Weird issue with aggregate device

Question

Weird issue with aggregate device

I'm running Cubase 4 with two Prism Orpheus audio interfaces as an aggregate device on Snow Leopard. This system has worked flawlessly for the last two years but i've just run into this weird issue whereby Cubase suffers a constant CPU overload when the aggregate device is selected and i audition audio. It will audition the first file i click but hang on the second. This only relates to auditioning audio inside the Cubase environment. I can escape the CPU hang by switching the sample rate back and forth (ie 48k to 44.1k and back again), but as soon as i audition again the problem will occur.

If i select either of the two Prisms individually then the system functions as it should. Switching to aggregate causes the problem. The weird thing is that this has just started happening for no reason at all. I'm pretty au fait with audio/music technology etc (i've been working professionally as a producer since 1994) and i have tried literally *everything* (repairing permissions, dumping prefs, re-building the aggregate device, re-installing Cubase, the drivers etc etc), but to no avail. It's as if something has become corrupt and i can't figure out what it is.

I'm pretty certain that a clean install would fix this (i've tested the hardware with my Macbook Pro and it's fine), but i'm loathed to do it unless it's a last resort because it takes me a day to get everything back to where i was. I'd like to find out what has caused the problem.

Any help appreciated.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 4, 2013 8:26 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 4, 2013 8:37 AM in response to thomasreynolds

What does the device manufacturer suggest?

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Answer 2

Feb 4, 2013 9:03 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Hi Grant - the truth is that they are equally as stumped as me. Prism have first class customer service and immediately sent me out another Orpheus so i could eliminate their hardware as the issue.

Their suggestions matched mine, and we've tried everything to no avail. It's almost certainly some kind of odd issue where something has become corrupt, but i can't find out what is responsible or what caused it in the first place.

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Answer 3

Feb 4, 2013 9:23 AM in response to thomasreynolds

The list of what might have changed should be finite.

Kernel extensions:

/System/Library/Extensions/

Frameworks:

/System/Library/Frameworks/

Application Support:

/Users/<your_id>/Library/Application Support/

Preferences:

/Users/<your_id>/Library/Preferences

... those guys may be able to give you a list of all the files, or there may be one in an Installer log or a Help file somewhere.

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Answer 4

Feb 4, 2013 9:42 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks for this Grant. Appreciate the help. I'll pass these on in the meantime and see if it sparks any ideas.

I should point out that i also tried downloading the latest version of Cubase (i was using version 4 but grabbed the 6.5 trial to try that out) but the issue still persists. I'm hoping i can sort this without the hassle of running a clean install etc.

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