PT8 constant -6101 cpu issue, Let's do something

[mistlabz]

Hi
I'm one of the unhappy guy to have an issue with the 6101 DAE error. Digi doesn't seem to help very much.

MY SYSTEM

iMAc os X 10.5.7
3.06 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB

Pro Tools M Powred 8.0 cs3
Ableton Live 7.0.16
M-audio Pro Fire 26/26 (Driver 2.1.2.2 / Firmware 1.0.10, I checked this is the latests drivers for 10.5.7)
AI have a Presonus Digimax connect by Adat on the 2626 Adat A, clock is set as internal in the 2626. Digimax is in Slave via word clock.

Hard Disk is a Seagate 500GB in a Akibakan FW400,800,USb2.0 External Box. This is a Japanese maker who design hard disk for music software, absolutely friendly with Pro tools and works perfectly with HD.
The External HD has the oxford chipset
The Hard disk is connected via FW400 to the mac
The 2626 via the FW800 port via an Lacie Flat Cable FW400 to 800
I Was daisy chaining before but I saw a lot of post on the net who said it's a potential issue cause.

Energy Saver is Off
Air Port is off
Blue booth is off
Fire wire Networking is Off
Pace Driver should be the 5.7.1 I downloaded it from PACE's website
No Virus Protection
No Items in Login Items menu
Startup Items shows Digidesign Loader and PACE Support
Fire Vault is off
Spotlight indexing is off, my External HD is in the private list
I made a PRAM clear

PLUGS- INS

I had several freeware plug-ins that may be outdated, I moved them to the unused folder. My unused folder shows

BF Essential Tuner
Bitter Sweet II v 2.0.11.0
Frohmage RTAS
Nomad Factory Free Bundle (not compatible with 8)
PSP Vintage Meter v1.0
Sonalkis Free G-mono v 1.10
Sonalkis Free G-stereo v 1.10
Sound Hack +Bubbler v 6.0
Sound Hack +delay v 6.0
Sound Hack +pitchdelay v 6.0
STTool (Flux's free plug-in) v 2.0
Vynil v 1.7.3

In my Plug in folder except the digidesign's plug-ins who come with pro tools 8 and SHOULD work with I have

Omnisphere Wrapper 1.7c
Stylus Wrapper 1.8c

This is the latests versions, And that's all, I do not have music production tool kit.

+ DATABASE

I deleted pro tools preferences and Database, no effect

I made several Repair Permissions on the Internal HD, no effect

+ REWIRE ISSUE

I figured out a Rewire incompatibly so I Trashed the Rewire files in Library / App Support / Propellehad Software / Rewire

I had 3 files as Melodyne essential Rewire Device, Rewire and Rewire Bundle

no effect

+ USB Devices

On a USB HUb I got

+ I lok
+ Keyboard
+ Additional Mouse

On the I Mac"s USB ports
+ Akai MPD24
+ Akai MPK49

Firmwares are updated to the last version (1.03 and 1.10)
I tried to load the same session with and without this peripherals connected, no effect at all.

SESSIONS FOR THE TEST

+ Basic with only audio (48khz, 24 bits)

11 Stereo Track
1 Master Fader
2 Mono Tracks
1 aux Track

NO PLUG-INS

Get the 6101 error after several minutes

+ Complex with Instruments and Rewire

1Master Fader
Several Instruments tracks (Xpand, Vacuum, Db23, Stylus RMX, Omnisphere)
Live 7.016 is running in Rewire

Get the 6101 error after several minutes

In Both Cases Playback engine is usually set as 1024, DAE playback buffer is set a Level 2, CPU around 70%.
I tried all kind of combinations but no effect.
Also Tried to set the Processor to 1
The errors seems to appear more frequently with Instruments sessions, when I loop

Didn't try to re install pro tools or the OS, Stylus and Omnisphere take around 1 hour each to install, have to re install all the updatesand third party sound libraries, takes too much time for me, I need to work ! Digi find a solution or update this software to 8.1. I lost all the trust I had for digidesign and spend money to update to 8 in my private studio. I also work in a pro studio with HD and I'll never recommend to update to 8 on HD. Please fix this bug, I don't want to migrate to Logic, please.
By the way there is a similar error, the famous -9073 in 7.4 HD never resolved...

I'll wont stop so please help, we have to find the solution, I know I'm not alone in the boat, I saw plenty of this issue talks on the web. Please !

[DigiTechSupt]

Have you tried this with the 2626 connected to the FW400 port and the drive connected to the FW800 port with the FW800 to FW400 adapter cable?

When you were daisy chaining, what order did you have the drive and 2626 connected? Where did you get the info about chaining being a problem? I'm not saying it's not, only that different systems seem to prefer a particular configuration. I had similar problems with a MOTU 828II - if both the FW800 and FW400 ports on the computer were used, even when using a FW800 to FW400 cable, it would intermittently stop passing audio. Putting it in a chain connected to the FW400 port cleared up the problem.

Have you tested with a new admin account, or with all plug-ins removed from the plug-ins folder? Make sure to trash prefs after doing so, so that all plug-in data can be recached.

Also, when you say "Digi doesn't seem to help very much.", can you clarify? Have you spoken directly with tech support or tried to get tech support in some way yet?

[mistlabz]

Have you tried this with the 2626 connected to the FW400 port and the drive connected to the FW800 port with the FW800 to FW400 adapter cable?

No, I'll try


When you were daisy chaining, what order did you have the drive and 2626 connected?

The drive was plugged after the 2626, the interface plugged to the computer. I get info about chaining issue on the Internet reading many posts of people had the same -6101 issue and they all talked about daisy chaining as a possible cause. Many guys who have a note book (mac pro and etc...) had to buy a siig something card to have the interface and the HD on different Firewire bus. Seemed to worked for some of them, for the imac users the situation is quite close because we just had two FW ports, then I heard about plug the interface to the FW800 port to separate the peripherals.

Have you tested with a new admin account, or with all plug-ins removed from the plug-ins folder? Make sure to trash prefs after doing so, so that all plug-in data can be recached.

I didn't tried the new admnin accout yet, if I'll remove all the plug-ins does it mean that the plugs come with pro tools 8 when I bough it are corrupted ? if it's true do you think it's normal to get a DAW with corrupted plug-ins ?
Anyway I'll try and let you know

Also, when you say "Digi doesn't seem to help very much.", can you clarify? Have you spoken directly with tech support or tried to get tech support in some way yet?

Yes, I had an AES issue one a 192 I/O and I received a mail three or for days later said that my request for support was resolved cause I didn't reply in time, I think you can imagine how busy we can be in recording studios.

[mistlabz]

Ok.....

So I create a new account with admin privileges
I load the software and could run 11 tracks stereo session and even a 40 minutes Sequence for a demo CD with 16 tracks all with plug-ins without trouble. I couldn't test the rewire session because I had to re-authorize all my software instruments plug-ins, sorry but really don't have the time for that...

Then I had the idea to put the plugs-ins in the unused folder in the plugs-ins folder to see if something happen, then trash the prefs and trash the nomad factory free bundle to the bin (not compatible for 8 so no need to keep it) etc... restart and when I load pro tools I have this message :

Pro Tools Hardware is either not installed used by another another program.

Cannot open my sessions, cannot do nothing. I follow the trouble shooting one by one and now cannot do nothing !

Oh by the way

http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/whats-new/

Logic 9 is out, make me really think about change to a software can play and record. I could play and record more tracks with Cubase VST 32 on a Intel Pentium III PC with 32mb of RAM 10 years ago.
If I followed all you're troubleshooting guide and it doesn't work can I get my money back ? Thinking about trowing the pro tools box away and run to the apple store.

[mistlabz]

So don't you even take the time to help users in trouble ?

[maxpidgee]

Originally Posted by mistlabz

So don't you even take the time to help users in trouble ?

strange, protools works perfect for me, but then again, i hooked everything up right!!!! i think your causing your own unhappiness my man!!!!

[mistlabz]

How lucky you are,

I also hooked everything as digi said !!! and it's not working, i'm not causing my own unhappiness. Just read my first post, I did everything as possible, what can I do more ???

If you hooked up everything right then tell me about you're secret and maybe it will help.

[bradch00]

I have an iMac setup as well and configured it similar to you, interface through the FW800 port and drive (Maxtor and/or Lacie I use both) via FW400 interface to the iMac FW400 port, with suitable results. I couldn't find anything to support that Akibakan is using oxford controller chips in their enclosures, I'm not saying they don't I just couldn't find any evidence of it. Additionally, as Seagate makes a large number of disk drives, what model of drive is it and what is the rpm (anything less than 7200 rpm may give you grief)?

[mistlabz]

The hard disk enclosure is here, it's a bit different from mine because the manufacturer update new models every month but it's almost the same.

http://www.akibakan.com/100001akibak...9=&pdListCf10=

sorry it's in Japanese but you can read "OXFORD OXUF92 chip"

These disk are customized and made for mac, many pros using these hard disk here in japan and I never had any problem on HD (set on a dual G5 PPC system). I run the same hard disk on HD 7.4 and have no problems.

The HD itself is of course 7200rpm, it should be a Seagate Barracuda with 16MB of cache.

I have to precise that I had Pro Tools MP 7.4. before and it was working well, at this time I had blue-booth and airport on etc.. When I bought the upgrade I didn't made a clean install to not loose the installation of stylus rmx etc... Since I got 8 it's unplayable.

[bradch00]

I'm curious whether you experience the same issues without the Spectrasonic wrapped plug-ins. This may not be easy to determine (or may not even help as you need them). I have always been a little aprehensive about the wrappers adding overhead and more so with Pro Tools 8.