Every 3rd party plugin crashing

[dogbiscuit]

The edits are supposed to be stored as XML files, so unless something (else) has gone wrong you can open it in a text editor and try to see if you can find whatever is causing the problem.

Here is an example of what a plugin instance in an edit should look like:

Code: Select all

<PLUGIN type="vst" uniqueId="746b7632" uid="746b7632" filename="C:\Program Files\VstPlugins\Voxengo\EBusLim.dll"
            name="EBusLim" manufacturer="Voxengo" windowLocked="1" id="1083"
            enabled="1" remapOnTempoChange="1" programNum="0" state="821.CMlaKA....fQBMDZ....AP2Z1IC...P.....C.............................................................................................................................................................................f.UB....................PXh41Z6HA..3D.lD.dd0dUM61Dw.gGRagshBpppf3mJTDbAnZygFHf.IZTDQQKJcQJs7.313lrpa7FEugeEu.7hvAdB3ofq.m3DBwo9Hv3Taps2rKAEHRQMVZx34mclwdh+lk..1lx4AQr7UHrClCkWBo3Cd9FO3wz8I8CiOGJKnceUWBm6RYjcCoODUbUjH8aFDUnSTysHArBFtbJzrf.IWsWrbPpUun9c4zvR39KlHTJqYEEQUEv3wD1dTWFoCsFLrpxvEULFFomi0DwNxsKoGoCuvdsILFMzcPU4xiBidBZ+1ISUFeQVmjKXjsi9FQ0x+BZ3FYjFMWsOMNZ6W.osdV8c7xIUHZz0b2XNCwhyaHdmELDu6oMDKcFCw64XHdekXNop4kUgHHhuTXeEHwoNf05kn17ve3Hi9Yee5.i+5JfdEEvbUswA2veFsdSH8Jy1+r5HBpdNMgF58BOeidgmuQuvy2nW34azK77M5Ed9iTuXUv5ji2xw3s7qQ8WGx7LK8L89wgaJ2T9HlijurjupjeIIeMIOeYy2EXdTI6MP1uKzb8+QcI.YNNY71QuvkDFp59bOz7sfzqtDefcMp1KVKiDFhpU5yqGzAuvia26QntqkHA1dkdTObyULiJdU0BCQYXXu8R5WVQ9r3uc6Q4z3AuBpihWNQH0bP+EgMI92obLjR04A43o0K1rR9ZXvDCrN4MfJ0QFeE9mLxP.Nr8NUaT8omHmYnvFrwHrwJbJm8Li8gwalQNKYyYFJAAeRhfO5qIKB9nuldQve2G9wOe66+9jCA2GFCD7EQ52H0JkGigWZFF9LL7YX3Julgg+2rldwvaTo3m93heaZBCujEF9u7a8yrI"
            base64:layout="143.LETVOUEU..P.BjjSPUEUSA..ADfPUME.AHPZtQVY3AP.ED......rEVduUGc.DvFEvDHRAxPfvjYkABSyMGHRM2bfvjbyAhTxMG..7TUTAUUTME..DP.BU0T.Df.o4FYkgG.ATP......vVX48VczAP.aT.SfHEHCABSlUFHLM2bfH0byABSxMGHRI2b...">
      <MACROPARAMETERS id="1084"/>
      <MODIFIERASSIGNMENTS/>
      <FACEPLATE width="8" height="4" autoSize="1">
        <RESOURCES/>
        <BACKGROUND imageAlpha="1.0"/>
      </FACEPLATE>
    </PLUGIN>

Maybe the text in the filename parameter has gone phonky somehow.

I attempted to look at the code but it spans countless pages and I find it utterly bamboozling! I don't want to have to rebuild the edit, mainly because I had some ideas for new songs within it and I'll lose those sounds, but if it's between that and digging into code then I think I may have to.

[dogbiscuit]

I've had this happen when a plugin package updated all their plugins; it was annoying, but I was able to correct this by going to the plugin section of the setup tab and re-pointing Waveform to the corrected plugins. But that affected all projects--if I understand this rightly, this is just happening to only one project. Which is very odd.

Yes, it appears to be only one edit. And it's all 3rd party plugins rather than just a package.

[jabe]

As for the original problem of all my 3rd party plugins crashing, do you have any ideas what might be going on there? It only appears to be happening in one edit. With sandboxing disabled (as it always has been) the edit won't launch and Waveform crashes. With sandboxing enabled it will open but with exclamation marks on every 3rd party plugin. There's another edit within the same project which is fine, however if I open the culprit edit at the same time then it's 3rd party plugins get the same error messages too.

I don't, I'm afraid. I tried doing a project onto an external HDD via USB many years ago and it went so badly that I've never tried again, not even with an SSD.

What I would have suggested is what Pough had said about looking at the .tracktionedit file. Make sure that the very last XML closing tag </EDIT> is in place and if not (you will have lost data) see about closing any open pairs of tags. Sometimes these files haven't been written successfully and data has been lost. They hold things together for an edit and contain references to various other files. If you ever do decided to edit one, put a copy somewhere just in case it doesn't go well. These days the files often contain some "non-text" characters that I can't be 100% certain will be saved properly. In these cases, a hex editor might be safer (such as HxD), but they're not as easy to read.

[Peter Widdicombe]

If you do want to see/manipulate the tractionedit file, make sure you actually SAVE the edit and exit. If you exit and respond to the "do you want to save...", that file is more of a binary format than XML.

[dogbiscuit]

I checked the code and the edit tag was in tact.

I have spent several days tirelessly investigating the issue with a process of elimination and eventually discovered that an instance of Decent sampler was producing a pop-up window asking me to download the latest version in order to run that particular effect.

My drive permissions issue seems to have been a confusing coincidence. I decided just to buy a new drive as I was sick of trying to troubleshoot it. All has seemed fine since plugging it in to both machines... until now. Earlier on I created a new Waveform project on the new drive using my laptop. However I have just plugged it into my PC and Waveform's file explorer won't display the new project folder. Windows file explore can see it, and I can get the project to open in Waveform if I double click it in Windows explorer. So why can't Waveform see it? And when will the computer Gods relent?!

[Peter Widdicombe]

First, does the drive appear on both systems as the same drive letter and folder structure?

Second, Waveform keeps sort of it's own indexing for convenience. Moving the drive back and forth is probably not a good thing. Others who may have done it are welcome to comment... The SAFEST way is probably to archive to a known location and then open that, effectively making a copy of the project; but that won't work well going back and forth between machines.

You can also "open project" and browse the file system for the project - but REALLY not sure if that will react well, as then plugging the drive into the original machine again may assume the original project state, which may not be "accurate". I'd test heavily on a separate drive before assuming it's a good way to go. Assume you may corrupt projects that way until proven otherwise.

[dogbiscuit]

First, does the drive appear on both systems as the same drive letter and folder structure?

Second, Waveform keeps sort of it's own indexing for convenience. Moving the drive back and forth is probably not a good thing. Others who may have done it are welcome to comment... The SAFEST way is probably to archive to a known location and then open that, effectively making a copy of the project; but that won't work well going back and forth between machines.

You can also "open project" and browse the file system for the project - but REALLY not sure if that will react well, as then plugging the drive into the original machine again may assume the original project state, which may not be "accurate". I'd test heavily on a separate drive before assuming it's a good way to go. Assume you may corrupt projects that way until proven otherwise.

Good point about the drive letter. No, it's a different drive letter. I wonder if it might be worth trying to change it to the letter of the previous drive. And yes, the file structure is the same. Bizarrely today it's working, Waveform is recognising the folder. But I might change the drive letter anyway if I can figure out how.

[Peter Widdicombe]

I followed this on a USB stick; I presume a drive might be the same. Now everytime I stick in THIS usb stick, it's a U:\ instead of an F:\.

https://superuser.com/questions/16197/i ... e-drive-le

[dogbiscuit]

I followed this on a USB stick; I presume a drive might be the same. Now everytime I stick in THIS usb stick, it's a U:\ instead of an F:\.

https://superuser.com/questions/16197/i ... e-drive-le

This is all useful info, thank you I have changed the drive letter now. Now to get stupid LABS working again. But I think, I hope, I am past the worst of this series of problems.

[Peter Widdicombe]

Tread carefully, however - I don't think the designers expected it to be used in that manner. DO back up projects you use in this manner "more frequently than normal", as there is a higher potential risk of data loss (??) as the drive pops back and forth between systems.

Also, consider closing Waveform and then using the "eject disk" feature of windows that all writes are completed to disk when you disconnect it. I've foolishly removed a USB stick "too early" and last file updates weren't completed !

[dogbiscuit]

Tread carefully, however - I don't think the designers expected it to be used in that manner. DO back up projects you use in this manner "more frequently than normal", as there is a higher potential risk of data loss (??) as the drive pops back and forth between systems.

Also, consider closing Waveform and then using the "eject disk" feature of windows that all writes are completed to disk when you disconnect it. I've foolishly removed a USB stick "too early" and last file updates weren't completed !

Yeh I'm wary about this set-up but working between two locations now it's the most practical way I can think of. In this day and age using a drive between two machines really shouldn't be wrought with all these potential pit-falls! When you say eject the drive, I assumed just shutting down the computer and then unplugging it would be equally safe, no?

As for LABS, it can get in the sea! Last night I repaired every instrument and today it's giving me all sorts of error messages (on the same machine). I know that it's famous for this so I guess I'm just gonna have to roll my sleeves up and wrestle with it until it works, or not.

[Peter Widdicombe]

Yes, shutting down the computer should save any unflushed data to disk. I would presume it would be also flushed if sitting idle for a while.

Sleep or Hibernate might not actually populate the files correctly, but a shutdown should.