"an assertion occurred" -nightmare error!!

[JPS]

I have recently begun to experience a very serious error that wipes out all saved midi information and midi tracks. Even took down the aux track with it. This error is mind numbing!!

The system will suddenly become unstable. Video becomes very slow and playing grinds to a halt. The last time it said the "PCI bus was too busy to continue", but there was no error message. I am able to save info (supposedly) but when I try to close the session, I get the following message:

Could not complete the 'Close Session' command because: an assertion occurred in d:\codevobs\AlturaPorts\PT4.App\Mdie\Mdie_Timing Service.cpp", line 217

The computer then locks up like a box of rocks. I have to reboot. When I go back into the session, my midi tracks are gone and all the info. It appears that audio tracks remain intact. Some midi info shows in the midi region, so I will try an immport into another session to see was is left. I tried to open another midi track and preview the midi again, but the system immediately became unstable again. Locked up-same error.

Digi Tech, any comments would be appreciated. Is the instal corrupted. It appears to reference the PT4 code. Suggestions.

[JPS]

I decided to call tech on this one. They had a data base on this error, but mostly on the mac. Has to do with file corruption. Did a reinstall of PTLE 5.1. The old files were definately gone, still didn't show with the new install. Fortunately, I made a "save as" back two days ago and reimported the midi track. A lot better than nothing.

[bstaley]

I got similar "Assertation Occurred" error a few days ago while trying to import audio tracks. What makes me curious is the path and file listed in the error message:

"d:\codevobs\AlturaPorts\PT4.App\Mdie\Mdie_Tim ing Service.cpp"

I don't have a "codevobs" directory anywhere on my computer. The ".cpp" file in my error message was different but I did a search and couldn't find it anywhere on any of my harddrives.

A ".cpp" file is a C++ file. Why wouldn't this file be in the "Program Files\Digidesign" directory? Actually, I would think there wouldn't be any raw C++ files. They should all be compiled, right? Otherwise I could open it in Visual C++ and look at some of Digi's source code!

Could somebody from Digi please explain this? Are there hidden directories on our machines or something? What's going on?

Thanks.

PS. I was able to eventually get my audio file imported by first opening it in Sound Forge and Resaving it to a new file. The new file imported successfully.

[JPS]

Well, it is nice to know that I am not totally alone on this. Some of the files in the "doomed" session had been created on my PC, exported to a Mac and worked on with the AMI III, and then reimported. So these files had been around.

Maybe the reason you were not able to find the directory is because i left out a "\" between "code" and "vobs". It should have read like this: "d:\code\vobs\AlturaPorts\PT4.App\Mdie\Mdie_Ti ming Service.cpp"

I would guess that there is some programming with every session file in every project, which then resides on the audio storage disk. It would almost have to because all of the midi file information in somehow stored in the session file and some small app must reside there, or at least use C++ programming.

I think midi crashes may have been the start of the problem. I was using my Gigastudio to play the Digi midi, when I decided to make a change in the basic Gigastudio settings from 64 notes to 96 notes simutaneous play. It was a spectatular crash/lockup! I now make any changes with PTLE closed.

Another reason I think it is midi, because it refrences "mdie" which looks alot like "midi". I did a search on this error and none showed on the DUC database. Perhaps the importing of files in the new 5.1.1 standard is not perfected. I reinstalled 5.1, but didn't update to 5.1.1. I'm gonna wait and see what happens. So far so good. With about five hours of editing and recording audio and playing back from midi (Soundblaster) everything is running stable.