Skip to main content

Hello there,

I recently have gotten a new computer and it has been a nightmare trying to get things working. I have had it for about a month and have yet to record a single track because nothing is working properly. I will try to be as detailed as possible and hopefully can find solutions.

The comp specs are:

Brand: Dell Studio XPS

Processor: Intel i7 860 Quad Core 2.8Ghz

RAM: 8GB Ram

OS: Windows 7 64 Bit

DAW: Cubase 5 32 Bit.

Interface: Digi 002 Rack

Firewire: VIA 1394 OHCI

Graphics: ATI Raedon HD 5700 Series

Monitors: Two 23" LG flatron monitors.

How I'm wired up:

I have Digi 002 interface plugged into the only firewire input on the comp. Its not TI chipset and it not is own PCI. It looks like its part of a combo as it has a lot of USB inputs right by it. (Just the standard way Dell has it, could this be a problem?) I use an M-Audio Axiom 61 as a midi controller plugged directly into my computer in a USB slot (would this cause problems? should I hook it up through the 002? or does that not matter?) Thats about all i plugin as I mostly record/produce using software instruments.

I have tried so much to get this thing working and it still does not function. I have gone through 3 interfaces. PreSonus FireStudio Mobile, Mackie Onyx 820i, and Digi 002 Rack. The Digi 002 has been the most stable but it still does not function right. I am not sure if it has to do with not having a TI Chipset firewire or what. But along with the cracks and poopy playback...

Cubase crashes nearly every time I simply exit out of a project. It says there is a serious problem with a big red circle and white X. Then Cubase freezes and I have to open the task manager to close it. If i let Cubase sit and idle for about 10 minutes, sometimes my whole computer freezes and the mouse and keyboard are not recognized so I can do nothing but turn off my computer and turn it back on.

Every once in a while my midi controller will just not show up in Cubase and I have to restart Cubase to make it readable and sometime even have to restart my comp. (using the axiom 61 plugged into USB on my comp)

Notes get stuck down all the time and I can't figure out how to make them stop. Some times playing a certain section of a song works to stop them.
There are a silly amount of pops and clicks during playback and recording simple midi stuff even with my buffer set to 1024 and higher.

THINGS I HAVE DONE TO TRY TO SOLVE:

I have read as much as I could and am still trying to seek answers.

I have tried to turn off all my hardware on my computer seeing if that was affecting anything. Such as a graphics card or unused ports or wireless internet.
NO RESULTS

I use to Run Cubase 64 bit and have read that it can cause bugs in certain plugins so I reinstalled Cubase in 32 bit.
NO RESULTS

I have been told to check on a built in ASIO driver however, when I go to my sound card nothing comes out of the output on my computer and I am pretty sure I am setting up the VST connections correctly. (Something I should most likely take up with Cubase Tech Support)

What is the most probably cause of all this?
Could it be bad plugins? I have some cracked versions of stuff.
Could it be my firewire port not being a TI chipset?
Could it be the interfaces I am choosing and the drivers they have?
Is it that my comp specs just don't go well with a hardworking DAW?

My next step is to get in contact with all the tech support of all my hardware and software. I have tried a few times but end up being on hold for over 30 minutes and I don't have too much time for that during they're available hours.

If anyone could give me any advice on how I can fix this stuff or maybe suggest an interface that should work? Or just explain to me your setup and how it works for you. I am willing to do anything at this point to get a proper working set up even if that means I should just sell this stuff and completely re-invest. I just want to have a stable computer that can handle lots of software synths and midi. If anyone can give me any guidance it would be very much appreciated.

Thanks so much for your help,
-Bryan

Comments

TheJackAttack Mon, 02/22/2010 - 19:28

Is this a Studio laptop or desktop?

You need to get a different firewire card. Onboard firewire chips for Windows machines are not good. Get a PCIe card if desktop and an Express Card if a laptop making sure that in either case it has a TI chipset.

You need to tweak windows. Go to the Music Computer forum and look at the sticky at the top.

You need to disable some things in the Device Manager. Disable the onboard firewire, ACHI, modem, network adapters, other normal things. The ACHI is the sleeper for Vista and Win7. Axe it. Don't bring it back. All it does is tell you when your battery is about out of juice....and add artifacts to your recording.

You need to set the permissions on your hard drive. All your hard drives. Make sure that allow everything for all profiles. Don't assume, check it. You are using an external hard drive right? If not then get an external 7200rpm firewire or usb hard drive.

Prior devices you've installed are irrelevant as long as they are unplugged and the control programs are not running in the system tray. However, always uninstall any program or device you no longer need. Certainly the 002 should be sufficient for your needs.

hueseph Tue, 02/23/2010 - 09:11

First thing you should do is ditch the cracks. Do a full virus scan and scan with spybot search and destroy. Download the latest ASIO driver from Digidesign. You will need a Digi account for this. I'm assuming you have one already. If you don't then, it's likely you also don't have ProTools LE do you? Can you contact the person that sold it to you and convince him to transfer the registration? It would be a good idea, though it does cost a small amount of money. That would give you access to the original software at least.

Digi Asio is buggy at best. For some people it works great. For others it's a no go. Go to Digidesigns website and check the hardware compatibility list.

Now after typing all of that I just realized that 64 bit drivers are still BETA. That's right 64 bit is not supported yet. Firewire drivers are the absolute worst problem with 64 bit as of yet. With Digidesign anyway. The beta drivers/software is only available for ProTools LE 8. If you bought your interface new, you should be able to Download Version 8 Beta in 64 bit Register and find out.

TheJackAttack Tue, 02/23/2010 - 10:04

I must have missed the cracked software in another thread. If the OP has purchased the 002 and not using PT-LE then he can download the stand alone drivers directly from Digi. If he intends to use PTLE then yes he should transfer ownership which is probably a good idea anyway from a perspective of getting full support directly from the source. As well as alleviating possible ill will amongst the various forums. If the whole shebang is cracked then I'll wash my hands of the whole thing.

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.digidesi…"]Stand alone Digi[/]="http://www.digidesi…"]Stand alone Digi[/]

anonymous Tue, 02/23/2010 - 12:34

gwin_7, post: 300488 wrote:
-I recently have gotten a new computer and it has been a nightmare trying to get things working. I have had it for about a month and have yet to record a single track because nothing is working properly.
-I have Digi 002 interface plugged into the only firewire input on the comp. Its not TI chipset and it not is own PCI. It looks like its part of a combo as it has a lot of USB inputs right by it. (Just the standard way Dell has it, could this be a problem?) I use an M-Audio Axiom 61 as a midi controller plugged directly into my computer in a USB slot (would this cause problems? should I hook it up through the 002? or does that not matter?) Thats about all i plug in as I mostly record/produce using software instruments.
-I am not sure if it has to do with not having a TI Chipset firewire or what.
Thanks so much for your help,
-Bryan

1.) I'm not here to judge you pal...but you're crapping all over every hard working developer
that has worked their a$$es off in creating something they put on the market to feed their families with.
In essence...you're a thief and asking for help sounds pretty ironic to me.

2.) it is a widely known fact using FW chipsets other than TI will cause issues.
3.) Installing cracked software WILL cause your system to have issues...mostly due to the fact
some cracker's keygens are often little programs written to install malware=not worth it because now:

4.) I recommend you do a complete system install
-Reinstall Cubase 5 (and I hope this is a legitimate version you paid for=usage of the dongle)
-Get a TI FW equipped card

TheJackAttack Tue, 02/23/2010 - 12:59

What is the most probably cause of all this? Could it be bad plug-ins? I have some cracked versions of stuff.

Unless there is some reason I shouldn't, I'm done with this thread because of confessed cracked software. Bad on me for not reading the whole post. I'm lockin' 'er up. If someone feels wronged by this, then PM me and state a valid argument for me to unlock this thread.