Pro Tools 11 Screen Freeze?

[wdjudd]

System Configs in signature:

I have been trying to use PT 10.3.x and have given up based on the never ending problems as outlined below. Are these still issues in PT 11?

1st issue . . .
"Screen Freeze" but session keeps playing in background?

2nd issue . . .
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.

Are these still issues in PT 11? Please advise. Thanks.

[crizdee]

Originally Posted by wdjudd

System Configs in signature:

I have been trying to use PT 10.3.x and have given up based on the never ending problems as outlined below. Are these still issues in PT 11?

1st issue . . .
"Screen Freeze" but session keeps playing in background?

2nd issue . . .
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.

Are these still issues in PT 11? Please advise. Thanks.

Hi,

1. screen freeze. yes i have experienced this when editing audio in the edit screen! screen freezes for about 5-6 seconds then comes back and performs anything i tried to do in those 6 seconds etc.

I don't think this is a common issue and probably something unique in the setup i have and you have. if it was a common issue there would be 10000's of posts.

2. transport not working? never seen this issue before


Chris

[wdjudd]

Originally Posted by crizdee

Hi,

1. screen freeze. yes i have experienced this when editing audio in the edit screen! screen freezes for about 5-6 seconds then comes back and performs anything i tried to do in those 6 seconds etc.

I don't think this is a common issue and probably something unique in the setup i have and you have. if it was a common issue there would be 10000's of posts.

2. transport not working? never seen this issue before


Chris

Thanks for the reply and providing some info on these issues.

[PhilSchroeder]

Yes, just getting to putting PT11 through the paces and behold, the dreaded screen freeze is back. Buffer changes don't seem to help. I'm running a lot of VI's, and already have to use VEPro for that because of processing issues, which is kind of stunning given the processing and RAM I have on board. But yes, the dreaded screen freezes from what, PT7? They're back. Will report if I have any more info.

Anyone else?

[magpro]

i'm having this problem with PT 10.
the only way out at this point i thought was going to HDX and 11...
can you reproduce this in 11?

[Darryl Ramm]

Focus on your system, does it meet specs for Pro Tools, have you fully optimized it--every last thing done, have you done standard trouble shooting steps, especially have you carefully tested if plugins are causing issues, and so on. Start at the "Help us help you..." Link above on every DUC web page.

[magpro]

i have been testing to narrow this problem down, and i ran out of things to replace or subtract.

testing started with:
MacPro 4,1 Nehalem 2x2.26 quad-core
protools 10.3.8 HD
HD2 Accel
6 gigs of ram 6*1Gig modules
HD7950 sapphire graphics card

no third party nothing
only mixer plugin

fresh install of OS (started with snowleopard)
fresh install of protools 10

THE BUG:
intermittent GUI Freezes for about 600-800 ms.
audio plays back normal, everything "under the hood" seems to be fine.
it becomes most noticeable when writing automation.
there will be no automation written during the freeze as it's locking out mouse, keyboard, screen.
the test is very simple:
new session, create a few tracks (no audio in 'em), pop it into automation and start riding a fader, and the freezes will start to appear... it's easy to see when you watch the counter go and hang for a second...


NARROWING IT DOWN:
played around with the obvious (playback engine settings, spotlight, trashing prefs, spotlight etc)
tried SNOW LEOPARD, LION, MOUNTAIN LION, MAVERICKS (each come with their respective weirdnesses, but no change to behavior as far as these freezes are concerned)
replaced graphics card back to gt120 (macpro came with it)
replaced RAM (upgraded to 24 gigs, 6*4gig modules)
removed and replaced HD cards to see if there's something funky
replaced 192, also played around with different clocking situations (internal, external word clock)
different digilink cable
replaced ilok
unplugged from any network
no blutooth
different mice (that was a stretch)
different keyboard
different screen
tried OS on different drives (even SSD's)
shut off one of the cores
everything unplugged expt keyboard, mouse and screen
AHT reveals nothing
nor does digitest

got ANOTHER MacPro (westmere 5,1 12gigs of ram)
same procedure:
fresh OS
fresh install of PT10
just the basics (ilok drivers, and mixer plugin)


the only thing the two systems had in common were that they ran protools 10HD with a 192

i have also changed locations, just to make sure that i'm not sitting on some sacred burial grounds.


i have run out of things to try, and i'm very open for suggestions
this is causing me a lotta anxiety during mixing and editing, as i have to do a lotta fixes constantly, and it interrupts my workflow.
i'm a very busy editor and engineer and i rely on being "on a roll".

i admit i have been more busy trying to figure this out than anything else. i'm obsessed


thanks for your help

[Darryl Ramm]

Wow, great list.

How frequently do the freezes happen and is there a noticeable pattern/periodicity to them?

When you say "ride a fader" is that purely on-screen or do you have a control surface attached (even if not being used).

You have no native plugins installed at all... not even standard Pro Tools ones? So you can set #CPU in the playback engine dialog to some low number... to ensure a whole physical core is always available to Pro Tools. I'd do that to be paranoid even if you are not expecting to run any native plugins.

Can you see anything in OS X Activity Monitor when these glitches occur?.. CPU, disk, network activity etc. yes time resolution there may not let you see things, but doe anything look unusual?

Does this happen if you run Pro Tools without the HD/TDM cards and just use built-in audio as the playback engine?

[magpro]

no control surface.
i'm suspecting the control surface has a higher priority than a mouse and the automation would be written correctly. (i'm considering getting something to bypass the automation frustration, won't solve editing with this bug)

the freeze happens randomly... sometimes i can be in play for about a minute or more before i see it happen...

freezing in my situation is just under a second... i measure the straight line in the automation that has no data during stalling.

[Bill Denton]

I'm not a Mac guy, but would 10 GB 667 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM be a "legal" configuration for that machine?