Pro Tools 7.2cs3 disappearing automation bug - BAD! HELP!

[SirLexelot]

Hi,

I work at a post production sound facility and we're having a persistent and severe problem with disappearing automation on Pro Tools HD 7.2cs3 on a Power Mac G5 dual 2.5Ghz tower running Mac OSX 10.4.8 with one process card and two accel cards while using an ICON D-Control wtih two expansion fader packs - every so often throughout the day Pro Tools seems to delete all the mix automation on a random audio track (volume, plugin, panning, etc.). This usually isn't discovered until we go back to the top of the show for a playback and things suddenly sound wrong.

It looks as if Pro Tools is deciding to issue a "write to end" command where none has been requested. Usually the automation is flat-lined from some arbitrary place in the middle of the show. So mix automation exists up to a certain point, and then the rest is just gone.

This issue has had extensive troubleshooting performed on it: trashed all databases, deleted preferences, upgraded from 7.2cs2 to 7.2cs3, scoured all preferences to make sure nothing is mis-configured, swapped out computers (moved hard drives to a different G5 with different Pro Tools cards) etc. Last week I completely re-formatted the drives in the computer and totally re-installed all software including the operating system, Pro Tools itself, and all plugins in use. The issue appeared to be resovled for a few days, and then it came roaring back.

Persistent write-to-end is NOT enabled, and "suppress write to end warnings" is NOT checked in preferences.

I'm able to replicate what appears to be a symptom of the problem fairly easily: I will disconnect the ICON from the system, reboot, make a completely empty session, create a few audio tracks and flip to volume graph display, make a selection across all the tracks, and then issue a "write-to-all" command. This creates a break point at the start of my selection and at the end. I will then click somewhere in the middle between the break points, set my tracks to any automation writing mode (touch, latch, or write) begin playback, and move a few faders with the mouse. On the tracks where I've moved faders the break point at the end of the previously selected area disappears - but the breakpoint remains on the tracks on which no automation has been written. The automation move does snap back to 0dB at the point where I stop playback, but that ending break point nevertheless disappears. I know this isn't by design because I can do the same thing in Pro Tools 6 without having the ending break point disappear. BTW, this scenario plays out the same way if I use the ICON board.

This is a really critical problem - our mixer has lost faith in the system, and it's starting to cost real money in terms of downtime and re-mixing time.

Has anyone seen this issue, and is there any information on a fix? We're desperate to get this resolved.

Thanks in advance for ANY guidance or assistance!!

[Ale]

Hi

Unfortunateley this is a problem that many users have.
To me this happens from time to time.
This proplem forced me to change my way of mixing until this is fixed. I have ruined several mixes due to this problem.
Normally I have all trcks auto touch when mixing. This is what I avoid now.

Maybe your answer is covered by this thread

Maybe here

or here


Ale

[SirLexelot]

This is an exceedingly nasty bug for Digidesign to not have a clear and decisive fix. Digi Tech Guys, and advice or help?

[DigiTechSupt]

We've been attempting to get a clearly reproducible session, without success so far. If you have one that will exhibit this problem on a consistent basis, we would love to get our hands on it.

[Brandonx1]

Every session mix does this. I've used everything room a Mac g5 with a d-control to a windows machine with a command 8. All the session rigs exhibiting this are 7.3 flavors. Any automation parameter can be affected. It may have something to do with system stress because early in the mix I don't see with automation error as much. It's still appears but not as frequent.

I'm going to bump this until it gets fixed because this bug really makes my life hell on earth. Try making a fix to act 1 of a 11 act TV show and having the eq change for the rest of the show and you don't know it because you have volume automation showing. Fing sucks and really makes me look like a fool.

lets fix this
best,
Brandon

[Brandonx1]

Every session mix does this. I've used everything room a Mac g5 with a d-control to a windows machine with a command 8. All the session rigs exhibiting this are 7.3 flavors. Any automation parameter can be affected. It may have something to do with system stress because early in the mix I don't see with automation error as much. It's still appears but not as frequent.

I'm going to bump this until it gets fixed because this bug really makes my life hell on earth. Try making a fix to act 1 of a 11 act TV show and having the eq change for the rest of the show and you don't know it because you have volume automation showing. Fing sucks and really makes me look like a fool.

lets fix this
best,
Brandon

[Brandonx1]

this happens on every single session i run in pt 7.3.

[Danny Caccavo]

Looking for clues -

1) Is anyone in loop playback mode?
2) If you catch this while viewing the automation playlist, does the data loss happen right when you hit play, or does it happen for sure right when you hit stop ( i.e. do you still get the data of the automation write pass recorded or not? )
3) Is delay comp enabled?
4) Is this happening only in a "trim" mode?

Danny Caccavo
Product Manager
Digidesign

[Brandonx1]

I replied to you in the post production thread.

[Danny Caccavo]

We're still searching for clues here, as we still have not been able to reproduce this yet.

Question - Are you *all* using control surfaces?

Also, I'd like you to try one possible workaround - uncheck "automation thinning" (don't set the popup to "none," but uncheck the box instead).

Please report back and let me know if this helps.

Thanks!

Danny Caccavo
Product Manager
Digidesign