Re: Soundtrack Pro Woes

Have just upgraded G5 to Leopard and FCP2 and everything is working well except STP.

Only get one or two seconds sound in the preview window, clip plays full length if put on time line.
BUT .... plays with a lot of stutter and clicks, like a sample rate mismatch.
Clips play fine at browser level.
Sound in FCP is fine.
Have trashed prefs, still no difference.

Any one else had this?

Many thanks

There is no Preview window in Soundtrack Pro. Are you perhaps referring to the Waveform Editor?

Dave

No, in the browser window and trying to play the individual sounds/instruments to preview them before adding to the project.

Sorry if I was unclear.

Thanks

Slightly different issue here, i'm having trouble with playback, although I think recording is also an issue (but right now I just need playback for mixing)

Just bought a new Tascam Us144 MKII Audio Interface and some KRK RP6G2 monitors, everything was working fine until I booted up STP to do some video work and have had massive headaches all day trying to get it to work.

Before I explain in detail, just to say that I am on a 2007 Macbook with 4 (3 usable) GB of RAM and have had no problems in Logic or any other problem with big multitrack files, not once has my computer overloaded or dropped any audio.

Anyway, after importing an OMF STP would give me the "dropped audio" warning. After a while it wouldn't even play one track and then all of a sudden all audio just became white noise.

What's even more annoying is that the playhead has locked itself to only beginning from the start of the project, even if I place it half way through and hit play. Sometimes when I hit play the playhead just stays still and won't do anything although the play symbol in the transport controls indicates that it is playing...

This is the same in any window, sample editor, timeline etc. I thought it may be corrupted files in the OMF, but any audio file I drop in won't play or will play for a few seconds before cutting out.

I thought it may be sample rates but both STP and the Tascam are set to 48 kHZ, which is what the original OMF file from FCP is set to...

Driving me crazy, anyone got any ideas?

Do you have a Toslink optical cable anywhere ? If so, take the Toslink cable and connect it to both optical ports on the backside of your G5, creating a loop. There is a big chance that your problem will be solved. This solution comes from an Apple Tech. The explanation: some G5 models, when updated to Leopard, have issues with the sample rate clock jumping from 44 to 48 KHz if the optical ports are unused.

Best wishes,

Ronny

Ronnie

This sounds promising. (Though never heard of a Toslink cable before)
Do you have any links or pointers where I can read up a bit more about this.
Unsurprisingly the Apple site has nothing.

Very many thanks.

M How

Here's an apple doc on the Toslink connectors and what they do:

[support.apple.com]

As to the solution I mentioned, I read this some time ago but I can't remember where and I can't find the original article back. But I have saved this part of the text in my troubleshooting notes:

My particular G5 model has a known bug. Spent over an hour online with an Apple Tech who went through several possibilities until he found the answer. The problem is the optical ports on the backside of the computer. IF they are not being used, there might be an issue with stray or ambient light wreaking havoc with the sample rate of Soundtrack Pro. The solution was to go buy a Toslink optical cable and plug it into both ports creating a loop. The sample rate clock was jumping back and forth from 44.1 kHz to 48 kHz and causing the popping when playing anything in Soundtrack Pro. Problem has been solved. It didn't appear until I upgraded to Leopard, have no idea why, but I feel better now that it wasn't something I did that I couldn't figure out.

Apparently, some G5 models have this issue and it does not appear until you upgrade to Leopard, which is the case for you. In this particular case the Toslink loop solved the problem. The solution is quite logical: Toslink connectors are optical and the connectors on the back of the G5 are not shielded, so if ambient light falls on the connector this may disturb the audio interface. Connecting a cable to the optical connectors shields them from ambient light. Such a cable is cheap so I think it's worth trying.

Another note from my troubleshooting log:

a similar issue can appear when you install FCS2 on a G5 that has ProTools LE installed. The solution here is to uninstall FCS2 and ProTools LE, then re-install FCS2 and check if STP is behaving, then re-install PT LE.

This may or may not apply to your case, just FYI.

Best wishes,

Ronny

Do not have Pro Tools on the machine.
In the midst of a full reinstall, if problem still there will be off to get cable.
(And put machine in unlit coal cellar)

Very many thanks for the full and detailed answer.

Same issues here with exactly the same constellation & configuration. The Toslink cable finally did the trick and solved the problem. Thanx to Ronny & the unknown Mac Tech. Great!