EXTREMELY strange exploding sound!!!

[Chris Coleman]

Hey Guys! I just got done with a recording/mixing session of a tune with about 16 tracks and a hefty amount of Waves plugins. Every once in a while, on both recording and playback, the system would sound like it's constantly exploding, as if someone had turned up the internal volume WAY past it's clipping point. Usually, if I stopped the transport right away, it would go back to normal, but sometimes it would stick like this. Anyone have any clue as to what is happening? Does it have anything to do with using up all the CPU power? This is not good for my monitors, heaphones, ears, or any potential clients. What's up? Digi, have you heard of this?

[This message has been edited by Chris Coleman (edited April 11, 2000).]

[obseco]

Same problem with 2 different setups: beige G3 (256Mb Ram, Mac Os 8.6) & brand new 400MHz G4 (192 Mb Ram, Mac Os 9.0.4). Sometimes while working, when I press play it sounds like digital distortion until stop. Play again and everything's OK. 3 or 4 times in a normal 8 hours session.

I thought I was the only one!

[lwilliam]

This has also happened to me on a few sessions. Big BAM (almost frying the tweeters), then if I stop and start again, it seems ok. It's very annoying - at best.

I've also had occasional weirdness like a short musical loop (<1 sec) when I hit play (spacebar); again, if I stop and re-start, it always goes away.

However, I've started using the "play" button/key instead of my space bar, and the problem hasn't happened yet...

If that fixes it, then maybe this is a USB problem?




------------------
LW

[Frank S]

There was a thread on this a while back - "Clip problem please help" or something like that. I was actually disappointed that others didn't chime in. Usually one of the track faders will meter in the red when it happens, but to be clear, it sounds like all of the tracks are overloaded - exploding is more like it. I really believe its a plug-in problem - they're still buggy. I only get it when using the Waves plug-ins (usually Ren comps and EQs, True verb, and the L1 ultramaximizer on the master fader), and can make it go away by deleting an EQ or the bus reverb. BTW, I've gotten it with only 4 or 5 tracks and only 6 or 7 plug ins, and it doesn't correlate with system or CPU load (keep 'em open all the time). I never got it using the digirack plug ins. I use the numeric keys for transport, and have gotten this problem with them as well as the space bar. Fortunately, doesn't happen that often.

[pnoise]

I've had the same thing happen to me many times. Makes me look like a fool in front of my clients. Could it be my waves or was LWilliam onto something with the USB idea. Lets get that fixed Digi. It's making DIGI and its users look bad...and it hurts my ears!!!
SNAP CRACKLE POP! .... FRIED TWEETERS

Steve

[Chris Coleman]

WOW! This really is a problem, isn't it? Man, I thought people would think I was nuts. The problem can't be USB, because I don't have USB, I'm working on enhanced beige G3. I really am shocked at how many people are having this problem...I'll say it for the first time: Digi, get on the ball.

[AvidCS]

Gee, Chris, we'd be happy to "get on the ball". Thanks for asking.

How about a little more information first. Some system setup information usually helps us in troubleshooting. What computers and OS's are are you folks running, and what plug-ins do you have loaded. 16 or 24 bit sessions? ATA or SCSI drives?

There seems to be a bit of evidence that waves plugs could be involved. Is anybody seeing this symptom without waves plugins instantiated or in the plugins folder?

Based on this feedback, we'll start working on reproducing this in house.

Thanks for the info.

Bob

[Chris SD]

Digi,

I'm running a G4 350/190, OS 8.6, ATA drive with no external plug-ins. I've had the same static blasts and they seem to happen most often on imported 24 bit TDM sessions with high track counts.

Hope that helps.

Chris SD

[lwilliam]

So...maybe it's NOT the Waves plugins.

G4/AGP/400 OS9; 256MB RAM; ATA/66 drive; Waves NPP I and DigiRack plugins. Orange Micro 930U installed, but only CDRW and Sampler attached to it.

It might also be important to note what buffer setting it's on (128-1024) when it happens. I wish I remembered what mine was...

I haven't noticed the problem on the few 16-bit sessions I've done; definitely happens on 24-bit sessions.

It still hasn't happened again since I began to use the on-screen "play" button in the transport window instead of the keyboard. Not definitive, but something to look at...

If/when it happens, I'll definitely document what plugins I've got running, and where.



------------------
LW

[Chris Coleman]

Bob, sorry to come off as snide or demanding, but I think we all just respect Digi so much that when something goes wrong, it really is an oddity. Back to the problem at hand, I don't think it's linked to 24-bit sessions, because mine all happened in 16-bit land. Here's my pertinent info: Beige G3, OS9, 466MHz powerlogix processor, 288 megs of RAM, Adaptec 2940U2W card with internal IBM 20 gig hard drive (dedicated to audio, two 10-gig partitions), Waves Gold Bundle plugins. In my exploding-noise session, I had the following plugins loaded:
4 x Ren EQ
3 x Ren Compressor
2 x Mondo Mod
2 x L1 limiter
1 x True Verb

I my personal case, it seemed to me to have something to do with CPU load, though I've heard others have the same problem with far fewer tracks and plugins than I had going on. I also tend to work very fast, expecting the computer and the program to keep up, but I probably also tend to overdo it at times. Thanks for working with us, Bob (and Digi)!