Error on audio playback: "The audio buffer underflowed... (-6085)" Pro Tools 10.3.10

[Evilhamsta]

I just tried recording in audacity, the sound quality is fine, but periodically there's a skip in the timing. This is such a pain.

[JoelG]

I'd avoid using ASIO4ALL, it is useful as a workaround for onboard audio that does not have an ASIO driver, but it will just complicate things when the Fast Track already has an ASIO driver.

I see that the USB on your motherboard is USB3, can you try getting a USB2 hub and try it with that?

Also as Albee suggested, have you tried recording to another drive that is not part of the RAID setup? While hardware RAID is supported, it might complicate things:

"Pro Tools 10 supports hardware-based RAID (redundant array of independent disks) systems for opening, playing back, and recording Pro Tools sessions. However, performance is not guaranteed and is dependent on a variety of factors including network bandwidth. As with lower versions of Pro Tools, Pro Tools 10 also supports software-based RAID systems using ATTO RAID software, which makes several RAID volumes appear as a single volume to the operating system."

Joel

[Evilhamsta]

What do you mean by a USB2 hub? The port i'm currently using with the Fast Track is one of the USB 2.0 ports i have available.

I have indeed tried recording onto a single HDD, hasn't made a difference sadly, which suggests to me the problem is elsewhere.

[Amack]

If you're getting audio dropouts with Audacity you probably need to increase its "Audio to buffer" size (under "Latency" in the "Preferences: Recording"). I just did a test with my FT Duo (into a USB 3 port) at a 48000 sample rate and 1024 "Preferred Buffer Size". I had to have Audacity buffer 60 milliseconds of audio to prevent dropouts.

Originally Posted by Evilhamsta

I just tried recording in audacity, the sound quality is fine, but periodically there's a skip in the timing. This is such a pain.

[Amack]

Joel,

Is it possible that my advice (in Post #7) to set the Fast Track "Preferred Buffer Size" and the Pro Tools "H/W Buffer Size" to the same values was misguided? I suggested that based on my experiences with third party interfaces and PT 11 and 12 on PCs. (I haven't yet received any relevant responses after posting that question on a thread called " AVID Interface Preferred Buffer Size".) Do you know the answer?

Amack

Originally Posted by JoelG

I'd avoid using ASIO4ALL, it is useful as a workaround for onboard audio that does not have an ASIO driver, but it will just complicate things when the Fast Track already has an ASIO driver.

I see that the USB on your motherboard is USB3, can you try getting a USB2 hub and try it with that?

Also as Albee suggested, have you tried recording to another drive that is not part of the RAID setup? While hardware RAID is supported, it might complicate things:

"Pro Tools 10 supports hardware-based RAID (redundant array of independent disks) systems for opening, playing back, and recording Pro Tools sessions. However, performance is not guaranteed and is dependent on a variety of factors including network bandwidth. As with lower versions of Pro Tools, Pro Tools 10 also supports software-based RAID systems using ATTO RAID software, which makes several RAID volumes appear as a single volume to the operating system."

Joel

[Evilhamsta]

Audacity is set to 100 ms for "Audio to buffer"

Originally Posted by Amack

If you're getting audio dropouts with Audacity you probably need to increase its "Audio to buffer" size (under "Latency" in the "Preferences: Recording"). I just did a test with my FT Duo (into a USB 3 port) at a 48000 sample rate and 1024 "Preferred Buffer Size". I had to have Audacity buffer 60 milliseconds of audio to prevent dropouts.

[JoelG]

Hmm, I searched the following USB controllers and they look to be USB3, maybe Google is failing me :)

USB Controller 1 : ASUS Panther Point USB xHCI Host Controller
USB Controller 2 : ASUS Panther Point USB Enhanced Host Controller #2
USB Controller 3 : ASUS Panther Point USB Enhanced Host Controller #1
USB Controller 4 : ASUS ASMedia XHCI Controller

A few other things to try:
Disable onboard video in BIOS (since you have an Nvidia card anyway)
Try only the matching RAM - Micron 16JTF51264AZ-1G6M1 (Pro Tools 10 is 32bit anyway, so anything over 4GB is going to be somewhat moot)
Go through the Optimization Guide
Install the latest Intel chipset software
Disable as many added plugins as possible
Make sure you create a fresh session for testing

Originally Posted by Amack

Joel,

Is it possible that my advice (in Post #7) to set the Fast Track "Preferred Buffer Size" and the Pro Tools "H/W Buffer Size" to the same values was misguided? I suggested that based on my experiences with third party interfaces and PT 11 and 12 on PCs. (I haven't yet received any relevant responses after posting that question on a thread called " AVID Interface Preferred Buffer Size".) Do you know the answer?

Amack

I don't have a Fast Track any more (had a C400). Usually I set the sample rate and buffer settings in my device control panel, then open Pro Tools and make sure the sample rate of the session is the same as my interface's control panel (I use 48000). If I want to change the buffer settings while in a session, I always get told to change it in the interfaces control panel (M-Audio Project Mix IO).

Joel