Timecode and GUI playback bar hangs but audio and meters still working

[Michael Durham]

I am having an intermittent problem after setting up a Avid SC48 with FWx ASIO drivers on Sonar where the timecode, playback bar, and track window all freeze after a beat or so but the audio engine seems to still be running just fine. It will record and playback flawlessly, but if I "stop and set now time to here" it reads the frozen time code and only moves it the beat or so forward.  My IT dept ran the latest Sonar update and it worked fine for a day but now the problem is back on the same version. I've tried setting the sync to internal but it switches itself back to off after one playback. I don't really even think sync is related because I'm not trying to sync to anything outside the soundboard and computer, but somehow it's not advancing the timecode but it's still referencing that stuck timecode. I've also tried higher/lower buffer settings, resetting the board, disconnecting the MCU, and checking for clock settings in SC48 (couldn't find any).

Edited March 29, 2023 by Michael Durham

[scook]

While not the same hardware, it may need the same CbB config tweak as other Avid interfaces.

See 

 

[reginaldStjohn]

I don't have an answer but some things to look for,

- Open task manager and see if there are some other high CPU, Memory or Disk tasks running

- Check on a new project with only a simple audio file in one track. Does it still do it?

- Use Replendence LatencyMon to check for anything taking too much interrupt time. A video card driver could cause such an issue.

[Michael Durham]

Thanks for the reply, do you think the timecode calculations could be coming from the video processing? I am not a programmer but would have thought the display is based on calculations already made by... whatever part of the program looks at the clock lol. 

It works correctly after I unplug the SC48 from firewire, then the problem comes back after I plug it in and allow the device to be added.

I will try the recommendations next. Ethernet is the only thing really spiking on the task manager (processor stays below 10%). It seems to do it even on a brand new 16-track template. Goes for 6 or 7 frames then seems to bog down. The rest of the GUI seems to not lag at all-- even the meters, mouse, and other stuff that usually lags first in my experience.  No plugins are loaded. It may be in the firewire/ASIO driver, I'll be looking into that in the meantime.

Edited March 29, 2023 by Michael Durham

[OutrageProductions]

Are you running Word Clock in the Avid?

Edited March 29, 2023 by OutrageProductions

[Michael Durham]

On 3/29/2023 at 3:09 PM, OutrageProductions said:

Are you running Word Clock in the Avid?

No, but I did wonder this morning just before opening up your reply whether I needed to, since it is a little more pro-level (and older) than I am accustomed to?

[Michael Durham]

On 3/29/2023 at 3:09 PM, OutrageProductions said:

Are you running Word Clock in the Avid?

Also, the sc48, computer, and AES output to my studio monitors are the only things in the system right now, I would assume the Avid is running on its own clock and should be outputting it to the computer via FW?

One new clue I found is that on an empty project it either stops counting at 12000 samples, or at 12222, depending on how long the MIDI "prepare using:" buffer is. Oddly to me, the higher buffer makes it stop at the smaller 12000 number. I'm not using MIDI, I forgot what tab I was on when I was adjusting it.

Also, Windows audio outputting to the SC48 is set to 32 bit, and has always worked fine (though there is no timecode to follow for Windows). The documentation (and Cakewalk) say the settings should be locked to 24bit. But whenever I start trying to change the windows setting to 24 bit, Cakewalk starts bluescreening a WDF violation on loading a project. Sample rate is 48k across the board.

Edited March 31, 2023 by Michael Durham

[Michael Durham]

Also FWIW, Reaper runs the timecode and display fine (and Cakewalk/Sonar did--the first time after installing the Avid FWx asio drivers). Otherwise I would blame an outdated ASIO driver.

[OutrageProductions]

@Michael Durham

I was going to ask if your PC IEEE 1394 I/F had a genuine Texas Instruments chipset on it, but that may be moot if it has worked partially and/or in other situations. 

This may be a long shot, but beg/borrow/steal another FW interface (like an old MOTU 896) to test and eliminate the AVID as the culprit. 

In my vast experience with PT hardware, I instill very little faith in AVID anymore, but that's just MHO.

[Michael Durham]

Scook's answer fixed my problem, with a config file change. Thank you all so much!