Reproducible Bug 2022.12, Monterey, HD Native

[chuckbutler]

I'm replacing our old cheese graters with Mac Studios and ran into this issue.

This is on a Mac Studio (M1 Max) running clean installs of Monterey 12.6.2 and PT 2022.12 (Rosetta), with an Avid HD Native card in an Avid HDX TB3 chassis connected to an old 192 interface. No problems installing Pro Tools or updating the firmware of the HD card on first launch. No problem opening and playing existing projects.

The problem comes when I quit Pro Tools. It appears to shut down normally, but when I next open the app, projects open but will not play back (the play button just flashes).

I can get back to normal operation if at this point I quit ProTools, then relaunch it (without opening a project) and open and close the Hardware Setup dialog (don't have to change anything), then quit again and finally reopen. There may be a quicker workaround--I need to experiment further--but that's what has worked so far.

I wonder if anyone else has seen this, or has any suggestions. I realize, of course, that both the HD Native card and the 192 are older tech, and that the 192 is not officially supported. But since I had no problem like this with the same equipment in the cheese grater, I thought I'd ask.

[mattrixx]

Originally Posted by chuckbutler

I'm replacing our old cheese graters with Mac Studios and ran into this issue.

This is on a Mac Studio (M1 Max) running clean installs of Monterey 12.6.2 and PT 2022.12 (Rosetta), with an Avid HD Native card in an Avid HDX TB3 chassis connected to an old 192 interface. No problems installing Pro Tools or updating the firmware of the HD card on first launch. No problem opening and playing existing projects.

The problem comes when I quit Pro Tools. It appears to shut down normally, but when I next open the app, projects open but will not play back (the play button just flashes).

I can get back to normal operation if at this point I quit ProTools, then relaunch it (without opening a project) and open and close the Hardware Setup dialog (don't have to change anything), then quit again and finally reopen. There may be a quicker workaround--I need to experiment further--but that's what has worked so far.

I wonder if anyone else has seen this, or has any suggestions. I realize, of course, that both the HD Native card and the 192 are older tech, and that the 192 is not officially supported. But since I had no problem like this with the same equipment in the cheese grater, I thought I'd ask.

I have definitely seen these before, however, it was a while back and I cannot recall how it was resolved. In my experience, it would have been NativeUltimate with RME hardware, so I'm not certain it is hardware related. At the time, I was using the MacPro 2013 trashcan.

[Devilskater666]

Same here... Thanks for the Workaround, works for me too


I'm also on Mac Studio M1 Max, Monterey 12.6.2 and PT 2022.12 (Rosetta).
(but I had the same Problem in Ventura)


I think we can rule out the 192 because I use a HD Omni.
Do you have a UAD Card installed in the same chassis?


Can you check if you have the Playback Error supression on? If so and when you disable it do you also get an "Audio processing could not complete" Error?

[chuckbutler]

I have no other cards installed; this is a very simple system.

I experimented with Playback Error suppression off and on, made no difference either way. I left it disabled, and have not seen the error you describe.

I have not found a faster workaround other than this: after powering up the computer in the morning, I launch ProTools (without opening a session), open the Hardware Setup dialog as I described, then quit ProTools. Then I relaunch PT, and my sessions open normally for the rest of the day--so long as I don't quit PT at any point.

[Devilskater666]

I might have a solution, worked for me so far:


Try not to connect the TB PCIe chassis directly to the TB4 Ports of the Mac Studio, use a TB3 HUB or daisychain it to a device (an UAD Satellite in my case). Then remove drivers with the uninstaller and reinstall the driver.

[chuckbutler]

That's interesting. I do indeed have the chassis connected to a TB4 port on the back of the Mac Studio (Max). I don't have a TB3 hub, but I wonder what would happen if I connected it to one of the TB3 ports on the front of the Max and then uninstalled/reinstalled the drivers as you suggest. I'll try that on Monday.

[Devilskater666]

Aren't they USB only? Might want to double check on that beforehand
Any TB3 device with a second port will do...

If it works for you do NOT use HD Native as System Audio or you will have to reinstall again This driver's a real b**ch

[Branko]

Originally Posted by Devilskater666

Aren't they USB only? Might want to double check on that beforehand
Any TB3 device with a second port will do...

If it works for you do NOT use HD Native as System Audio or you will have to reinstall again This driver's a real b**ch

No, you need a tb hub. And it worked for me (Mac M1 Mini + Sonnet 3 slot chassis)
On another system we have (Studio M1 Max + Sonnet 3 slot chassis) it wasn't necessary - it just works straight out of the box.

[chuckbutler]

I can confirm that plugging the chassis into the TB3 ports on the front of the Mac Studio does not work.

However, it seems that simply reinstalling the driver had some benefit. Now, *at least sometimes*, ProTools will open and play sessions correctly immediately after the computer is booted, and after quitting and reopening.

It's still not 100% reliable . . . which I don't understand. The next room I'm upgrading has a Sonnet chassis, so we'll see how that behaves.

[chuckbutler]

Still struggling with this issue.

I've just finished setting up a new Mac Studio Max in a second room. Same setup as in the room discussed in my OP, except in this case the HD Native card is in an older Sonnet TB2 expansion chassis (the same one used with the trashcan that the new computer replaced).

The installation proceeded without problems, including successfully updating the firmware of the HD Native card. But the first project I opened after completing the setup would not play (same flashing play button as described previously). I quit and went through the workaround I discovered previously, and at that point Pro Tools projects played as expected--until I opened one that included a movie file. That forced the video engine to load for the first time, and this seems to have triggered the bug because I could not get that session to play, and when I opened another project (without video) it would not play either.

I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the HD driver in both rooms, but this has not made a difference in either. So I have two different rooms with two different expansion chassis exhibiting the same behavior.

I tried inserting a TB3 hub between the Mac and the Avid expansion chassis in the first room (as was suggested) but found no difference in behavior. And I'm now skeptical of that solution since I'm seeing the issue with a TB2 device (using an Apple TB2 adaptor) as well.

Once I get past the bug ProTools seems to be working fine. But this is a really annoying problem in a busy production facility; we depend on being able to open and close projects without needing workarounds. It's unprofesssional.