Audio drops Model 12 HELP

[Mark Richards]

A forum Search on "windows audio" turned up 7 pages of threads & posts addressing various issues involving interfacing Windows and the Model series of mixers, a few of which involved trying to use the mixers in ways for which they weren't optimally designed. Some got resolved through fixes, work-a-rounds, or system tweaks; others didn't get resolved at all. Windows also has problems at times co-existing with D.A.W. software.

That's what happens when the C Suite suits think it's a great idea to increase market share by turning an operating system designed from the get go for business applications into something cobbled together to compete with an operating system designed from the ground up as a creative tool, and comes in second best.

I don't own any of the Model series, and don't want or need to, so all this is interesting to read but of no relevance to me.

 

[midinerdguy]

That's what happens when the C Suite suits think it's a great idea to increase market share by turning an operating system designed from the get go for business applications into something cobbled together to compete with an operating system designed from the ground up as a creative tool, and comes in second best.

This is, without a doubt, the best-written summary I’ve read on why not to use Windows as an operating system for audio engineering stuff.

I applaud your command of language and restraint. Thanks man.

 

[shredd]

This is, without a doubt, the best-written summary I’ve read on why not to use Windows as an operating system for audio engineering stuff.

AGREED!!!
I learned this the hard way over 20 yrs ago...which is what turned me to basically old-school/hardware-focused studio methods. Never goin' back!

 

[shredd]

and comes in second best.

And not even a close second...

 

[whatamess]

GUYS ! i've figured this out! it is a FIRMWARE Issue. if you've updated to ver. 1.5.0...surprise!
IT IS FAULTY.

i was experiencing the same issue reported here and elsewhere on linux, and after much troubleshooting and debugging i decided it had to be in the hardware. usb was still sending the data, but the device just gave on up playing it back..what a pain! there is a method to downgrade the firmware, and since moving down to version 1.4.2...no more audio drops!!! it's bliss!!! shame on you, Tascam.

 

[-mjk-]

Thank you for the very useful follow-up!

 

[whatamess]

Sadly, i'm back to say the problem has returned.
i've tried versions 1.4.1, 1.4.2 and 1.5.0 all of which have the same issue. i've experienced the issue in daw controller mode, and as a usb audio device. sometimes it will play all night, sometimes it wont play for 2 mins. i've tried usb3 and usb2 ports, xhci and ehci as well as different (and expensive) usb cables, a separate and entirely different computer, and every combination of alsa, pipewire, jack software and configuration. as well as many different kernel configs. no errors are seen on the computer side, and usbtop shows the data sending to the unit and returning from it. audio just randompy stops. this can only be hardware issue from where i'm standing...can anyone help me out? did i waste a pile of money?

 

[Mark Richards]

I don't own any of the Model series, so nothing hands on. IMO at this point, the best option may be to go back to the basics of the unit as it came out of the box. Uninstall all the computer stuff. Reset the unit to its factory defaults out of the box; update the firmware; confirm you're using a TASCAM tested/approved SD card; and assure the unit's performance as a stand-alone.

Once you have the base line as a stand-alone unit, follow the OM instructions to the letter, step by step, for setting up the computer interface directly (no USB hub; brand name cables;most current software; etc.). Make a checkoff list if necessary to document you've followed all the necessary steps in the OM in the correct order, etc.

I say this because, as I wrote in my previous post, there are a number of issues reported here, some that never got resolved. Should you need ultimately to contact TASCAM to report the problem and request a warranty replacement, it's best to have that degree of documentation, as well as the computer brand and model, OS version, audio driver versions, etc. (as much detail as you can muster).

Sorry I can't be of more help, but in the end, if nothing else resolves the issue, this may be a last resort.

 

[-mjk-]

When I experience similar issues I use the Windows Control Panel and go to the Hardware Manager and start looking for unknown devices or other failures. From the HW Manager you can also set things like USB power management which is often a real issue with audio on Windows machines. From there one can also re/un/install drivers and devices.

 

[whatamess]

well, i've given up on pipewire, and moved back to jack2. things are FAR better. i've also gone back to FW ver. 1.5.0 as it didnt make a difference. when i jumped to my conclusion, there were no drops for over a day, but they did soon return, albeit with less frequency. these types of random failures are the worst kind, and exasperating the situation was the lack of any logged errors. at least jackd gives me more fine-grained control over buffering, as it has become obvious that different applications have different requirements in this regard. i apologize and will back to making music now. thanks for your follow-ups