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I am using a Mac G5 running on OS10.3.9
I am using DP4.12.
I have been working on a project with 14 mono tracks and three Aux tracks with no problems for a couple of weeks.
I added a new Aux track and assigned it to Bus 4. On this Aux track I Inserted a "Sonic Modulator (mono to stereo)" and below that insert I added a "ParaEQ 2-Band". We listened to the sound and tweaked the EQ a bit. We listened a few more times and then suddenly, the program shut down. I got this message:

"The application Digital Performer has unexpectedly quit.
The system and other applications ahve not been affected.
Would you like to submit a bug report to Apple?"

I submit the report and tried to reopen the project file. The file opened for a moment, the RED

"Performance" light went really bright and then the program shut down once again.
Over and over, I tried to open the file and get the same result. I can't even keep it open long enough to hit "Undo" or any other command. HELP!! I really need to get this file open. My client is freaking out. [/img]

I'd be suspicious of your effects chain. You said you're using the Sonic modulator mono-to-stereo. Since your Aux track is stereo, the mono-to-stereo Sonic Modulator is "looking" for a mono input which doesn't exist. I'm surprised you even heard sound with the way your insert effects are set up on your Aux track.

You can feed an Aux track with one bus but I think an Aux track itself is always stereo - at least in my experience it is.

The other problem you've obviously already seen is that it's difficult if not impossible to open the project because once DP sees that aux/insert effects setup it will crash. I'm not sure how you would get around this, I've done this kind of thing myself where I just screwed up so royally with illegal insert arrangements, etc. that I just had to kiss the project goodbye, it would never open without immediately crashing.

I'd be suspicious of your effects chain. You said you're using the Sonic modulator mono-to-stereo. Since your Aux track is stereo, the mono-to-stereo Sonic Modulator is "looking" for a mono input which doesn't exist. I'm surprised you even heard sound with the way your insert effects are set up on your Aux track.

You can feed an Aux track with one bus but I think an Aux track itself is always stereo - at least in my experience it is.

The other problem you've obviously already seen is that it's difficult if not impossible to open the project because once DP sees that aux/insert effects setup it will crash. I'm not sure how you would get around this, I've done this kind of thing myself where I just screwed up so royally with illegal insert arrangements, etc. that I just had to kiss the project goodbye, it would never open without immediately crashing.

Have you tried opening Loading (File Menu/Load) the sequence into a fresh new file?

Or maybe set DP to MIDI only before opening the file so you can poke around, undo some stuff, flush history, get rid of unused soundbites, save supected corrupt tracks as clippings then delete them, etc.
Plugs can't be viewed in MIDI only mode so if I wanted to remove plugs from a track, I'd make a Similar Track, copy/paste all of the track data over to it, then delete the original track. The new track would be the same but without plugins.

Make a copy of the project folder first.

If you suspect a particular plugin, and you just want to get your file open again, try going to the root-level Library, then to Audio-->Plug-ins-->MAS and remove the suspicious plugin from the lineup.

See if that enables you to open the file again. If so, I'm not sure what the next step should be. Try again? Delete prefs? Reconfigure audio at lower resolution, or increase buffer? Just try some things.


Shooshie

Thanks to Shooshie, Tim and David for all your advice.
I took Shooshie's advice and temporarily put the offending plug-in bundle (from the Library) in my trash. I was then able to open up the project file, get rid of the offending plug-in on the insert and everything worked wonderfully! Then I simply put the plug-in bundle back in the Library.

I plan on looking into why it crashed to begin with. I'll write back to let you know what I find out. I'm going to start by looking into my FX chain as David mentioned in his response.

Thanks again to all of you!!!!!!!!!