Cutouts in audio for 4-5 seconds OS X powerbook

MB · Post by MB » Thu Oct 02, 2003 3:36 am

You might try turning off your ethernet port also, by unchecking it.

IZNODJ · Post by **IZNODJ** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 7:53 am

Just to let you know that the ethernet port won't do anything... ;-(
The best solution I found so far is to play every loops, clips, 5 or 10 minutes prior to the gig... And I do 10 shows a week... I know it's a major drag and I haven't heard anything from Ableton so far...

Post by **Alex** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 11:17 pm

Hi folks,

please read my related statement in this thread of the (meanwhile closed) beta forum: http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4962

So at least you can be sure we know this problem and want to get it down but I guess it will be very hard and time consuming.

regards,
Alex

Rene Hart · Post by **Rene Hart** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 2:08 am

I have seen this w/my ibook, 800mgz. It has happened w/ other programs; Transcribe and I believe iTunes also. The thing is, with me it only happens when using the ibook's output/soundcard and does not happen when using an interface like the mbox or emi 6|2, etc. (has not happened with any of the programs run through any of the interfaces) I think it is a prob w/ the soundcard or somthin' in my ibook, I just haven't dealt with it, my applecare is still on, and I always seem to be using an interface or converter when it's time for the money shot. I will say it has been a drag...

I'd love to know if you resove this.
-Rene

also:
OSX 10.2.6 (has happened throughout os upgrades)
Live 2.1.1

scientist · Post by **scientist** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:03 am

thought i'd add my name to the list of people with this same problem...occasional dropouts of 4-5 seconds in length. sometimes the sound stops immediately, sometimes it will stutter before cutting out entirely.
current specs are:
pb12" 640mb ram
os 10.2.8
live 2.1.2
it happens both through internal sound and through us428 audio interface. no other apps running. the problem seems to have gotten worse over time...can't remember it ever happening with 2.1 and os10.2.5, every combination of app/os versions since its been happening.

thanks...

scientist · Post by **scientist** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:05 am

sorry, old signature...os is 10.2.8...

SongCarver · Post by **SongCarver** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:03 am

any body have any trackpad problems?

RME user · Post by **RME user** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 8:12 am

I just updated my other machine a G4/533 DP to a fresh installed OS-X 10.2.8 to check on a desktop as well and have installed LIVE 3.0b6 there (still running for last few days).

While slaved in rewire to LOGIC 6.3.1 I'll regulary experience LIVE 3 doing the 3-4 second cutout problem as well (had no real doubt to see it here too at a certain point) - I was only playing back one 4 bar audioloop from LIVE into logic, CPU usage was very low...

come on Ableton you or at least Alex experience this problem as well over there, can't be that hard to reproduce on a developers machine either....

Next to others I'm close to move to a G5 and it's more than worse knowing that most of you tools & programs start bitching you in X and won't be fixed for a few months....

I'd say as Apple is only doing OS-X machines right now this cutout problem in LIVE has to become a platform 'major priority' to fix for Ableton as the main funktionality of playing back audio is affected here !!!

Post by **Alex** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:56 am

Hi RME user,

sorry but this is sounds different. When Live is ReWired to Logic, all the access to the audio interface (Core Audio) is done from Logic.

When you have there the 3-4 seconds of Silence,

- how looks Live, can you "see" the silence there in the level meter or look they normal?

- ist just the sound from Live coming into Logic cutted out or also audio files playing in Logic?

regards,
Alex

scientist · Post by **scientist** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:49 pm

i found a POSSIBLE solution to the problem last night...for me at least. after troubleshooting my computer...clearing out disk space, trashing live.plist, etc. i was still having audio glitches, so i decided to see if it was possible that the audio dropout problems were being caused by a vst. for my live show i've gotten into the habit of throwing a compresser (vintage warmer) across the master fader for every song. well i replaced every vintage warmer with the live compressor and it seems to have solved the problem. no drop outs at all in about an hour long set. i'll keep experimenting...
thanks!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:48 pm

I use only Live plug-ins and the cuts-out were still happening... The solution I found ( see my message a few days ago...) is still working for me... I've done about 15 shows since then and so far so good...

IZNODJ · Post by **IZNODJ** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:50 pm

The last message was from me.. I forgot to log-in... Sorry about that...

iplaylive · Post by **iplaylive** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 4:43 pm

i have been experiencing the same problem. live3, tibook 667, 10.2.8, 512mb, rme multiface. 4-5 second dropouts. tried every suggested solution.

i dont think it is related to cpu, ram, hd space or vst plugins: i run live only as a multi fx processor. i dont use clips, just the ableton fx on signals coming in thru the live inputs on the tracks/channels. i use the aux sends on my hardware mixer to send audio into live via the multiface. still, i do get the 4-5 second dropouts. the sound just drops, and before it bursts back in, it sometimes stutters.

any idea's?

RME user · Post by **RME user** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:24 pm

hey first your setup is another good aplication for Live - thanks man !

Unfortunately it shows again thew flaw of audio cutouts Ableton didn't realy catched down with so far.... (bug is reported since long time)

I' must admit other software-companys have some structured long run tests they do before a release simply to detect such problems we have here - I'm happy cutout problems happen to the ableton employees & founders as well ( cause they are also artist!)
but still feel they'll need more human resources in their office for testing and QA than going the 'public beta route' - while I see some advantage in public betas it's just a minor part part of development and testing and not the route to outsource inhouse required workings

while in every software-company some annoying bugs can slip into release versions things like engine breakdowns don't happened often over the last 5 years
(anyone knows of ProTools,Logic or samplitude bugs gooing that deep?)

I mean this for every company not just ableton:
announce & sell something -> wait for others to detect big bugs -> appologize and only then -> try to fix it - is definitely the wrong direction and attitude IMO

Again I love Live and respect Ableton but feel not well knowing they sometimes are forced to do things to quick in these days.....

blacklightmartin · Post by **blacklightmartin** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 3:47 pm

Folks,

please give the Abletons a break.

I've followed this thread and made my own experiments and I'm pretty convinced by now that the problem is more (if not exclusively) an OSX problem than a Live one. If you look at this thread you'll find that the problem apparently also shows up with other apps - I personally have experienced the dropout behaviour on my iBook G3/800 under 10.2.6 with iTunes and also with RealMedia's RealOne player (watched the AES Ableton video this morning, the iBook was about 40 minutes in use by then and suddenly - silence). If you look at Native Instrument's Reaktor forum, you'll also find posts from people who have this behaviour running Reaktor (look for the Unofficial R4 bug thread) .

While I don't think that this should mean for Ableton to completely ignore the issue, I don't think they should be blamed for it and given a hard time either - I'm pretty sure they'd rather have a fix for it today than tomorrow, but this behaviour seems difficult enough to reproduce on purpose. I wonder if anyone has complained to Apple about this yet...

Just my 2 cents,
Martin