Time For A New PC and New Mixcraft: Unable to Diagnose and New Problems Keep Popping Up

[TheHound]

I don't want a nasty windows 10 system but I suppose I can upgrade to windows 7. That will probably end up being a pain in the ass. Please make a Mac version!!

My next step will be to audition Mixcraft 8 on this PC. If it works then I will know that my version of Mixcraft is corrupting But then again with my filthy rotten luck who knows? It may end up being another bunch of frustrating crap.

I was able to run Mixcraft sort of. I used a USB interface but this time mixcraft was tracking way ahead of the play back. As I was recording the wave was at least a bar ahead of the carrot. The whole session was a waste of time.

Mixcraft would not let me arm the track on the track but it would on the mixer. The arm button was grayed out in the track but not on the mixer. Is that also my computer? I think that is Mixcraft.

Mixcraft's transport would not start when I unplugged the USB input even when I clicked OK when it said it detected a change in device.

Not getting sound from the headphone jack.

Effects and sliders are also responding slowly when I move sliders. Is this Mixcraft or PC? I have plenty of resources. It never did this before and there was nothing running in the back ground.

I am the poster boy for Murphy's law so the impossible to diagnose problems I am having could be both my PC and Mixcraft happening simultaneously.

THIS IS NOT A RESOURCE PROBLEM!

I'm back at square one not knowing if it is Mixcraft, software or hardware issue. Maybe I should record on tape? Less BS and no mysteries.

Wish me luck.

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

Did you ever send in your log file? You said that you'd figured out which folder it was in at one point, right?

It might help if you didn't create so many new threads on this issue, so it would be easier to keep track of what has been suggested.

Once again, if the sound is coming out of an unexpected device, check your Playback Device setting in Sound Device preferences. That setting determines where the sound comes out.

If you have an audio interface that provides its own ASIO driver, you should have ASIO mode selected in Sound Device preferences, and make sure you have the correct ASIO driver selected there.

You've got Home Studio, right? Assuming that's what you're using. Here's how to find the mixcraft-log file: highlight the following line and press Ctrl+C to copy it:

%appdata%\Acoustica\MixcraftHS

Press the Windows Key+R to pop up the Run box in Windows. Click in the Run box and press Ctrl+V to paste in the line from above. Finally, click OK to go to the location of the mixcraft-log.txt file.

If you don't have Home Studio, leave the HS off the end of the line above.

Submit an Acoustica Support Request and attach the mixcraft-log.txt file.

In regard to Macs, we don't currently have any plans to make a Mac version of Mixcraft, because that would require starting over from scratch. We couldn't just port it over if we wanted to do the job right.

Greg

[TheHound]

Hi,

Did you ever send in your log file? You said that you'd figured out which folder it was in at one point, right?

It might help if you didn't create so many new threads on this issue, so it would be easier to keep track of what has been suggested.

Once again, if the sound is coming out of an unexpected device, check your Playback Device setting in Sound Device preferences. That setting determines where the sound comes out.

If you have an audio interface that provides its own ASIO driver, you should have ASIO mode selected in Sound Device preferences, and make sure you have the correct ASIO driver selected there.

You've got Home Studio, right? Assuming that's what you're using. Here's how to find the mixcraft-log file: highlight the following line and press Ctrl+C to copy it:

%appdata%\Acoustica\MixcraftHS

Press the Windows Key+R to pop up the Run box in Windows. Click in the Run box and press Ctrl+V to paste in the line from above. Finally, click OK to go to the location of the mixcraft-log.txt file.

If you don't have Home Studio, leave the HS off the end of the line above.

Submit an Acoustica Support Request and attach the mixcraft-log.txt file.

In regard to Macs, we don't currently have any plans to make a Mac version of Mixcraft, because that would require starting over from scratch. We couldn't just port it over if we wanted to do the job right.

Greg

The report from Eric was that I didn't have enough resources but that can't be true because the resource use is very low. Task manager reports 7 - 10 processor and under 27 percent memory. I have all the junk turned off. He probably was getting that data when I was trouble shooting and had a browser open looking for advice while running MC.

Sound works for on line videos and windows media play but now only through a USB device. Mixcraft is clicking popping and stuttering through USB device. Computer headphone jack is not working with anything and the speaker don't always work. Could it be MC causing that even when it is closed?? None of this makes sense.

I have tried every configuration in preferences more than once. Currently is is on Wave and I just switched it to Wave RT. Playback is saying 8% CPU and 12% system. There are 12 tracks and 2 are muted. Play back is going through a USB as computer headphone jacks is not working.

I am hearing my playing with latency in spite of the fact that incoming audio is not selected But know the USB is not functioning as an input device.

This is not operator error. Things are happening on their own for no known reasons.

I don't relish the though of learning another DAW. What do you know about how MC runs on a Mac with Boot Camp installed?

I have a disk with 2 installs left should I do fresh install and see what happens?

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

Wave will have the highest latency. You should use WaveRT, or ASIO if it is available. Those would give you better audio performance at lower latencies.

Before you give up on this computer completely, can you please look back at Eric's email and see what your ticket number was? I want to look at your log file. Or better yet, try it with WaveRT (or ASIO if that is available), and then send in a new log file (see instructions above).

Greg

[outteh]

First off, stop playing with Mixcraft. Get your sound working on your PC including your headphone jack. Go to Windows setting and ensure our internal sound card is the default play and record device. Check your output settings and any other Windows features that affect sound. Once you have your PC back up and running properly, then start Mixcraft, go into preference and use your internal sound card as the record play device. Set it to wav. This will allow you to at least rule out Mixcraft as the problem. You will have delay in recording but playback should go relatively stable. If you get all that working then you can hook up your USB device and go through the same steps.

[Acoustica Greg]

Also, send me your log file, or give me your ticket number.

[TheHound]

Hi,

Wave will have the highest latency. You should use WaveRT, or ASIO if it is available. Those would give you better audio performance at lower latencies.

Before you give up on this computer completely, can you please look back at Eric's email and see what your ticket number was? I want to look at your log file. Or better yet, try it with WaveRT (or ASIO if that is available), and then send in a new log file (see instructions above).

Greg

Latency is not the issue. Now Mixcraft is tacking out of time. I don't care about latency. I can monitor my input by hearing the instrument open air using foam headphones.

I have used WAVE and WAVE RT with the same results. With both settings it's tracking out of time. It started do that a little a few months ago but I could move the wave and get it back in time. Now it's so bad that I can't do that. These issues started a few months ago but were minor and infrequent.

The arm button being grayed out on the track and not on the mixer is probably a mixcraft issue but who knows?

Is the timing problem a Mixcraft issue?

The PC's headphone jack is not working with any program.

Sometimes playback would start with mixcraft last for a few seconds and the sound would stop. I'd close mixcraft and it would play all the way through the project a few times and then stop while using the headphone jack. Then it began doing that with other programs and online videos but it was much worse with Mixcraft.

The faders and effect controls are sluggish. That was never the case. This is beyond frustrating. There are so many sypmtoms that all point to mixcraft and then my PC.

Also, when I unplug the USB device and click OK the transport won't start until a close and restart Mixcraft.

I'm going to close the browser and try more stuff and pull my hair out.

Here's the ticket.

Hello, your log file has the following line in it
Mem in use percentage = 68%

That says that 68% of your computers available resources are already being used before Mixcraft even starts.
Meaning that as you build a project, it gets even worse.
That is absolutely the problem.
Follow the steps shown in this video, to free up system resource.
https://youtu.be/XMXz81p0g28

Sincerely,

Eric VanLandingham
Acoustica Support
http://www.acoustica.com
Mixcraft 8™ "The Musicians DAW"

Try the Acoustica forums, our users can be extremely helpful!
http://forums.acoustica.com/bbs/

Ticket Details
Ticket ID: 320466
Department: Mixcraft
Type: Issue
Priority: Medium

Helpdesk: https://support.acoustica.com/index.php?/default_import

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

Latency could be related to the timing issues you mentioned, don't you think?

Looking at your ticket, I recommended trying WaveRT with exclusive mode. Did you ever try turning on exclusive mode?

But if you have a Zoom-16, you should install the drivers for that and try ASIO mode with those drivers. You will need to listen to playback through your USB device with ASIO, but that will give you better audio performance.

Greg

[Mark Bliss]

Love to help, but at this point all I can say is that having these "recently developing" problems for over 2 years and posting the same comments over and over again just doesn't seem to be getting us anywhere does it?
https://forums.acoustica.com/bbs/viewto ... 459#p95459
Etc. Repeatedly.

We could perhaps start with finally convincing you that Wave mode does work pretty much as you say. That's why we don't ever use it for much of anything.

And we could end with the point that running Windows on a Mac is still running Windows so...… I dunno what that is about really. (Shrug)

In between those two points is a bunch of details. Some have been covered in frequent replies to the many threads. Some more need clearer info from the OP to find the problems and get it sorted out. Its not a single issue. But most of it is settings and usage.
If you really want to get it going and useful, it might be best to start with Tom's general advice and "start from scratch" And combine that with taking some advice and clearly answering some questions, instead of posting the same comments again and again.

Like I said. Love to help. But you have to work with us a little here.

[Thomas]

I echo the suggestion to follow Tom's advice to get sound working properly in windows first. Again, I agree this thread lacks focus. I'm new here and I've learned that wave mode is the worst of the 3 options so I don't touch it.

Windows 10 has its shortcomings, but I don't think it's as bad as you think. I try to avoid the fanboy flame wars between mac and win. They both get the job done. Nuff said on that. Of course we don't know the condition of your operating system and if it needs a refresh or not. You can back up your files and refresh windows but would need to reinstall programs. If you went that route, make a list of programs and vesion numbers first. Yes, as Mark said it's hard to give a solution when we need more focus IMO. Hard to narrow it down. Before buying a new PC, reinstall windows. It might solve all your problems in one afternoon. But remember to backup first.

[dpaterson]

Hello.

Yip. I've been following this thread for some (extended) period of time now and I have to say that were it me: I'd have wiped the slate clean and performed a fresh install of Windows, all drivers, and Mixcraft (in that order) (and by fresh install I do mean "fresh" i.e. format your HDD, if possible LOW LEVEL format it, and then install Windows etc.).

Sorry. Not what you want to hear I'm sure but I know but I've been known to wast my fair share of time in this lifetime battling to resolve a problem where there's been far too many variables at play such as would appear to be the case here and a fresh install was done in hours and problem solved. And besides (and I speak from experience i.e. I spent most of my working life in the IT business): it's really a good idea (in my humble opinion) to backup and do a fresh install about once per year especially if you've been installing and uninstalling software and drivers etc etc. etc. You'll be surprised at just how fast your freshly installed PC becomes (over the months a degradation in performance usually creeps up on you without you even knowing it).

Something else you may or may not want to hear: I doubt very much that it's Mixcraft per se. From my experience: it's one of the most stable software packages around (Mixcraft Pro Studio 8 anyway).


Regards,

Dale.

P.S.

Oh and while others may disagree: try to steer clear of Windows 10 as long as possible (if you're going to all this trouble). Windows 7 Pro (tweaked) works like a charm for this. Yeh I know: EOL is coming soon but I don't think it's anything to be concerned about i.e. I was able to install and run and update Windows XP right up until about the end of 2016 if memory serves me correctly (this in spite of Microsoft's EOL threats). Put another way: this Windows 10 Creators Update (or whatever it's called and whatever it is) seems to cause its fair share of issues and so far as I can tell it's not a optional update???

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

Such drastic measures are probably not required. ASIO mode would be a good thing to try, since there's a USB interface available.

Greg

[dpaterson]

Hello (Greg).

Hmmmnnn... Dunno. So far as I can tell this chap has been having issues since 2016. Humble opinion: time for drastic measures!!! LOL!!!

Regards,

Dale.

[Acoustica Greg]

Hello (Greg).

Hmmmnnn... Dunno. So far as I can tell this chap has been having issues since 2016. Humble opinion: time for drastic measures!!! LOL!!!

Regards,

Dale.

Hi,

Reinstalling Windows won't improve the performance of Wave mode.

Greg

[Mark Bliss]

I am with Greg on this.
Having read each of the op's posts and replies on this, (Yes, stringing back to 4/16) I would wager heavily:

1: The primary problems are not Mixcraft. And even if the installation were somehow "corrupted" that would be an easy test/fix. But no. Don't think so based on the various described symptoms.

2: The primary problems are not Windows. It is settings, configuration and usage. There may be some peripheral issues, but the main ones? I don't think so.

3: We could have narrowed in on a few of the multiple issues a long time ago.

As I understand it, the user is running the Home Studio version 6 of Mixcraft on an older dual core 4Gig ram laptop. While this can by all means be used within reasonable and modest expectations, obstacles WILL pop up that require careful configuration. Just taking wild stabs at settings isnt going to make much progress IMO.
And yes, the user has discussed updating both Mixcraft and his computer from the start, so I am not sure on the direction here.....
Need more input to be more helpful.