Audio Engine Dropout

[RexRed]

Dropout #12 [Internal] Internal audio buffer memory limit overflow.

Contact support with recipe/project file.

I am recording with 32-bit floating point.

This only happens when I stop playing my project then I get this error message, it goes away.

This is not really a problem but Is there a way to fix this?

[Larioso]

There is a value in configuration file, preferences, about setting the dropout time limit to watch out for.

DropoutMsec=250 is default.

 

Try increasing it....

[RexRed]

38 minutes ago, Larioso said:

There is a value in configuration file, preferences, about setting the dropout time limit to watch out for.

DropoutMsec=250 is default.

 

Try increasing it....

Thanks for this! I'll let you known if it helps. 👍

[mettelus]

2 hours ago, Larioso said:

There is a value in configuration file, preferences, about setting the dropout time limit to watch out for.

DropoutMsec=250 is default.

 

Try increasing it....

That one is under Preferences->Audio->Configuration File

Another one to consider is bumping up the Playback and Record Buffers Sizes under Preferences->Audio->Sync and Caching. Depending how complex your project is, there may also be hurdles pulling/writing from media, especially if you upped the bit-depth.

[DeeringAmps]

Which driver Rex? RME or the Zoom?

t

[bitflipper]

Just bear in mind that the DropoutMSec variable won't stop dropouts, but only raise the engine's tolerance toward them. it sets how long a dropout must last before the engine gives up, says "something's very wrong" and stops playback. If you experience a dropout longer than 250ms, then there is definitely something wrong. If you can live with it, that's fine - it won't affect your exports, you'll just have interruptions during playback.

[RexRed]

9 hours ago, DeeringAmps said:

Which driver Rex? RME or the Zoom?

t

I am using the Zoom driver, and setting the 250 value to 300 seems to have corrected this problem, for now. 

I am loving this Zoom device. I was unaware at how dynamic my voice can be.

I can go from a hush to a very loud spike in my vocal style/transient and no amount of gain riding can seem to correct this and not having to pay any concern to gain is incredibly useful.

This Zoom box does not even have a gain knob. 

I have always suspected small amounts of distortion from peaking within a device, this no longer is even the slightest concern.

This alone is WELL worth the investment.

The Zoom is a definite buy in my book.

I still have my RME hooked to my PC and the zoom output goes into that and Windows uses my REM interface. The outputs of my RME interface go into a Rodecaster Pro II and then out to Monitor speakers/or headphones and a second streaming PC which doubles back into the Rodecaster.

Edited August 2, 2023 by RexRed

[RexRed]

5 minutes ago, bitflipper said:

Just bear in mind that the DropoutMSec variable won't stop dropouts, but only raise the engine's tolerance toward them. it sets how long a dropout must last before the engine gives up, says "something's very wrong" and stops playback. If you experience a dropout longer than 250ms, then there is definitely something wrong. If you can live with it, that's fine - it won't affect your exports, you'll just have interruptions during playback.

It is very odd that it only happens when I stop the song.

Like manually stopping the song is being perceived as a dropout. 

It could be that the events are so thick that the stop command is being lost in the crowd. 

Maybe giving it a little more time helps it to realize it was not really a dropout.

Edited August 2, 2023 by RexRed

[RexRed]

9 hours ago, mettelus said:

Another one to consider is bumping up the Playback and Record Buffers Sizes under Preferences->Audio->Sync and Caching. Depending how complex your project is, there may also be hurdles pulling/writing from media, especially if you upped the bit-depth.

This is the one I did first and it seems to have fixed it.

I just this moment also raised the dropout to 300 as well just to supply a bit of time for things to catch up.

I assume these are remembered from project to project.

I will check on my next new project.

Edited August 2, 2023 by RexRed

[DeeringAmps]

3 hours ago, RexRed said:

I still have my RME hooked to my PC and the zoom output goes into that and Windows uses my REM interface. The outputs of my RME interface go into a Rodecaster Pro II and then out to Monitor speakers/or headphones and a second streaming PC which doubles back into the Rodecaster.

Seems kind of complicated, but if it works.

Cake uses the Zoom and Windows the RME, interesting…

[hockeyjx]

@RexRed can you send a link for this magical device?

 

[RexRed]

23 hours ago, hockeyjx said:

@RexRed can you send a link for this magical device?

 

Zoom UAC-232 USB 2.0 Audio Interface

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UAC232--zoom-uac-232-usb-3.0-audio-interface

This device comes highly recommended by me.

For recording I prefer this Zoom interface over my RME but my RME is necessary for my Windows part of the equation, so I have 8 fully dedicated physical ins and outs for routing to my other PC through my Rodecaster Pro II I normally only use 4 physical in (from the RME) and then I have 2 USB ins as well. One USB in has multiple in and out channels. 

It is also not too much to simply switch which device I use in Cakewalk.

I think my Cakewalk will be using 32 bit recording exclusively for a long time though.

Never again worry about clipping. And this in turn gives you higher quality recordings.

I just wish Melodyne would get onboard with this 32 bit recording.

Melodyne does work with 32 bit files it simply converts them to a lower bitrate.

I think my 32 bit files sound better in Melodyne than my 24 bit files did.

Here is a link to the Rodecaster Pro II if you are interested in broadcasting and streaming live to another PC and online.

Rode Rodecaster Pro II Podcast Production Console

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rodecaster2--rode-rodecaster-pro-ii-podcast-production-console

It is pricy but wow is it handy attenuating the audio from both PCs and my RME UCX II.

The Rodecaster has two interfaces built into it, 24-bit / 48 kHz

I thought I saw a 4 channel version of the 32-bit Zoom, 4 fully dedicated physical outs and this produce would rule the audio interface space totally! I wish I had gotten that but I can get by with what I have for now.

There probably isn't a 4 channel version that is 32-bit yet. So I am really happy I bought this for now.

The Zoom is mostly plastic, but actually really nice that it is not heavy/bulky and it does not produce any heat at all, none.

The knobs are not cheap feeling and the plugins are solid.

I kinda wish it had input volume knobs but really, where would I set it? Line is probably best.

Cakewalk can handle the volumes of things and I can use busses as well in Cakewalk to isolate track signals if needed.

There is a direct mix control panel software that comes for the Zoom I have left that alone for now and beside that there is the Zoom driver dialogue box. The zoom, is a rather simple interface and does have direct monitoring and loop back.

It is easy to use and the audio quality is REALLY nice! 

Edited August 3, 2023 by RexRed

[RexRed]

5 hours ago, DeeringAmps said:

Seems kind of complicated, but if it works.

Cake uses the Zoom and Windows the RME, interesting…

Yes, it is kind of complicated especially setting up the Rodecaster but once you get it set, then everything in your system is always connected and only one slider away. 

Before the RME and Rodecaster I would reroute inputs and outputs for the multiple scenarios I would stream with gaming, my 3d channel, my Cakewalk channel, OBS studio etc...

Sometimes with Windows and the multiple sound cards, latency issues and none of the sound cards had multiple ins and outs, It could take me hours just to figure out why a signal would not come through. Now it is wired for every scenario. I just have a few thing to set up and it is always ready.

Saves me tons of time and a huge amount of complexity.  

Even the RME Totalmix console is pretty much a set it and leave it kind of thing now.

Every once in a while a Windows update will shuffle my devices and I simply go back in and put the right device/channel as default and everything is a go again.

It is the physical ins and outs of the RME that simplify things mightily.

The two outs of the Zoom go into the RME  and get routed to speakers and wherever by that.

Overall, it is very complicated but that complexity, once set stays set faithfully.

I got rid of all virtual ins and outs and no longer need Voicemeeter Potato as well.

Edited August 3, 2023 by RexRed