I'm not doubtful, just trying to be realistic.
If the directories are in that bad of shape, you'll have issues throughout your mac, not only isolated to one application like DP. It could be a backplane connection to the HD, thermal expansion can cause weird things like this. It could just be hardware related. Run DW and rebuild but I'd also try another drive if your still having issues... it couldn't hurt because if it is ready to die, better get ready to back it up before you loose everything.
And backup PRIOR to using any disk utility!!
What I'd do is merge all tracks and then see what's up.

[FMiguelez]

.

You should definitely follow MLC's and Newrigel's advice.

Another thing you could also try is to duplicate your project folder, so you have a back up. Then, use the Compact Project command. Have it delete everything you are not using, so you get a clean and lean session. Afterwards, do a Save Copy As with the Duplicate Audio option enabled, preferably in a different non-system drive. Close the current project. Restart the machine, and open the newly created project.
What happens now? Does it make a difference? In theory, this should give you a clean start again, only with the audio you are using and everything fresh.

But if you don't do as you were suggested in the other posts, this may be more like a temporary band-aid solution.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

A few weeks ago I did have a project where DP played the wrong soundbite. After quitting and restarting it righted itself, and since it was just a fleeting case of Dpmentia I forgot about it. But others have had this and more serious and similar problems in the past (I think that would be somewhat searchable).

Anyway, it might well be the drives or the OS and then again it could be DP.

[Shooshie]

A few weeks ago I did have a project where DP played the wrong soundbite. After quitting and restarting it righted itself, and since it was just a fleeting case of Dpmentia I forgot about it. But others have had this and more serious and similar problems in the past (I think that would be somewhat searchable).

Anyway, it might well be the drives or the OS and then again it could be DP.

Dpemons!