Vegas 4 Hangs Sometimes when Choosing Inputs

Basspig wrote on 7/15/2004, 11:45 PM
I'm beginning to experiment with Vegas 4.0 for multitrack audio recording. I have tried Adobe Audtion, Premiere Pro and some shareware called Kristal and Audacity. All of the above had various serious drawbacks.

Vegas is looking good from an operational standpoint, however, it locks up Windows XP so that even the mouse pointer freezes, when I'm arming tracks and selecting the routing for inputs from my MOTU 2496.

I have MOTU's current driver, and XP is updated to SP1.
I have all unnecessary services turned off, except Terminal (to avoid the Vegas 'unknown error" on startup).
This is all running on a Sony GRX650 laptop that's fully-decked out with 512MB RAM. The disks are defragged and error free.

So far, I have had Vega lock up tighter than a drum when selecting busses, and one time when clicking on media files in the Media bin/browser. I was going to delete them, but XP locked up before I could do more than touch the filename. It also locked while deleting effects from the chain on individual inputs.

Any ideas why the lockups?

I've been looking for a stable recording app to drive the MOTU 2496 as I will be recording large symphony orchestras later this year and won't have a chance to do a retaike. This, in conjunction with shooting 2-3 camera video of the orchestra. I need reliability. How can I configure Vegas not to hang?

Comments

zemlin wrote on 7/16/2004, 5:54 AM
I have little useful to offer, except that I use a MOTU 24i, Windows XP, Vegas 4.0, and have never had it hang as you describe. I have had it lock up a time or two when mixing, but never when tracking.

Are you using ASIO? I have had very good luck with that. It might also be worth up (or down) grading your graphics driver.
Basspig wrote on 7/16/2004, 9:07 PM
I have been running several record tests and having no problems with the actual record cycle, but setup of the tracks' input sources results in random hangs. And this is the first time I've ever seen Windows XP become totally unresponsive.

I upgraded the graphics driver last year because of a problem with the LCD panel backlight not coming back on after the computer wakes from 'sleep' or standby mode. That works fine now and apparently the graphics driver I have now is the only one currently available from Sony.

I'll continue to test. As long as Vega doesn't hang while recording, I think it will be okay. Just have to setup the tracking ahead of time and save as a template.

Despite all this, as a recording app, Vegas 4.0 is so pathetically easy to use. Just load the preset session, arm the channels, and hit Control-R to beging recording.
PeterVred wrote on 7/17/2004, 7:23 AM
I have been using Vegas since version 3, and have experienced your problem after going to V4. I would add usually 16 tracks to the project, and as I was assigning inputs, at about track 5 to 8 it would lock up tight.

I never really figured out why that was so. I am using a Layla 8 I/O card and an ADAT via lightpipe for the other 8 channels. I was running XP also.

I never had it lock up when using ONLY the laylas 8 ins.

Since version 5 I have had no lockups at all...but as i recall now, I quit getting those input loading lockups. They disappeared as mysteriously as they showed up. The only cure I can think that might have happened is that I re loaded XP, which I seem to do alot (when I can't track down and fix little things).

You are right about the ease of vegas, that is what makes it such a smokin' app. It still has little bugs that cause me problems, but mostly are due to my lack of detailed preparation when revisiting and dubbing existing projects.

I think that whatever was causing the lockups is gone in V5.

Do not be afraid to go with vegas, you certainly won't be disappointed.