Dangerous behavior with SONAR and Arturia plugins - potential to blow speakers

Are they loud pops that stop or are they more like feedback loops that won't stop?

Can't you use a limiter?

Are all the separate plugin instances routed to "Midi Omni" or the same midi channel (example: midi channel 1)?  If they are, try assigning each plugin to its own midi channel (1-16) and see if you still have the problem.
 
Also, the noise will be coming from all or one of the plugins.  Watch your VU meters for each track and see if they all spike or just one or some do. 

Can you see your CPU performance? It seemed to be the deal with me. I had to fix the CPU Core balance. :)
 

11Dreams
Can you see your CPU performance? It seemed to be the deal with me. I had to fix the CPU Core balance. :)

I hadn't thought of that.  Which settings did you adjust?  I've got a 6-core CPU, I'm pretty sure I have the horsepower for this kind of thing.

Use Multiprocessing Engine - check
Plug-in Load Blancing - no check
Use MMCSS - check

MMCSS Thread Priority - 2
MMCSS Task Key - Pro Audio


 

Maybe I should add that this is in ASIO mode, using the MOTU legacy driver, with a buffer setting of 256.

Thedoccal
Until this is resolved turn your speakers off and use headphones OFF your ears.

Way ahead of you.  :)

Thedoccal
What's your plug in list?  Does this happen when you try to change presets just in Spark, let's say?  Or does it happen when you change presets in any of the other plugins?
 
Would be nice to see a screen shot of your synth rack view which will show every softsynth and the presets being used for each one.

Screenshots are here:  http://imgur.com/a/jkwgE
 
I've got two keyboards, an Akai mpk61 and a Yamaha Clavinova.  SONAR's I/O is set to use MIDI channel 1 and 2 on each keyboard, and Spark is set to the mpk's pads on MIDI channel 10.  I just realized that the Analog Lab plugins are all set to MIDI omni by default.  If I set them to the correct channel it reverts back to MIDI omni when I change presets.

This morning when it happened I was changing presets in the fourth Analog Lab instance, from an SEM patch to the Matrix-12 patch shown.  Wasn't touching the keys, transport was stopped, click on the gui - BOOM!

I think my post was eaten by the forum software.

Are you saying the aliens are trying to communicate with me?

Can a moderator restore my post or do I need to redo it?
 

Restored your post.
 
This is a most peculiar set of symptoms. The pop is almost certainly being generated within the plugin.
 
Does it still occur when the plugin's volume control is turned down, or when the plugin is bypassed?
 
Does it occur if you mute the master bus, as opposed to turning it way down? Some plugins have been known to generate bursts of ridiculously high levels, like +99 dB, that might remain audible even with the master fader down.
 
Are you sure the plugin is routed through your master bus, and you haven't inadvertently sent it directly to the hardware outs? With SONAR's master bus muted, SONAR is not sending audio data to the driver. If the synth is properly routed and SONAR's master bus muted it's guaranteed there will be no sound from SONAR. It would have to be another process injecting audio into the output buffers.

bitflipper
 This is a most peculiar set of symptoms. The pop is almost certainly being generated within the plugin.

After messing around with it a little more, I'm pretty sure you're right. 

I made a video of it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xWVsoES8vg

I don't hear it when I turn the channel volume down.  The pop doesn't always register on SONAR's meters, which is why I was confused earlier.  When I recorded the video I noticed the meters jumping.  Why would there be so much noise from just switching a preset?  

This isn't the exact same sound that it's made before, but it's pretty close.  It's usually more of an explosive POP! sound.  I'm noticing that it happens the most with Matrix-12 presets, but I can't say for certain if that's the only one.

Thanks everyone, I've got a much better idea of what's happening now.

When working in Analog Lab, switching to almost any Matrix-12 patch from any of the other synths causes the popping/explosion sound - some sort of quirk with Arturia's analog emulation I'm guessing.  It's avoidable by not using Analog Lab and just using each synth directly, although I'd rather have everything in one window.

I posted about it (again) on the Arturia forums, but I'm doubtful anyone over there will respond.  (Not trying to badmouth Arturia, but the forum community here is much better.)

Looking at your video this really looks like a bug in the plugin when its loading a preset.
SONAR isn't typically aware of the preset change in the plugin. However it is streaming audio through the plugin. If the plugin doesn't properly handle streaming while a preset is loaded it could cause problems. It could also be a multiprocessing issue in the plugin.
I'll forward this thread to Arturia as well.

jackroller

After messing around with it a little more, I'm pretty sure you're right. 

I made a video of it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xWVsoES8vg

I don't hear it when I turn the channel volume down.  The pop doesn't always register on SONAR's meters, which is why I was confused earlier.  When I recorded the video I noticed the meters jumping.  Why would there be so much noise from just switching a preset?  

This isn't the exact same sound that it's made before, but it's pretty close.  It's usually more of an explosive POP! sound.  I'm noticing that it happens the most with Matrix-12 presets, but I can't say for certain if that's the only one.

That sound...does it sound like a convolution reverb "background" to you?  Then there is the popping...does the tempo of the popping match your project tempo, or perhaps the tempo somewhere in the settings for that preset?  Since Analog Lab is forcing all it's presets to be routed to "omni", could the preset change involving the Matrix 12 to one of your other tracks, be triggering a reverb or delay artifact?  Just guessing here.  Great video.  Really helpful.  Goin' in now to investigate...
 
I have Analog Lab 2 ver. 2.0.2.98...don't know yet if that's up to date.  Will check.
Added:  Notice your meter, on the 4th AL instance track, jumps a full second after the sound is heard...
Added:  You are using "simple instrument" tracks.  Try "split instrument track" on track 10 and see if you get  readings on both the audio and midi meters when you change the preset.
 
Result:  Duplicated your settings and tracks exactly and works fine.  The only difference is you used the floating window for viewing Analog Lab 2 and I put each one including Spark in the Multidock after setting them up.  Used simple instrument tracks too.

Thedoccal
 
Added:  You are using "simple instrument" tracks.  Try "split instrument track" on track 10 and see if you get  readings on both the audio and midi meters when you change the preset.
 
Result:  Duplicated your settings and tracks exactly and works fine.  The only difference is you used the floating window for viewing Analog Lab 2 and I put each one including Spark in the Multidock after setting them up.  Used simple instrument tracks too.

My tracks are split, I just have the MIDI tracks hidden in the Console View.   I double checked and there is no reading on the MIDI track meters when it happens.