SM's example as VSTi crashes CubaseSX !!!

SynthDreamer · 10 May 2005

Sorry, but I have to bump this, as it is very important to me that SynthMaker VSTis work in CubaseSX, otherwise the program will be of no use to me, and I'm impatient to start using it -- as soon as the example VSTi crashed SX I got stuck 🙁 and can't make any progress learning the program, as it would seem like wasted time if I can't use my eventual creations as VSTis in CubaseSX... So -- Has anyone encountered the same problem as I described in the 1st message of this thread? Thanks in advance.

Tom7777 · 10 May 2005

Hi i don't have Cubase but i know that Jorge and Malc will want SM VSTI/VST to run well in all the main audio apps so im sure that this will be fixed. For now why not just record samples or something from your SM project to use in cubase. I don't think it would be a waste of time to continue to work with SM untill the bug gets fixed as you would just have more stuff to use when it has been. Hope this helps 🙂

stefan · 10 May 2005

I've had the same problems, usually solved it by restarting cubase 2-3 times, and if even this fails, re-exporting the vsti witha new ID and trying again to start cubase a couple of times.

Sk · 10 May 2005

I use Cubase SX 2.0, and have imported a couple of SM synths as VST modules. I didn't get such errors though, apart from a bit too much of loading time. I haven't really tested them thoroughly, but in a tenth of Cubase runs they never gave me the problem you described.

malc · 11 May 2005

Hi SynthDreamer,

Apologies for the late response, I've been away from things for a few days. I'm sure we can resolve this problem for you but it may take a bit of trial and error work as I don't have CubaseSX 1.06.

Everything appears to be fine in version 2.0 so perhaps there is a part of the VST interface that has been superceded or something we are not currently supporting that is needed for compatibility with older software.

Anyway, I'll have a look into this for you but it may be a day or two before I can get back to you.

Thanks for your patience.

Malc.

SynthDreamer · 14 May 2005

Thanks, Malc... Just want to add something else I discovered, though it doesn't seem directly related to the SX 1.06 problem -- I noticed that after I quit SynthMaker it still stays in the list of active processes shown in the WinXP task manager, and thus taking up RAM and processing power -- My computer is a 1.1GHz, 64 bit processing Pentium III laptop, with Windows XP professional, still without the sp2 update, and with (still unexpanded) 256MB RAM. The brand is not very well known (Airis) but it has worked remarkably well with all sorts of music apps and addons. Try as I might to kill the SM active process in the taskmanager, it simply refuses to go away, so that after I quit each session with SM, I'm forced to reboot the computer to get rid of it as an active process. Mind you, this happens even without any apparent SM crash... Has anyone else noticed this problem ?... Thanks again for any answers.

unkargherth · 14 May 2005

I'm sad to tell you SynthDreamer, but that problem seems to be the "Standard Airis Way Of Life". I had one two years ago and it ended in the trashcan after 3 months of angry debate against Airis Customer Care departament. In my case was a lot of problems with Graphics card, among a problem with battery replacement. Nothing to do with Audio

Althought you said the rest of audio apps work well ,have you tried ASIO4ALL? Google for it. It's free, and could save any strange error your laptop could have with DX drivers

SynthDreamer · 16 May 2005

In my case was a lot of problems with Graphics card, among a problem with battery replacement. Nothing to do with Audio

Well, I bought mine 3years ago and never had any problem with it, being it audio or graphics -- I have dozens of audio related apps installed in it and none has behaved the way I described above -- so it seems to be a problem somehow related to SM/winXP...

Althought you said the rest of audio apps work well ,have you tried ASIO4ALL? Google for it. It's free, and could save any strange error your laptop could have with DX

The problem is SM, after I quit the prog, staying in memory as an active process that shows in the winXP task manager, and refuses to go away, and doesn't seem at all related to ASIO -- I use an AudioQuattro and it works flowlessly with CubaseSX, Chainer, and soundwise also SynthMaker and any app that uses ASIO drivers so far... I don't see how ASIO4All could help, except perhaps complicate everything further through causing a conflict with the Quattro's ASIO drivers (if my Quattro ASIO drivers work well, why try to fix them? -- that would be asking for trouble, I guess...) Moreover, even if I have the Quattro off, and use the DX drivers, SM will still stays hanging in memory after I quit it...

malc · 16 May 2005

Hi SynthDreamer,

Probably best to tackle the SynthMaker issue first and then look at the problem in Cubase.

Can I ask you to try a few things for me? Can you try the following steps in turn until you get the situation where the SM process remains after close. before doing any of this go to Options|Application and select Empty Schematic under the Startup Options (make sure there are no SM processes kicking around before you start too).

Ok here we go. Don't do anything more than I say for each step:

1. Open SM and then close it without doing anything 2. Open SM. Open the example. Close SM. 3. Repeat 2 but before closing play a single note, release and wait 5 secs.

Let me know how this goes and we can take things further.

Thanks.

SynthDreamer · 16 May 2005

Hi, Malc

go to Options|Application and select Empty Schematic under the Startup Options

Sorry, but I don't know exactly where this is located ... do you mean in WindowsXP?... exactly where is this?... Control Panel?... or somewhere else?... Anyway, without doing this previous step, I tried suggestion number1 (loading SM and quiting without doing anything else in the prog), and after I quit there it was, still hanging in the task manager processes... but, as I said, I couldn't yet find where the "Options|Application--->Startup Otions" is in WinXP (or did you mean in SM itself?). Please explain better this previous step. Sorry for taking up your time, and thanks for your help.

malc · 16 May 2005

Sorry SynthDreamer, I should have been clearer. In SynthMaker go to the Options menu and select the Application option. A dialog box will appear. Under the Startup Options heading, click the Empty Schematic option. This will prevent the example schematic from loading on startup.

Close SynthMaker and make sure your system is in a safe state (no SM processes running) before trying the steps I suggested in my earlier post.

Let me know how you get on.

Thanks.

SynthDreamer · 17 May 2005

Aha!... Now something's happening: Step1= After I quit SM, it no longer stays hanging in the Taskmanager! 😀 Step2= After I quit SM, it STAYS hanging in memory as an active process 🙁 ... Moreover, about 1miute after quiting SM, it even made winXP crash without me doing any action... caused a blue screen with a long winXP error message that I didn't catch in time to read, followed by an automatic reboot... Step3= it plays as it should, but I added an extra step -- before quiting, I closed the example file, and then quit SM -- result: It didn't show up any longer hanging in the TaskManager. The problem seems to be related to the example.osm file, I guess...

malc · 17 May 2005

Ok, that's good that we're getting somewhere. Can you try something else then:

4. Run SM and drag in a MIDI In component. Select PC Keyboard on the MIDI In then close SM. Check for the hanging.

5. Run SM and drag in a Direct Sound Out component. Select the first driver on the Direct Sound Out then close SM and check for the hanging again.

Thanks.

SynthDreamer · 18 May 2005

Neither step 4 or step 5 caused any hanging -- After quiting from each experiment, I couldn't see any remaining SM process in the TaskManager.

malc · 18 May 2005

Ok that's good.

Can you download the following file: [old link]

6. Run SM and load up the file. Then close and check for hanging.

7. Same as 6 but this time select PC Keyboard on the Midi In and The first driver on the Direct Sound Out component before closing. Again check for hanging.

8. Same as 7 but play a note before closing.

Sorry for all the to-ing and fro-ing, thanks for being patient.

unkargherth · 18 May 2005

No hang in any of the three situations

SynthDreamer · 20 May 2005

Hi... Sorry for taking so long, but I've been away... Here it goes:

malc wrote: 6. Run SM and load up the file. Then close and check for hanging.

No haging in this step...

7. Same as 6 but this time select PC Keyboard on the Midi In and The first driver on the Direct Sound Out component before closing. Again check for hanging..

No hanging around here, either... 🙂

8. Same as 7 but play a note before closing.

Played notes from the computer keyboard (PC keyboard selected) -- no hanging after quiting, as above.

Thanks for your patient thourougness, also! 🙂

malc · 20 May 2005

Hi SynthDreamer,

Which version of the software were you using when you first got the problems? Are you using the same version now?

malc · 20 May 2005

Another thing to try. You'll need the latest version (0.9.3n) to try this. Download and try opening the following file: [old link] Close the application and see if you get the hanging process.

Thanks.

EDIT: terrible English - 3 'try's in as many sentances, truly shocking 🙂

skOre · 20 May 2005

malc wrote: EDIT: terrible English - 3 'try's in as many sentances, truly shocking 🙂

And we are "not amused" ! 😉

malc · 20 May 2005

🙂

SynthDreamer · 23 May 2005

well... I loaded the new file (exampleSD.osm) 1-with directX drivers, no hanging... 2-changed to ASIO drivers and quit -- no hanging 3-still with ASIO drivers, played a few notes and quit -- HANGING !!!... 🙁 and fatal error in windows a few minutes after quiting without doing any action. This using v0_9_3n

malc · 24 May 2005

Sorry SynthDreamer, I meant to get back to you yesterday.

Ok, well it sounds like the first problem was caused by the new display featurette we put into the example. We've fixed some bugs relating to this now so if you wouldn't mind giving this a try with DirectSound I'd be interested to see if it works ok now.

That just leaves the ASIO issue. It sounds like this is definitely a problem which I'll need to look into further. Can you get by with DirectSound for now?

Thanks for sticking with it.