Why won't ProTools play?

[Dragonfly]

I can't figure out what this could be. Sometimes when I open PT I hit play, the play button flashes in the transport, then the stop buttom flashes, and it goes nowhere. If I quit the program and open it back up sometimes it reverts itself and plays fine. What could this be? I'd like to know if I can just fix this without wasting time closing the session.

Thanks guys
Dante

[drew]

paging Dr. Rogut.

[Rail Jon Rogut]

I saw this last week with someone using an MBox with Pro Tools 7.0

Restarting the Mac fixed it... I think the Mac lost connection with the MBox.

You could try unplugging the MBox and reconnecting it.

Rail

[littledoodler]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

I can't figure out what this could be. Sometimes when I open PT I hit play, the play button flashes in the transport, then the stop buttom flashes, and it goes nowhere. If I quit the program and open it back up sometimes it reverts itself and plays fine. What could this be? I'd like to know if I can just fix this without wasting time closing the session.

Thanks guys
Dante

pro tools won't work if your computer has been sleeping

[max cooper]

I get the same thing from time to time. When you press play, the play and stop buttons flash at the same time.

I posted this on the DUC and called Digi tech support several times.

My computer is set to sleep 'never' and has been set that way since I installed PT.

Never found the answer; I asked just about everyone who ever used PT.

[Rail Jon Rogut]

The Pro Tools software settings to check are:

1. MMC set in the Transport Window instead of Pro Tools
2. Count off has been toggled (numeric 8 key)
3. Is Pro Tools online?

Rail

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by Rail Jon Rogut

The Pro Tools software settings to check are:

1. MMC set in the Transport Window instead of Pro Tools
2. Count off has been toggled (numeric 8 key)
3. Is Pro Tools online?

Rail

Rail:

I do think you're the guy who can sort this out, if it can be sorted out. I'm aware of the three points you mention above. I think this 'bug' only affects some systems. When it happens, the only thing that usually fixes it is to quit and re-start PT.

I think the fact that I can see the 'stop' button flash momentarily when I press the 'play' button may be a key to this, whatever it is. BTW, the 'play' button flashes, too, as it should.

It is exasperating. The Digi support guys had never heard of it. I ran into a couple of other people who have seen it.

002 rack/dual 2.0 G5/6 Gigs RAM/Rosetta 800/PTLE 6.9.2/OS 10.4.2/record-to drive is backed-up and erased regularly/record time usually set at 30 min.

[allstar]

I've had this problem before. I've since installed a later version of Protools and OSX and not seen it again, but I never did fathom what was causing it.

However,

While I was having this issue, I did find that changing the buffer to a different size to what you are currently using, then changing it back stopped the problem ( well, until it happened again at least ).

To be clear, if you're using a buffer of 1024 samples, change it to 256 samples then change it back again to 1024 for example. Protools should then play.

[AlexLakis]

This happens to me all the time when I'm using way too many RTAS plugins than I should be. Try increasing the buffer setting. If it's maxed out, you might be maxing out your system.

[Dragonfly]

It could possibly be that my computers screensaver went on, although my computers sleep function is set on 2 hours or so, I think the last time this happened I had just restarted, or brought it out of sleep and then opened ProTools. In the meantime, I guess restarting works, but it is a strange glitch.

Dante

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by allstar

While I was having this issue, I did find that changing the buffer to a different size to what you are currently using, then changing it back stopped the problem ( well, until it happened again at least ).

Seems that it wasn't about the buffer size as much as it was about re-starting the engine by changing the buffer size.

'Cause it would do it with any number of tracks/plugins.

[Tprodusa]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

I can't figure out what this could be. Sometimes when I open PT I hit play, the play button flashes in the transport, then the stop buttom flashes, and it goes nowhere. If I quit the program and open it back up sometimes it reverts itself and plays fine. What could this be? I'd like to know if I can just fix this without wasting time closing the session.

Thanks guys
Dante

That has happened to me as well ... I believe it's a bug in protools ... it always works when u restart ...!

[Bishbashbosh]

Not sure about a solution for this specific problem as I've never encountered it myself...... BUT, always set 'sleep' to 'never' in energy saver.....
Also, Safari can 'leak' RAM usage over a period of time. If you leave Safari open it can use up to 1GB in an hour (just check the Activity Monitor).
Make sure you have enough RAM (and that it's functioning correctly).
If you're using an MBox, check your USB cable (try swapping it out, and see if that helps)

[jeff deff]

I use the standard Apple mouse that comes with a G5 and I sometimes have a problem where the mouse acts up and will select a small section of audio rather than place the cursor at a point where I want playback to start. When I press play, Protools plays back the selection which is only a couple milliseconds long and then stops. Could this be the same problem?

[A DJ]

^ No that's not the problem. When it happens, I don't change the selection, I just wait a while, then press the spacebar again, and I repeat this process until it finally starts playing.

A simple Pro Tools restart does fix this.

Max cooper, did you ever find a solution? I have the same problem, and it's not any of the 3 things Rail posted. I will try changing the buffer size back and forth, but obviously that's not a permanent solution.

[Retinal]

I had the same problem, the fact is that i was building a new system at that time and I had many problems not just that one, so it's gonna be hard ti understand what fixed that, but let's try.

The very first thing to know is if you're using mac or pc; second did you recently install some new plugins? did you try to delete the preferences folders? (this is the first thing to do when PT has a problem)

[A DJ]

I'm on a PC, Windows XP, 2GB RAM, Core 2 Duo 1.4Ghz, 140GB free hard drive space, and about 200GB free hard drive space on the external.

Yes I did recently delete the preferences because bouncing wasn't working. But this playback issue started yesterday. Restarting Pro Tools fixed it. It does seem better since I changed the buffer back and forth and deleted the preferences.

I guess I will need to experiment and see just how often this problem comes back. I was just wondering if he ever found a permanent solution.

[infopimpster]

Had the same problem - only solution was a total restart.

Have you used the ProTools Debugging help from DUC: Viewing list of forums step by step? It could be something obscure.

[pigcat]

I also have this problem from time to time since PT 7.3.1.

As mentionec above posts (2 1/2 years ago), you don't even need to restart. You can refresh the playback engine by simply changing your hardware buffer, say, if you're on 1024, change to 2048, then change back to 1024. It'll only take you few secs to do it (please try this).

I found out each time I have this problem is when PT is busy playing back something and there's sudden release of RAM loads, say, in Kontakt Player 2, I have several instruments, and I'm triggering a MIDI channel to audition some instruments (without having PT playback the song), but I delete the instrument before the sound stop (you know, maybe some long decay things like cymbal hit or tom hit). This could also happen when you playback a song, and you found out the reverb plugin sounded crap, and you removed the reverb plugin after you stop the song but the tail is still ringing away.

[nukmusic]

On PC...same problem every now and then. I pretty much narrowed it down to some such of RAM bug when using protools.

The problem usually happens if I let the PC set for a while with protools opened.
never tried the "resetting buffer size" thing, but if I turn the 002R off and on, everything runs good again.

[SONICA]

Hello,

I have seen this before many times and mostly on laptops that just don't run PT well. I was able to duplicate the problem on a desktop last year, over and over again. Changed the Firewire card and it never happened again. That system was running the 002 with LE 7.3.

[infopimpster]

Good point - I had this problem in 7.3 on a Laptop... but not since moving to 7.4.2

-s

[Retinal]

I'm guessing because as I said isn't easy to understand what causes that, anyway, do you use vst using a vst wrapper? Any luck deleting the preference folders? Reinstalling PT including the cs updates? If you have a dual core AMD processor, did you installed the dualcore optimizer (from AMD site) and the hotfix (from MS site)?

[kafka]

I've seen the same issue on all versions, including 7.4cs4. It's a nuisance, but I've always been able to overcome it by restarting - sometimes more than once. Once a session comes up without the problem, I don't think I've seen it again, so it's been just a minor nuisance for me. I'll give that sample buffer change a try the next time it shows up.

[666666]

BUMP!

Working on a MacPro with the latest PTLE M-Powered software and ProFire Lightbridge.

So far PTLE is running very quirky. Very unhappy here. The play and stop buttons blink on and off repeatedly, the audio will play (you can hear it) but the counter etc is frozen... then somtimes the audio will not play at all... and other minor strange quirks.

Restarting the rig will sometimes rid the issue for a short while but then it comes right back.

Any updated info on this? Anyone with the M-Powered package and the Lightbridge have any wisdom to share other than tossing all this stuff in the trash?

[E-Rock]

Originally Posted by Rail Jon Rogut

The Pro Tools software settings to check are:

1. MMC set in the Transport Window instead of Pro Tools
2. Count off has been toggled (numeric 8 key)
3. Is Pro Tools online?

Rail

We have a winner.

It's almost always the 'online' button has been pressed.
Y'all need to spend more time on your rigs.

[allstar]

Originally Posted by E-Rock

We have a winner.

It's almost always the 'online' button has been pressed.
Y'all need to spend more time on your rigs.

No, it's nothing to do with Protools being on line.

And, I probably need to spend LESS time on my rig to be honest.

[kheftel]

I know I'm waaaayyyy late to the game on this thread, but I am having the same problem as the OP and I wanted to say that changing the HW buffer size fixed it for me! I don't have to restart PT anymore! Thanks Gearslutz!

P.s. My rig:
G5 Dual 2.0 GHz 5GB RAM running OSX 10.4.11
PTLE 7.1
002R

[neve2254e]

Neve r to late my friend!
I have 2 play back PT rigs, running on older macs, only 3 tracks playing, no plug ins, no internet. I have another laptop for emails and reports. I play 1 smpte track to a time code slate, 1 stereo music track to recorder and play back speakers. Oh course this happens when you need the system to work the most. Never had this problem on my desk top? I will try the buffer thing and see if that works.
Still running pt 7.3.1 on a Mac ppc OS X 10.4.11, with digi 002
it only needs to play back 3 tracks...
Regards
Eric

[kheftel]

The buffer thing works for me every time. I just change it to some other setting, then back to the one I want, and poof! it works. Apparently changing the buffer setting restarts the audio engine and makes ProTools happy again. Darn machines...