Fixed/Not fixed/Broken in DP 7.1

[Phil O]

The only way i find out if DP has an update is through this forum.

DP 7.1 has automatic update checking. It's under the Help menu.

Phil

[dinobass]

The Change Meter dialog box isn't working properly: the dialog box doesn't close when clicking on the Change button (however, the meter does change if you look). Also, I couldn't get the Change Key dialog box to change the key (although I was just sort of troubleshooting the dialog box thing and had never tried to change a key before so maybe pilot error was involved).

[Phil O]

The Change Meter dialog box isn't working properly: the dialog box doesn't close when clicking on the Change button (however, the meter does change if you look). Also, I couldn't get the Change Key dialog box to change the key (although I was just sort of troubleshooting the dialog box thing and had never tried to change a key before so maybe pilot error was involved).

I'm not sure if the Change Meter box not closing is a bug. Could just be they've changed it's behavior. It was a PIA before to have to open it repeatedly if you had several changes to make. I can get the key change to work, but only when the conductor track is set to Key. I don't know if this behavior is new or not, as I've probably always had it set to Key when making key changes anyway.

Phil

[toodamnhip]

I thought I'd check to see what happens if I run DP7.1 in "Safe" mode, which disables all plug-in that are not MOTU plug-ins. If there are any conflicts with plug-ins, this would tell me for sure. Also, I'm using Core Audio with my laptop speakers, so there are no hardware conflicts to worry about.

Here's what DP7.1 looks after ten minutes of "Safe Mode"...


The first sign that the problem was that the fan started kicking on. All I had to do was let DP 7.1 sit there for a while -- idle.

I'm going back to 7.02 and maybe version 6. I can't take these crashes anymore. I'm not your beta tester, MOTU! I have an album to record!

Can you please tell us more about operating in Safe Mode? I have used that to allow the comp to run fsk and repair itself, but never knew to open programs and diagnose them in that mode?

[Shooshie]

The Change Meter dialog box isn't working properly: the dialog box doesn't close when clicking on the Change button (however, the meter does change if you look). Also, I couldn't get the Change Key dialog box to change the key (although I was just sort of troubleshooting the dialog box thing and had never tried to change a key before so maybe pilot error was involved).

I'm not sure if the Change Meter box not closing is a bug. Could just be they've changed it's behavior. It was a PIA before to have to open it repeatedly if you had several changes to make. I can get the key change to work, but only when the conductor track is set to Key. I don't know if this behavior is new or not, as I've probably always had it set to Key when making key changes anyway.

Phil

That's a settable preference, isn't it? (The box closing or remaining there for the next input) It's not new; been doing it that way since the beginning, but the settable preference is either relatively new (a few versions back, perhaps) or a figment of my imagination.

Shooshie

[conleycd]

I still get an Mac OS file error message when I try to drag audio from a USB key into DP 7.1

It works fine if I drag to my desktop first and then into DP but not directly from the USB key.

I don't know... could be a PPC, OS X.5.8 thing too?

CC

[songsmith]

Can you please tell us more about operating in Safe Mode? I have used that to allow the comp to run fsk and repair itself, but never knew to open programs and diagnose them in that mode?

Sure, go to the Preferences for Audio Plug-Ins. "Safe" is a list of only MOTU Plug-ins. When you select this, you will reconfigure your audio system so that only MOTU plug-ins are running. In theory, this should be a stable system.

Incidentally, yesterday I went to the trouble of completely removing DP from my computer and then reinstalling it from scratch from the CD-ROMs, starting with DP6, then the downloaded upgrade to 6.02, then DP 7, then the "Guitar FX" update, then the update to 7.02... and my system is still exhibit the new "fan kicking on" weirdness. Today I'm going to try running with NO plug-ins enabled (including MOTUs). I'll let you know what happens. I'm starting to wonder if the new behavior is caused by the "guitar FX" update.

[Pappy725]

"Upgraded" to DP7.1 from 7.02, and this is my experience...

1) Opening my 7.02 project file is slower to load.
2) Pressing the spacebar doesn't to do anything, then it hesitates, stutters, then plays, then stutters.
3) Stopping playback. Check the mixer window. Check the inserts, notice the new Tuner. Open it. Looks pretty. Close it.
4) Back to the Sequence window, press play again... spinning rainbow.
5) In a few seconds the fan kicks on. Note to self -- there's something happening that isn't apparent on screen, but my computer is working hard.



6) Force Quit DP 7.1 - immediately the fan starting winding down.
7) I go back and launch 7.02.
Opening my 7.02 project file is quicker.
9) Press play and the project slowly gets in gear and starts playing (before installing 7.1 this was not slow).
10) Everything is sluggish... starting, stopping, etc.
11) Go to the mixer window and notice that the Tuner plugin is available as an insert. Guess I have the new plug-in whether I'm using 7.1 or not.
12) Notice that the fan starts kicking on (this is also not normal)
13) Decide to close the project without saving it.

I guess know I need to uninstall this update completely and go back to 7.02 if I want my original snappiness. This is just crazy.

This sounds a lot like what I'm experiencing. Plus the wave form taking forever to finish rendering? in the SE after I pause or stop recording. And this is with just 7 audio tracks.
I did install the latest FW driver right before I installed 7.1.
I was really happy with 7.02, this is starting to be a PITA.
Pappy

[Grigri]

I have noticed a big change in 7.1.
In the analysis folder, every audio file have his own folder filled with an overview file.

When I opened a big project for the first time in 7.1, the computer is sluggish for a very long time. I see in the background processing window hundreds of task for creating these overviews.
When it is done, the computer react normally.

For now I wait a little before upgrading to 7.1 on my Macpro, I'm in a big project and have no time to take some risk (And 7.02 is perfect for these project)

The good news: my macbook (white 2009) and 2 Imacs (in the school where I teach) are in 7.1 and they work great...

David

[rthorderson]

BROKEN: Pitch correction tools...

I do tons of demo work with less experienced singers, so I live in the pitch correction tools. On several projects I opened in 7.1, the pitch corrections I made in the previous 7.02 version did not take affect until I opened the track and examined the Pitch...then all was fine.

also, I am said to say that I have had my first crashes since going live with 7.x (7.0~7.02 OK...7.1 had a couple times where it bailed for no apparent reason). Rats...

[jlaudon]

I'll be checking out 7.1 in more depth today, but after reading all the posts on this, I wonder what the under the hood changes are causing all this instability. Adding insert presets and a tuner probably aren't, but I'd think the main culprit (as mentioned before) is the way DP is analysing stuff - soundbites have to 'render' first, even though I can play a soundbite while it is rendering (at least the graphic).

Another possible culprit could be the way things have been 'reorganized' as we can tell from the new way of installing Amp's mods...

[Shooshie]

Ok, it's starting to look like the Intels are catching up with the PPC's in terms of instabilities in 7.1.

I still say it goes back to 3rd party plugins, but it would have to be due to a change in DP, so that may not be the whole truth. I mean, something changed in DP which is now less tolerant of older 3rd party plugins. Maybe they can find it and change it back.

[Shooshie]

I have noticed a big change in 7.1.
In the analysis folder, every audio file have his own folder filled with an overview file.

When I opened a big project for the first time in 7.1, the computer is sluggish for a very long time. I see in the background processing window hundreds of task for creating these overviews.
When it is done, the computer react normally.

Could THIS be the problem? If so, it's a problem that's going to clear up in a few minutes, as DP rewrites its analysis files. I wonder why they decided to do this? Don't the files have their own IDs which should be enough to use them properly? Why group them in a folder for each one? I guess it helps find which fade file goes to which track, or something. I don't know. I haven't even installed 7.1 yet.

But it's worth it for people to persevere for a while and see if this clears up their problems after the background processing window goes empty.

Shoosh

[songsmith]

Interesting that Pappy says he is having the same problems and using the same MacBook Pro.

OK, here's my latest research. Sorry about the length of the post, but I think this is the best way to show you what's going on.

I removed all traces of DP and reinstalled DP6, then upgraded to DP 6.02 using the update. Loaded up a copy of my album project that I saved as a backwards-compatible DP6 project.

#1) Here is DP6 in Idle, with every single plug-in turned off, running Core Audio on my laptop (no interfaces). Activity Monitor says I'm running 100% of CPU, and DP is just sitting there in the background claiming that I'm only using a tiny bit of CPU. Note that there is no background processing happening. Oh, there goes the laptop fan. Better close the project before my laptop blows up...


Just for kicks, I install DP7.0 from the CD-ROM, and then update to 7.02. To be extra safe, I don't install the Guitar FX update. Loaded up my album project (the DP7 version).

#2) Here is DP7 with all plug-ins turned off and using Core Audio. Again, Activity Monitor says I'm running 100% of CPU, laptop fan kicks on after a few minutes. This is incredible...


Now I get the bright idea that perhaps my album project file is corrupted. After all, DP has crashes so many times it's likely to have corrupted the file. What if I make a new project and import one of the chunks into it? So I go ahead and do this, and I wait for all of the audio to be copied over.

#3) Here is DP7 in idle mode again (same setup as above), but with my new stripped-down project. There's only one song (chunk) in this one, as compared to 10 songs in the old project. Here is DP idling with that project loaded...


Pretty weird huh? Still using a lot of CPU, but a little less than before. Now comes something that I would love an explanation for...

#4) Here is DP7 in playback for the same project as above. DP is using less CPU to play the song than to sit there idling. What the...


#5) Finally, here is DP7 open, but with the project closed. I'm breathing a sigh of relief, but I'm making no progress on my album...


Guys and gals, I don't know what is going on with DP. I'm really sorry I invested in the upgrade to 7. I'm ordering Studio One tomorrow. I've checked out the demo. Although it doesn't have all the features I might want, but it was stable.

[Shooshie]

Good luck with the other DAW.