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  #1  
Old 03-27-2013, 05:22 AM
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clausiii clausiii is offline
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Default random spinning wheel of death before playback!!!

Hi!


At work we have 4 ProTools systems.
Three of them are ProTools 9 HD systems with two cards (Accel Core, HD Accel), a XLogic Delta-Link MADI HD breakoutbox (64 I/O), Sync I/O (the old one), Machine Control and Sattelite option on qualified MacPros

The fourth one is a brand new ProTools 10 HDX system with 128 I/O, MADI I/O, Sync I/O (the new one), no Machine Control or Sattelite option.

Now i´m talking about the three "old" systems only!!
Since we had only the three PT9HD systems we are struggling with randomly occuring spinning wheels of death right after pressing the spacebar (or zero on the numeric keypad) or pressing play on the MachineControl controller. The beachball remains sometimes for 20 seconds, sometimes a minute. ProTools is unresponsive at this time (not the whole MacPro, just ProTools), when the spinning wheel disappeares, ProTools starts to play. This happens every day at least once, sometimes 3 times a day, sometimes more often...
There are mostly just a few tracks (2-3 stereo, 2 mono, one video), so this can´t be an issue.
We have some theories about this issue, but no solution so far.
We thought that it´s a network issue, since we are streaming video from file servers (we load a QT reference file in PT and watch the video with a BlackMagic card).
We also thought that the Sattelite option (sometimes we sync MediaComposer on another machine with PT, when needed, depends on the workflow) makes troubles.
We also thought that being connected to three or four servers at once could be the problem (we record and store PT files locally on dedicated drives, we just export audio to servers)
And we also thought that having FinalCutPro 7 opened while using ProTools could cause errors.

So we tried everything, closing other applications, disconnected servers, disabling MachineControl or Sattelite. But the spinning wheel appeared, regardless of the setup.

So now comes the ProTools 10 HDX system into the game.
Again, not MachineControl or Sattelite option, no video online, no video card, no server connection and guess what: spinning wheel of death right after pressing play (on that machine, we have 54 tracks to playback, no plugins, just like a tape machine). Just like the "old" machines! I tried changing buffer size, ADC on/off, Timeline Caching - everything, but the %§&/$§&€ wheel appeares from time to time. And since the old machines and the new machine are just barely compareable i now have no clue at all...

My problem is that i have no permission to change everything on these systems. Due to security reasons (if they weren´t, everyone could for example access the playout server of our tv station).
But maybe you have an idea which i can tell the guys of the departement, who may change something...

Thank you!
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MacBook Pro i7 Quad 2.6GHz 16GB RAM
ProTools 2020.11
Avid S1
Avid Dock
Avid Control
Digidesign Command|8
macOS Catalina
MOTU 4pre
MOTU Track16
Axiom Pro 25
LinnStrument 128
Roli Seaboard Block

tons of stomp boxes
tube amps
guitars
noise
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  #2  
Old 03-27-2013, 05:34 AM
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crizdee crizdee is offline
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Location: Brighton, UK
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Default Re: random spinning wheel of death before playback!!!

Hi,

The only time i have experienced this behaviour is when some audio in the session or the record track is recording from a slow drive/faulty drive or USB stick etc. something that can't be accessed fast enough. so i would look at that first. all your drives connected to the computer/s

Any other devices connected to the computer can also cause this! so try to eliminate all connected devices.


I would say this is quite rare, but you are getting it all systems! so again look at what they all have in common and any common connections they share.


Chris
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  #3  
Old 04-10-2013, 11:11 PM
clausiii's Avatar
clausiii clausiii is offline
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Location: Vienna, Austria
Posts: 1,817
Default Re: random spinning wheel of death before playback!!!

So i tried everything on the HDX machine for two weeks. New (fast) harddisk, disabled every network and plugged off the LAN cable, FireWire cable, Spotlight off, no WiFi, Bluetooth, nothing else is running, no virus scan, just PT. I even disabled the SyncHD.
There is just the iLok, a keyboard and a mouse (on the keyboard´s hub) connected.

i have no idea...
__________________
My ears! My ears!
clausiii
-----------------
MacBook Pro i7 Quad 2.6GHz 16GB RAM
ProTools 2020.11
Avid S1
Avid Dock
Avid Control
Digidesign Command|8
macOS Catalina
MOTU 4pre
MOTU Track16
Axiom Pro 25
LinnStrument 128
Roli Seaboard Block

tons of stomp boxes
tube amps
guitars
noise
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