Pro Tools hangs when recording

[GOOD]

Recording one track of audio about every five minutes there will be a hang. Sound through headphones cuts out and then returns. Recording has this stalled sound.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hy1e8...=9yy5aai1&dl=0

This is a newer iMac set up the same way an older iMac was operating without issue. I've already gone through optimising ProTools performance. Lowered buffer. Deleted old clips. The cache is virtually empty because its a fresh user. Turned off Autosaves. Effects are bypassed during recording.

The Focusrite is connected to thunderbolt 3 port on iMac via a converter to thunderbolt 2. Its the only thing that doesn't seem perfect about the setup.

2020 iMac
3.6 GHz 10-Core Intel Core i9
Ventura
Focusrite Clarrett 8Pre
ProTools 2024.10.2 iLok

[sw rec]

I’m curious what kind of TB converter and cable you’re running. I had a StarTech TB3 to TB2 converter, and a 9-foot StarTech TB 2 cable to go from the converter to the Apollo 8, and it never had an issue. Ran it on Windoze for years, ran it on a MAC STUDIO M1 Max for years too. (Just replaced the TB 2 option card with a TB3 card last Friday, but more as a future-proofing measure, never had a problem with it.) If memory serves, these are VERY sensitive to Thunderbolt adapters. Hope that helps narrow it down.

[nsureit]

It could be something simple like too many unnecessary apps running in the background. Turning off Avid Link and WiFi (if possible) usually fixes my session’s stutters and hangups.

[tope d]

Is the same happening on other sessions? Can you try opening a new session and import the session's data and see if the same issue occurs?

[GOOD]

Originally Posted by tope d

Is the same happening on other sessions? Can you try opening a new session and import the session's data and see if the same issue occurs?

I did build a new session because I thought this was a good idea and found the same issue still occurred during recording

[Darryl Ramm]

The "stalled" sound happens at exactly what time in the recording?

You should be doing lots of the standard troubleshooting...

Trashing prefs.

Moving *all* .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder. Yes even if they are not being used in the session.

What sample rate and H/W buffer size are you running at? You normally would increase, not decrease, H/W buffer size if having problems.

Are there any other apps, including macOS trying to use the Focusrite as an audio device? Get all them assigned to use some other device and only Pro Tools using the Focusrite as playback engine.

Testing using the Mac's audio device as the playback engine. Or an aggregate device using the Mac microphone. Can you reproduce that problem?

Make sure the Focusrite drivers are up to date.

Make sure that the Pro Tools is not using voice isolation Mic mode with Pro Tools. Been discussed before on DUC. Check the macOS menu bar orange mic icon is not flickering when this problem happens.

Make sure that there are no plugins in the session that could possibly be in demo mode that are cutting off audio. Even if they seem to have valid licenses. Look out for plugins on hidden tracks. Best quick test is move every last .aaxplugin file out of the plugin directory, which you should be doing for other reasons as well.

Test from a newly created macOS admin account. Make sure iCloud drive is not enabled for desktops or documents.

This is a kind of unusual problem since Pro Tools is more likely to crash if there are audio errors, but still might be a driver or faulty plugin etc. Make sure that ignore errors is not checked, and hope that increases the change a problem throws an real error.

Did you do a full software clean install on the new Mac? Hopefully you did not use migration assistant to move apps and drivers?

Thunderbolt adapter chain will have nothing to do with this.

[GOOD]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

The "stalled" sound happens at exactly what time in the recording?

Loving the help. I have been trying all of the things.

Stall happens approximately every 5 minutes. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Trashed prefs.

Movie *all* .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder.

48KHz sample rate and 256 Buffer. Have done some testing on 128 and no difference.

Litearlly no other apps in use. Sometimes MacOS sound device is Clarrett output, but also switched to headphones/iMac speakers.

The only time I could get a clean record was a new session with just iMac Microphone input and Headphones output. This is the only setup that has not had the hanging

My MacOS doesn't offer isolation Mic mode

Correct, no plugins. ERA4 noise reduction was originally on, but removing it from the plugin folder still has not helped.

Test from a newly created macOS admin account.

I started by removing all background processes like iCloud and Wifi

I have not yet unchecked ignore errors. Hopefully my next test will tell me something, anything!

It was a clean install of AVID Link, Protools and drivers

[Darryl Ramm]

Oh right, macOS Ventura, so no annoying macOS mic issues.

And the sound you hear when Pro Tools "hangs" is the kind of stutter sound at ~4.9 seconds?

When you say "hang" does the Pro Tools UI hang or do anything or is all the problem in the audio you are hearing?

That this does not happen with the mac's audio devices really points to likely an interface or driver problem.

I was about to mention the Clarrett+ 8Pre but then realized if you are using USB2 adapter you have the Clarett 8Pre not Clarett+ 8Pre, so it's Thunderbolt and you must have a driver installed OK for it to work at all. Make sure you have the latest driver version installed.

It sure sounds like a digital clocking sort of problem, but for many of those if there is a problem Pro Tools will throw an error... so get ignore errors off and see if you get a specific error. But that only protects from some simple errors, but try it and see

You want to be trying the H/W buffer larger not smaller, so just set the H/W buffer size to the largest value you can. Just to see if this behavior stops.

But... this type of stutter sound is a bit weirder than typical latency or digital sync problems that cause more click and pop type sounds. Almost like with some interfaces if something else is trying to change the sample rate... or the interface is being clocked externally and there is a glitch or temp change of sample rate with the clocking signal. The Clarett has Word Clock Output only right? So you can't be clocking from that, but are you clocking from ADAT or S/PDIF inputs? If so just disconnect that set the Clarett to internal clock to test.

The Clarett should work fine multi-client, i.e. with multiple audio apps trying to use it., but to be sure test with the macOS sound and alert sounds not set to play thought the Clarett Audio MIDI setup and make sure no other apps are running that are set to use that audio output (including say things like Zoom etc.). I know you already checked but check again and make sure macOS AMS is not set to use it either.

If nothing else helps and you have a non-Apple Thunderbolt 3 cable try a genuine Apple one (with Thunderbolt logo on it not a USB-C USB cable) the Apple Pro Thunderbolt cables seem really great. The Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter dongles seem very reliable in my experience. It's the off-brand cables I think you need to watch out for, and the rare damaged USB-C cable connector end or socket.

The other old school cause of periodic digital noise is say cellular telephone interference being picked up esp. via guitars or mics etc. but, especially GSM has a very different unique type of sound.

[GOOD]

This issue has now been (hopefully) resolved.

As nothing was pointing to a particular error, our IT guy reset the computer and we did a fresh install of everything and had an expert set up the ProTools Aggregate for I/O. Fortunately we don't use Pro Tools heavily so we could deal with the down-time.

Thanks for the assistance. Particularly Darryl whose exhaustive thought process helped me work through every little tiny thing until I just set fire to the whole system and started again.

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by GOOD

This issue has now been (hopefully) resolved.

As nothing was pointing to a particular error, our IT guy reset the computer and we did a fresh install of everything and had an expert set up the ProTools Aggregate for I/O. Fortunately we don't use Pro Tools heavily so we could deal with the down-time.

Thanks for the assistance. Particularly Darryl whose exhaustive thought process helped me work through every little tiny thing until I just set fire to the whole system and started again.

Good it's working. But I was just wondering (from a for my own information standpoint) if the only interface and input device is the Focusrite Clarrett 8Pre why set up aggregate at all ? why not just choose the Clarrett itself as the playback engine ? I use an Avid Carbon as interface, is there something about using a Focusrite the requires it be aggregate ?