Wavelab Stutters on Playback

WaveLab
#1

I submitted a support ticket to ask for help with this, but they seem to be a bit backed up right now. So, I thought I’d ask the greater community in the meantime with my problem:

I am getting stuttering on playback in my Wavelab Pro 10 session that is frequent and random. When it happens, I can see the Audio-Processing Load bar spike quickly and then return to its normal position which is normally quite low. I have not been able to see anything obvious on the computer’s CPU usage screen when this happens (in other words, nothing jumps to the top when it spikes/stutters). It seems to happen regardless of the sample rate (my typical sample rate is 96Hz) and regardless if I am using an external interface or the internal computer’s interface. Track count is low (at most 2 montage tracks) and the only processing being used when this happens is a Steinberg Brickwall limiter placed on the master track and a Steinberg Stereo Tools Plugin applied in what is now the Inspector Panel, so I find it reasonable to believe that this isn’t due to a high plugin count. When this problem originally started, I thought it was an issue with the interface, so I tried eliminating every piece of hardware possible and it still occurs with just my computer and a hard drive connected. It is not a clocking issue.

I have tried increasing the buffer size in WL with no improvement. I also have noticed when the complete system is connected that I have occasionally seen a flicker across one of my screens when the WL Audio-Processing Load Bar spikes. There are usually no other applications open on the computer at the time.

This problem originally manifested itself when I was using High Sierra and Wavelab 9.5. After researching the internet and these user forums, I made the jump to Mojave and WL 10 to see if this eliminated the problem and it has not.

My computer system:

2017 MacBook Pro 3.1 GHz Intel Core I7
16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3
Graphics: Radeon Pro 560 4 GB
Intel HD Graphics 630 1536 MB

Wavelab 10.0.50 build 167

My complete signal chain:

Analog (typically a calibrated reel to reel) into a Lavry 4496 with Digital outputs to my RME UFX+ interface via AES.

Interface is an RME UFX+ connected via Thunderbolt to a CalDigit TS3 Plus Dock and then directly to my computer.

Monitoring outputs from the RME UFX+ to a MeyerSound Galaxy 408 via AES.

I would welcome any advice you might be able to offer as I use WL on a daily basis. I have been a WL user for years and this is something that I have not been able to solve on my own.

#2

Hi!

What buffert setting, have you tried them all!?
and is it playback with plugins or even without ?
If you try without and with plugins one by one?

regards S-EH

#3

It happens with and without plugins. There is virtually no processing load on this session, just a simple 2 track @96k with track markers.

#4

My recommendation is to use the RME UFX+ via USB-3. At least, this config works perfectly on PC.
Concerning the CalDigit TS3 Plus, I have one, and if I use it for audio, I also get drop outs sometimes (with UAD hardware). A dedicated Thunderbold port, direct from your Mac, is necessary in my case.

Also, don’t attempt very small latency settings.

#5

PG,

I will try that, but why is it happening when there are no interfaces connected as well? Older versions of WL worked fine for me if I had to work on just the computer. The fact that this happens regardless of whether the interface is connected or not leads me to believe it is a computer/software problem.

#6

I don’t get it… if the interface is not connected, how can you have any playback at all?