We have somewhat similar systems. Win 8.1 Firewire interfaces. Lower end Graphics card.

This is indeed odd.

The sound dropouts vary each time I play through it. I can see the affected channel meters fall to zero when it happens. When tracks go silent, it may be for 3-5 seconds or might stay silent till the songs end.

It like the audio path just stops routing.
What is task manager in Windows saying when it drops to zero. Is S1 still showing the same CPU usage?

For kicks, did you try 4.0 not 4.0.1 to see if it was the same.
Is you disable all VST on the audio tracks, does it not drop out?
Could be something unique to your system/os/drivers and/or the VST you using and V4.

scottyo7 wrote

jpettit wrote

scottyo7 wrote
This is what I would focus on.
Does 3.x work OK for the same song?
Or even 4.0?
Obviously trying to figure out if it is 4.01 or something in your system that coincidently changed around the same time.

jpettit: I believe I answered your questions in my initial post. I've copied that text from the 1st post to here and added a bit for better clarity:

1) "I just upgraded to Studio One version 4.0.1 on Wednesday and now I get random sound dropout only on audio tracks. I read related previous posts which haven’t helped.
2) I’ve tried 2 songs... one just completed and one from 2014.
3) In v3.5.6 they both play fine with no issues.
4) But in v4.0.1 all the audio tracks exhibit random sound drop out. (Each song has 6 VI's that have no issues).

5) In both songs the sound dropouts occur in v4.0.1 (not in 3.5.6) and vary each time I play through it.
6) I can see the affected channel meters fall to zero when it happens. When tracks go silent, it may be for 3-5 seconds or might stay silent till the songs end.

7) In v4.0.1 the Performance Meter is way up at 40-50% during playback and also at the time of the dropout.
8) But in v3.5.6, it is only at 15-20%.

Jemusic wrote9) Also version 4 is being wonky with my PreSonus soundsets.
10) I had no issue with 3.5.6 (and other v3 variantes) but now it seems some soundset paths are missing from my "Locations" (Options, window) and it's asking to install (from only God knows where) some soundset.
11) When I do that, then restart and reload a song, it states that those certain soundsets are already installed and then crazily asks "Do You Want to Delete them"?
12) But the path it chose to delete from is where they have always been on my external USB 3.0 drive.

Scott

1) OK
2) Your points being it has nothing to do with whether it was made in 3.x or 4.x
3) This points to no hidden system/hardware issue. (not 100%)
4) 5) This points to a resource or performance issue and not damaged files. ( also the fact that they work in 3,x)
7) 8) Performance is key here

10) Do you put the correct location back in your location area?
11) 12) Did you change or install to a new area where it is finding half your setup in the old area and a half in a new area?

This smells like your VSTi's ( at least one that you commonly use)
Please list them all. and disable, and retest each one at a time to isolate.

For example, I had an issue with Presence XT Grand Piano where a parameter ( noise level ) was causing a large hit in performance. Reducing that parameter made all the difference....

...and I assume you have opened a ticket do guys who get paid to help you are on it.

scottyo7 wroteHi PreAl,
I did un-install my spdif, Nvidia and other non used sound devices. But I think when I restart they will be re-loaded?

I also "Deactivated" or "Disabled" them prior to that. This is what I really need to do so they don't reload after every reboot - correct?

I don't believe I need to custom install the Nvidia sound driver (unless I misunderstood) because I only use the PreSonus FP10 driver (Firewire/IEEE/1394) for all my sounds (browser, Studio One, mp3 playback, etc.). Nvidia is used for my video since I drive two monitors with that.

Scott

I'm talking about a custom install of the nvidia display adapter drivers so only the main driver is installed afterwards (and no other useless stuff). Nvidia sound drivers are often bundled in the install regardless so you need to check device manager afterwards in order to **disable** them.

I think (or hoping) we may have got to the bottom of this issue at last. I think it is because Scott has got all his loops on a USB stick and he is trying to stream them directly from there and it is not coping very well. And although his session is on a D drive, these files may not be copying over on saving.

I have the test song now and it all plays perfectly of course because all my sounds and loops are on fast internal drives.

He needs to actually have the Soundsets on a much faster drive. Be aware too that many external USB drives for laptops are not fast either (often 5400 rpm) and are also not great. If you are going external drive make sure it is a fast one e.g. 7200 rpm.

USB sticks are not great for this sort of thing nor do they handle recording and playing back multiple tracks. I can playback over 200 tracks of audio from my internal drives. Try doing that from a USB stick folks!

Anyway Scott should chime in soon and hopefully confirm what I saying is correct.

Jemusic wroteI think (or hoping) we may have got to the bottom of this issue at last. I think it is because Scott has got all his loops on a USB stick and he is trying to stream them directly from there and it is not coping very well. And although his session is on a D drive, these files may not be copying over on saving.

I have the test song now and it all plays perfectly of course because all my sounds and loops are on fast internal drives.

He needs to actually have the Soundsets on a much faster drive. Be aware too that many external USB drives for laptops are not fast either (often 5400 rpm) and are also not great. If you are going external drive make sure it is a fast one e.g. 7200 rpm.

USB sticks are not great for this sort of thing nor do they handle recording and playing back multiple tracks. I can playback over 200 tracks of audio from my internal drives. Try doing that from a USB stick folks!

Anyway Scott should chime in soon and hopefully confirm what I saying is correct.

First thanks to all for the help - and especially Jemusic who reached out via PM.
Jemusic is almost correct.

1. My PreSonus Loops* (Soundsets) are on an external USB 3.0 Western Digital hard drive. This may be seen as the same as a USB Ram Stick but the point being is that *they have always been on that drive since version 2.65 and this issue has never ever happened.

2. This also doesnt jive with the fact that "Ask to copy external files when saving Song" is checked under Options/Locations/User Data..

3. Granted I can't find the rotation speed spec. for my 'WD My Passport 1TB Drive' (so I'd assume it's 5400) but it hasn't seemed to matter, due to point #1 above.

4. I'm going to copy my library of *Loops from the USB 3.0 drive to my SSD internal D: drive and I'll answer back later tonite or tomorrow.

5. This also seems related to the previous bug with sounds not being copied into sessions with Sample One and Impact XT - is this possibly the same issue? Jemusic states "I thought that was cleared up with 4.0.1 though not sure?".
I myself can't remember all the bugs but I remember reading a post about that one.

5a. Since I've been using an "external" drive for my loops, I may be one of the few to see this problem if everyone else has their loops on "internal" drives with their version 4.0.1 update?

Scott

I thought Scott was using a USB stick, not a drive, so now I am still not 100% sure what the issue is because even an external drive should be able to handle what Scott is doing. Anyway we can see what results with him moving the Soundsets and take it from there.

What I said (display adapter custom in/reinatall) and jpettit said (plugins). Please respond here so we can all see what's going on (PM'ing just hides it from everybody else).

It is very possible a plugin can cause a dropout in 4.x and not in 3.x so you need to rule them out.

Hi all,

Here's a Dropbox link to my whole S1 folder containing the Version 4.0.1 Test song, etc. (as copied from my PC) so you can see what I'm doing.

I may have made a breakthrough. I copied my (PreSonus Loops) Soundsets from my external USB 3.0 drive to me SSD drive and the song appears to play fine. I also tried V3 songs and their audio loops play with no Audio Dropout. But I don't quite understand why, because recorded audio (my guitars and vocals) was acting up too, yet it has always been stored on my SSD drive.

Missing audio after Bouncing was a secondary issue I noticed - but this post was started for the Audio Dropout I was experiencing.

However...
1. What are all the asterisks at the bottom, left on every loop? They are still there, and were there when using either drive location?
2. I've heard the asterisks mean the loops need to be copied per "Ask to copy external files when saving Song" (Options/Locations/User Data)? If so, Version 4.0.1 is not asked me to save when my soundsets were being pulled from either drive location?

PreAl wroteWhat I said (display adapter custom in/reinatall) and jpettit said (plugins). Please respond here so we can all see what's going on (PM'ing just hides it from everybody else).

It is very possible a plugin can cause a dropout in 4.x and not in 3.x so you need to rule them out.

PreAl,
I've no clue what you mean by "display adapter custom in/reinstall". Please provide explicit instructions or a link with such, or you're going to have to let it go.

The only plugins I used are PreSonus's own Pro EQ and Compressor.

Not trying to hide anything with the PM's, just doing some grunt work that would bore everyone.

Scott

^
It's not hard I thought I wrote this before. Uninstall your Nvidia DISPLAY adapter drivers then install the latest DISPLAY adapter drivers you've downloaded. During the install select the custom option. ONLY select the DISPLAY adapter driver deselect anything else.

After it's all done go to device manager, DISABLE any nvidia AUDIO drivers that may have got installed.

Scott I am pretty sure I sent you this link which explains what all the little icons mean on audio events and also in the pool. It is rather informative:

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/studio ... studio-one

I think the icon you are referring to means that the audio event is being time stretched, sample rate change, audio bend. I noticed your session is at 48K as well so that may explain that as the original loops may be at 44.1K. You may be time stretching as well.

If the session is playing fine I am not sure installing any graphics card drivers is going to change anything much. As long as your onboard motherboard audio or any other audio driver apart from your main interface is disengaged you should be good. (Which as we know you have already done)

Jemusic wroteScott
If the session is playing fine I am not sure installing any graphics card drivers is going to change anything much. As long as your onboard motherboard audio or any other audio driver apart from your main interface is disengaged you should be good. (Which as we know you have already done)

^ Once again you pop poo my help. I get fed up with it quite frankly...thread after thread you're like this. You're simply not a team player.

It may or may not do anything, regardless it's PROVEN that the **DISPLAY** adapter driver (no not audio) is taking up high DPC latency (see the latencymon screenshot provided by OP). So it's worth a go at trying to improve this otherwise I would not recommend it would I? I don't just cherry pick.

I've simply been asking the OP to reinstall their display adapter drivers without any of the other crap bundled with Nvidia drivers (custom install). After this I've asked him to check that nvidia audio drivers have been installed/reenabled afterwards, in which case he needs to disable them.. that is all. Not sure why this is so hard to understand.

Audio drivers are **NOT** the sole cause of latency issues and dropouts. Other drivers such as network and display adapters can cause bottlenecks. So can certain plugins and poor windows configuration (that's a huge topic, I could write a massive post about this but won't).

So can hardware, for instance intel speedstep and CPU throttling should be disabled.

Yes but the session is playing fine now and his CPU is right down again. I am bit of the don't fix it if it ain't broke mentality.

I am sure you are right though in regarding other aspects affecting latency. In my case my son built my machine and he invested in a serious (AMD not Nvidia) graphics card for gaming reasons at the time. It's plugged into its own buss i.e. not on the motherboard. And although it is probably not needed and seriously over rated for Studio One, I get the feeling I have avoided many issues because of it.

What has come out of this is something interesting. If you use any files or loops or sounds from the Soundsets, even if you have Copy Files when Saving checked, nothing from Soundsets is copied over. If you drag files in from other sessions or non Soundset locations, then they do get copied. Of course if you do use a Soundset file etc and bounce it (even with no processing) then this file does get created and put into your bounces folder and from that point on Studio One is referencing the file from there instead. This is worth knowing about.

I think Scott's real issue was the fact the soundest files he was using were not being copied to his session and being referenced from somewhere else and possibly a slower location at that. What backs this up is the fact that some of bounces had missing audio. Maybe in the fast bounce process it seems to me it could not get some of that data fast enough. Realtime bouncing is also an option not to be discounted either.

Jemusic wroteYes but the session is playing fine now and his CPU is right down again. I am bit of the don't fix it if it ain't broke mentality.

Why? Nobody is going to break anything by cleanly reinstall the drivers (hopefully to the latest). If the worst comes to the worst they can always wind back.

I could apply what you said to anything btw. I could jump right in the middle of anything you are saying and say.. don't do that you might break it!!.. like all the bloody time. Would you like me to do this everytime you post? Would you like me to jump in everytime I think you are overburdening the OP. Would you like me to be judge and jury because... What I think... Without pointing to any facts?

Believe me it's really fun spending ages writing everything out to be as clear as possible, gathering all the evidence (in this a screenshot) and then somebody just but in out of the blue saying... It ain't broke don't fix it, or "I wouldn't do that". Please stop. It makes me want to give in. I'm not offering dumb advise. If you have a real point to make then make it. Back it up.

I can back up my point by showing the latencymon screenshot. I can certainly say it is ABSOLUTELY WORTH a go.

This happened to me yesterday, too.

I rebooted and it went away.

I've had the same problem for a while now dating back sometime in v3 and was one of the main reasons I couldn't dive into audio manipulation like I wanted to. Until today when I came across this post and seen you have the same issue so I was inspired to find a work around. I found that if you put Melodyne on your audio before any time stretching, everything will work fine. So pretty much treating Melodyne as the time stretching engine if that makes sense. Try it and let me know if it works for you.

not necessarily related, but your audio dropouts might have to do with audio edits in form of transpose, timestretching, bendmarkers and anything else, that causes files to be created in the cache folder of your song.
Sometimes when two or more of these types of edits are combined on one audio event, I get a weird behavior where the file does not play back properly anymore... missing something in the beginning, the end, somwhere in the middle, or does not play at all.

To test it:
"Bounce Selection" the part of the audio event that is not playing back correctly and then check if the rendered waveform shows up as silent. If so, then we do in fact have the same issue. If not, please regard this post as irrelevant

The only way I could correct the issue so far is to roll back all edits (Speedup, Transpose, Tune, Tempo in Track back from "Timestretch" to "Follow", reset Bendmarkers...) until the audio Event played back correct again, and then bounce every edit step of one kind (i.e. Tempo "Timestretch") to a new file before making the next edit steps of a different kind (i.e bend markers etc).

kind regards

scottyo7 wroteHi all,

Studio One has been my only DAW for the last 8 years - I’ve very rarely had problems.

However,
I just upgraded to Studio One version 4.0.1 on Wednesday and now I get random sound dropout only on audio tracks. I read related previous posts which haven’t helped.

I’ve tried 2 songs... one just completed and one from 2014. In v3.5.6 they both play fine with no issues. But in v4.0.1 all the audio tracks exhibit random sound drop out. (Each song has 6 VI's that have no issues).

The sound dropouts vary each time I play through it. I can see the affected channel meters fall to zero when it happens. When tracks go silent, it may be for 3-5 seconds or might stay silent till the songs end.

In v4.0.1 the Performance meter is way up at 40-50% during playback and also at the time of the dropout. But in v3.5.6, it is only at 15-20%.

My PC specs below show I have 16GB RAM and have 2 SSD's - one for System files and the 2nd for Studio One files. Windows 8.1 is all up to date and yep I've restarted my Audio Interface and PC multiple times.

I’ve adjusted my soundcard (FP10) Latency from 2.0 ms & up and its’ sample rate from 44.1-96kHz (and match it in Studio One) with no improvement.

I adjusted the "Dropout Protection" from min-max with no improvement either. Maybe I just need the exact right combo of these settings?

This is a weird problem - it doesn’t seem normal that things would be this messed up after an install? It seems like there’s some deep setting(s) I’m unaware of that is new in version 4?

I need some suggestions and help on this one please?

Scott

So, Scott, has the OP been solved? If so care to summarize?
Thanks

Wow, I saw this post pop to the top again...
So jpettit, here's the summary:

Re-installing my USB, Firewire, etc., drivers had zero effect and wasted a lot of time - just as I thought. I'm not a PC noob so there's that.

Essentially Jemusic (who helped a lot on this issue) summed it up...
"I think Scott's real issue was the fact the sound files he was using were not being copied to his session they were being referenced from somewhere else and possibly a slower location at that. What backs this up is the fact that some of the bounces had missing audio. Maybe in the fast bounce process it seems to me it could not get some of that data fast enough. Realtime bouncing is also an option not to be discounted either."

Since I've had this PC, I've always had all my soundfiles (nearly 50 GB) on my external USB 3.0 drive and all my songs always played fine with no issue - until I installed version 4.0.1. Somehow changes in v4.0.1 cause this issue (see my initial post). The way I work now is that I have moved all my soundfiles to an internal SSD drive on my PC and of course changed the paths to those files so S1 can find them.

Scott