This is a tough one

[Hornplayer]

Well guys I'm really stumped on this one.

Technical data:
Sonar 3PE with 3.1.1 installed
Tascam FW-1884 with drivers 1.1 plus firmware at ARM135 FPGA49

I'm mixing a 16 track project down with the help of my FW-1884. All is working fine. Saved the project and worked on it again a number of times. (this is after the PE3 3.1.1 update and the FW1884 firmware update.)

I sit down tonight, bring up the project and I discover the first 8 tracks (1-8) of the project will not play. The last 8 (tracks 9-16) play just fine. The Aux 1 and main bus play fine as well with appropriate meter readings.

No tracks on the first 8 are muted. In fact I can't solo them either. No amount of soloing muting, or even track deleting has helped.
When I mute the tracks the mute button lights, same with the solo light. They just won't play back.

I don't know if it's possible to mass mute 8 channels at one time without the mute buttons lighting. (I don't think so)

I loaded another project in with 16 tracks, and all tracks play back fine as they should, so I'm pretty sure the problem is isolated to the one project I'm working on.
I think that I can load another project up with no problems eliminates any FW-1884 problems, and probably PE3 problems. The only thing I can think of at the moment is that I've discovered a bug, by executing a sequence of events, (eq, compressors, effects etc) in some kind of sequence that Sonar didn't like.

I'm beginning to wonder if I clicked a secret button causing the first 8 tracks to mute.

I'm clueless.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

John

 

[dachay2tnr]

I would suspect some kind of setting on the tracks is causing this. Something like maybe a volume or clip envelope, or maybe an automated mute.

Try copying one of the tracks to a new track, but deselect any automation from the copy dialogue box. See if it'll play that way.

BTW, I am assuming the "out" setting for those 8 tracks is the same as for the other tracks that do play. IOW, you don't have them set to a different H/W out or VMain, do you?

 

[Porter]

I'd suggest what dachay said. I was helping a guy mix a radio program once.. mixing songs from his big band.. so 24 tracks.. we were trying to work out what one channel wasn't working... we were trying something first up and mutted an out in the program.. un-muted it and everything was fine.. that sounds like what has happened here..

BTW, if you are having any problems with that Tascam FW-1884 I'll kindly take it off your hands

Porter

 

[Hornplayer]

Thanks dachay2tnr and Porter

dachay2tnr

I carefully checked the outs to the virtual mains, and they are all correct.
I copied a track as well, but I didn't deselect any automation. I'll try that, and let you know.


Porter.

No I'm not ready for a divorce from my 1884 yet. Actually the unit is the nuts. I highly recommend it.

John

 

[Qwerty]

Hi,

I had plugin issues and track issues like you describe when migrating projects through 2.2XL up to 3.1.1.

I normally fix the problem using the mute/unmute routine described above, but have found with some things that I need to go a little further.

- Select all tracks AND busses
- SOLO ON for everything
- SOLO OFF FOR EVERYTHING
- Same thing with busses and effect groups.
- Save the project
- Close Sonar
- Re-open and re-mute/solo as needed.

If that doesn't work, then copy all of your tracks WITHOUT MARKERS into a new file and that should then work happily.

Q.

 

[Hornplayer]

Well......

The copy worked. The copied track played back fine.

Thanks dachay2tnr and Qwerty

Now the question that begs to be asked is....

How the hell did I manage to make it happen in the first place?
I sure didn't intend to mod any tracks except for effects and levels.
I must be living in the twilight zone.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

John

 

[Qwerty]

I can occassionally make it happen if I undo something while the audio engine is playing.

If it stops playing correctly, then everything is OK. If the audio engine actually drops out, this is where I think it gets confused over the toggled state of the buttons.

That's just a working theory though.......

Q.