erratically dropping audio from M-audio Fast Track Ultra

[Mark Seyler]

Hi
On my current show I am running the latest SCS, using an MAudio FW410 (Firewire) and an MAudio Fasttrack Ultra 8 (USB), with 13 audio outputs. 45 sound cues, 2 video cues (MP4, video and sound to a TV on stage) and 12 Midi cues operating a midi to relay board firing solenoids off to knock items over on the set. Nothing massive. Running Asio drivers, except for the video cues for which I seem to be able to use an output from the FW410 as DIRECT SOUND. Both interfaces running on internal sync.... has worked before!
I'm having real problems with
1. SCS intermittently not responding i.e. nothing happening when the space bar is pressed to initiate a Q... needing a reload of SCS to correct
2. The Ultra 8 still looking completely connected ("connected and streaming") but intermittently not producing any audio output despite SCS running, showing output on the meters... but nothing coming out of the interface.......needing a reload of SCS to correct
3. and tonight, having reloaded urgently twice (as above), SCS losing the Control Cue midi output selection and thus not running a series of Midi Qs and telling me "Cue not sent".

All this is intermittent. PC seems OK. ALL seems OK until it stops working, without ANY indication on screen.

Sorry I can't do a diagnostics tonight... could do one tomorrow.
There is a ghost in the play... I think it may be in the system too!
Mark Seyler
Wilmslow Green Room Theatre

[Mike Daniell]

Weird! I've emailed you details of a tracing version to run.

[Mark Seyler]

Thanks Mike.
This is a really weird one as you say and I'm not even sure if it will reproduce when I run the trace.
As I'm in the middle of the show (which failed to knock things over in the closing scene last night as the MIDI output setting had got lost and the commands "failed to send") I'm going to try a Saffire Pro40 in place of the FastTrack Ultra (already substituted with my own Fast Track in case it was hardware), and run the Midi off the FW410.... anything to get it stable enough for this show.
I've never had problems I couldn't trace before: all the things that have cropped up have been pilot error in some form, or glitches that have been sortable quite easily (occasionally with your usual prompt help). I'll run the diagnostics this morning before I start changing things though and send you the trace.

Thanks for your rapid reply

Mark

[PhilVale]

I've occasionally had problems with my Fast Track Ultra seeming to be fine but noting actually going out. I put it down to "something, somewhere going to sleep" as it seemed to happen when I had a long pause in the script (like about 10 pages) when nothing was happening. Now that could be totally wrong but I've taken to keeping a dummy cue running on a loop and outputting to an unused channel on the Fast Track Ultra. So in my current production I'm running the sound of a brewery continusiuly to channel 6 and noting connected to Chanel 6 on the Fast Track Ultra.

That way I can also check if I need to, using a headphone plugged into the channel. As well as the visual indicators in SCS and the control panel for the Fast Track.

It's a little like trying to prove a negative as I don't know if that's really fixed it. All I would say is it's not happened since I took that approach which to be fair is only on this latest production.

Don't know if that helps at all.

[Eric Snodgrass]

Phil, make sure that Windows is not set to turning off power to the USB ports. It does this to conserve energy and you must change this.
In Windows 10, go to Control Panel (right clicking on the lower lefthand start icon will bring up a menu that includes Control Panel) - Power Options.
Then click on Change Plan Settings.
Click on Change advanced power settings. A separate box will pop up.
Scroll down this box to USB Settings - click on the + sign
Click on the + sign next to USB selective suspend setting
Set this to Disabled
Click Apply
Click Okay

Your USB ports will now stay powered up.