Request for info: Mbox/Mbox2 noise bursts

[jstaczek]

It's happening on two different machines with the same MBox.

- PowerBook Pismo upgraded to G4/500
- Mac OS X 10.4.6
- Pro Tools LE 7.0cs5
- Mbox (original)
- connected to top USB port
- Internal ATA HDD 60GB, FireWire 400 HDD 250G
- Noise bursts are seemingly random. All I've been doing is editing lately. Changing playback engine buffer size sometimes fixes it, other times requires restart of PT.

- PowerMac G5
- 2 CPUs
- 2.5G
- 2.5GB RAM
- Mac OS X 10.4.2
- Pro Tools LE 7.0 (no cs)
- Mbox (original - same unit as above)
- connected to Belkin USB hub
- Internal SATA HDD 160GBx2, Firewire 400 HDD 250GB (different drive from above)
- Same noise behavior. Random and deadly.

[ledhead]

PowerMac G4 400 AGP
Gigadesign 1.2Ghz single processor upgrade
1.25 GB Ram
Mac OS X 10.4.8
Po Tools LE 7.1.1
Mbox (original)
Connected to the right USB port
Internal ATA HD 300Gb, ATA HD 160Gb, ATA HD 120Gb. All connected to a Sonnet Tempo ATA133.
And 1 Plextor DVD-R 708a.

I use the HD120Gb for the system, HD160Gb to record and HD300Gb for my samples banks. Usually use 32 stereo tracks in 44k/24bits session.
The short noise burst occured randomly on playback only. I have noticed that it happens only on some sessions with alots of crossfades, or tracks that have been consolidated.

[MixerGuy]

- Machine model
Mac Pro intel

- Number of CPUs

dual

- CPU Speed

2.66

- Memory

2 gb apple ram (NO third party)

- OS version

10.4.8

- Pro Tools LE version

7.1.1

- What kind of Mbox: original or Mbox 2?

original

- Which USB port is Mbox / Mbox 2 connected to?

front or back - either one produces random noise bursts

and i tried different usb cables, and a pals mbox 1 - same problems

- List all installed Hard Drives, along with their capacity and how they're connected

two internal SATA 7200 rpm- one 250 mb, one 500 mb

- List all installed expansion cards: includes PCI, PCI-X, PCIe, CardBus, and ExpressCard slots
none

- Concise description of your setup: which hard drive(s) do you use for playback/record? How many audio tracks (mono/stereo? sample rate?) do you typically have in your session(s)? Do you have video hardware in your system, and/or video tracks in your session? How frequently do you encounter the noise problem? Have you noticed any patterns or have ideas about something you're doing that triggers the problem? Any other relevant details? Again, please attempt to be as concise as possible.

48k playing back three 24 bit audio tracks
NO plugs
audio on second SATA drive
video quicktime DV on internal drive
using Canopus box on FW drive
computer locked to MTC
clock on internal
noise problem happens every 2-9 minutes approx
closing session and opening fixes for 2-9 minutes
no pattern
video continues to work, but audio is LOUD white noise out analog out.

[jinga]

Sudden white noise burst, when editing sound after quite a long session.
after white noise i could not hear any audio.
restart required.

PTS Mbox 2 LE
OSX 10.4.8
plugged into rear port
connected 500gb external drive firewire

setup:
10 mono tracks all with 3+ plugins
stereo master
high buffer
quicktime movie
48k
mixing off internal hd
.

Hardware Overview:

Machine Name: iMac
Machine Model: iMac4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core Duo
Processor Speed: 1.83 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 2 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz

[danham]

Macpro1,1
2 CPU'S
2.66 GHz
2 GB RAM
10.4.8
LE 7.1.1 cs1
original Mbox
back, middle USB port
WDC WD2500JS-41SGB0 250 GB

[hbj]

Mac Pro
2
2.66Ghz
4GB
10.4.8
7.1.1
Original MBox
2x 250GB, 1x500GB all 3.0Gb/S
Symphony
I use a designated media drive (one of the 250s) for playback/record. I have the problem with any number from 1 to 32 tracks. No video hardware/tracks. The noise problem has rendered Pro Tools unuseable. I have the same problem (but much more infrequently) with the same hardware and software on my MacBook Pro. On the Mac Pro, Pro Tools will launch the session fine, play back once or twice ok, then all of a sudden (during playback), everything turns into white noise. I've tried a variety of sessions, and while it always happens, it doesn't always happen in the same place in the session. But it always happens, so I don't even turn on ProTools anymore. I've moved to other applications.

[MixerGuy]

.......(snip)....I have the problem with any number from 1 to 32 tracks. .......(snip) ..... The noise problem has rendered Pro Tools unuseable. I have the same problem (but much more infrequently) with the same hardware and software on my MacBook Pro. On the Mac Pro, Pro Tools will launch the session fine, play back once or twice ok, then all of a sudden (during playback), everything turns into white noise. I've tried a variety of sessions, and while it always happens, it doesn't always happen in the same place in the session. But it always happens, so I don't even turn on ProTools anymore. .......(snip) .....

EXACTLY.




so - has anyone else put a PCI Express card in their Mac Pro, and had it fix the problem? I would REALLY like that to work.... but am having a hard time finding (a cheap, or any for that matter) Apple compatable Mac Pro PCI Express usb card.

[mrh90006]

I've had EXACTLY this problem.

Apple G4
Dual 2.3 GHz powerPC G5
2 GB DDR SDRAM
MAC OSX 10.4.8
ProTools 6.9.2
MBox (original)
Connected to read USB port
All sessions on La Cie D2 280 GB drive (Mac OS Journaled) connected via firewire 400 through an IOGEAR USB/Firewire hub connected to rear firewire port.

M

Don't use anything really hardcore - a few tracks, maybe one or two stereo tracks, no special plug-ins

[bassntreble]

Hi Eric

- G5 (with PCI slots, not PCI-x)
- 2 CPU's
- 1.8 Ghz
- 1 Gig (2x512)
- Mac OSX 10.4.6
- Pro Tools LE 7.1cs10
- Original M-box serial# RK0876300M
- Connected to rear-bottom USB port
- Internal System Drive- Western Digital 160Gig SATA, 7200 RPM 2 partitions(one with 10.3.x and one with 10.4.x),Lower bay (B)
Internal Secondary Drive- Maxtor 80 Gig SATA,7200 RPM single partition, primary recording drive,Upper bay (A)
External Drives-Lacie 120Gig 7200 RPM 2 partitions, FW400 connected to front FW bus. (Archive and storage)
External Drive-OWC (macpowe) 120Gig 7200 RPM single partition, FW400 chained to LaCie. (Archive and storage)
- UAD-1 card (however I haven't used UAD plugs with protools in awhile)
- My sessions on average run close to 32 voices, 2 or 3 rewired tracks, 4 instrument tracks running live and at least 2 stereo Aux returns and 4 mono aux returns at mix. 48K/24bit 99% of the time. I'll always experience the bursts when running close to full load. On some occasions I need only a 2-4 light instrument tracks, 10 rewired tracks (Reason 2.5) and 1 or 2 aux returns and the burst will rip through my speakers, I'm nowhere close to full load. I record on the internal SATA as mentioned above. Sometimes deactivating a plugin will cure the burst (usually a 3rd party reverb), sometimes changing the playback or DAE buffer size will work, sometimes only a restart will work. The bursts seem to happen earlier in a session and are more frequent if airport is on. In regards to core audio applications, if the input and outputs in system preferences->sound don't match, it may cause a sample rate mismatch and throw the digi coreaudio driver into a tizzy the result being a white noise burst (ie. if the output is set to Mbox and the input isset to internal mic in) This has happened with DSP Quattro and Ableton Live 6 using the Mbox via core audio.

*edit*
some new info today (12/7). did a PT session with no blasts. closed session, quit app. opened iTunes and converted some files to mp3. no problem. Launched reason 2.5 to work on something else, I got a blast of white noise from Reason. Reason was set up to use the Mbox, the system is set up to use onboard sound. changing the buffer in reason's prefs from 512 to 1024 samples cured the problem and changing it back to 512 bought the white noise back. the buffer in the digi coreaudio manager was locked in at 512 samples. throughout this exercise.

my ears hurt.

[Impala]

- MacPro
- 2 cpus
- 2.66 ghz
- 1 GB
- 10.4.7
- Pro Tools LE 7.1.1cs2
- Mbox: original
- Back port on the far right handside
- Apple default 250 GB internal / 80 GB external IDE firewire (front port) and don't think it's an approved Oxford chip. It's Mac Os Extended.
- No internal cards (and all power saving disabled)
- Burst occured while working on firewire drive. It was a TDM session around 50 channels of 24/44 BWF audio. I was just doing solos mutes and delete tracks.
- No video hw
- I just set up this Mac & installed ProTools and burst happened on 6th session I loaded. All other sessions were on internal drive.
- It happened as soon as I deleted a bunch of tracks and hit play.

(btw Firefox was running in background)

Hope it helps.