Uad apollo 8 and pro tools studio problem

[4thdisciple]

I'm having issues with the audio cutting off and back on periodically while playing Pro Tools. you can actually hear the interface clicking off and on as if it's being disconnected or switching sample rates something (but it's not switching sample rates to be clear). I have updated to the latest UAD software and the latest version of Pro Tools Studio, running OS X 10.15.7 which from what I read is compatible. I have 2 Apollo 8's with thunderbolt3 card option installed on both and have tried switching the ports on the CPU and changing numerous cables to attempt to narrow the problem down which now appears only to happen when using Pro tools. Need assistance badly, I have project deadlines to make. This only happenedd when upgrading to Protools Studio. I even tried downgrading to v2021.12 but when I did that I got no sound at all and the unit still clicks i/o.

[Darryl Ramm]

You mention clicking etc. as you say should exactly focus you on sample rates etc. Maybe you do have multiple apps fighting to try to set the sample rate, or maybe you have the interfaces clocking from a digital input or word clock at the wrong sample rate or the clock signal is erratic etc. Test them out using internal clock, and make sure the interface is setting itself to internal clock. Make sure you have the device itself selected as the playback engine and are not using aggregate IO.

Start there, but then if not that start standard troubleshooting with trashing prefs. See under "help us help you" up the top of each DUC web page.

What happens when you select built-in output or whatever it's called as the playback engine?

What happens when you use the interfaces with other apps? Got another DAW handy to test with?

If it's urgent, you should contact Avid support, if you are not on a renewal/support plan then purchase an ASC to do this. And you might need to contact UAD support as well.

[4thdisciple]

Yea I've done all the troubleshooting I can do and the clock is in internal on the Apollo. It seems to narrow down to Pro Tools. Like I said this started when I upgraded to "Studio". It even clicks periodically when no music is playing only when Pro Tools is open, very crazy behavior.

[JimaSound]

I imagine you have already tried this but if not...do a hardware reset on the Apollo. I had to reset an Apollo Twin yesterday that is used to control volume on an Apollo 8. This is the first time I have ever needed to "hardware reset" any Apollo device.

[Daveporter33765]

Originally Posted by 4thdisciple

Yea I've done all the troubleshooting I can do and the clock is in internal on the Apollo. It seems to narrow down to Pro Tools. Like I said this started when I upgraded to "Studio". It even clicks periodically when no music is playing only when Pro Tools is open, very crazy behavior.

As you can see in my signature, we have two iMacs running both UA Apollo 8s plus other UA gear and Pro Tools Studio. We are not experiencing the issues you are reporting. The clicking normally indicates that either the sample rate is being changed by Pro Tools Studio or some other software program that may be running concurrently…or a UAD plugin assigned to a Unison track in the Console App is triggering changes in the Apollo 8.

So I would first open Console to be sure you do not have a plugin that you are not aware of loaded into a unison slot. If that is not the case, check to see if any other audio software is open while Pro Tools Studio is open. If either of these situations is occurring you can unload the plugin from the Unison slot or shutdown any other software running concurrently with Pro Tools Studio…and see if your problem continues or not. Hope this helps.

[4thdisciple]

I don't have any plugs in the uni-slots or in the console at all. but I do have my lynx hilo on at the same time, ill try disconnecting that and see if its a fix...

[Daveporter33765]

Originally Posted by 4thdisciple

I don't have any plugs in the uni-slots or in the console at all. but I do have my lynx hilo on at the same time, ill try disconnecting that and see if its a fix...

Temporarily disabling the Lynx Hilo may be worth a try, but I would not think it could cause a change of state within your Apollo 8.

Please let us know if you find anything that solves your problem.

[4thdisciple]

No luck. I thought it was going to work once I updated the firmware on each UAD device. It worked when each device was connected separately but once I connect them both together I get the problem back. I even reset the hardware again and reinstalled the software with no success.

[dominicperry]

You'll probably get better luck from the UAD forum. I don't think this is a PT problem.

The clicking from the Apollos is either sample rate changes or changes of line/mic/hi-z. I don't think the latter is likely to be what's happening here, so one or both of your Apollos are changing sample rate. That makes it a faulty Apollo or more likely a clocking problem.
You need to make sure your Apollos are connected correctly, with working cables. They need to sit in a chain on the same TB port. (DO NOT USE THEM ON MULTIPLE SEPARATE TB PORTS!). If you are clocking from the Lynx, you need to be absolutely sure that it's being done correctly. It's not clear to me how you have the Lynx connected or why - perhaps for monitoring off an SPDIF port of an Apollo, in which case the Apollo will be the clock master.

Clearly you also need to be sure that nothing else which is grabbing the sample rate - for example that you don't have system-sounds or some other application trying to flick the sample-rate on the Apollos while they are doing their job in Pro Tools. The reason it looks like a Pro Tools problem is that PT is very sensitive to having the playback engine messed with while PT is connected to it. If something else fiddles with the sample rate, PT will fall apart, which isn't true of every other application. Either way, it's almost certainly not really a PT problem, it's a clocking/cabling problem or some other app grabbing the Apollos.

Dominic

[Darryl Ramm]

Agree with Dominic and lots of good advice he provides.

Try to avoid any natural human bias of assume things are how you think, but instead carefully check all assumptions, or even better have somebody else look over your shoulder as you talk things though. Make sure any things like clocking/digital cables are as you expect. Disconnect every cable you don't need to use. That there are no programs/utilities starting up unseen that are grabbing audio devices... as Dominic described but actually look though running processes using ps or activity monitor, don't assume there are none. Make sure there are no other logged in users. There have been folks on here with horrendous problems that dragged on for a long time that turned out to be a digital cable providing clock at the wrong sample rate. We've all had some problem that we were have been sure we've checked everything for and overlooked.