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ProTools
OK... here we go.
I installed ProTools on my PC about 2 months ago. I immediately started having problems with another music program (Sony Vegas) and also problems with playing music back on Windows Media Player.
The problem was that the sound would cut out and, in the case of Windows Media Player, the sound would come back. With Sony Vegas, the sound would freeze up and stop playing back the audio I was working on. If I went into the options of Vegas and changed the driver type from MME to ASIO (or vice versa) and it would start working properly.
Anyway, I figured that I had a virus or something so I reformatted my PC and reinstalled ProTools and thought things were going to be better. Not so.
When playing back audio in Windows Media Player, it is still cutting out. As for Vegas, I haven't reinstalled it yet as I am wary to.
I know that with ProTools, only one application can be used at any given time.
I have set my computer up the way that the ProTools instruction manual has told me to.
Today, I went to the ProTools website and I did find some more things to look at (http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=
1103324&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1#1103324).
I haven't done the further optimizations as detailed in the above link but I am hoping to do it tonight.
In the meantime, I am hoping to see if anyone has had some of the same problems and what they have done to rectify it.
Thanks,
Travis
I am using ProTools 7 with the Mbox2. The version of Media Player is 9.00.00.3349
Before I reformatted my PC, I was using MME helper and it didn't seem to make a difference. The only reason I haven't used it with this install is because Media Player worked as soon as I installed ProTools.
Abelton Live 6 works fine... well, the program does seem to be sluggish but I don't think that has anything to do with ProTools. The point being is that I can get sound from Live.
Would you still recommend using the MME Helper?
Thanks for your help.
Travis
I'm not a fan of PT but being objective, how about trying a demo download of a different DAW (ie Sonar, Samplitude etc) and see how they run. I use Cubase with Live 6 and Reason to great effect on my PC - unfortunately, Steinberg does not provide a demo version of Cubase.
These programs should work fine with the Mbox.
If these don't work either then it is likely a hardware problemm such as a faulty audio interface, bad drivers etc. Otherwise, it might just be that your computer configuration just doesn't agree with PT. This can happen with software sometimes, I know of people who could not run Cubase but Sonar worked and vice versa.
From ProTools website...
''Digidesign's Mbox 2, Mbox 2 Mini, Mbox, and M-Audio USB audio devices are not compatible with desktop computers with the following chipsets:
* Intel 915G
* Intel 915P
* Intel 925X
Errata #7 may impact devices connected to the ICH6, including PCI devices and External devices connected via the USB port, due to an internal arbitration issue that may result in up to 40 µsec delay.''
I just happen to have an Intel 915G/P chipset. Isn't that just perfect!
Now I have to find out if I can change my chipset for one that will work with my setup OR is it time to buy a Mac??
The new intel macs are pretty awesome. I won't go back to PC. We recorded 14 live tracks last night at 96,000 and the CPU only peaked at 16% usage. There is almost zero latency via the Firewire from an Onyx 1640 board. The bad thing is that the Onyx board is not compat. with Protools so we use Ableton Live 6.
Duane
Hmmm... just looking further into things and I can't simply change the chipset. My motherboard will only work with certain chipsets and the ones that it will work with are not supported with ProTools.
So, new motherboard vs. new Mac. Well lets see... new motherboard is $137 to $175 USD and a new Mac laptop is $2000+.
As much as I would love to have a Mac, I just don't know if I can justify it.
You don't have to get a Mac. PC is fine and if you plan on doing any mastering somewhere down the line is even preferable to Mac. There are far more professional grade mastering options available for PC than for Mac. Sequoia DAW and Algorithmix plug-ins for example.
A supported motherboard would be an excellent idea but I doubt that's the reason for the problem you have described. I'm having a similar problem and I have an 875p MB which is supported by my Digidesign hardware. The weird thing is my problem just started happening out of the blue. It worked fine for 2 years and then the wonky Media Player thing. My comp is down right now while I finish putting together my new setup but the first thing I am going to try when I get back up and running is to install Media Player v11 which I have on my network computer and which is my favorite Media Player yet.
When installing PT you should get an option to install Wave Drivers during the installation. These are different from ASIO drivers in that they only allow programs to access the main outs of your hardware. As you know the MME helper is an easy way to choose which programs you want to have access these main outs. Sometimes with only the wave driver installed and not the MME Helper you have to go to your control panel and make sure that the Digidesign hardware is the system's default playback device.
I really appreciate your assistance with this problem.
I did load the Wave Drivers as well as the ASIO drivers. I will play around with it and see what I can figure out.
I will download Windows Media Player 11 and see what happens.
As for the default playback device, it is set up with the Digidesign hardware.
I'll muck around some more and keep you posted...
Travis
If I had to change my PC or change freakin ProTools, Digidesign's little monster would be gone in a flash. I mean, seriously, how can a program NOT be compatible with a hugely popular, mass produced intel chipset? I am not big on the hype of PT anyway but if it meant changing to a mac to run it then screw Protools ! For the cost of changing a motherboard and (if necessary graphics cards etc) you could buy Cubase SL or Sonar Studio, Reaper, Tracktion, etc. All of which have a better interface, more tracks and better MIDI than PT.
btw- nothing against macs at all, and protools should run fine on macosx but why would you anyway, with programs such as Logic and Digital Performer totally optimized for Mac?
Getting rid of ProTools is not an option - I have paid a good sum of money for the program and the hardware. So that isn't going to happen.
A new motherboard is $100 CDN and I can deal with that.
I understand what you are saying about ProTools having issues with an Intel chipset because it shouldn't... but out of all the Intel chipsets, there are three that were not compatible with ProTools. The problem has something to do with the actual chipsets (something to do with ICH-5???) so it really isn't ProTools.
I just happened to have a motherboard that wasn't going to work.
Shit happens...
I understand your point Travis (re the investment in PT) but really, Sonar, Live, Acid Pro, Cubase, Samplitude, Tracktion etc. don't have issues with those Intel chipsets...or at least are usable....
To say the chipset is at fault - well, they may not be the best suited to pro audio use (mostly due to the integrated graphics) but the newer editions of Protools should have addressed this and made allowances. Cubase had issues with AMD Athlon chips, but fixed it in a maintenance upgrade, etc. Digidesign have been getting more and more Mac orientated for some time, to the point that people are rumoring they will drop support for windows platform in the not too distant future (although I can't see this happening unles mac sales triple where they're at right now)
Anyway, good luck resolving your problem and kudos to you Duane, I respect your humanity in trying to help a fellow mix2r'er !
I'm a software development manager at a big, recognizable software company during the day...and have been writing software and managing the development of software for 10+ years now, and I cannot understand why PT cannot design their shit to be fairly chipset agnostic. Fine -- its fair to say "Chipset X does not provide a good ___, so we recommend something else -- but that chipset will work". I think if they had a decent hardware abstraction layer it would be all good...but they probably don't bother because they know they are the standard and can dictate hardware.
Its a hell of a lot harder to adapt than to dictate supported configurations...
[end rant]
ya know...i'm not a big fan of protools but you cannot deny it's universal acceptance...kinda like microsoft...if you want to use protools put it on a mac....especially with the higher end accel HD systems....no professional studio i have ever been in uses pc for protools...too many blue screens of death and OS mysteries.....the platform cost has become about the same and no matter how cross-platform they claim it is ,it was written first for the mac OS and still works better there , as do its plugins.....go to vegas or sonar or one of the other great pc written apps if you want to use a pc and then you can get way more bang for your buck as far as your i/o interface goes because you do not have to buy a digidesign approved/capable interface-and as far as i can tell you pay a considerable premium for that digi stamp on their hardware...just my 2¢....web
Stay away... hahahaa! Actually, my PC is finally back up and running after the problems caused by installing ProTools. For the time being, I am going to concentrate on Abelton and learn how to construct songs... once I can create a basis to a song, then it will be time to concentrate on a more complicated platform.
Joined: 2006-11-13