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Somehow, this issue has followed me to a new Mac on a new OS! I did a clean install of DP on my new M4, but projects, new and old still lose smart tools after a few minutes. The only pref I imported was key bindings. If that's the issue, I'm not sure which would be better, redoing all the key bindings or just living as I have been without smart tools. ...worse still, the workaround mentioned above doesn't work on the new Mac

Needless to say this really sucks. Any further ideas about how to fix it would be appreciated..

Yeah, still happens to me too. The only (sometimes) solution seems to be opening another app, like Preview, then coming back to DP and (sometimes) it's solved.

I'm also having problems with graphics. For example, I will drag a MIDI note from G4 to G3, and it goes to F3 or F#3 or G3# or A3 instead....any note close EXCEPT the one I want it to go to. I don't know if the problems are related, but man it's bad!

So weird. I’m wondering what our systems might have in common. So far, I’ve only installed the bare minimum needed to work on the new computer, and the only thing I’ve brought over from the old Mac are my custom key bindings. Other than that I’ve only installed Logitech’s utility for my logitech mouse, “LogiOptions” and Stream Deck. Do you happen to have either of those, Aaron?

Aaron Guidry wrote: ↑Sat Jun 07, 2025 2:43 pm I'm also having problems with graphics. For example, I will drag a MIDI note from G4 to G3, and it goes to F3 or F#3 or G3# or A3 instead....any note close EXCEPT the one I want it to go to. I don't know if the problems are related, but man it's bad!

Are you on 11.34? There was a dragging bug (a real bother of a bug!) that I and other reported to MOTU and was fixed in 11.33 or .34.

I don't have the cursor bug in my setup.

I’m using Apple’s wireless mouse & keyboard. Incidentally, does anyone notice a lag when pressing the space bar for “play” when using the wireless keyboard?

I’m on 11.34. That previous MIDI note drag issue was extremely annoying, but as mentioned, it got fixed. This seems to be another similar issue, but maybe it has to do with the wireless mouse.

Aaron Guidry wrote: ↑Sat Jun 07, 2025 5:08 pm I’m using Apple’s wireless mouse & keyboard. Incidentally, does anyone notice a lag when pressing the space bar for “play” when using the wireless keyboard?
…

Yes and no.

If look-ahead plugins are involved, then yes but wired/wireless does not matter. Likewise for certain libraries that must load before playback but this is a much bigger issue with Finale than with DP.

Otherwise, none related to the keyboard in DP.

Aaron Guidry wrote: ↑Sat Jun 07, 2025 5:08 pm I’m using Apple’s wireless mouse & keyboard. Incidentally, does anyone notice a lag when pressing the space bar for “play” when using the wireless keyboard?

I’m on 11.34. That previous MIDI note drag issue was extremely annoying, but as mentioned, it got fixed. This seems to be another similar issue, but maybe it has to do with the wireless mouse.

Oh, jeez. So no apparent common thread between our systems - at least that tells me I won't have to scrap my beloved Logitech, Anywhere 2 mouse.

It looks like it's just two users on MN, you and me Aaron, that have the disappearing tools issue consistently. I'm on 11.34, but I've had this issue since last summer and whatever version that was. I'm experiencing no other lag or graphics issues.

I'm swamped with a ProTools project at the moment (no curser issues btw). First chance I get, I'm going to investigate reverting to DP's default key bindings. My custom key bindings was the only thing I brought over to the new M4. It seems like a remote possibility, but I'm out of ideas.

...is it possible that key bindings would affect pallet and smart-tools?

Ugh. I couldn't wait, so I just popped over to DP and reverted to default key bindings, and the issue didn't go away.

I'd love to hear any theories on how an issue, specific and nearly unique to me, could follow me to a new Mac. Again, I did a clean, install of DP on the new Mac, and only imported the old Mac's key bindings.

dix wrote: ↑Sun Jun 08, 2025 1:18 pm Ugh. I couldn't wait, so I just popped over to DP and reverted to default key bindings, and the issue didn't go away.

I'd love to hear any theories on how an issue, specific and nearly unique to me, could follow me to a new Mac. Again, I did a clean, install of DP on the new Mac, and only imported the old Mac's key bindings.

Maybe reinstall DP without the key bindings? Some ghost left behind in there somewhere, maybe.

Painful. Sorry.

In a case of it's always the last thing you try, since I have never worked with the Sequence Editor in the Consolidated Window it hadn't occurred to me to see if the issue was still present in the CW. Lo and behold it is NOT - not so far anyway. @Aaron, is this how you work as well? I'd be curious if you're getting this problem in the CW. I'm guessing most users keep the SE in the CW.

For a variety of reasons I'd prefer to not have the SE in the CW, but given the trade-off I'll need to adapt. And it's also more information I can give to MOTU, so maybe they can fix it in a future update. ....is anyone using the SE separated from the CW not seeing this problem?

Thanks all!

I only work in Consolidated Windows, and the problem does exist there for me. I think it's bound to show up for you at some point. Sorry.

Aaron Guidry wrote: ↑Mon Jun 09, 2025 2:38 pm I only work in Consolidated Windows, and the problem does exist there for me. I think it's bound to show up for you at some point. Sorry.

Oh. Well, cr*p. At the very least it's a dramatic improvement so far. I've been working in DP all day without losing the tools. With the SE separated out, I almost never see them. ...needless to say, not having to guess which tool is invoked, makes me dramatically more productive!

As Aaron predicted, I no longer can see pallet or smart-tools. And again only have a generic pointer when working with in DP. Not even the spacer-tool that comes up when you want to resize a track.

Again, I'm having this exact same issue on my old MBP M1 Max with Ventura as well my new MBP M4 Max with Sequoia, a fresh install of DP and super lean system. It happens on old sequences created from my template on the M1 and new ones started from scratch (not from my template) on the M4.

It's become a nightmare to work with this DAW for me. Any ideas about what to try would be appreciated. ...very weird that it worked for a few glorious days when I put the SE in the CW (I hadn't had smart/pallet tools for more than a few minutes since August).

sorry to hear it. The only thing that really works for me to restore it back to normal when it happens is to open a file in Preview, click on the file, then go back to DP. Usually, but not always, that oddly enough fixed it….until it happens again.

Aaron Guidry wrote: ↑Fri Jun 13, 2025 9:20 pm sorry to hear it. The only thing that really works for me to restore it back to normal when it happens is to open a file in Preview, click on the file, then go back to DP. Usually, but not always, that oddly enough fixed it….until it happens again.

That trick works here too, but only for a few minutes

Thanks for engaging on this Aaron. You and I appear to be the only ones on MN with the issue. There has to be some commonality between our systems that no one else has. Hell if I know what it is though. We have different OSs, different hardware (me MBPs, you MacStudio), different mouse devices. Have you been in touch with MOTU support? I did over a year ago and never got anywhere. I think I'll start a new ticket and upload my system specs on Monday. If you also can do this, maybe they can connect some dots.

...I said the issue started last August, but actually, it was the previous August, 2023 that the issue started for me!