Losing communication with audio interface, impossible to bounce to disk or to track

[nguetecho]

since the upgrade to leopard I've started having a lot of system crashes.
I can work with all size sessions and plug-ins. no problems to edit regions, audio process and listening (playback). but I can't do bounces. the bounced audio files have poor sound level (-40 db) and there are not all the tracks. just a few mono tracks. for example if a have 24 tracks project, the bounce file would contain just a few sounds (6 tracks), which are always the same. also, when I'm trying to make the bounces I get the warning window (-6097) telling me that the communication with audio interface is lost and that I should try to increase H/W buffer size, which is already at 1024. I've tried to bounce the mixdown file recording it to a new track. but I've got no sound. using or not an aux track, using buses or analog I/O and of course record enable, the only sound that I get is a "sound hit" every time I press stop. and again the warning window appears (-6097).
just to see if the system was right, I've tried to record a CD from CD player connected into the alternative source input via alt src to in 7-8. so I've heard the sound (not recording just the rec enable) for about 15 seconds and then the system crashed. and again the same warning window. no other application was open, just PT and almost no plug-ins (just EQ3) and an aux track with reverb from digi.
I'm using an imac intel 2GHz, 2G RAM, with a 460Gb with 2 partitions, one for audio the other for the system. OSX 10.5.6 - PT 7.4.2 - 002R - command 8.
need help asap.
sorry for the long thread
thanks

[albee1952]

When you initiate a bounce to disk, one of the first windows that comes up has a place to select the source of the bounce. It SHOULD be set for whatever your main output is(either analog 1&2 or SPDIF if you are using the SPDIF output for monitoring). I suspect that somehow this selection has changed to some other output or buss by accident.

[td.Lemmon]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the problem but:
Recording to the system drive is not supported. As you have partitioned the (main) harddrive.
Better path is a dedicated external audio drive (fw) as you use an iMac.
Then the strain is on two different (physical) drives instead of one.

(i know you can get a long way recording/bouncing as you're currently do. But when strange things happen, you might wanna go digi's recommended way.)

good luck!

[nguetecho]

thanks for your answers!
albee, the bounces are well setted (analog 1&2). I can hear the real-time bounce with all the sources, edits and all the stuff. but, when I open the file to be sure that it's all right, I realise that the file is incomplete and -40 db
td, I've also did that. is true that I use to work from the audio partition (no apps, just sound files and sessions) of the principal HD, never had a problem... but now. I've made the bounces to an external HD and I also worked with sessions directly from the external HD, and it doesn't work. same thing if I try to record to track. I think is a computer problem or a core audio driver malfunction. but the thing is that others apps works fine. just PT and is a new thing, it started 3 days ago.
thanks again for your help