A while back I reported some strangeness in regards to SFP4 - it would crash after every 4th or 5th time I opened a new project.
The plot thickens.
I have at least determined that the problem is related to Optimaster. Any project that has Optimaster in it (even a simple project with nothing but Optimaster) will crash after closing and opening 4 or 5 times.
Ali in Canada is helping me troubleshoot but I thought I'd see if any of you have any ideas why that particular device would cause SFP4 to crash consistently every 4th or 5th time I open a new project.
I'm using the correct allkeys file. Latest device. WinXP in normal mode with all the usual tweaks. All else functions normally.
Optimaster Problem
I can duplicate the problem with nothing but Optimaster loaded so it has nothing to do with mixers or any other devices.
I created two test projects: 1) with absolutely nothing loaded and 1) with only Optimaster loaded. Then switched back and forth between the two projects. SFP4 always crashes around the 5th time I switch. Tried the same experiment with other test projects (no Optimaster) and I can switch back and forth all day long.
So it's definitely related to Optimaster. Optimaster must be grabbing onto some memory or something and not letting go.
Can anyone with Optimaster confirm this? That would help towards a solution.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: krizrox on 2004-10-07 09:10 ]</font>
I created two test projects: 1) with absolutely nothing loaded and 1) with only Optimaster loaded. Then switched back and forth between the two projects. SFP4 always crashes around the 5th time I switch. Tried the same experiment with other test projects (no Optimaster) and I can switch back and forth all day long.
So it's definitely related to Optimaster. Optimaster must be grabbing onto some memory or something and not letting go.
Can anyone with Optimaster confirm this? That would help towards a solution.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: krizrox on 2004-10-07 09:10 ]</font>
I can confirm this, and it was in echo manual and support forum. Therefore i can only confirm this in relation to echo : optimaster is an intensive calculation device. it can be used in inserts with no problem, but if you change presets, let 5 seconds to optimaster to load in and out of dsp. Otherwise, you will crash sfp in approx 50% of the cases.
c ya
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mehdi_T on 2004-10-07 10:27 ]</font>
c ya
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mehdi_T on 2004-10-07 10:27 ]</font>
Thanks for your response Mehdi.
I don't think my problem has anything to do with changing presets or loading the device into a channel insert or waiting for the device to load or anything like that. As I mentioned, I can recreate the problem easily by just creating a test project with nothing but Optimaster loaded (nothing connected to it, no presets selected, no other devices loaded, no other sequencers or anything running in the background, just SFP4).
It's a strange problem. I talked to Ali at CW support a few minutes ago and he hasn't been able to duplicate the problem on his end. I even sent him a copy of the project file and a copy of the actual Optimaster device I'm using (the one that came with the SFP4 software). He was going to try testing it on another system to see if he could receate the problem.
I even tried reloading the device from the .oxe device file I downloaded from my devices page on CW website. Nothing works.
It's hard to know what might be causing this problem. If the problem can't be recreated elsewhere, then it must be related to my system configuration (MOBO, Windows XP, Pulsar/XTC boards, etc.). I have tested this in both Standard Mode and regular Windows install mode (ACPI or whatever you call it). Same results.
I suppose a work-around would be to not save my projects with Optimaster installed but then I would have to install Optimaster every time I switch to a new project. That would actually be more annoying than having it crash every 5th cycle.
Given the fact that this happens every 5th cycle, I can't help but wonder if Optimaster is grabbing ahold of some memory allocation or something (like a buffer filling up over time and then crashing). Why every 5th time? Why not EVERY time or every OTHER time or whenever it feels like?
It's always on the 5th cycle.
This isn't something that just started happening recently either. I've been living with this problem for a long time. I have a feeling it actually started when I switched over to WinXP (was using WinME prior to that and I don't recall having a problem at that point). I need WinXP because Sonar won't run under WinME.
I don't think my problem has anything to do with changing presets or loading the device into a channel insert or waiting for the device to load or anything like that. As I mentioned, I can recreate the problem easily by just creating a test project with nothing but Optimaster loaded (nothing connected to it, no presets selected, no other devices loaded, no other sequencers or anything running in the background, just SFP4).
It's a strange problem. I talked to Ali at CW support a few minutes ago and he hasn't been able to duplicate the problem on his end. I even sent him a copy of the project file and a copy of the actual Optimaster device I'm using (the one that came with the SFP4 software). He was going to try testing it on another system to see if he could receate the problem.
I even tried reloading the device from the .oxe device file I downloaded from my devices page on CW website. Nothing works.
It's hard to know what might be causing this problem. If the problem can't be recreated elsewhere, then it must be related to my system configuration (MOBO, Windows XP, Pulsar/XTC boards, etc.). I have tested this in both Standard Mode and regular Windows install mode (ACPI or whatever you call it). Same results.
I suppose a work-around would be to not save my projects with Optimaster installed but then I would have to install Optimaster every time I switch to a new project. That would actually be more annoying than having it crash every 5th cycle.
Given the fact that this happens every 5th cycle, I can't help but wonder if Optimaster is grabbing ahold of some memory allocation or something (like a buffer filling up over time and then crashing). Why every 5th time? Why not EVERY time or every OTHER time or whenever it feels like?
It's always on the 5th cycle.This isn't something that just started happening recently either. I've been living with this problem for a long time. I have a feeling it actually started when I switched over to WinXP (was using WinME prior to that and I don't recall having a problem at that point). I need WinXP because Sonar won't run under WinME.
Danke. I guess that puts things into proper perspective.
Hopefully, CW will review this and find a solution soon. It's not a show-stopper per se, but it looks funky in front of a client when the software crashes. Not a good selling point when you're trying to promote your studio and CWA products in general.
If there was another option, I'd use it but Optimaster is probably one of the most heavily used plug-ins in my studio. I realize there are other mastering devices out there for SFP but I like Optimaster. I paid good money for it and all I want is for it to function properly.
Well... we'll see what happens. Ali is aware of this now. Hopefully he's reporting this back to CW/Germany. He promised a response of some sort soon so as soon as I hear anything I'll let everyone know.
Thanks again. Brewskis for everyone
Optimaster has been around for a couple of years now right?
Hopefully, CW will review this and find a solution soon. It's not a show-stopper per se, but it looks funky in front of a client when the software crashes. Not a good selling point when you're trying to promote your studio and CWA products in general.
If there was another option, I'd use it but Optimaster is probably one of the most heavily used plug-ins in my studio. I realize there are other mastering devices out there for SFP but I like Optimaster. I paid good money for it and all I want is for it to function properly.
Well... we'll see what happens. Ali is aware of this now. Hopefully he's reporting this back to CW/Germany. He promised a response of some sort soon so as soon as I hear anything I'll let everyone know.
Thanks again. Brewskis for everyone
Optimaster has been around for a couple of years now right?
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Guest
Closing the app before loading a new project is a good thing for many windows softwares, and if you make a default project empty from wich load another project, the thing will be so fast that there will be almost no difference than loading directly from the previous, and all the system will gain performance...
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hubird
...and if you 'disable audio' in Cubase5.0/Options before quitting Scope you don't have to quit Cubase to avoid the ASIO crash
Dunno how that has to be done in other C. versions, and I don't use Logic.
I'll try the bug on my mac G4 system, though I never change so often a Scope project.
However, if it has to do with increasingly claiming memory, every single occasion is unwelcom already
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: hubird on 2004-10-07 21:01 ]</font>
Dunno how that has to be done in other C. versions, and I don't use Logic.
I'll try the bug on my mac G4 system, though I never change so often a Scope project.
However, if it has to do with increasingly claiming memory, every single occasion is unwelcom already
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: hubird on 2004-10-07 21:01 ]</font>
Yeah - I understand. It's just that I can open and close SFP projects all day long without a crash as long as Optimaster isn't involved. I'd really prefer to see the device fixed as opposed to a sloppy work-around. But hey, that's just meOn 2004-10-07 18:50, alfonso wrote:
Closing the app before loading a new project is a good thing for many windows softwares, and if you make a default project empty from wich load another project, the thing will be so fast that there will be almost no difference than loading directly from the previous, and all the system will gain performance...
No client that walks into my studio and sees me shutting down the application all the time in order to switch projects is going to be very impressed with me or Creamware. That much I'm sure of.
I experience problems with any project that is restarted 6-10 times. Not only when there´s the optimaster. Even when the project is loaded on different days. Error Messages like "Nil..." and others seem to sum up the more often you load a program.
It really seems like CW has programmed SFP with programmers as betatesters. A huge lot of things that you do as pro don´t work (or not like they´re intended to). And opening a project several times is what you do when you work on an time consuming job. Like you would use the monitor section when recording a band. But that´s another very sad story.
To sum it up: Forget it. CW is interested not a bit in such things. I tried it for years now. (since Ver. 1.01). They keep on developing new devices (which are good indeed) wich they can sell instead of making sfp a bulletproof thing.
It really seems like CW has programmed SFP with programmers as betatesters. A huge lot of things that you do as pro don´t work (or not like they´re intended to). And opening a project several times is what you do when you work on an time consuming job. Like you would use the monitor section when recording a band. But that´s another very sad story.
To sum it up: Forget it. CW is interested not a bit in such things. I tried it for years now. (since Ver. 1.01). They keep on developing new devices (which are good indeed) wich they can sell instead of making sfp a bulletproof thing.
