PT8 M-Powered. Sound of small gas motor, not the recorded audio

[Robert Buncher]

I am running PT8, M-Powered.

When I open a new project, import audio files and then play back the recorded audio files all I hear is what sounds like a small two-stroke gas motor.

I have tried opening various files on different new projects and this happens to all of them. It does not matter if I import with or without video or if I use a template or not.

However if I open an old project the audio plays just fine.

Does anyone have any idea what is causing this? I have a short project that i have to edit for this week and I am in a bind if I cannot use ProTools.

I would just upgrade to PT10 but I am in the middle of a longer project and do not want to upgrade in the middle of it.

Thanks,

Bob

[Jay Rose]

Have you tried opening the production files in a different program? On a different computer? Then transcode to a different bit depth and see if PT will open those versions.

Have you tried logging in as a different user? If that helps, either do the project as the other user or rebuild your pref files.

(These are generalized tips... I use a different platform than PT now.)

[Robert Buncher]

Thanks Jay.

The files play just fine in Premiere Pro or QuickTime.

I will try your suggestions.

[Marc Wielage]

Ask around on the Pro Tools User Conference:

http://duc.avid.com/

I suspect this is a reference issue or a setup menu issue.

[Robert Buncher]

I have worked on this but not had any luck yet.

I am still awaiting a response on the duc.avid site.

Marc, when you say reference issue are you referring to the project file connecting to the audio file?

If I make no headway by tomorrow I will probably uninstall/reinstall PT. I believe that will not cause me any troubles I don't already have. Am I correct about that?

You know I really enjoy working on a computer but sometimes it just, "What the f##k."

Thanks,

Bob

[Marc Wielage]

Could be an external sync/wordclock reference issue, or a reference choice within the setup control panel in the program.

Generally, trashing the prefs may allow the program to recover enough that suddenly everything will work, particularly within complex programs like Pro Tools, Avid, and Final Cut Pro. You don't necessarily need to do a complete wipe and restore. I would call customer support first, but be aware that I believe they now charge money for this. Plus, I think support for the M-Audio products has been dropped, and 8.0 is two versions old (from 2008).

[Miles Anderson]

bob — I suspect an upgrade will do nothing but cost you some money.

I used to work for apple computer (inc) doing tier 2 tech support, and the simplest thing to do is try (like what jay and marc suggested) the fresh start approach - a new project in a new user (fresh settings).

once you're in a new user, start a new project and record a little bit of fresh audio, then play back — the playback should be clean. then try to open your problematic project and see what you hear.

this is the simplest troubleshooting step to do in order to get any quick ideas about the cause and will inform you what direction the solution is in.

the other one is to start by simply rebooting your computer

[ccsnd]

sounds like playback engine settings. try increasing buffer size, adjusting memory usage settings, etc.

[TheBlimp]

+1 on trying a new user account. if you want to start really fresh, just create a new partition or drop in an extra hd, install clean system and install PT on that 2nd partition/hd. takes 2 hrs max.

you might also give PT Prefs & Database helper a try. small app. Here.

[Miles Anderson]

keep it simple - don't buy a new fridge just because something went bad.

[Robert Buncher]

Thanks everyone for your help, however I have not solved this problem yet.

I have done everything suggested above, more than once, except a new system install or a new install of PT.

Also the problem is worse than I realized. Not only are all new projects effected but my long-term ongoing project, which is my own personal film project, is also screwed. The project plays back just fine until I add a new sound file. The new sound file does not play back correctly but exhibits the same motor noise.

This is truly a bummer. I guess the next step is to uninstall/reinstall PT and if that does not work to try a new system install. Before I do these I am going to call Avid tech support.

Actually, one thing I have not tried, as suggested by Jay, was to open the files on a different computer.

The small project that I have due this week I will edit on Audition, I have not used that program yet so I'll see what it is like.

Thanks again,

Bob

[Jay Rose]

The project plays back just fine until I add a new sound file. The new sound file does not play back correctly but exhibits the same motor noise.

Assuming the new sound file already played back properly in some other program on your computer...

This suggests something has changed in your file standard (probably bit depth, interleave, or sample rate; possibly compression). Your older productions met the standard your DAW can play; the new files can't.

This is possibly a file-translation routine in your DAW that went south, but more likely an intentional or bug-derived environment setting change.

Again, first step is to play one of the motorboat files on another computer; verify that it's good. AND CHECK ITS SPECS.

Then take one of the older files from a project that still plays on your main computer and do the same thing. Compare the results.

If the specs don't match, there's your problem and the DUC or similar can help.

If they do match, best bet would be a complete removal (all the support files as well) and reinstall of your DAW. Not a new version - you don't need it, nor want the additional complications - but the version that previously worked.

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

What is the OS of your computer you are using? Not sure if you are on a Mac or PC platform

[studiomprd]

" on a Mac or PC platform "

on a Mac or PC Windows platform

[Robert Buncher]

Richard, I am on a Mac 10.6.8 Pro Tools 8.0.3

Jay, yes, the new sound files that do not play in PT do play on every other programs on my main computer.

Following your instructions I played the files, both the older unproblematic and the new motorboat files on two computers other than my main DAW computer and they both played fine. The specs for both are uncompressed wave, 48K 24 bit. They are both mono as converted by PT on import.

So I guess the reinstall of PT is indicated by these finding, correct. I think I will wait a few days until I finish this small project on Audition before I deal with this uninstall/reinstall issue with PT.

Thanks so much for your help on this Jay. I have both of your books; they are the first books on audio that I read and I still refer to them and continue to learn from them.

Bob

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

Bob,

I could be wrong but are you sure your PT v 8.03 is supported by Mac OS 10.6.8?

I've used this link http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/Compatibility/en353149

to get an idea of what version and hardware are compatible with each OS

[Robert Buncher]

Richard,

I have been using this setup for a long time with no problems and it is just recently that this problem cropped up. Also that table is for the LE version and I have the M-Audio version of PT so it probably does not apply. But thank you for looking into this for me.

Bob

[Mark Orusa]

Have you exported audio from PT and played that in QuickTime?

Cmnd+Shft+K Export Regions as Files (this keyboard shortcut may not exists for your version of PT)

Does the motor boat sound become part of the audio files? If it is only in playback then it is a system issue unrelated to the audio files.

Mark O.

[Robert Buncher]

Mark, when I export and play the offending files in QuickTime they play just fine.

Bob

[ccsnd]

I think a reinstall is in order.

[Mark Orusa]

Mark, when I export and play the offending files in QuickTime they play just fine.

Bob

Are you using AVID/Digidesign hardware or the computer's built-in audio hardware?

Does the motor boat sound exist only when playing with audio files on the timeline, or does it exist with no audio regions on the timeline? If you create a region of "blank" audio (-∞ signal level) does it make the motor boat sound. You can create a region of "blank" audio by consolidating a highlighted section of the timeline or by recording on a track with no audio inputted to that channel.

Your best option is to reinstall, but it is important to troubleshoot this down to distinct details. You may actually be able to figure out what is wrong, or at least inform Avid of a bug.

Mark

[Robert Buncher]

Mark,

My audio interface is an M-Audio Firewire 410 which I have been using for years with no trouble.

If there are no audio regions there is no sound when playing the timeline.

If I record to a track with no input the motor sound is still there during playback.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled PT several times now to now avail. I have been sure to trash the prefs using the suggested program, PT Prefs & Database. I have tried the new user route. I believe I have attempted all the suggested remedies with no luck.

My next move is to call AVID tech support. I just need to block out a chunk of time as I imagine it will be a long process. I hope to do this latter in the week.

Thanks,

Bob

[Mark Orusa]

Do you happen to have a friend with compatible hardware you could try? I'm thinking it's some strange bug with the PT software, but maybe it's the interaction between software and hardware. Audio playing from other software sounds fine, correct?

Mark O.

[Marc Wielage]

My next move is to call AVID tech support. I just need to block out a chunk of time as I imagine it will be a long process. I hope to do this latter in the week.

I've actually had good luck with the support people in the Digidesign days. Generally, they could solve any problem I threw at them in about 10 minutes or less. They've heard it all. In three or four cases, they said, "oh, yeah -- it's not in the manual, but go to this menu, check this box, exit the program, relaunch, and it'll work now. I'll make a note that we should update the manual."

I updated PT7 to PT9 last year, and was surprised that I actually had very few issues. PT10 is a whole different animal, and I'm waiting to upgrade a bunch of hardware and the OS before doing that. PT9 works fine for the moment, so I'm leaving it alone for now.

[Mark Orusa]

I've had issues with a Pro Tools HD rig that Digi Tech Support didn't know how to fix. The Mac Pro and other peripherals were all supported, but there were random hard crashes. Never could figure it out and just had to live with it until I found the time to reinstall.

Mark O.