Topic: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

Hi.  I have a non-pro Babyface.  I'm on Windows 10 desktop, running Pro Tools 10.  I run this machine with Pro Tools almost everyday.  For the past two days, when I activate any plugin, and I mean just ONE plugin on ONE channel, I get terrible crackling and popping.  Checked my buffer size, and it's up at 1024.  Restarted the machine about 10 times.  Tried 3 different USB cables.  Tried a different USB port.  Nothing seems to help.

I didn't change anything from one day to the next.  I pulled up a session I had been working on the day before, and suddenly I can't use plugins without the popping. 

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

Re: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

Without plugins it works?

I have heard this same issue before, the plugins were not registered and working in demo mode. Any chance of this?

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Re: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

Check windows update history.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

Re: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

Jeff wrote:

Without plugins it works?

I have heard this same issue before, the plugins were not registered and working in demo mode. Any chance of this?

Yes it works without plugins.  And the plugins are registered.  Tried plugs from several different brands. 

ramses wrote:

Check windows update history.

What would the update history tell me?  Or what am I looking for?

Re: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

jmo2610 wrote:
ramses wrote:

Check windows update history.

What would the update history tell me?  Or what am I looking for?

Whether something changed in your system.
As you said, the issue started suddenly 2d ago.
Maybe you got a bad patch or a CPU microcode upgrade installed against Spectre ...

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

Re: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

ramses wrote:

Check windows update history.


Okay last update was Feb 13, so that's probably not it.

When I open up the Fireface USB settings, my "Errors: 0/x" just skyrocket (on the number where x is.  ex: 0/500).  I downloaded a demo of Studio One just to try this on a different DAW, and I literally get zero errors, and no popping.  Tried it on Premiere Pro, too (with just one plugin on the audio track), and it worked fine.  So this is looking Pro Tools related... or at least RTAS related, as those others use VST.  Don't really know how to troubleshoot this, either, sadly.

7 (edited by jmo2610 2018-03-09 00:19:36)

Re: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

I don't even have to play audio for the error count to go up.  I just have to activate a plugin in a session.  In this video, it's H-Reverb, but it happens with any plug.  Less drastic with the Avid/Digidesign plugs, but it happens, nonetheless.  Reverb plugins seem to make it the worst, but any plugin does it.

https://youtu.be/5A3WcGR43os

Not sure if videos can be posted here, so there's just a link for it.

8 (edited by jmo2610 2018-03-09 17:02:34)

Re: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

Jeff wrote:

Without plugins it works?

I have heard this same issue before, the plugins were not registered and working in demo mode. Any chance of this?

Okay, so somehow in the Playback Engine in Pro Tools, I had the box checked to Ignore Errors, which may cause clicks and pops.  Unchecked that, and I think that fixed the problem.  THAT said, I do still get a ton of errors in my Fireface USB settings.  Is that normal?

http://tinypic.com/r/b6ae1d/9

Re: Babyface - Pro Tools Popping with ANY plugin

Figured it out.  It was completely unrelated hardware.  Two different USB 3.0 PCI-e cards were somehow screwing everything up.  Have no idea why.