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Cakewalk on win10 - freezing up after opening project - [solved - ASIO mode on consumer audio card]


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This is Cakewalk 2019.5 build32, on Windows 10 ver 1903 build 18362.175 on a Dell XPS 15 laptop model #9570,  Core i7, 16 gb RAM,   1 tb SSD.

 

Freezing up isn't exactly the right word. I can open Cakewalk, I can open a demo project. Once a project is open, it just starts doing something really weird.  The cursor switches to the busy cursor. The one that used to be an hourglass and since vista, became the little spinny circle. That cursor flashes and animates, nothing can be pressed in the main window.

I can't use cakewalk, but I can close it.

 

In the task manager, the task flips into "not responding" mode every three seconds. It's like something is using up a huge amount of CPU and freezing, and then repeating that. IT's too busy to do anything I ask it to do. The app is not exactly crashed (no errors) but it's totally non functional.

 

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Update: If you use the SHIFT key when opening, it prompts before loading plugins. If I do that, and say NO to all plugins, I would expect the project to load with just audio files and midi tracks or whatever was in there, and all instruments and fx inserts would be gone.  Instead it crashes with an access violation.  SAFE mode EH?

The project I'm opening is literally the DEMO project that SHIPS with this program [ Chernobyl Studios - Withered Moment ]

---------------------------
Error - Unhandled Exception
---------------------------
A fatal error has occurred.

Module:  C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core\Cakewalk.exe

A crash dump file has been created here:
C:\Users\warre\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Core\MiniDumps\Untitled_07052019_203425.dmp
     
Exception code:  c0000005
Address:  0000000140972004:0000000000000000:000000000000006C     

As a result of this error Cakewalk is about to exit abnormally.
Should Cakewalk attempt to save a recovery copy of your work?
---------------------------
Yes   No   
---------------------------
 

Warren

Edited by Warren Postma
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Only VST folder in the VST plugin folder path is the one containing vsts that ship with cakewalk.

ASIO driver is the Realtek ASIO HD. 

There are NO THIRD PARTY VSTS. This happens even with a blank project, with ONE empty audio track.   The thing just goes busy.  There are no VSTs and no insert fx, and no instruments at all in use.  Cakewalk has just gone stupid.

If I uncheck the realtek ASIO HD input and output audio devices, leaving my laptop with no audio in or out useable in Cakewalk, then the transport controls start working, I can play my empty project. (Of course I don't hear anything).

Consider this a bug report that your app should either work with Realtek ASIO HD, or warn users that the Realtek ASIO HD driver doesn't work with cakewalk.

 

Edited by Warren Postma
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What's really odd is I can't report my underlying WIndows audio driver as the device exists in device manager, but there's no driver version at all in windows 10 for this realtek audio (onboard laptop audio) device.

 

Here's what I get in device manager:

 

Device SWD\MMDEVAPI\{0.0.1.00000000}.{bfd15c82-fcc3-49d1-81b9-34c06a9d4d11} was configured.

Driver Name: audioendpoint.inf
Class Guid: {c166523c-fe0c-4a94-a586-f1a80cfbbf3e}
Driver Date: 03/18/2019
Driver Version: 10.0.18362.1
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Section: NO_DRV
Driver Rank: 0xFF0000
Matching Device Id: MMDEVAPI\AudioEndpoints
Outranked Drivers: c_swdevice.inf:SWD\GenericRaw:00FF3001
Device Updated: false
Parent Device: INTELAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0298&SUBSYS_1028087C&REV_1001\4&2223f159&0&0001
 

 

Driver : NO driver?

 

 

no driver.png

 

SOLUTION attempt #: INSTALL ASIO4ALL
http://www.asio4all.org/


It sort of worked once then ASIO4ALL went dumb.  (Showing device is disconnected)

After a reboot and some messing around in the ASIO4ALL setup, you can sometimes get it to work for a bit.

The audio is uber bad (scratchy, clicky, poppy, hissy) like someone compressed it down to 8 bit at 8 khz sampling, and then played it back through an IBM PC XT speaker that has a bullet hole in it.  (yeah, that bad)

 

Anyways, onboard Intel  realtek-compatible Audio chips, Windows 10, ASIO,   REAL REAL BAAAAD.

 

Tomorrow I'll try this with a real audio interface,  a steinberg UR22MK2,  and a USB DAC that I have lying around. Hope it works better.

 

What's super sucky is this sound device works fine with every other app I use on here, including other DAWS that use ASIO, like Harrison Mixbus.

 

 

Edited by Warren Postma
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Quote

t sort of worked once then ASIO4ALL went dumb.  (Showing device is disconnected)

After a reboot and some messing around in the ASIO4ALL setup, you can sometimes get it to work for a bit.

The audio is uber bad (scratchy, clicky, poppy, hissy) like someone compressed it down to 8 bit at 8 khz sampling, and then played it back through an IBM PC XT speaker that has a bullet hole in it.  (yeah, that bad)

All your troubles will go away if you get a audio sound card that is made for audio production. What you are using (Realteck) is made for just normal pc audio playback. It lacks drivers and circuitry that a dedicated audio interface has.

8 hours ago, Warren Postma said:

Freezing up isn't exactly the right word. I can open Cakewalk, I can open a demo project. Once a project is open, it just starts doing something really weird.  The cursor switches to the busy cursor. The one that used to be an hourglass and since vista, became the little spinny circle. That cursor flashes and animates, nothing can be pressed in the main window.

Try opening it up in Safe Mode. But this may be due to you not having a audio interface with drivers written for audio production.

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I do have a real audio interface (I mentioned it in one of the replies).  The main reason for using a laptop onboard sound card is just to be able to try out this software and learn its user interface on a laptop without any external boxes.

I think if Cakewalk devs KNOW that certain ASIO drivers or windows 10 audio hardware PCI identifiers spell trouble, they should warn users, and the app should not freeze.

I'm gonna try the WASAPI driver mode just to see if it works.

 

Ok interesting factoids. I think I know WHY the ASIO drivers don't work:

 

1. a real pro audio interface will support variable sample rates.

 

2.  a toy one (like a laptop card) won't.

 

When I select the WASAPI mode, I get this error:

 

Cakewalk
---------------------------
The default audio format is not compatible with one or more sound cards.  It has been reset to 48000 Hz (16 bit), as suggested by the driver.
---------------------------
OK   
 

 

That suggests to me that the ASIO mode audio interface code in Cakewalk is not programmed to notice that a given sample rate (44.1) or resolution is NOT supported.

 

Cakewalk could be improved, that's why I'm leaving details here, in case the devs are reading along.  It would be nice if there was a "Test ASIO" button somewhere in Cakewalk... Is there one?  It should go through various sample rates and bit resolutions, and see if it works.

 

For dummies playing around (that's me today), WASAPI + an appropriate dithering choice (anything but the default NONE option) results in acceptable audio quality for goofing around!


THANKS so much for the help everybody.

Now that it's working I'm reminded of what is so great about Cakewalk/Sonar. This is a beauty of a DAW with a wonderful UI and a great workflow.

 

 

Edited by Warren Postma
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I just experienced this same thing, checking out Bandlab Cakewalk. I had been using Sonar 3 with Win7 32-bit on a Dell Optiplex and was dreading the upgrade. Testing laptop has Realtek on-board, same as yourself - switching off of ASIO was the solution, as you say. Ironically, getting my old M-Audio Fastrack Pro to use ASIO in Win7 was a challenge, so I had some idea that the sound setup was an issue. For some reason, on the Win10 laptop, the M-Audio is only being recognized for MIDI and not audio on the laptop. Maybe it's time for a newer Audio module. Thanks!

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  • 3 months later...

I have the same problem, but working with full equipment (see under). Placed even a new SSD, but the problem of freezing and seing a working hourglass remains. it is the only application that gives the problem, I use othet DAW's without any (performance) problems. 

Anyone having an idea how to solve this hourglass and freezing every any edit? In the settings I have put saving every 4 minutes or 10 edits, but whatever I choose there, no difference.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 4 months later...
On 3/21/2020 at 3:52 PM, pwalpwal said:

asio4all works for me for the onboard realtek

I've downloaded and installed Asio4all and Cakewalk seems to have stopped buffering and is quicker. But there is no sound coming from cakewalk, do I need to change something in Cakewalk?

Edited by Stuart Walker
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2 hours ago, Stuart Walker said:

I've downloaded and installed Asio4all and Cakewalk seems to have stopped buffering and is quicker. But there is no sound coming from cakewalk, do I need to change something in Cakewalk?

you have to set the asio4all driver in preferences, like any other driver. worth not running any other audio-grabbing apps at the same time

failing that, use wasapi

/goodluck

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  • 5 weeks later...

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