Keyboard issues?

[DigiTechSupt]

Originally Posted by thebeatless

Happening here too. REALLY FRUSTRATING!!!!! I usually have to reboot to get it out of being stuck.

It's the option key getting stuck on me. Normally after alt/option dragging a plugin to another track on the mixer.

Can you view the Help Us Help You thread and give use more details, including a Sandra report and a plug-in version list?

We're finding a vast majority of these issues are due to having incompatible plug-ins installed.

[DigiTechSupt]

Originally Posted by Porky

bump

You as well - without details on your system, we're shooting in the dark...

[Brandonx1]

Originally Posted by DigiTechSupt

Can you view the Help Us Help You thread and give use more details, including a Sandra report and a plug-in version list?

We're finding a vast majority of these issues are due to having incompatible plug-ins installed.

It's an OS/Digi problem. As soon as you implemented the OS modifiers into PT at version 7 this started happening. Before that, 6.9 key commands worked very well. It's a sticky key issue. If you are in PT and holding down the windows key and not doing something within PT, PT will let the XP respond to that key stroke. So, if you rest your hand on a modifier before you hi the accompanying key for the command, the OS will repeat the keystroke and stickykeys will stick down all the modifiers. Just make the key strokes like they where in 6.9!!!! Please.

[beggehorn]

Any further word on this Digi? There are several users here verifying the same issue. FWIW, I'm currently running PT 8 HD on Win7 RC x64 and the problem is still here. However, I'm not able to get the ALT key "unstuck" without closing PT first... and restarting. I get an error when closing PT when the bug is present and when I try to restart PT, I'm told PT didn't close correctly and am required to restart. When I'm closing PT normally (without the bug being present), I don't get the error and PT can be reopened with no problems. Hmmmm, maybe another clue?

Just wanted to append this post and say that the error messages appear to have been unrelated, though the rest of the behavior described here is still happening... everyday. Scrubbing is pretty much impossible as it usually triggers the stuck ALT key bug. I'm not at all sure why that is as the WIN key is used as the scrub modifier.

FWIW, I've never had a problem with the "sticky-keys" utility coming on. My ALT key gets stuck but it doesn't seem to be related to "sticky-keys".

Digi?

[beggehorn]

I think I've found a workaround that seems to have fixed some of the problems I've been having with stuck keys on my system.

(These instructions are for Windows7 RC and may be different in XP/Vista)

Control Panel/Ease of Access/"Change How Your Keyboard Works"
- put a check in the "Turn on Filter Keys"
- click "Apply" and "OK"

I used to be able to force the bug by zooming in and out (ALT+mouse wheel scroll) and then quickly switching to scrubbing (WIN+left mouse click/drag). This stuck ALT key bug was permanent and required a full computer restart to clear. After changing this setting, I can no longer repro this bug in Windows 7.

However, I'm still seeing the older less severe version of the sticky ALT key (that I appears more randomly and I can't repro on demand), where cliking through the modifiers (ALT, WIN, CTRL) a few times will release the stuck ALT key behavior.

It looks like there are actually 2 similar yet different issues here in regards to stuck modifiers.

[beggehorn]

Needed to update my last post and say that while it seemed to help for awhile, the condition is as bad as ever now and the filter keys settings don't seem to help anymore.

Let's keep adding info to this post in hopes of getting some attention to this issue!

[beggehorn]

i also wanted to add that my recent experience with this issue points to 2 variations of this problem on my machine:

THE WAVES STUCK ALT KEY ISSUE:

One stuck ALT key issue occurs all the time when interacting with Waves plug-ins (and never with any other Digi or 3rd party plug-ins). This behavior has been around the longest and I will refer to it as the "Waves stuck ALT key". Often times just opening a Waves GUI or instantiating a Waves plug-in will cause the issue. When it occurs, inside a Waves GUI, all actions behave as if the ALT key is being pressed. The most obvios effect is that all controls snap to default when clicked and then are impossible to change unless double clicked and a number value is typed in. When active, this bug ONLY AFFECTS WAVES PLUG-INS. Other plug-ins and ProTools itself behave normally. I can open other plug-in GUIs, instantiate other plug-ins and work with them freely, but returning to any Waves GUI reveals that all Waves plug-ins think the ALT key is being pressed. I used to be able to release this behavior by rapidly pressing the modifiers (first the ALT key a couple times, then the WIN key a couple times, followed by rapidly pressing CTRL while tring to move a Waves plug-in control until it would release). This doesn't work very often any more since upgrading to Win7 and PT8. Now it usually (but not always) requires closing the session and rebooting my PC (merely closing and re-opening PT does not work).

I haven't found any way to repro this on demand but it definately seems worse when sessions are large and DSP heavy.


THE PROTOOLS 8 STUCK ALT KEY ISSUE:

Another stuck ALT key issue seems to affect ProTools only. This issue surfaced after upgrading my computer to Win7 and PT8 (which I did at the same time). When this condition occurs, the ProTools GUI and NON-Waves plugins act as if the ALT modifier is stuck down. ProTools faders/controls and plug-in controls snap to default when clicked. Also, ProTools transport goes into "online" mode when the spacebar is pressed (ALT+spacebar is the PT shortcut to put the transport online) and it is impossible to start playback unless the play button on a control surface is pressed (ProControl, in my case). I have never been able to release this condition either by using the technique outlined above or any other method. This always requires a PC reboot (again closing and reopening PT does not work).

I have been able to repro this form of the bug in the past, and again, it seems to be most problematic in large DSP heavy sessions. If you have some monster sessions to test on try this:

Using your kbd modifiers, zoom in and out on a track very rapidly several times (ALT+mouse scroll up/down). Then quickly/immediately try scrubbing on the track using WIN+left mouse button and dragging back and forth. Release the scrub function and try playing the session. If the stuck ALT key condition hasn't surfaced, then try the procedure several more times.

I really hope to find relief from these issues!

[Third Eye Studios]

I'm having keyboard issues as well, but it doesn't seem to be exactly the same as the other issues I've seen here.

I have an issue where my keyboard will "freeze up" giving me no keyboard control. Caps lock and number lock both stay lit while the keyboard freezes.

I have a workaround that I use to get the keyboard out of it's frozen state. I use Windows On screen Keyboard and hit number lock and caps lock. This seems to snap the actual keyboard out of it's slumber.

[Third Eye Studios]

I did have an issue with the alt key sticking during a session today. I was able to punch the alt key a few times, and regain control of Pro Tools using windows on screen keyboard.

BTW I'm using a Digidesign Windows keyboard.

[DigiTechSupt]

This issue surfaced after upgrading my computer to Win7 and PT8

Pro Tools is not supported for use with Windows 7 yet.