Pulling my hair

[Zeeber]

I'm not getting anywhere.

Here is my issue.

Recently i downloaded the "demo" Traction DAW to my old trusty DELL P3.

Works like a charm.

I decided to Download the Newest version Tracktion DAW into my NEW P4 3.0 Laptop.
Pentium 4, Radeon 9600, 512Mb, Intell Chipset.

Download went perfectly.
NOTHING ELSE HAS.

Tracktion wont play on my P4 Laptop.

When i try to simply play the demo song, or a imported Track the "BAR" barely moves and all i get is "zeep, zeep, zeep, chirp, chirp".

It take the red bar about a minute to go across one measure of music.

I've uninstalled and re-installed the Latest Tracktion Download 5 times.
Nothing but Chirps as it Crawles across the trax..

I've adjusted the Latency.
>chirps<

It simply will not play at the right speed and my CPU is hardly being taxed..
It CRAWLES across the Tracks, chirping and zeeping all the while.

I called Mackie.
They are Clueless.

I have Sonar and Acid on the SAME P4 3.0 Laptop and they both play Beautifully.

All the Tracktion will do is crawl and chirp.

Anybody got a Idea that i can try?


Z

[ModuLR]

sounds like you are getting hit with denormal issues most likely due to a demo song that uses the MDA plugins. It's not tracktion, it's the plugin. That would be my guess...

[lkingston]

I doubt it's a denormal problem. Those were worked out a long time ago. My guess is that it has to do with how the laptop's onboard audio card is being addressed.

Try the Asio4All driver here:

http://michael.tippach.bei.t-online.de/asio4all/

I'll bet that will fix you up!

[ModuLR]

oops!

[Zeeber]

I doubt it's a denormal problem. Those were worked out a long time ago. My guess is that it has to do with how the laptop's onboard audio card is being addressed.

Try the Asio4All driver here:

http://michael.tippach.bei.t-online.de/asio4all/

I'll bet that will fix you up!

====================================================

Hi,

i downloaded the Wuschel's Asio/All and fired up the Tracktion,

got an error message telling me no in/out device found.

I didn't know what to do next.

Unfortunately i'm not a PC whiz and am paying the price for spending too much time practicing my guitar and not enought time swapping harddrives and motherboards in my youth.

I can currently be found gazing at the Traction projects screen with less hair then before.

Z

[Mr. Tingle]

have you tried a simple edit i.e. one wav file with nothing else in the edit?

Does this play?

[Zeeber]

have you tried a simple edit i.e. one wav file with nothing else in the edit?

Does this play?

===================================================

Hello,
and thanx for your concern.

Yes, i've tried just single Wavs and all that happens is that the software (Tracktion DAW) plays the single Wav. slightly faster but not fast enough to really discern what the sample actually is.

This is all very odd as the TracKtion will play just fine on my slow P3 1.2 Dell.

THat the Tracktion won't hardly budge on a P4 Intell chipset with a 3.0 processor, a Radeon 9600 card, and PLENTY OF HD SPACE is FREAKING WILD.

I just received a (STILL IN THE BOX) MOTU 828 MK 11 Yesterday to use with this BRAND New "FAST" Laptop and the Tracktion, BUT THE T-DAW WON'T WORK with my FAST Lap AND MY >old< DELL PC DOESN'T HAVE A FIREWIRE IMPUT which the MOTU needs.(and i don't want to use the old Dell anyway with all the new stuff just WAITING.

I FEEL LIKE DROPKICKING ALL OF IT INTO THE STREET.

DAMNIT.


Z

[SuitcaseOfLizards]

*begin sarcasm* Welcome to the wonderful world of computer music *end sarcasm*

I'd have to agree that it sounds like issues with the onboard soundcard. You might try going into the setup panel for Tracktion and seeing what you get for available devices, and telling us what shows up - I used to have hideous problems with the built-in audio on my P4 motherboard until I disabled it and got an M-Audio Delta 44 (getting THAT working was an adventure in itself).

The problem with this kind of thing is that it's very difficult to diagnose problems like this remotely. I hate to say this, but I highly recommend finding a geek friend to help you out! I might also recommend installing the 828 and seeing if Tracktion recognizes/works with that as it's going to be a bazillion times better than whatever the onboard sound chip is on your laptop. The 828 has native ASIO drivers and that *should* give you all the performance you need without weird playback.

Failing that, try updating the audio drivers on the laptop as newer drivers are (most often) better.

Hang in there and keep the faith, it took me a couple of months to get my DAW to the point of perfect stability.

[Zeeber]

*begin sarcasm* Welcome to the wonderful world of computer music *end sarcasm*

I'd have to agree that it sounds like issues with the onboard soundcard. You might try going into the setup panel for Tracktion and seeing what you get for available devices, and telling us what shows up - I used to have hideous problems with the built-in audio on my P4 motherboard until I disabled it and got an M-Audio Delta 44 (getting THAT working was an adventure in itself).

The problem with this kind of thing is that it's very difficult to diagnose problems like this remotely. I hate to say this, but I highly recommend finding a geek friend to help you out! I might also recommend installing the 828 and seeing if Tracktion recognizes/works with that as it's going to be a bazillion times better than whatever the onboard sound chip is on your laptop. The 828 has native ASIO drivers and that *should* give you all the performance you need without weird playback.

Failing that, try updating the audio drivers on the laptop as newer drivers are (most often) better.

Hang in there and keep the faith, it took me a couple of months to get my DAW to the point of perfect stability.

==================================================

THanx,

i will indeed follow through.

Interestingly enough, the MACKIE tech said, no 2 Laptops are alike.

He said that the same make and model LAPTOP, with the exact same setup will often not WORK with a Daw, while its TWIN WILL.

I think everyone everywhere has advised me to get a Tower and run from all Laptops, regardless of Processor and build, UNLESS ITS A MAC.

Anyway, I'll TAKE you up on your offer to load the MOTU drivers and then a FRESH download of the Tracktion and try again.

I have a few more hairs left, so i might as well give them a pull.

regards,
Z

He s

[Mr. Tingle]

In your situation I'd take a break!

If the laptop is fairly new and you don't mind starting again, how about using system restore to go back to how it was when it came out the factory, then use the following web site for tuning tips:

http://www.execulink.com/~robin1/a_xp_for_audio.html

after this, install the latest tracktion and the 828.

if that doesn't work, pull hair out

Good luck!

[Mr. Tingle]

have you messed with the sample frequency of the sound card?

weird slow playback happened to me once, had to mess around with the settings stuff.

[GaryG]

The only time I've had any thing remotely like this happen was after I'd been using my Audiophiles digital in and forget to switch the clock-sync setting back to internal.

All audio in every application just crawled by.

So, maybe worth seeing if there's an audio configuration window somewhere (Control Panel?) for your chipset and seeing if there's any digital/sync settings to play with...

.g

[Zeeber]

Whew,...
Have i learned a lot (the hard way) in the last 5 days.

5 days is exactly how long i've been (trying) to make computer music.

Prior to that i have SUCCESSFULLY used a
Yamaha MD-8 to create about 80 songs.

In the last week, I've come to the conclusion that the learning curve involved with commanding a Software DAW Studio is increased by the fact that most DAW makers take TOO MUCH for granted with regard to a new users *base* of PC/MAC fundemental knowledge.

Here is an example.

I downloaded Sonar 3.
Prior to that i had downloaded Acid "Express".

These are both Demo tryouts made by the same CO..

The Acid "Express" demo song played back without a Hitch.

The Sonar 3(same Company), after analising my IN/OUT //system card//drivers , told me that NONE OF IT would work with Sonar 3.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But the Acid "EXPRESS", (made by Cakewalk) owned by Sony,= WILL PLAY WITH MY DRIVERS/SOUND CARD like a champ.

SO WHAT IS UP WITH SONAR 3 ?????????????????.

THEY don't tell you., and this is exactly the problem.

Sonar 3 assumes you INSTINCTIVLY know to go to AUDIO DEVICES and change it from "DEFAULT" TO "MME" or you get NO SOUND WITH SONAR 3.
They do however send you a neverending POPUP window that says OVER AND OVER that "no MIDI OUT has been chosen", but they don't tell you to go to Preference = Audio= "MME" CHANGE from >default< so that you CAN HAVE OUTPUT SOUND.

In others words YOU ARE LEFT WITHOUT A CLUE AS TO WHAT TO DO, UNLESS YOU ARE FAMILIER WITH HOW AUDIO WORKS IN A PC AS IT RELATES TO A DAW.
Sonar 3 JUST >ASSUME< you are birthed with the knowledge to set up Drivers and Ins and OUTS.

Well, i finally figured it out.
No thanks to the Sonar 3 "help" pages that do not address this issue AT ALL.
(INSTEAD THE POOR USER IS LEFT TO SCATCH AND WONDER).

Finally, i still haven't been able to get the Tracktion Demo to run, but, i have been able to get "Reason 2.5",
"Acid Express", "Ntrack", "Krystal",
"Ableton Live 3", "Muzys", and "Sonar 3" to operate, but the Tracktion simply will not play on my new P4 3.0 Laptop with 512mb of Ram.

I haven't a clue as to why NOT , but i'm sure its driver's error without a MAP OR A CLUE , AS USUAL.


Z

[Mr. Tingle]

If your keen on Tracktion I'd clear out other potentially conflicting apps (any audio program).

A pain, but audio programs are probably the most complex and highly demanding of programs.

Most serious users STRIP their computers/laptop of everything, streamline it, then install only the programs they are sure they are going to use for music. All other uses such as internet and graphics stuff are put onto a 2nd computer.

Once you get a good setup, it'll be worth it.

[optilude]

Or... you could install Windows twice onto separate partitions; me, I use Linux for everything except audio, and have a clean install of XP + SP1 + updates + Tracktion + plugs on one machine. Mind you, Windows still manages to crash every now and then.

Martin