Noel Borthwick [Cakewalk]
I'm afraid that you are making lots of erroneous assumptions about how SONAR works as well as hypothetical claims about the cause of the crash based on outdated information about Windows. In the old days of Windows user mode programs could actually cause the entire OS to reboot. This is impossible in current OS's from Microsoft. User mode programs have a protected address space and cannot make "jumps" to memory out side that. SONAR doesn't "bypass OS calls" and go directly to the driver. Everything we do uses standard Windows API's.
Thank you for answering that. It would have been helpful if you said so when I first raised it, rather than leaving me to speculate.
I have outlined a strategy for narrowing down this problem for you and several others have suggested options. This is how we debug stuff. We won't get anywhere isolating the cause of the problem if you don't follow a systematic process of elimination. I suggest working with tech support if you want further resolution on this since its proving difficult to resolve here.
I had two specific and separate problems that I identified in this thread:
1. Neither Ozone nor Melodyne (full package, not the one that comes free with X3) were showing up in the VST browser.
2. A complete system crash when attempting to save the X3 Producer Effects preset from the Plug-ins Manager while X3 was open and displaying the Effects browser window.
I found a work-around for the first problem, which I posted. The second problem was a one time anomaly that I haven't tried to reproduce because I found the work-around for the first problem.
As for the "systematic elimination" proposed by you and other posters:
1. "Random re-boots" - My computer doesn't exhibit random reboots. It rebooted once at the exact moment that I tried to save the X3 Producer Effects preset. It is not a memory issue because (1) I scan my memory from time to time and keep close tabs on memory use, and (2) this was the only time I had a system crash cause a re-boot. It is not a seating issue because I regularly maintain my systems and had just completed a thorough cleaning of this particular computer (which included opening the case, clearing all the dust with canned air and manually seating all cards, memory and CPU, cleaning all case vents and manually checking the operation of all fans.
2. BSOD - I don't know how many times I've had to say this, but there was
no BSOD; just a crash and reboot. There's no point in changing the BSOD setting to not re-boot since (1) this happened only one time, and (2) it did not BSOD.
3. Testing VST by VST - yes, this is a viable, but extremely time-consuming approach which is now unncessary since I found the work-around.
4. Check the event viewer - I did. No event was recorded prior to recovery from the shut-down//reboot.
5. Disable AV - Sorry, but I won't do this. My machine is connected to the internet (and has to be) and, worse still, my wife, who is, for all intents and purposes, computer illiterate, uses it. Though I am religious about maintaining backups of all my data, I will not risk malware. Whereas it might be reasonable to suggest disabling AV solely for software installation purposes, it is not reasonable to suggest running a home computer that is used for many other tasks without AV.
6. "It's the audio driver" - No, it's not. How do I know? Because the Fast Track Ultra is the only audio device on this machine, and it works, and has worked, flawlessly (at least since m-Audio's final release) with every other program I use, which includes X2, Finale, Sibelius, Audition 3 and CS6, Premiere Pro and at least half-a-dozen others. If it was a bug in the driver but that bug affected only X3, I'd suggest that would be an X3 problem, rather than an FTU problem. For the poster who suggested, "check your audio settings," that was the first thing I did after installing X3 and before trying out the VSTs.
7. "Default all" -- I tried that. It didn't work. Period. The only way I was able to get Ozone to appear in the browser was by manually adding it.
8. The non-appearance of Ozone is a repeatable problem: As I reported, I had the same issue on my laptop as on my home machine, and at least one other poster reported a similar issue.
And, finally, I'll note this: I have not, at any time, been critical of X3. Quite the contrary, I have specifically and expressly stated that I consider Cakewalk to be a superior software publisher, well-respected and deserving of this respect. I've also said that I've been using Cakewalk/Sonar since before it was a DAW -- starting from back when it was just a MIDI sequencer called Cakewalk in the 80s, if I recall correctly. You, Noel, have been civil and professional, and I appreciate that. Others, however, have not, attacking me personally and even calling me a "pretentious jackass." I thought this was a support forum. As a support forum, particularly one in which Cakewalk support folks participate and moderate, its tone reflects on the company and, in this case, it does not reflect well. I posted for one reason: I needed to use Ozone in X3. I did not come here to be attacked. particularly when I have been nothing but civil. It is unfortunate that Cakewalk finds this kind of internet childishness tolerable, and I will remember that for the future. No, it doesn't mean I won't continue to be a Cakewalk customer, but it's certainly something I'll consider as I decide how best to support my music going forward.