Freezing problems using Pulsar 2 on new P4 DAW

fidox · Post by **fidox** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 4:23 pm

in my case, i don't believe it's midi, because in my old setup i use the same midi in and midi out connectors from cw card to my synth and the same sequencer appz,
since i have change comp. freezes appear

matej

sharcsound · Post by **sharcsound** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:04 pm

I had the freeze problem for the last week, since I have a new board. With so many new things its hard to know if the problem is in the setup of the new board, CPU and RAM and 2 new 200 GB SATA Seagate drives. I never had the freeze problem with my ASUS P4T533 board. I guessed the freezing was a problem with SCOPE, so I exited from the platform and then I could do anything with the computer all morning and never get a freeze. Now I knew where to look to solve the problem. I then remembered to check my Adaptec ASPI drivers and found I didn't have the latest ones, which are now 2 years old. I downloaded the ASPI 4.71.2 drivers and installed them and noticed I didn't seem to have a freeze problem. But I wasn't satisfied because I knew that the SCOPE board was sharing an IRQ with my USB2 Enhanced Controller. I couldn't get the two separated until I moved the SCOPE board from PCI slot 3 to slot 4. Now everything works OK.

I used to get stuck notes with the Arp02 when I would play fast with lots of MIDI controller data. I haven't yet done a lot of testing with the new system to see if the MIDI problems with SCOPE are much improved. I think an external MIDI processor like MIDISPORT is not a bad idea, especially when working with a sequenceer like Nuendo/SX or GigaStudio. I believe that when the SCOPE drivers pass Microsoft's approval we'll see more stability with the system.

P4 3.2HT
1 GB RAM
mobo ASUS P4c800 deluxe
Win XP
GigaStudio
Nuendo

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:24 pm

On 2004-07-27 15:04, sharcsound wrote:
I believe that when the SCOPE drivers pass Microsoft's approval we'll see more stability with the system.

Don't hold your breath......

geoffd99 · Post by **geoffd99** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 12:04 pm

I have a new PC, P4, ASRock P4VT8 mobo, 1 gig DDR ram, I have had nothing but trouble, usually 'PCI Overload' sometimes 'not enough STDM COnnectors from board 1 to 0' and occasionally the big freeze, with a short audio loop (just to rub it in).

I have a Pulsar 2, a Luna II, and a Pulsar SRB (version 1). They were repositioned to come up in the right order (largest dsps first), and I have cleaned all the connections etc). Temperatures all OK. Big PSU (500W).

I have done all the tweaks on this forum, disabling HT helped the most; will try USB disable. They all seem to help for a while, then the problems come back.

I am considering a SIS mobo (not VIA) but this is a last resort. BSome say VIA is OK, and I have the Breesor patch.

Before that I try disable USB root. Which is a pain.

Generally, I would like to see the figures for Happy Creamware Users, with stable systems (and I mean stable, not 'usually OK'). What do you reckon?

I am supposed to be recording an lp on this junk. Soon on ebay I think, along with all the other Creamware cards... shame the resale is so bad. There has to be a limit to the time wasted fixing the ******* PC. When the PC works great for everything else. Why is there no Creamware diagnostic software? Or Support???

These days all Sequencer plugins are so good, who need malfunctioning dsp cards???

That is a pretty big ??? for Creamware to worry about!!!

Disgruntled fan of Creamware gear since 1998.

blazesboylan · Post by **blazesboylan** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 12:28 pm

I'll buy your Pulsar II for a buck and a quarter.

"Not enough STDM COnnectors from board 1 to 0" means either you need to re-distribute the modules in your project, or you need another S/TDM cable connecting your first and second boards (presumably the Pulsar II and SRB).

Often the remedy for this message is simply to move as much as possible from the Luna card to the Pulsar II. For example, if you're using a Z-Link or ADAT in on the Luna, and it can be moved to the PII, do so.

However sometimes it's unavoidable and you have to get another S/TDM cable. Phone CreamWare, they will be happy to help you out.

If you're conducting a poll, then count me as a happy user.

The only crashes I've ever had from SFP were due to faulty memory. And guess what? The lifetime warranty on my Kingston memory doesn't mean that their support staff are ever going to call me back.

CWA support, on the other hand, has been really good to me. And my cards + A-D/D-As are serving me very well.

Poll results: 1 happy customer (100% from a random sample of 1, weighted by demographics, accurate 19 times out of 20)

Johann

BingoTheClowno · Post by **BingoTheClowno** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 12:40 pm

Count me in as a happy customer. For me quality means a lot. There's no VST that match the quality of Creamware synths except maybe NI's ones and they still play through the CW card. It is true that CW cards need a carefull installation but the rewards are incommensurable.

geoffd99, Plug and Play is myth if you thought it would work like that.

[ This Message was edited by: BingoTheClowno on 2004-07-28 13:42 ]

Post by **garyb** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 12:51 pm

geoffd99, please, i don't mean this personally, but i am not surprised you have problems. you are considering an sis chipset when they are crappier than via! as people keep telling you, INTEL! if not intel then nvidia.

the last computer i built is described in detail in these forums(in the general forum i think),but suffice it to say that there are at least 5 computers that i am directly responsible for that run PERFECTLY and a number of others that i delivered parts for that have very happy owners.

i am making records with mine, happily. in the small pond that i work in, my productions are considered well above the rest(they sound good, i'll not judge the content). i'm sorry you have problems, but the asrock sucks even if it has a cool name.

freezes with cubase sx seem to be a problem depending on what controller gets used, midi can be a problem(i've never had the problem personally but i know some one who has), but the fix is a $100 usb midex3.i've never seen the freeze problem with any other sequencer.

it always amazes me that someone would spend $1000 on the sound card and then not put it in the machine that would make it the happiest.

geoffd99, as i remember, you live in southern california. so do i. if you want, i can set up your machine for you.

[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2004-07-28 13:56 ]

geoffd99 · Post by **geoffd99** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 1:02 pm

Hi, that was a quick response from Happy Users!!! I came back 30 minutes later to tone down my rant, and it is too late!

Well apologies for the rant, the USB disabling seems to have removed the PCI Overload msg (ie the main problem) so I will see if it holds up this time (usually I report Oh Joy etc, then it all goes horribly wrong...). For instance, disabling HT in the BIOS got rid of the message - for a day or two. However the USB had 10% of bandwidth allocated, so maybe this interferes.

As for plug and play, the amount of tweaking / reinstalls / removal of hardware / connectors / etc etc is absurd - it's all I ever do when I am supposed to be doing music (as you can see, I am an amateur so no big pressures).
I also rtfm many times, and scoured this forum, all is total confusion, there are NO standards as to what works and what doesn't, not a good state of play, if I was a new person thinking of using Creamware products - I'd run a mile. Creamware Support DB doesn't even exist! A blank page!

NI synths and sampler products (such as the new ones with Kontact front ends) are great and so are the newer soft synths from all sorts of people - the old days of dsp superiority are gone (I bought Pulsar years ago when it was the only solution).

Recently (despite the trouble - I am an aoptimist!) I bought Interpole (goes wonky, has low volume) and Solaris (gives error messages but great sounds), and Minimax (v cool). However, the filter gets stuck, the synths change patches, drone etc etc, and I know it is probably the PC's fault, but why is this so after months of tweaking? The whole music system seems very fragile, even when working OK, which is very uncreative. Talking to pros, they tend to use the Creamware and PC for synths only, ie as a Noah type thing (which is why they made the Noah I suppose).

While we're on the subject, why are the dsps so slow and creaky? Cos they are old and grey...

I'd say I'm holding my vote for 'Happy' or not, see what happens with USB off.

So, tweak on, guys.

PS my supplier who is pretty OK usually, recommended the ASRock over Intel, with the ram and so on, perhaps he is an idiot, how should I know? Cost wasn't the issue.

[ This Message was edited by: geoffd99 on 2004-07-28 14:06 ]

blazesboylan · Post by **blazesboylan** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 1:35 pm

As for plug and play, the amount of tweaking / reinstalls / removal of hardware / connectors / etc etc is absurd - it's all I ever do when I am supposed to be doing music (as you can see, I am an amateur so no big pressures).

Then buy a Roland VS-69 unit, and send your Pulsar II to me.

Otherwise take GaryB up on his (pretty fantastic!) offer.

geoffd99 · Post by **geoffd99** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 2:47 pm

[Thanks Garyb for generous offer of setting up my PC, but I live in South London not South California!]
Yes, I have considered using a PC and Creamware for the synths, and a separate system for recording and multitrack editing... I have a laptop sitting about doing nothing most of the time, this would make a nice sequencer, for the CW synths and the other gear (Nord Micro Modular and Yamaha VL1). Then into a multitracker (Protools probably on a Mac) or it could even go via a mixer onto a DAT to go really retro.

As a separate point, before I have the big CW PC system I made far more tracks as they would get made with hardware synths, put thru a mixer (Mackie) onto tape... then the next track would involve reconfiguring it all, so the last one was then 'finished'... unlike now, where it all can be recalled and edited forever...

All good fun. I'll let you know whether the USB disable actually fixes the system...

(PS anyone watching, you can set up 2 hardware profiles for USB and no USB)

[ This Message was edited by: geoffd99 on 2004-07-29 04:27 ]

sharcsound · Post by **sharcsound** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:23 am

Freezing will happen if 'enable write caching' is not turned off on all drives.

Other interesting advice in this thread to stop the damned computer freezing caused by the Creamware SCOPE board are:

1) Disable MIDI.
2) Disable USB.
3) Use a Steinberg Midex3 USB MIDI Interface.

I wonder if the Creamware programmers have some other advice to add to this list?

fidox · Post by **fidox** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:07 am

On 2004-07-29 04:23, sharcsound wrote:
Freezing will happen if 'enable write caching' is not turned off on all drives.

Other interesting advice in this thread to stop the damned computer freezing caused by the Creamware SCOPE board are:

1) Disable MIDI.
2) Disable USB.
3) Use a Steinberg Midex3 USB MIDI Interface.

1) i use midi for my hardware synth
2) can't , because i use USB midi controller keyboard
3) don't have any extra money right now for that

about disabling "enable write caching", can't remember this was any difference in the past, with my old or new config.

i have install windows without HT enabled in BIOS and ACPI multi processor in device manager, soon when my computer freezes now, i'll ignore discussion about HT fault

so far so good...but you never know

this is so critical, if i go on stage one day and in the middle of music orgasm my computer freezes, huh, that would be a real pain in the a..

it's no matter if happens that here at home...

matej

[ This Message was edited by: fidox on 2004-07-29 05:18 ]

geoffd99 · Post by **geoffd99** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 7:24 am

On my system (see above) the biggest things were turning off HT in BIOS, and disabling USB - this can be in a second Hardware Profile so it is not too bad. Why not use the CW midi?
USB disable had a MAJOR effect, as all my PCI Overload messages vanished. The USB reserves PCI bandwidth (I think).
Good luck!

Post by **garyb** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:21 pm

usb uses pci on via and sis chipsets, not on intel.

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:54 pm

Well, Nothing is truely solved here.
I had one good day yesterday. Today is just a bunch of forced reboots every 10 minutes(or less).

I did everything suggested here and more!

If I change my Matrox G550, would that help?

BingoTheClowno · Post by **BingoTheClowno** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:58 pm

Paul, think logically, what has changed since yesterday? Have you installed anything new, trace back your steps.

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:11 pm

The problem has been going on for months now, Bingo.

I am however taking your advice and uninstalling a whole bunch of stuff I don't use anyways.

I keep you posted

Thanks

sharcsound · Post by **sharcsound** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 2:01 am

I spent the whole day testing my system to find out where the freezing problem comes from. I found out that the short audio loop that accompanies a freeze is caused by the ASIO modules. It is a loop between the ASIO Source module and the ASIO Destination module. When I disconect the ASIO modules I couldn't make the computer freeze. I think if just the Destination module is disconected it should also not freeze. The root problem seems to be between MIDI and ASIO. This should be positive news for those wishing to play synths live, that don't need a sequencer. I would like others to do some tests as well. I would like to try the Midex3 MIDI Interface solution if I had the unit.

paulrmartin · Post by **paulrmartin** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 5:15 am

On 2004-07-29 13:54, paulrmartin wrote:

I did everything suggested here and more!

If I change my Matrox G550, would that help?

(I did not get an answer to the above question)

Interesting, Sharc. I seem to get freezes due to wave driver problems, when using Logic but mostly when watching a video in my machine.

I asked about the G550 because I seem to experience freezes when I move things around. Yesterday I was working with one sampler instrument and a .wav loop only and whenever I would copy/drag the loop the computer would freeze(the music was not even playing).

I'm going to look at Matrox forums and try to find out about possible driver problems with the G550.

AndreD · Post by **AndreD** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 6:03 am

Sorry, i have no time to read the whole thread...

Some ideas:

1. Your system is getting to hot
2. There is a hardware connected to the physical midi in (cw board)
3. The power-supply is bad