Sync HD Loses Connection With No Session Open

[johnmichaelcaldwell]

On two computers, every time a session is closed I lose the connection to the Sync HD, getting this error: "Lost communication with the Sync HD. Check connections and power on Sync HD. Should I set the sync peripherals to MTC?" (With buttons "Use MTC" and "Keep Sync HD").

The Sync HD appears to work just fine with any session open but after I close the session I get the above dialog box almost every time I close a session. Satellite sync works fine throughout the session.

I've tried replacing the serial cable and reinstalling Pro Tools and the drivers. I think this started to happen after I updated the computers to MacOS 12.6.9 on the two Intel machines. I have a third silicon machine with the same OS and this doesn't happen.

Wondering what could be causing this? Has anyone had this issue before?

[Frank Kruse]

No idea what your specs are but I am seeing this a lot since upgrading to my new machine. I suspect it's a new bug with native, Mx Macs, PT23.6&23.9 or a combination of them all.

Quite often PT will say "communication to SYNC HD" lost or won't even find it in the morning. Shutting down and re-starting the machine usually fixes it. Re-launching PT does not.

Never happened on my old 5,1 cheese greater.

Frank.

[johnmichaelcaldwell]

Well, the thing for me is that it’s not happening on the Native machine. This only happens on the Intel machines.

Even after I click the message that it’s lost communication and the dialog goes away, if I don’t have a session open, the message pops up again.

[kosmokrator]

we were having the same issue on one machine, albeit with the Sync X. Computers are Intel MacPros (the new ones).

Seems to be a strange bug since it only happened on one of multiple systems that are technically identical.

Seems to have gone since our tech team upgraded the firmware on the Sync X.

[Frank Kruse]

And your PT version is?

[kosmokrator]

Originally Posted by Frank Kruse

And your PT version is?

sorry Frank, completely missed that..

We're on 2023.6

Problem reappeared tough, the techs cross-checked between different studios and the problem still happened with a changed Sync X, so seems to be on the PT machine side.

All other studios are on the same hard-and software version, so not sure what it is exactly..

[filmixer]

This happens to me occasionally. It might do it for a couple of startups and then will be OK for a month. I can always reconnect in Setups>Peripherals>Synchronization and just check the connect box.

PT 2023.9, Ventura, Sync HD

[kosmokrator]

Originally Posted by kosmokrator

sorry Frank, completely missed that..

We're on 2023.6

Problem reappeared tough, the techs cross-checked between different studios and the problem still happened with a changed Sync X, so seems to be on the PT machine side.

All other studios are on the same hard-and software version, so not sure what it is exactly..

For us the problem completely went away after the techs set up the MacPro from scratch.

[johnmichaelcaldwell]

5 Months later, 2 different versions of Pro Tools (2023.12.1 and 2024.3), plus multiple conversations with Avid Pro Tools "tech" support we have come up empty handed. Firmware on Sync HD's are up-to-date, Pro Tools uninstalled and reinstalled, computer OS rebuilt after some testing when awry, DigiTests come back clean...

The only addition to all of this I have found is that the issue happens, not only when I close a Pro Tools session; it also happens when I change the frontmost application on the Mac. (Ex: Pro Tools session is open and all is working fine, I flip to Safari to download a new file and then to Finder to move the file to a different folder... Within these 2-5 minutes my Pro Tools session is not the frontmost application I get the error message...)

I've collected log files for Avid and worked with them as best as I can. It seems their go-to update for the support case is to tell me to update to the latest version and see if that fixes it (so far 3 different versions obviously have not).

They also claim that no one has reported this issue...So, if anyone is still experiencing this issue PLEASE email/call Avid and let them know this is also happening to you.

Thank you.

**UPDATE** 04-10-24
1. Tried an older Digidesign Sync HD and the issue persists... No change whatsoever. I probably gave it about 10 minutes of Pro Tools being open (no session open - only the app) and Finder as the frontmost app - 2019 3.2GHz Intel Mac Pro / Pro Tools Ultimate 2023.12.1 / Sync HD fw 2.2.1

2. Updated to 2024.3 with no good news. Less than 5 Minutes of Pro Tools being open and Finder being in the front I got the error.

3. Updated MacOS to as-of-date the latest Ventura 13.6.6. You guessed it. It doesn't work.

[johnmichaelcaldwell]

***Additional Testing***

We've done quite a bit of testing on this at the studio (2 different 2019 Intel Mac Pros are sharing this issue). Posting to see if anyone may have anymore ideas about all of this.

1. Tested the network as a possible culprit: ended up entirely disconnecting the computer from all network devices by unplugging any cables and devices (including S6) and the problem persisted.

2. Deleted Pro Tools preferences and cache: this was able to "suppress" the error dialog for about 30 mins and then it was back to "normal." Problem persists.

3. Changing physical Vid Ref and Word Clock cables: normally we're doing parallel runs from Vid Ref and Clock generators but to test this we tried running these in serial from one device to another and terminating at the end. Problem persists.

4. HDX cards: We took out all 3 HDX cards and moved a different one into the first space and left the other 2 out. Still broken.

5. Sync HD sync source: We tried changing the Sync Source for the Sync HD to Word Clock instead of Vid Ref. Still broken.

6. Vid Ref Source: We also tried changed the source for Vid Ref to see if the Antelope Trinity that's providing the signal for this was broken but a new source provided the same fault.

The only thing that actually gets rid of the dialog is to uncheck "Sync HD Enabled" in Preferences or just physically unhook it. And as I've mentioned in other posts this is happening on 4 different Sync HDs with the same firmware across 2 different 2019 Intel Mac Pros.