For a couple weeks I've been dealing with issues where Pro Tools (PT) wouldn't launch, but just bounced in the dock (until it gets tired). Then I noticed my Apollo x6 was not launching or incredibly delayed (I'm talking a couple minutes or more) as well as Universal Audio's Meter and Control Panel and Console. I also saw issues with SoundID. Basically, anything audio related (which is all this computer is used for). I trashed PT preferences...no change. I uninstalled and reinstalled...no change. Then, I started working back through the things that changed since the issue started happening: no patches installed, no new hardware, no new anything except Soundflow. So, I started testing for the past couple of days by quitting Soundflow when I first booted the computer up, and I noticed everything loaded in fine. If I opened Soundflow again, and closed any sessions of any of the aforementioned (and reopened), then the problems returned. Today I uninstalled Soundflow and rebooted. Everything (every issue and even things like browsers loading) loaded as quickly as they used to. I didn't see any mention of significant degradation of computer usage before trying out Soundflow, so I'm curious if anyone else has had this issue?
I'm on a Mac Pro 2019 with the 3.5 GHz 8 core Intel Xeon W, 48 GB of RAM, 4 TB of SSD storage, the Radeon 580x, one display, and one pcie expansion card. Activity monitor doesn't show significant cpu usage during the problem periods either.
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Kitch Membery @Kitch2023-06-22 23:45:18.346ZHi @derrik_roberts,
I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing an issue with SoundFlow.
The best way to get help with an issue like this is by logging a help/issue request. You can learn how to do this from the following link. bit.ly/sfhelpissue
By following the steps in the article/video, we'll get access to log files and information we need to troubleshoot the issue further.
Thanks in advance.
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
Thanks! I did that a couple days ago, but I didn't even get a confirmation email that the support request was made. I realize the article you linked said to use the forum first, but I'm not a fan of them so I did the support request before posting on the forum for help.
- In reply toderrik_roberts⬆:Kitch Membery @Kitch2023-06-22 23:54:55.523Z
Thanks for letting me know @derrik_roberts,
Could I get you to try logging a bug report via the help/issue workflow again?
I'm very interested to see what the log files say, as far as I know, we've not heard any reports of this nature so it would be great to know what the SoundFlow logs say on your system.
Also, be sure to check the system requirements detailed here https://soundflow.org/docs/getting-started/install-soundflow/system-requirements to ensure you are using SoundFlow in a supported way.
Thanks in advance. Hopefully, we can work out what's going on.
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
I have the zip still from the original if I can use that? I have Soundflow uninstalled currently. It wouldn't let me file the issue when I did it a couple days ago and told me to send it to yalls email. Should I just resend the email?
Kitch Membery @Kitch2023-06-23 00:05:37.143ZYes, that would be great. Please send the zip file to support@soundflow.org.
- In reply toderrik_roberts⬆:Kitch Membery @Kitch2023-06-23 00:10:17.719Z
Let me know once you've sent the zip through. :-)
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
Done
- Kitch Membery @Kitch2023-06-23 00:20:09.554Z
Hi @derrik_roberts,
For some reason, we've not received any email from you. Can you double-check that it was sent and that the email address you sent it to was support@soundflow.org
Or better yet, if you could share a Dropbox link to the Zip file that would be great.
Thanks for your patience.
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
Did you check your spam folder? xD
Seriously though: I copy/pasted the email you linked so not sure why. I'll upload it to google drive and drop the link...that being said, I haven't opened the zip. It wouldn't have identifying information about my computer I wouldn't want the general public having, would it?
- Kitch Membery @Kitch2023-06-23 00:34:49.370Z
Thanks @derrik_roberts,
I'm not seeing anything in our spam folder, unfortunately. So that would be great if you could upload it to google drive, and post the link here.
Please know, the Zip only contains log files that pertain to SoundFlow and does not include identifying information about your computer you wouldn't want the general public to have.
Thanks again.
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
Did you guys and Google break up or something? lol, I guess that explains the issue with email from a couple days ago...I thought it was weird I didn't get a confirmation of a support ticket.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UW-qlT1b_44ATUPiLxbfLbOO_L-bA3MF?usp=sharing
- Kitch Membery @Kitch2023-06-23 00:45:03.475Z
Thanks so much, @derrik_roberts,
I'll take a look at the logs as soon as I have a moment and get back to you. :-)
Regarding the confirmation of the support ticket, we did experience this with another user this week but the issue has since been fixed internally.
Thanks again, I appreciate your patience.
In reply toderrik_roberts⬆:Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-06-23 08:47:18.448ZThanks for reporting your issue here.
The issue with your report not being sent to the forum appears to be because you hadn't been logged in to the forum before. Now that you've been logged in here (assuming from the same account as you're logged into SF with), subsequent reports should upload just fine.In your log files, there's a huge amount of MIDI related error messages. It appears as if some attached MIDI device (or virtual MIDI device on your system) is sending invalid MIDI messages and this is causing SoundFlow to spend CPU time processing these (and logging them).
You can monitor this by clicking the SF icon, then clicking the little grey dot next to the blue dot (or swiping left on the icons) to go the 2nd page, then click Open Log File.
I would start by removing all physically attached MIDI devices and then connect them one by one until you know which device is causing the issues.
I would then try to see if having that device disconnected causes things to work as normal (that would be my guess).
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
Thanks, Christian! Yeah, that makes sense. I have a MIDI Hub in place and sends a constant stream of sysex and clock messages according to MIDI Monitor. I've shrugged it off for as long as I've had it because everything functions normally, and when I do a MIDI Test in MIDI Monitor there's no peripheral activation.
Is there a way to filter or ignore MIDI messages in Soundflow? I'll reach out to support for the Hub and see if there's a path forward, but if I have to choose between controlling all my analog and virtual gear from one controller and Soundflow...well, SF get's the axe, regrettably :(
Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-06-23 15:19:43.523ZThe first step no matter what is isolating the issue - I didn't necessarily mean that you'd have to choose between the solutions. But can you confirm that things work if you remove the MIDI Hub / all other MIDI devices?
It should be possible to turn off SoundFlow's MIDI capabilities entirely, if we need to.
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
Yeah, I agree. I did a bunch of testing (plugging/unplugging MIDI devices and changing routing) with the Hub with the intent to get "clean" MIDI Monitor output, and it's cleaned up a lot. The load times were reduced quite a bit, and PT loads. That being said, no matter what I do something sends a constant stream of MIDI messages. Currently my seaboard rise is spamming sysex, for example. The hub has the option to filter MIDI messages, I just don't know enough about this stuff to know if it would be to my detriment. My Launchpad Pro is one I have MIDI clock filtered out, because it would also be sending a stream.
If it's not a good idea to filter, then I think turning off SoundFlow's MIDI is the path forward?
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-07-15 20:00:23.958Z
Hi Derrik,
Please see if this preview fixes the issue - it handles MIDI better :)
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
I thought the novelty of the situation wore off and you guys forgot about me lol...
So do you recommend I unfilter the messages and test?- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-07-15 22:16:56.807Z
Generally, the more data your MIDI devices send, the more CPU various software will consume, so as a general thing filtering may not be a bad idea - but yea, at least SF should not cause excessive logging any longer, which you could check through this new preview by turning off your filter.
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
Installed now. What are we considering "excessive?" So I can effectively report on the results (if I need to)
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-07-15 22:34:55.932Z
Your log files had a ton of these messages - those should be completely gone after the install:
20.06.2023 20:35:57.23 <info> [Backend]: Unexpected MIDI byte: 248 20.06.2023 20:35:57.23 <info> [Backend]: Unexpected MIDI byte: 248 20.06.2023 20:35:57.25 <info> [Backend]: Unexpected MIDI byte: 248 20.06.2023 20:35:57.25 <info> [Backend]: Unexpected MIDI byte: 248- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-07-15 22:35:52.100Z
You can open the log file in live view by clicking the SF icon, then click on the 2nd small circle (or click and drag on the icons and swipe left) to go to the 2nd page, then click "Open Log File"
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
I'm getting spammed with this as soon as I unfilter the Launchpad Pro:
15.07.2023 20:25:03.75 [Backend]: Exception in MidiPort.Read: System.IndexOutOfRangeException: Index was outside the bounds of the array.
at sfbackend!+0x1096028
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiEvent.FromMessage(Byte[] bytes) + 0x6c
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiInterfaceController.HandleMidiPacket(UInt64 timestamp, String portName, Byte[] packetBytes) + 0x98
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiInterfaceController.HandleMidiSourcePacketsReceived(Object sender, MidiPacketsEventArgs e) + 0xdc
at sfbackend!+0xe0cc2815.07.2023 20:25:03.77 [Backend]: Exception in MidiPort.Read: System.IndexOutOfRangeException: Index was outside the bounds of the array.
at sfbackend!+0x1096028
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiEvent.FromMessage(Byte[] bytes) + 0x6c
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiInterfaceController.HandleMidiPacket(UInt64 timestamp, String portName, Byte[] packetBytes) + 0x98
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiInterfaceController.HandleMidiSourcePacketsReceived(Object sender, MidiPacketsEventArgs e) + 0xdc
at sfbackend!+0xe0cc2815.07.2023 20:25:03.77 [Backend]: Exception in MidiPort.Read: System.IndexOutOfRangeException: Index was outside the bounds of the array.
at sfbackend!+0x1096028
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiEvent.FromMessage(Byte[] bytes) + 0x6c
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiInterfaceController.HandleMidiPacket(UInt64 timestamp, String portName, Byte[] packetBytes) + 0x98
at SoundFlow.Shortcuts.Interfaces.MIDI.MidiInterfaceController.HandleMidiSourcePacketsReceived(Object sender, MidiPacketsEventArgs e) + 0xdc
at sfbackend!+0xe0cc28- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-07-16 09:48:00.822Z
Thanks! I'll take another look :)
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-07-16 10:54:40.807Z
Please try this preview (3) that includes a few more fixes:
- Dderrik roberts @derrik_roberts
Looks clean! Thanks!
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2023-07-23 18:21:46.005Z
Thanks for confirming :)