deafening white noise, driver drop out, KP's, you name it...
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2005 4:37 am
Hello
I have a Mac G5 1.6 single processor, 2 Gb RAM, running OS 10.3.9 with DP 4.6, MachFive with latest download, a fistful of samples up to 30Gb. Hardware Motu 828 (plain and simple 828) and MTP AV.
I have been doing my nut over these problems for months. The most serious is the literally DEAFENING white noise explosion, because it is turning me into a bag of nerves and others who come here to work with me. I open a DP file which maybe has 2 instances of MachFive and about 20 used tracks, the largest sample of which is the harp. I notice these problems more when I load big samples into the mix. I can usually tell when a loud explosion might be imminent, there are odd spikes and crackles, or tiny versions of the big noise...so there's time to go and turn the volume down before I get blown to bits by the big one.
The next problem is the audio driver. If there are few samples loaded, the problem is worse with this. I start to play back a file. At any time maybe a few seconds, or a few minutes, there is a bump...and the audio has gone, as if someone has simply pulled two wires apart, that's the feeling. The only way to get it back is to 'configure audio driver' in DP. If there are many samples that can take up to a minute to get back. Then a few minutes later the driver goes again and I lose sound. That is driving me nuts and I can't concentrate on my composing.
Interestingly when I am using the computer's internal audio system and not the 828 system and driver, I still get the same bump and loss of sound.
Lastly, KP's by the dozen. They mostly happen when I am using audio, and ITunes is a pain here too. So when I am working, especially detailed editing, I am always on the Apple/S keys to save it all lest the dreaded grey screen comes down. I have to say the lack of auto-save on the Mac is a great irritation.
So what have I done to try and sort out this mess?....
I checked all leads and replaced the firewire cable. It had been fine anyway.
I reinstalled all the MOTU drivers.
I repaired the permissions on the HDD.
I ran a thorough hardware test (65mins) and everything passed including the RAM.
I bought a second HDD and set it up with the same OS and MOTU things, and ran the samples from the other disk.
I spoke to MOTU in the US. They just said get your computer checked.
But I already tested it.
So, finally I have managed to sign up onto this site and I am hoping someone out there will have some ideas about what the cause might be.
Ideally composers needing to use big orchestral paletts like me need more than the 1.6Gz I realize that, but I ought to be able to use this machine to do something surely.
Any ideas anyone?
Thank you for reading all this and best wishes to the group.
Adrian Williams
I have a Mac G5 1.6 single processor, 2 Gb RAM, running OS 10.3.9 with DP 4.6, MachFive with latest download, a fistful of samples up to 30Gb. Hardware Motu 828 (plain and simple 828) and MTP AV.
I have been doing my nut over these problems for months. The most serious is the literally DEAFENING white noise explosion, because it is turning me into a bag of nerves and others who come here to work with me. I open a DP file which maybe has 2 instances of MachFive and about 20 used tracks, the largest sample of which is the harp. I notice these problems more when I load big samples into the mix. I can usually tell when a loud explosion might be imminent, there are odd spikes and crackles, or tiny versions of the big noise...so there's time to go and turn the volume down before I get blown to bits by the big one.
The next problem is the audio driver. If there are few samples loaded, the problem is worse with this. I start to play back a file. At any time maybe a few seconds, or a few minutes, there is a bump...and the audio has gone, as if someone has simply pulled two wires apart, that's the feeling. The only way to get it back is to 'configure audio driver' in DP. If there are many samples that can take up to a minute to get back. Then a few minutes later the driver goes again and I lose sound. That is driving me nuts and I can't concentrate on my composing.
Interestingly when I am using the computer's internal audio system and not the 828 system and driver, I still get the same bump and loss of sound.
Lastly, KP's by the dozen. They mostly happen when I am using audio, and ITunes is a pain here too. So when I am working, especially detailed editing, I am always on the Apple/S keys to save it all lest the dreaded grey screen comes down. I have to say the lack of auto-save on the Mac is a great irritation.
So what have I done to try and sort out this mess?....
I checked all leads and replaced the firewire cable. It had been fine anyway.
I reinstalled all the MOTU drivers.
I repaired the permissions on the HDD.
I ran a thorough hardware test (65mins) and everything passed including the RAM.
I bought a second HDD and set it up with the same OS and MOTU things, and ran the samples from the other disk.
I spoke to MOTU in the US. They just said get your computer checked.
But I already tested it.
So, finally I have managed to sign up onto this site and I am hoping someone out there will have some ideas about what the cause might be.
Ideally composers needing to use big orchestral paletts like me need more than the 1.6Gz I realize that, but I ought to be able to use this machine to do something surely.
Any ideas anyone?
Thank you for reading all this and best wishes to the group.
Adrian Williams