Screen Freezes/System but Session Keeps Playing

[wdjudd]

ProTools 10.3.x Causing Screen/System Freezes

After searching it seems that most posts are in Windows group but I am posting here - please reply if similar problems on Mac.

I have two systems: OS10.6.8 and OS 10.7.5 on a MacPro 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon, etc. (see signature below). I see the same issues on both OS systems.

I have tried OS10.7.5 reinstall, Clean Install PT and Driver for 002 reinstall, updating about three plugins that were not the latest version, Disk Repair (which was not necessary), delete all of the potential problematic files, repair permissions . . . the time spent and work flow loss . . .

After anywhere from 1-3 hours of recording, the Screen Freezes but the session keeps playing in the background. No control of mouse or keyboard. No way to Force-Quit, must power down by holding in the power button.

I have been working with a new client for about a week. Yesterday afternoon we finally got through a demo of one song that took about 14-hours of Recording/Mixing. During that period PT10 hard crashed 6-times (screen freeze, etc. as already explained).

About 90 seconds of an acoustic guitar track (one clip) sounded like there was an old projector (after crash) that had been recorded in the background (consistent clicking). Starting up from a session backup did not solve the problem. Starting a new session and importing did not help. That specific clip had been trashed. So "Client, please bring your acoustic guitar BACK so we can re-record this part". What has happened to PTs?

I am certain that this client thought several times that I did know what I was doing. Sorry . . . just thought I should document here to AVID what this crippled version of PT is now causing.

A poll taken on AIR Users Group a few months ago showed that over 64% of all PT9/10 users were not going to upgrade to PT 11 anytime in the near future, so I ask AVID to please spend a little more time and help us get back on track with our typical work day. If you can't resolve this problem please tell us so . . .we can just go back to PT9 and try to forget PT10 ever happened. Once I start loosing clients because PTs10 has become so unreliable, I do not feel like being very nice about it any longer. SO PLEASE FIX THIS D_ _ _ THING AVID!

Just for the record:
This problem has caused me to loose other business. One 70s United Artist staff writer who had many old recordings on tape . . . I baked some of the 456/411 tapes, transferred them successfully to PT, started remastering with this client present and the problems above started to happen. He left but gave be the benefit of the doubt and returned about a week later. We got through a short session but then the problem appeared again. When you have to cancel sessions, you loose money right?

The longest standing client I have came in for session work a few weeks ago. We got started but soon had to abandon the session because of this problem. When you have to cancel sessions, you loose money right?

Enough said . . .

[Chief Technician]

It sounds like you should have reverted to PT 9 a long time ago.

Check the versions of your plug-ins in the Finder (not within Pro Tools). Does the Finder report your plug-in versions as 1.0?

[wdjudd]

Originally Posted by Chief Technician

It sounds like you should have reverted to PT 9 a long time ago.

Check the versions of your plug-ins in the Finder (not within Pro Tools). Does the Finder report your plug-in versions as 1.0?

Library/Application Support/Digidesign/Plug-ins:
Most are v1, Copyright 2009 (AIR, Vacuum) but some are version 8, Copyright 2008 (BF Essentials, Dither, Eleven LE, Eleven Reverb, Fairchild, Pultec), Expand! v2, DigiRewire version 10, Elastic Audio v10

Others: RNDigital Inspector v1.4, Sample Tank v2, Smack LE v9, TRacks3, DUY v3.5.1

[wdjudd]

Originally Posted by wdjudd

Library/Application Support/Digidesign/Plug-ins:
Most are v1, Copyright 2009 (AIR, Vacuum) but some are version 8, Copyright 2008 (BF Essentials, Dither, Eleven LE, Eleven Reverb, Fairchild, Pultec), Expand! v2, DigiRewire version 10, Elastic Audio v10

Others: RNDigital Inspector v1.4, Sample Tank v2, Smack LE v9, TRacks3, DUY v3.5.1

Problem still not solved. I removed ALL plugins except for PT. Then uninstalled PT10.3.7, deleted the PT associated files (prefs, etc.), reinstalled PT10.3.5 (notice downgrade), reinstalled 002 driver, and repaired permissions (hard drive not need repair).

Still screen freeze problem. Has anybody had this problem but has found a way to resolve it? Your input sincerely appreciated.

[Righty27]

Not a pro so not costing me business but I've had similar issues on latest Mountain Lion - posted in the PT10 forum (thread: 10.3.5 - Anyone try it out yet?) some weeks ago. I had narrowed my issue (losing keyboard/mouse control - track keeps playing but I could force quit) down to when using Slate VTM and VCC together ... whether or not this was specific to these plugins or e.g. high resource usage (both quite 'heavy'), I could not determine, just that I could reliably recreate the issue with them. I couldn't find any refernce to other Slate users with this issue. Ended up affecting my use of PT10 ... and hoping I'll be able to move fully to PT11 soon (not holding breath for Lexicon and probably Slate though ... mainly holding out for AIR IEP, Melodyne and NI now!)

FYI - just installed 10.3.7 but have yet to test this again, but read release notes and nothing there suggests this is recognised or addressed.

[Chief Technician]

Originally Posted by wdjudd

Library/Application Support/Digidesign/Plug-ins:
Most are v1, Copyright 2009 (AIR, Vacuum)

Are the plug-ins listed as v1 supposed to be v1? For example, do you have a plug-in that is identified in the Finder as v1 when you know that it is actually v4?

I mention this because I have seen at least two systems where the Finder reported plug-in versions as v1 even when they were clearly not. This also coincided with Pro Tools being unstable. I had to do a clean uninstall and then reinstall Pro Tools and my plug-ins to resolve this.

Since you have already done that, it seems this may not be going down the right path. It was all I could think of at the moment.

[Righty27]

Just to 'close the circle' on threads which appear to have surfaced related to the same (or at least similar) issues, LMPStudios reporting similar 'freezing' on 10.3.6 -

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?p...=1#post2073112

[wdjudd]

Originally Posted by Chief Technician

Are the plug-ins listed as v1 supposed to be v1? For example, do you have a plug-in that is identified in the Finder as v1 when you know that it is actually v4?

I mention this because I have seen at least two systems where the Finder reported plug-in versions as v1 even when they were clearly not. This also coincided with Pro Tools being unstable. I had to do a clean uninstall and then reinstall Pro Tools and my plug-ins to resolve this.

Since you have already done that, it seems this may not be going down the right path. It was all I could think of at the moment.

I appreciate every one's input. However, this problem still exists. Also, as mentioned in the thread above by Righty27, almost every time I open a session to work on it - regardless of size or age/version of session - the transport will usually not work. Green button comes on then off and no transport. I have to change the buffer size FROM 512 TO 1024 OR the other way . . . FROM 1024 TO 512. This always gets the transport going again but is a bit of a hassle and obviously something is not right with the software.

Just for the record, everything I tried before [as previously mentioned] I did with 10.3.7, 10.3.6. and then settled with 10.3.5 because it seems to be more stable . . . at least to this point.

Someone from AVID please chime in and share what you know about these issues. Thanks.

[jaglance]

Had similar problem. Macpro 1.1 10.6.8 HD2
Swapped out drive same problem lead me to believe problem wasn't s/ware.
Swapped out ram same problem. Bought new graphics card so far so good ........

[wdjudd]

Originally Posted by jaglance

Had similar problem. Macpro 1.1 10.6.8 HD2
Swapped out drive same problem lead me to believe problem wasn't s/ware.
Swapped out ram same problem. Bought new graphics card so far so good ........

Will be watching for your next report . . . hopefully it will be a good one.

In the mean time . . . it would be great if someone from AVID would chime in and let us know . . . what they know . . . even if we are all wet.