To WinRT or not to WinRT, that is the question

Cubase
1

Some context:
I have an RME AIO audio interface. No problems in 12 years, on 2 machines.
Everything I do is 99% in the box, mostly HALion, Kontakt and EastWest libraries, all the usual FX. The 1% is when I dust off my LP, which gets plugged into a DI box, then straight into the jack socket on the RME. I don’t use any keyboards or any external gear (except an amp and speakers!).

Checking the DMP folder I have 66 dumps from C12, compared to 3 from C11 (!).

I see/hear a lot of talk about WinRT and how switching to this driver solves a lot of problems. Out of curiosity I checked my MIDI settings. Cubase is using the RME MIDI ins/outs, and WinRT is unchecked. When I check the box, RME disappears.

This is my question: Should I leave things alone, or should I switch to WinRT.
I know I can just taste and see, but future readers may benefit from any discussion of this, for me, arcane subject.

Many thanks, and have a nice Guy Fawkes night.

2

You didn’t mention using any MIDI equipment, so I can’t see how it would make any difference in your case.
If you wish, you can upload one or two of your DMP files here and I’m sure someone wouldn’t mind taking a look at them to determine the cause of the crashes. Or you can install the Microsoft tool WinDbg to analyze the DMP files yourself. It’s quite easy to do.

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3

Hi,

Attach at least some of the latest DMP files, please. Then we can see, where the crashes happened.

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4

Thanks to you both for responding, and so quick!
To be clear, I’m not concerned about the crashes (maybe 1 a fortnight, split evenly across my old i7 machine and my new i9 machine - I’ve got (checks folder) 251 dmp files going back 8 years, to C7.5, so it’s really not a concern). It’s just intellectual curiosity, I suppose.
:+1:
This is the most recent one:
Cubase 12.0.70.464 64bit 2023.9.26 16.57.51.575.dmp (1.7 MB)

5

Hi,

If you don’t use MIDI at all, you shouldn’t meet the faulty Windows WDM MIDI Driver issue at all. Then it doesn’t matter, if you keep the old driver type, or you switch to the WinRT.

6

Okey dokey. Like I say, I keep hearing about WinRT but I don’t have a clue what’s all about.
:+1:

7

WinRT is the more modern MIDI driver framework for Windows. I switched to this straight away and it’s been rock solid. I do use (hardware) MIDI, but then again I didn’t have any crashes before switching to WinRT, either. I also use the RME RayDAT (same driver).

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8

I don’t know exactly what happened but enabling WinRT MIDI caused my 1st gen RME Fireface UFX to go completely bonkers in a way I’ve never seen, causing Cubase to throw out fireface_asio crash messages and making my system bluescreen twice until I turned it back off.

Beware enabling this if you have an older interface.

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9

FWIW, I tried enabling WinRT (and my gear/drivers is modern and up-to-date), and it messed up my system. Luckily, switching back made everything work properly again.

If it works, don’t touch it.

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