DP 4.61 Stops Responding When Changing Plugins Etc.

abe_lincoln78 · Post by **abe_lincoln78** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:27 pm

So here I am, making my first "on my own" final mix. I have basically 3 plugins for each track: EQ, Compressor, and Inspector. Everything is moving smooth now that I have changed my buffer to 2048 with a multiplyer of 4 and low work priority on my M-Audio FireWire410. There aren't any blips or pops or fumbles anywhere, but when I try to change to, say, a different compressor or a different EQ or add the Inspector to any of my tracks, DP continues to play, but it doesn't respond to anything. All I can do is sit there and click the stop button over and over again until it finally decides to stop and apply the new plugin.

This happens if I change which return i have the plugin on, if I delete the plugin, if I add or change a plugin, if I change the limiting input on my compressor, yet it allows me to adjust anything else within the plugin live.

I've been spurratic with my mixing attempts as it has taken me a long time to figure out what it takes to get my machine to do what I want so I'm not sure exactly when my problem began, but I think its due to my upgrade to DP 4.61. FYI, I am currently using OS 10.4.3 and the original install of DP was with 10.4.x installed, so I don't believe that is the problem.

Do any of you have any ideas as to what could cause this annoying and time consuming problem?

newrigel · Post by **newrigel** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:04 pm

What are you using for a CPU and what are your sessions running @? Sometimes the best thing is to just stop the playback and then change your assignment/effect etc. then resume the playback. I know this sounds a little weak but it really depends where your processor is sitting when you do these types of things so it's better than a crash for sure!

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 6:06 am

abe_lincoln78 · Post by **abe_lincoln78** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:46 pm

This is not while recording, but durring playback. I did not say this was durring recording. I also said it never did it before, so why is it doing it now?

The computer is an iMac G5 1.8 with a gig of ram and my projects are running at 44.1kHz and 24bit. There is no reason for there to be an issue with processing power. There is no issue with processing power. I can do anything except mess with my inserts. I can change outputs and inputs. I can move tracks in my mixer to more logical (or less if i wanted to but why?) positions.

I'm sure you are wanting to know, so I'm going to tell you; it doesn't matter how many tracks I am running, it can be one track, it can be ten tracks, it does not matter.

Also, while DP is hanging up (it took over 10 minutes for it to sort out its problems last night) I can start up and run other applications as if there is NO LOAD ON THE COMPUTER. It tells me that DP is not responding. Its not like DP is sucking up a ton of power to sit there and hang up long past when all the audio files have finished playing, a full 10 minutes after the end of the song and DP is still not doing anything, not using computer power, not processing audio, not doing anything. Eventually it figures out what the heck its doing (or not), stops the track, and makes the change (The entire time it was hanging up I was pushing the stop button and it remembered every time I did so, pushing the button several times after it has finished its vacation.)

This is very frustrating. I shouldnt have to push stop just to change the order of the plugins in my inserts or change the governing input on my compressor. For that matter I really don't think I should have to have a 2048 sample buffer with a multiplyer of 4 just for the app to run smoothly at all. That is a different gripe though. I almost forced DP to quit last night, which would have lost me some of the changes I made... not cool!

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 1:08 pm

Have you tried deleting the .plst file (preference file). You might also reinstall DP if that doesn't work. It sounds like something is corrupted.

Most importantly, have you called tech support (or emailed that) at MOTU?

abe_lincoln78 · Post by **abe_lincoln78** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:07 pm

naaa, i figured I would ask you guys first and see if it was something anyone else has experienced. I'll try deleting the .plst file.

Thanks for the help

giles117 · Post by **giles117** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:30 pm

The other Q is how many plugins are going in total when you make thea djustment, what is the processor meter reading, etc......

Jeffintosh · Post by **Jeffintosh** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:46 pm

I feel your pain... abe!
The exact same thing just started happening to my set up, G5 1.8 dual, 2.5 ram, 828mkII, OSX 10.3.9.

DP 4.6 was running flawlessly before the upgrade, then shortly after, not immediately, it began spitting and
sputtering when opening plugins, zooming in on a tracks and a plethora of other simple tasks.
After checking the forum for any advice (you folks rock btw), which I found and tried with no success,
I finally gave up trying. I decided to backup my drive and wipe the system drive and start from scratch.
I installed 10.4.4 and DP 4.6.1. last night, I'm going to try it out tonight, I'll let you know if this solved the problems.

jeffintosh

David Polich · Post by **David Polich** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:10 pm

First I would try going back to a lower buffer setting - start again with 512 with a host multiplier of 1. See if you get the same response. I have a gut feeling you've set your buffer too high now, just a hunch, and maybe that isn't the problem - but I'd start there. On my G5 dual 2.3ghz, I leave my buffer setting at 1024, multiplier of 1, for mixing and it's solid.

It could be the M-Audio device doesn't like things set that high as well.

Second, I think it's dodgy to be swapping or deleting plug-ins on an insert while DP is playing back. That's kind of a recipe for trouble in my experience, even on a G5, and I don't like to do that. It's caused DP to crash on me before, particularly with T-racks or Waves plug-ins.

chrispick · Post by **chrispick** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:21 pm

David Polich wrote:I think it's dodgy to be swapping or deleting plug-ins on an insert while DP is playing back. That's kind of a recipe for trouble in my experience, even on a G5, and I don't like to do that.

I agree. That's not to saw I don't do it from time to time. It can just be risky, especially if the plug is proc-intensive.

Others thing to check, if you haven't:

* Undo. Flush it.
* Beat detection. Turn it off.
* Soundbites window. Remove all unused.

The above are good maintenance/efficiency procedures in any case.

abe_lincoln78 · Post by **abe_lincoln78** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:19 pm

It will actually do it if i'm on my first track adding my first plugin.

With lesser buffer ratings I get clicks, pops, processor spikes... you know... all the bad stuff. I found that the giant buffer I'm running is the only way this thing will run smoothly.

A new note... now, if I'm even looking at the MWlimiter, I have the same problem. This is starting to get aggrevating.....

I have not yet tried re-installing DP. I did try deleting the preferences file. I'm not sure if I actually got it though, but anything that resembled what you guys mentioned before was deleted. I think this might be all 4.6 thats causing my problems, so I'm thinking about downgrading to 4.5.

abe_lincoln78 · Post by **abe_lincoln78** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:19 am

It turns out the cause of my problems was my massive buffer. I rolled it off to 1028 with a multiplyer of 3. This does tax my processor more, but not I can fiddle with stuff and hear the difference at the same time, which I like.

MOTUnation.com

DP 4.61 Stops Responding When Changing Plugins Etc.

DP 4.61 Stops Responding When Changing Plugins Etc.

Re: DP 4.61 Stops Responding When Changing Plugins Etc.