WIndows, Audio Interface and gremlins

Cubase
1

I have a Motu6 powered by my windows PC. Worked great for two years. Since one of the windows updates, when the computer boots up, windows boots, it finds my Motu interface like normal.

However, my vocals are about an octave higher than they should be. I check my interface bit rate and buffer size, (44100, 256) and it matches the project. From the meters on the interface all the signals are going through it. Okay stumped.

Every time I RESTART my computer, everything is fine. It’s just the initial boot that gives me trouble.

I even added additional power to the interface so it’s powered before windows starts to see if that helps. Nothing.

Any ideas?

2

After you’ve restarted your PC and it is all working properly, what happens if you power-cycle the interface then? Does the problem return?

3

Folks often think the cause is an update, but best not to restrict yourself to that, as it often is not.

Are you doing a full boot, or a fast boot? This is normally decided by how you shut down.

Are you on a hub? How did you add additional power to the interface? (separate power adapter?)

Are you on their latest firmware/software? Driver was last updated in May and firmware in February

Pete
Microsoft

4

Sorry for the delay.

I believe that I set up BIOS with fast boot.

I have updated the drivers regularly and it’s up to date.

If I do a shutdown and then power up, the problem remains. However, if I just restart, the problem goes away.

Stumped.

5

And the other questions I asked?

Pete
Microsoft

6

I has full power directly from the mother board (no hub), but i added the AC power as well just to make sure that the unit was “awake” early enough in the boot process.

Firmware is up to date as well.

7

Thanks for the info.

Another option is it could be the clock in the device. My MOTU 24 i/o units all eventually died from clock chip rot (a known issue with them). I wouldn’t expect that from this device, but it’s also a possibility.

Could also be a startup app that is opening an audio stream at that bit rate?

Oh, and do you have different bitrates in Windows vs in Cubase/ASIO? A mismatch there could result in something similar.

Pete
Microsoft

8

Thanks for the leads. I’ll dip into these and let you know.

I appreciate the help!

9

Just as a by-the-by, and I may be mistaken, but at some point the behaviour of these two boot methods was switched. It used to be turn off for a complete fresh cold boot, and restart for a warm boot.
This is why the issue disappears with a restart boot and not a switch off and on again boot.
I read that back and even I don’t understand it, but, it’s the best I can do.
There’s a registry hack that puts it back to the older way.

10

I’ve removed any unnecessary start up apps. My rate is the same on my computer as my interface. I have a few midi keyboards that are running before boot. I updated drivers. I’m stumped. Why would a “warm boot” not have the problems as a shutdown/reboot?

This problems started out of nowhere. It was fine, then it was a constant problem.

Any other places to look for problems?

11

Because a shutdown may not be any longer what it used to be in the good old days :trade_mark:

14

I went into BIOS and chose standard boot rather than fast boot. First try worked perfectly! I’ll see if the gremlins find there way around this change :slight_smile: Thanks to all!

15

And…right back where I was. I thought I had this bugger figured out.

Gotta be a conflict somewhere.

If anyone has any thoughts, I’ll be here hitting restart :slight_smile: