Tracktion won't load my edits anymore

[jemima12]

Could someone help me out here?

I've been using tracktion for years now and it hasn't let me down until now. I was working on an edit the other day when suddenly, tracktion crashed. This has happened before, but now my edits won't load. None of them, old or new. Even blank (newly created) edits won't load. It crashes every time.

I have all of my edits and takes backed up, but they are kind of useless to me without Tracktion working. I've tried running it in 32-bit, 64-bit, uninstalling and reinstalling, using older versions (Tracktion 5, 4, 3), yet it keeps crashing in the same way.

I'm not sure what to do here. I'd rather not learn how to use another DAW unless I absolutely have to.

[operandx]

Corrupt settings file? Have you tried deleting the .trksettings file?

[jabe]

Sounds like something's got corrupted, possibly in your preferences, and those might not have been cleared when you uninstalled.

Perhaps the logfile can help. If you can get to the Projects page in Tracktion, you can access it via the Help button. If you can't get Tracktion to stay up long enough, you'll have to get to the log file via the PC's file system. You didn't say what operating system you're using. If it's OSX, someone else will have to direct you to it (or you could run a search).

If you have XP, it'll be at
c:/Documents and Settings/yourusername/Application Data/Tracktion4/temporary/tracktion5log.txt
You may have to change your folder settings so it'll show hidden files.

For W7, it's
C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Tracktion 4\Temporary\tracktion5log.txt

If the contents don't help you, you could send it to support@tracktion.com and ask them. Be aware that the annual mega-show (NAMM) is the weekend after next, so they might be a bit busy.

[dogbiscuit]

Actually I'm having a problem with one of my edits. It won't open. When I double click the .tracktion file in the projects page I just get an eternal cursor loading symbol. I have been going through lots of old edits and tidying things up and they all open fine but this one. Any ideas why this is, or how to fix it?

[jemima12]

Ah, my bad. I am on a Mac, running Yosemite (had it for a while, and everything was fine until a few days ago).

I have located the log file and I keep seeing "CoreAudio error: 77686f3f" pop up, starting after the time of the initial crash.

This is the log of the initial crash. I'm not entirely sure what to look at, but it seems normal - until the "crash," of course:

9 Jan 2015 20:55:02 /Applications/Tracktion 5.app/Contents/MacOS/Tracktion
9 Jan 2015 20:55:02 Mac OSX 10.10.1
9 Jan 2015 20:55:02 CPU: 2400MHz Cores: 4 4096MB
9 Jan 2015 20:55:02 Initialising file formats...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:03 Initialising projects...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:03 Starting checking for updates
9 Jan 2015 20:55:03 Initialising devices...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:03 Image database loaded 0 images in 0 seconds
9 Jan 2015 20:55:03 Finding MIDI I/O
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 MIDI output: E-MU XMidi1X1 Midi Out (enabled)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 opening MIDI out device:E-MU XMidi1X1 Midi Out
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 MIDI input: E-MU XMidi1X1 Midi In (enabled)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 opening MIDI in device: E-MU XMidi1X1 Midi In
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 CoreAudio: Opened: M-Audio Fast Track
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 CoreAudio: Latencies: 70 70
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Audio block size: 512 Rate: 44100
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Rebuilding Wave Device List...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Wave In: Input 1 (enabled) 0, -1
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Wave In: Input 2 (enabled) 1, -1
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Wave Out: Output 1 + 2 (enabled) 0, 1
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Default Wave: Output 1 + 2
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Default MIDI: E-MU XMidi1X1 Midi Out
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Initialising ReWire...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Initialising ReWire...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Initialising plugins...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Initialising controllers...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:04 Creating Default Controllers...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:05 Loading Custom Controllers...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:05 Reloading Windows...
9 Jan 2015 20:55:05 Finished checking for updates
9 Jan 2015 20:55:05 Loop database loaded 0 files in 0.0 seconds
9 Jan 2015 20:55:05 Machine ID: M2655C008:M66DB7DE3:M66DB7DE0:M499EB958:M6A51A6A8:M7F61282E U
9 Jan 2015 20:55:05 Opening AU: AudioUnit:Effects/aumf,NiR5,-NI-
9 Jan 2015 20:55:08 Attempting to load VST: /Users/benjaminbuchanan/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Glitch2.vst
9 Jan 2015 20:55:08 Creating VST instance: Glitch
9 Jan 2015 20:55:08 Initialising VST: Glitch (V2.0.2)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Attempting to load VST: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Mackie T3 Plug-ins/Mono Six Band EQ.vst
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Creating VST instance: Mono Six Band EQ
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Initialising VST: Mono Six Band EQ (V1)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Attempting to load VST: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Mackie T3 Plug-ins/DSR.vst
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Creating VST instance: DSR
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Initialising VST: DSR (V1)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Creating VST instance: Mono Six Band EQ
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Initialising VST: Mono Six Band EQ (V1)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Attempting to load VST: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Mackie T3 Plug-ins/Stereo Six Band EQ.vst
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Creating VST instance: Stereo Six Band EQ
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Initialising VST: Stereo Six Band EQ (V1)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Creating VST instance: Stereo Six Band EQ
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Initialising VST: Stereo Six Band EQ (V1)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Attempting to load VST: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/LinPlug/RM IV Lite.vst
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Creating VST instance: RM IV Lite
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Initialising VST: RM IV Lite (V4.4.4.4)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Opening AU: AudioUnit:Effects/aufx,10mt,SDHK
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Creating VST instance: Stereo Six Band EQ
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Initialising VST: Stereo Six Band EQ (V1)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Attempting to load VST: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Kontakt 5.vst
9 Jan 2015 20:55:13 Creating VST instance: Kontakt 5
9 Jan 2015 20:55:14 Initialising VST: Kontakt 5 (V5.3.0.0)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:15 Creating VST instance: RM IV Lite
9 Jan 2015 20:55:15 Initialising VST: RM IV Lite (V4.4.4.4)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:15 Opening AU: AudioUnit:Synths/aumu,SMD2,UHfX
9 Jan 2015 20:55:15 Attempting to load VST: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/Le456.vst
9 Jan 2015 20:55:15 Creating VST instance: Le456
9 Jan 2015 20:55:15 Initialising VST: Le456 (V1.0.0.0)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:15 Creating VST instance: Stereo Six Band EQ
9 Jan 2015 20:55:15 Initialising VST: Stereo Six Band EQ (V1)
9 Jan 2015 20:55:16 Loaded edit: Lights Edit 1
9 Jan 2015 20:55:17 Preset database loaded 26 presets in 57 ms seconds
9 Jan 2015 21:07:42 Closing VST UI: Kontakt 5
9 Jan 2015 21:10:41 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 21:10:53 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 21:11:01 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 21:26:17 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 21:26:46 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 21:26:54 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 21:27:01 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 22:20:36 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 22:20:41 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 22:28:36 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 23:07:13 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 23:18:39 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 23:18:40 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 23:18:42 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 23:19:35 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 23:21:09 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 23:21:16 Loaded edit:
9 Jan 2015 23:28:29 Crashed
9 Jan 2015 23:28:29

9 Jan 2015 23:28:29 Thread 0:
9 Jan 2015 23:28:29 0: MidiInputDevice.cpp:setEnabled:215
9 Jan 2015 23:28:29 1: Edit.cpp:updateInputDevicesFromEdit:4523
9 Jan 2015 23:28:29 2: TransportControl.cpp:record:528

**********************************************************

Like I said, I'm not sure what I should be looking for. The logs afterward all say "Last run failed to shut down cleanly," and the "core audio error" seems to be showing up more and more afterward, though it may have nothing to do with it.

[jabe]

@dogbiscuit: try loading the edit and, when it crashes, reopen Tracktion and look at the logfile. When mine opens edits, it also says things like this:
12 Jan 2015 21:02:03 Creating VST instance: Piano One
12 Jan 2015 21:02:03 Initialising VST: Piano One (V1)
So if your edit has some element or plug-in that it can't find, it might say what it is on the logfile.

@jemima12: the PC I'm on at the moment is running XP. Tracktion currently loads three edits from a project called Test3. I went to the Test 3 folder and renamed (by adding an "x" to the filename *suffix*) one of the three edits to stop it loading up so that I could see what appeared in the logfile in reponse. The answer was nothing at all - Tracktion just loaded the other two edits and didn't complain. The reason I've mentioned this is because I'm wondering if your 17th edit has a fault. You could rename that edit in the project folder (as I said, alter the file suffix) and see if it makes a difference.

[dogbiscuit]

Thanks for your reply Jabe. Where can I find the log file? I'm using Tracktion 3.

[jabe]

Oh! Sorry, I assumed you were on 4 or 5. I don't know if it's there in 3. In 5 it's an option off the Help button. Let me see if I can find a suitable manual...

What operating system do you have?

It's not in the T4 manual, so it must have been introduced in T4 or T5. Which doesn't help you. I wonder if your edit might load in the T5 demo? Might be worth a try, and if it fails at least you'll be able to look at the logfile...

[dogbiscuit]

No worries, found it! I'm on windows 7, though I noticed in my log it says Vista. I can't make much sense of it. Can anyone else?

11:36:19 pm Tracktion log started: 12 Jan 2015 11:36:19 pm
11:36:19 pm Using settings file: C:\ProgramData\Tracktion 3\settings
11:36:19 pm
11:36:20 pm 3.0.2.6 (built: 1 June 2007)
11:36:20 pm C:\Program Files (x86)\Tracktion 3\Tracktion.exe
11:36:20 pm OS: Windows Vista
11:36:20 pm step 1..
11:36:20 pm cpu speed = 2377
11:36:20 pm step 2..
11:36:20 pm step 3..
11:36:20 pm step 4..
11:36:20 pm step 5..
11:36:20 pm devices..
11:36:20 pm finding midi inputs
11:36:20 pm finding midi outputs
11:36:20 pm found midi output: Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth (enabled)
11:36:22 pm opening midi out device:Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth
11:36:24 pm Wave device: "DirectSound"
11:36:24 pm Wave device: "ASIO Digidesign Driver Mbox2"
11:36:24 pm Wave device: "Avid Mbox ASIO"
11:36:24 pm Wave device: "Avid Mbox Mini ASIO"
11:36:24 pm Wave device: "Avid Mbox Pro ASIO"
11:36:24 pm Wave device: "Creative ASIO"
11:36:24 pm Wave device: "Digidesign Eleven Rack ASIO"
11:36:24 pm Changing wave device: ASIO Digidesign Driver Mbox2
11:36:30 pm opening device: 44100 1024
11:36:30 pm created mono wave in: Mbox2 In 1 (enabled)
11:36:30 pm created mono wave in: Mbox2 In 2 (enabled)
11:36:30 pm created stereo wave out: Mbox2 Out 1 + 2 (enabled)
11:36:30 pm Default wave: Mbox2 Out 1 + 2
11:36:30 pm Default midi: Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth
11:36:34 pm closing midi out device:Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth
11:36:35 pm opening midi out device:Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth
11:36:41 pm initialising ReWire...
11:36:44 pm step 6..
11:36:45 pm searching in C:\ProgramData\Tracktion 3\VST Plugins
11:36:46 pm VST: Baby Piano.dll
11:36:53 pm searching in C:\Program Files\Common Files\East West\Vstplugins
11:36:53 pm ignoring plugin: play_VST_x64.dll

11:36:53 pm searching in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\VstPlugins
11:36:54 pm ignoring plugin: Albino3 64.dll

11:36:54 pm searching in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\VstPlugins\Rob Papen
11:36:54 pm ignoring plugin: Albino3 64.dll

11:36:54 pm step 7..
11:36:55 pm step 8..
11:36:55 pm step 9..
11:36:55 pm step 10..
11:36:55 pm machine id = 4b4a0370
11:36:55 pm realtime off
11:36:55 pm finished init sequence..
11:37:22 pm loop database loaded 0 files in 0.0 seconds
11:37:23 pm !! Can't write to settings file
11:40:24 pm !! Can't write to settings file
11:43:08 pm closing down..
11:43:08 pm exiting: 12 Jan 2015 11:43:08 pm
11:43:08 pm ReWire - closing system
11:43:08 pm Cleaning up temp files..
11:43:14 pm closing midi out device:Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth
11:43:14 pm finished shutdown

[jabe]

This
11:37:23 pm !! Can't write to settings file

suggests to me either a corrupt settings file or something to do with permissions. Close Tracktion and restart by right-clicking and choosing the Run as Administrator option (I think this is what W7 has, I might be wrong!). See if that'll let you load your edit. If not, I'd delete your settings file, as suggested above by operandx (2nd post in thread). A new one should be written when you restart Tracktion.

Good luck!

[operandx]

@dogbiscuit IIRC in T3 the settings file was called simply 'settings' ie was not a .trksettings file. Likely located in your T3 folder and not in the user/appdata/T . As jabe says try deleting this. Otherwise it's a permissions issue stopping T writing to this file.

[dogbiscuit]

I actually searched along a similar path suggested above and found and deleted a .trksettings file which made no difference. I have also just looked in the Tracktion app data folder and found over 5000 settings files! Should I delete them all??
I should add that when I single click the project file in Tracktion the information pane displays nothing, whereas for every other working project file it says 'created as the default edit for this project'.
I tried running Tracktion as admistrator which didn't make a difference.

[operandx]

The file to delete is called settings and its in C:\ProgramData\Tracktion 3 if you are running Win7. Give that a go.

[dogbiscuit]

That's the folder where I found thousands of settings files, named 'settings', 'settings1', 'settings2' etc..
I deleted the first one with no number and launched Tracktion. Everything is default factory settings now. I have tried opening the faulty project file and it still won't open. Is there anything else I can try?

[dogbiscuit]

Have I exhausted all options?