An "Audio/MIDI device was disconnected" dilemma [SOLVED!]

[Ted Franklin]

I have a 34" Dell display with built-in sound which has an up to date Intel Display Audio driver.

I use these speakers for a variety of nonmusical apps (Zoom, Skype, etc.)  and, for these applications, the built-in speakers work better than my studio monitors.

Unfortunately,  Cakewalk is bombarding me at irregular intervals with popup error messages that the Intel Display Audio device has been disconnected.

The solution repeatedly offered on this forum is to disable the device.  I know how to do that, but, of course, it would make Zoom and Skype unable to use the speakers.

Is there any way to fix this?  I don't understand why Cakewalk even needs to poll my Intel Display Audio and get upset when it is "disconnected."  Intel Display Audio is not even listed as an output option (nor of course is it selected) in the Cakewalk, Preferences, Audio, Devices, Output Drivers.

I hope I don't have to choose between disabling part of my current setup or switching to a different DAW. 

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by Ted Franklin
Solved!

[OutrageProductions]

Check the cleanliness & integrity of the video connection to the monitor (be it DVI/HDMI/USB/other) for a good contact.

Sounds like a possible hardware cable issue.

[Promidi]

Can we please see a screen shot of the following:

Preferences - Audio - Devices
Preferences - Audio  - Playback and Recording?

[Starship Krupa]

5 hours ago, OutrageProductions said:

Check the cleanliness & integrity of the video connection to the monitor (be it DVI/HDMI/USB/other) for a good contact.

Sounds like a possible hardware cable issue.

Surely possible.

Unfortunately, with some monitors, when they go to sleep, they shut down enough that the OS can no longer detect that the audio device is present (which the OS doesn't care about, but Cakewalk seems to).

So if you walk away from the computer for what gamers call a "bio break" (eating or other bodily functions that unfortunately get in the way of the computing experience 😄) long enough for your monitor to sleep, you get the annoying message.

Also, and I'm not sure about this, but maybe if you tell Windows to allow applications to have exclusive access to the audio device, they might be doing just that and kicking Cakewalk out. Since Cakewalk is probably speaking ASIO, whereas Windows doesn't know ASIO from a hole in the ground, this might happen.

Anyway, @Ted Franklin, I'm not sure this will work, but it's something to try: Cakewalk has a setting under Preferences/MIDI/Devices for "Warn About No MIDI Devices." That should not be checked.

Really, though, I think this is a feature request. Cakewalk shouldn't complain about not being able to see audio devices you're not using anyway.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Starship Krupa

[Ted Franklin]

@Promidi  -- Here's the view from Preferences.

 

 

[Promidi]

You might want to uninstall the Realtek ASIO driver

[Ted Franklin]

Thank you, OutrageProductions.  I don't think it's a cable issue.  The video and audio  of the display work perfectly 100% of the time. There is not actually a "disconeection."  More likely, the driver goes to sleep when there is no audio signal being sent to that device.  But why would Cakewalk care about the cable to a device that is not used in Cakewalk and doesn't even show up as audio output option when it is "connected"?  Nevertheless, I will trya different cable before giving up.

Thank you, Starship Krupa.   Good ideas. "Warn about no MIDI devices" is unchecked so that isn't the problem.  I will see if there is anything I can do from the Windows side.

[Ted Franklin]

Thanks, Promidi -- I was thinking the same thing but you've talked me into it.  I don't use the Realtek.  It shouldn't have anything to do with the Intel Display Driver, but there's a gremlin in the system somewhere so ....   I won't get back to this until tomorrow sometime, but I'll report back, success or no.

[Sal Sorice]

I have the same issue and get the same exact message. I use 1 Samsung and 2 Sony 4k TVs as monitors.

Only solution I've found (as mentioned) is to disable the Intel audio devices so only my Focusrite 8i6 handles audio.

Definitely think this is a Cakewalk bug that needs to be addressed. 

[Bass Guitar]

It's not a bug. If you use a computer for serious audio production you need to set it up properly. You want a multi purpose computer then you will have to do things like disable and enable devices as you change what your using it for. Turn off the internet and disabling other audio drivers is Par for the course if you seriously want to use a DAW on your computer. DAW's are by nature contrary to almost all other applications you use on a computer. 

And yes the Realtek ASIO driver is a well known invasive driver. But that's not your issue. 
I get that message all the time on my office computer as said after it goes to sleep. I only use the real tek audio on that machine but I have a set of powered monitors connected. I have a 32 'TV screen connected via the HDMI but I would not suffer the sound from that, even for watching TV. 

[Ted Franklin]

@ Bass Guitar, I understand your suggestion is that I purchase a computer dedicated solely to use as a DAW.  I would, for sure, be happy to do that if I were a serious sound engineer.  However, although you are no doubt more experienced than I in setting up DAWs, you don't know what, precisely, causes Cakewalk to spin up this error message about an Intel audio device which has no connection to Cakewalk as evidenced by the audio preferences pictured in my earlier post.  Perhaps I can't call it a bug because I do not have a dedicated system, but I will need to move on to a different DAW if this is not something that can be fixed on my system.  I've disabled the Realtek ASIO driver, but as you note, that's not my issue.  In Device Manger, disabling the Intel Display Audio in "Audio inputs and outputs" does not eliminate the problem although disabling Intel Display Audio in "Sound, video and game controllers" does, but that makes the display audio inaccessible.  I've updated the driver and the firmware for the Dell monitor. 

Of course, it may be a bug in the Intel software that only Cakewalk is detecting.  I tried a different HDMI cable just to eliminate that suspect. I haven't quite given up yet and I appreciate your comments as well as the comments of all who have responded.  This seems to be a good community and I'm hoping to remain with y'all if I can get past this ... anomaly.

I will try reaching out to Cakewalk support and will post here if I ever solve the problem.

Edited September 6, 2023 by Ted Franklin

[Ted Franklin]

Before I got around to bothering anybody at Bandlab, I came across a thread in which someone had the reverse of my problem.  They were not getting any notification when devices became disconnected.

All I had to do was uncheck "Show Audio/MIDI Device Change Notifications" in Preferences\Display and my torment ended. 

What's weird about this is that it I spent an enormous amount of time looking at audio settings and registry entries, uninstalling and updating drivers and firmware, swapping in a new HDMI cable.   It never occurred to me that there was a checkbox in the display settings.

Thanks to all who responded to my cry for help.   The good news is I can stop looking at other DAWs and get back to making music.  I started with Sonar3 and will probably upgrade to the new Sonar.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Ted Franklin
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