Pro Tools inoperable! WTF help to the MAX!!!!!!!

[MeatRanch]

Howdy folks, I've just upgraded my ProTools 9.0.2 to 9.0.5 and when I open ANY file, immediately there is crackling through the monitors/headphones which doesn't stop, playback will occur but the audio is pure STATIC!!! When playback is stopped, it cannot be done again no matter how many times I click the space bar or the playback button.

I have a project to turn in a couple days and I have no idea how to figure out this conundrum that's been hidden in a chinese box.

Thanks.

[bradch00]

I had the same thing when I upgraded to 9.03, deleted the prefs and databases and it's worked fine since. Perhaps a place to start.

[MeatRanch]

Where can I find the prefs and databases?

[Park Seward]

Information That You Need to Provide When Posting
To enable Digidesign Technical Support and other users to assist you with your problem, PLEASE provide a complete system profile as well as a complete description of the problem you're experiencing, including the exact text and error numbers in any error messages you're getting.

By "complete" we mean - describe exactly what's occurring in as much detail as possible, what you're doing in Pro Tools when the problem occurs, what any relevant settings are, list any troubleshooting steps you've tried as well as any other info that may be relevant. The more detail you can provide, the easier it is for us and other DUC members to help you. If you do not provide enough info, we're just going to be referring you back here until you do. This is important - we're not asking you because we feel like it, but because we need the info to troubleshoot properly. We can't see your system, how you're working, what your settings are or anything like that, so you need to provide that information so we have solid info to work from.

When writing your post subject heading, make sure it's an accurate description of the problem you're having. It's better to write something like 'DAE Error 9073 when playing back on 002R' than 'HEEEELLLLPP!'. It will make identifying the urgency of your problem more apparent, as well as aid others when doing a search for previously reported issues.

At the very least, we need the following information (Windows users - see below for additional requirements!):
Computer model and processor speed
OS version
Digidesign or M-Audio hardware model
Pro Tools version
Amount of RAM installed
A complete and precise description of any attached peripherals (hard drives, video devices, other firewire or USB devices that may be attached, etc). We need to know to which port on the computer they're connected to, what type of cables you're using (is it a FW800-FW400 adapter cable? How long is it? Are you using an extender or repeater?) and, if you've tried replacing cables, what the differences were between the original and the replacement.
Number and type (firewire, SATA, SCSI, etc) of drives installed, how they're formatted and which one(s) you're using for recording and playback.
A concise list of the troubleshooting you've already tried - please be as specific as possible! The first thing we'll ask is 'Have you done everything in the Setup and General Troubleshooting thread?', so we'll want to know that you've done ALL of it and, if you've not done everything, we need to know what you have or have not done, as this can have a huge impact on further troubleshooting.

Delete Pro Tools preferences.
-Go to Users > “your user name” > Library > Preferences
-Delete 'com.digidesign.protoolsLE.plist', 'DAE Prefs' (folder), 'DigiSetup.OSX' and 'Pro Tools preferences'.
-Empty trash, then restart the computer.

You can also use the Pro Tools Preference and Database Helper to trash preferences and databases automatically, as well as providing a few other useful tools. (This application is provided by a 3rd party and is not tested or supported by Digidesign)

[Obsidian Dragon]

Although this may not help you in this situation immediately, it is a point we should all take to heart. NEVER do an OS update or Protools update in the MIDDLE of a project or when deadlines are pending. You are just asking for a disaster. Unfortunately OS and Protools updates are not always easy or smooth for everybody.

Aways have a working back up ready to use. Ideally you have the ability to simply swap out the current working version's hard drive with another one for a fresh install so that if things go bad, you simply put the old hard drive back in and are back up and running.

If you use Protools professionally or commercially, don't be an early adopter. Let the hobbyist and technical experts run through the new versions first to iron out the issues. They often have second Protools setups to experiment with or proficient with backups and restore procedures. This is especially true with Beta versions or major version upgrades.

When you do upgrade, it is usually preferred to do a fresh install of the OS and full Protools install rather than doing the updater install. Also for the OS (if not doing a format and fresh install), using the larger separately downloaded Combo Update is far better than the regular updater used in Automatic Software Updates. Keep the previous Protools installation programs just incase you need to revert back.

[lancemcv]

Here is a utility to delet prefs and data bases works in one click.
Pro Tools pref and database helper.

http://www.jcdeshaies.com/

[bradch00]

Updated to Lions 10.7.1 (on my test system) installed PT 9.0.5 and I can get it to create static and at least my system it is fixed by;

deselecting (do not select) "minimize additional I/O latency" under the "Setup" > Playback Engine > Host Engine > Ignore Errors During Playback/Record.

Selecting "minimize additional I/O latency" causes static and makes my system unusable. This is repeatable 100% of the time.

[MeatRanch]

who's awesome?? YOU GUYS!!! Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated!