Hi all,
Attempting install of M5 on WinXP for use with Pro Tools 7.1 HD|3 Accel. Install seems to go well. When M5 is instantiated the window opens but any attempt to do anything after that causes the M5 window to go white and PT's stops functioning.
I've looked for any forum posts and in the FAQ on MOTU's site but see nothing like this discussed.
Ideas?
System: HP xw8200 Dual Xeon 3.2GHz, 4GB RAM, nVidia Quadro FX1400, WinXP sp2
Mach5 on WindowsXP won't run
Moderator: James Steele
Wow - another PC user (sshhh... we're not supposed to be here, you know! They laugh and point when we're not looking, oh yes).
I'm running PTLE and the symptoms you're reporting are what my system does when it's running out of memory - all half gig of it. I think your 4gig should be OK(!)... any host system will fall over when it has to use page file (virtual) memory, as mine does when I attempt to load the full Bosendorfer preset. Eventually PT recovers slightly, but only to let me remove the memory-hungry bits. A problem is that it's not particularly easy to see how much of the memory PT's using. If it is this problem (and it sounds doubtful with 4gig), then it would have to mean that all your memory's being eaten up by something else. Is that possible? There is the possibility of memory leaks, but there I'm lost I'm afraid.
Do you get this problem when you've got absolutely nothing else running in the PT session - only MachFive on one instrument track? And no samples running in M5? Can you even get as far as loading one short sample mapped all over the channel?
I'm running PTLE and the symptoms you're reporting are what my system does when it's running out of memory - all half gig of it. I think your 4gig should be OK(!)... any host system will fall over when it has to use page file (virtual) memory, as mine does when I attempt to load the full Bosendorfer preset. Eventually PT recovers slightly, but only to let me remove the memory-hungry bits. A problem is that it's not particularly easy to see how much of the memory PT's using. If it is this problem (and it sounds doubtful with 4gig), then it would have to mean that all your memory's being eaten up by something else. Is that possible? There is the possibility of memory leaks, but there I'm lost I'm afraid.
Do you get this problem when you've got absolutely nothing else running in the PT session - only MachFive on one instrument track? And no samples running in M5? Can you even get as far as loading one short sample mapped all over the channel?
also what are you trying to load?
I use M5 in Live (running on a 2.0 Centrino with 1 gig) and opening a Live set with M5 using 2 or 3 instruments can take up to five minutes! Just long enough to pop outside for a cig.
However, (apart from the annoying WIN32 GUI bugs that M5 has) it runs fine once completely loaded.
Can you even start the process of loading a sample set, or does it go blank as soon as you click on a button?
I use M5 in Live (running on a 2.0 Centrino with 1 gig) and opening a Live set with M5 using 2 or 3 instruments can take up to five minutes! Just long enough to pop outside for a cig.
However, (apart from the annoying WIN32 GUI bugs that M5 has) it runs fine once completely loaded.
Can you even start the process of loading a sample set, or does it go blank as soon as you click on a button?
Mach5 on WindowsXP won't run
To answer both of you, I haven't been able to do even the first thing in the interface because even if the M5 window draws completely the instant I click at all, anywhere, even to just move the window, it goes blank and PT's stops running.
I've tried launching M5 in an essentially empty session, both on aux tracks and intrument tracks, maybe even an audio track, all with the same results.
You're right on the memory thing. Not sure what the allocations are at the moment but PT's is set at defaults from install and M5 as well. This was easier on Mac. Don't get me started on that.
These systems (we have 6) should light a fire under any app. I'm thinking we're looking at some sort of software collision going on, maybe a driver. Not sure hardware is the cause. I'll see what I can determine on the memory thing. All 4 gig may not be accessible and something may be hogging what is.
Thanks,
I've tried launching M5 in an essentially empty session, both on aux tracks and intrument tracks, maybe even an audio track, all with the same results.
You're right on the memory thing. Not sure what the allocations are at the moment but PT's is set at defaults from install and M5 as well. This was easier on Mac. Don't get me started on that.
These systems (we have 6) should light a fire under any app. I'm thinking we're looking at some sort of software collision going on, maybe a driver. Not sure hardware is the cause. I'll see what I can determine on the memory thing. All 4 gig may not be accessible and something may be hogging what is.
Thanks,
Dan
I think I know what you're saying about memory allocation - that was the thing you did via the info box on MacOS 9? As far as I know, OSX and XP don't behave that way - it's all allocated a bit more sensibly by the system (which might be the problem). If we're not barking up the wrong tree, have a search for "memory leaks" on microsoft.com - I think there was an issue with some configuration of XP where it all went wrong, regularly.
Of course, there's always the possibilty that your 4gig isn't being seen properly - look at the first page of the "System" control panel, it tells you how much memory it can see.
Can anyone else add any information about memory leaks, etc?
Of course, there's always the possibilty that your 4gig isn't being seen properly - look at the first page of the "System" control panel, it tells you how much memory it can see.
Can anyone else add any information about memory leaks, etc?
It's unlikely to be mem leaks, as they occur over time when a bad app or process doesn't release the memory it has used, and it would take a long time to use up 4 gigs!
However, doing a cntl-alt-del after loading M5 will bring up the running prcoesses. You can check the mem and CPU usage of your apps and see if something is doing way too much than it should.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Try loading M5 in another host to see if there is some incompatibility going on. You can download Toby Bear's Minihost for nothing (I just tried loading M5 in it and it works) herehttp://www.tobybear.de/p_minihost.html.
Also, I'm unfamiliar with your host, but are you loading the stereo version of M5 or one of the others??
However, doing a cntl-alt-del after loading M5 will bring up the running prcoesses. You can check the mem and CPU usage of your apps and see if something is doing way too much than it should.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Try loading M5 in another host to see if there is some incompatibility going on. You can download Toby Bear's Minihost for nothing (I just tried loading M5 in it and it works) herehttp://www.tobybear.de/p_minihost.html.
Also, I'm unfamiliar with your host, but are you loading the stereo version of M5 or one of the others??
Mach5 on WindowsXP won't run
Well it's taken a while but I found the cure! This may be of interest to a number of people.
Turns out that due to a BIOS reporting error that occurs on some systems, more processors than actually exist may be displayed in the Windows Device Manager. This erroneous number is passed on to Pro Tools as well. In the PT's Playback Engine Setup window there is a setting for number of processors for RTAS use. If this is set to a higher number than actually exist, launching MachFive will freeze Pro Tools and itself along with it. In my case the available choices ranged from 1 - 4 even though only 2 processors are actually there in the dual processor system. When I first saw this I had to confirm that HP hadn't slipped in Dual Core Dual Processors on this system. They had not. Doesn't exist yet in 64 bit Xeon.
I've communicated all this to tech support.
Turns out that due to a BIOS reporting error that occurs on some systems, more processors than actually exist may be displayed in the Windows Device Manager. This erroneous number is passed on to Pro Tools as well. In the PT's Playback Engine Setup window there is a setting for number of processors for RTAS use. If this is set to a higher number than actually exist, launching MachFive will freeze Pro Tools and itself along with it. In my case the available choices ranged from 1 - 4 even though only 2 processors are actually there in the dual processor system. When I first saw this I had to confirm that HP hadn't slipped in Dual Core Dual Processors on this system. They had not. Doesn't exist yet in 64 bit Xeon.
I've communicated all this to tech support.
Dan