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DRUMS => Spark => Spark Technical Issues => Topic started by: Adam Jones on March 30, 2015, 10:59:58 am

Title: SOLVED...controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on March 30, 2015, 10:59:58 am
Any suggestions. Tech support not getting back.. :'(runnig windows 8 64 bit. I have sparkle and after i leave it runnig for a few minutes the controller freezes, lights stay stuck on but no control. It crashes Fl if i try to click spark Vst with a mouse...i would tell you that i have it running bridged using the 32 bit vst and that i have not enabled it in the midi section but i wouldnt matter as the same thing happens in stand alone mode 64bit. I have un installed and re installed and updated using the midi controll software. If i dont connect to the controller the software will run for hours with a few buggy crashes when changing kits ect. But doesnt crash FL...all OS and DAW legitand registered...2nd Arturia product...2nd piece of crap...so frustrating as it sound good but like my microbrute. Just doesnt do what its sold to do...at the moment the controller would be more useful as a boat anchor...any suggestions?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 03, 2015, 03:33:00 am
Great forum😂
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 03, 2015, 03:39:23 am

Me..hey this thing is crap it doesnt work.
Arturia...silence!

Anybody need an expensive paper weight?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: mr_j on April 03, 2015, 02:01:39 pm
I have sparkle and after i leave it runnig for a few minutes the controller freezes, lights stay stuck on but no control. Just doesnt do what its sold to do...at the moment the controller would be more useful as a boat anchor...any suggestions?

same kind of problems here... what ive noticed with mine :

device and his usb cable has to be installed FLAT on a table / plane surface otherwise the usb cable tend to disconnect making the sparkle freeze (even if the cable is still plugged in, windows disconnects the device)... nice for portability...  ;D

software sometimes freezes when i start another program, even the task manager... it seems the soft is stable only in standalone mode, with no other program running...
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 04, 2015, 04:46:04 am
Ah
true. It ran for 1 hour last night then somebody switched the house modem on and bang. The controller froze. Crashed straight away....you could be onto something! I have noticed that if the internet is on it doesnt work even for a few moments....I wonder if mac users are experiencing the same...im going to experiment today running it stand alone and the launching other applications to see if there is a similarity...
mine is on a flat even surface and im going to gaffer tape the usb cable into the unit just incase...
have you reported it to Arturia and if so are they replying?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: 019297 on April 04, 2015, 02:21:12 pm
hmm, I have had SPARKLE  for more than a year and it never happened, but for the last few weeks, my performance has been similar. I wonder if the USB jack is wearing out  on this thing. Sometimes jiggling the usb gently helps it reconnect.

It's funny that my lights stay on like yours, but it' isn't making a full connection. Sometimes I swap a cable and it helps. I do some sessions where this doesn't happen at all, and sometimes it ruins my night randomly.

I have a feeling that the micro usb jack itself on the SPARK isn't very secure. Sometimes I can sense it moving around when I plug in. I'm almost afraid to open up and back.

Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: mr_j on April 04, 2015, 07:01:20 pm
have you reported it to Arturia and if so are they replying?

yeah and they are responding fast
(may be because Im not far from their office here lol)

they ask me to return it, which is not a good solution to find whats wrong, and I really doubt this will solve the problem, plus im a bit stubborn  ;D

you have a 64 bit system as I do... what are your computer specs ?
I run Win 7 family edition SP1 with a HP pavilion dv7, i7-2630QM / 2 GHz quad core

the freezes problem seems to be very random here...
sometimes it freezes but i still can control the soft with the controller (which is quite useless)

may be your right and I will test in different conditions, with/without internet etc.

but if this goes on I will return it for good

and yeah as 019297 said, the micro usb jack is a really bad choice...
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: 019297 on April 04, 2015, 10:29:42 pm
not only is the mini usb bad ( i guess it isn't  micro) but it seems to be mounted to the main board with only solder and a few pins? I plug/unplug every time I use this thing, I wonder if I'm on borrowed time here with this controller.

Is the main SPARK (original large controller) much sturdier?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 06, 2015, 04:30:44 am
Changed the plug...no differences...taped it in place with gaff...no different..

quad core i7 4770 3.4gHz Haswell
16 gig ram 2x8
toshiba solid state drive 2gb
seagate barracuda 1tb sata 3
asus z87 motherboard
windows 8 oem 64 all updated to current
Saphire 2gb 6570 vga card
775w evo power supply
1394 pci card

Buggy buggy buggy...! I wonder if you say its been only recently that you have had this problem, weather a windows up date has cased a conflict? do you auto update and if so can you check to see if the time it started to happen coincided with a windows up date....?

Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: CC4 on April 07, 2015, 05:42:02 pm
It's not just your cord?  I experienced some of that with the SparkLE controller after a year or so of use and it was due to the USB cord being flaky.  I replaced the cord and haven't had a problem like that since.
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: mr_j on April 07, 2015, 08:37:42 pm
Changed the plug...no differences...taped it in place with gaff...no different..

Buggy buggy buggy...! I wonder if you say its been only recently that you have had this problem, weather a windows up date has cased a conflict? do you auto update and if so can you check to see if the time it started to happen coincided with a windows up date....?

may be ive got smth :

when I kill the nusb3mon.exe process it seems to be working quite good... dont freeze randomly anymore.
I can deconnect and reconnect with no problems... even when the sparkle soft is running ! recognized everytime.

did 2 long jams and no more prob. may be theres some usb conflict,

do you have this process running ?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 09, 2015, 03:43:38 am
O.k.
 Cant find any trace of the process...when spark isn't running...i just tried for half an hour to get it running and couldnt get it to connect...if i ever get this lump of rubish to work i will see if i can find an instant of the process running.
Arturia got back to say that they tried the unit with windows 8 64 and FL11 and it was slow..but not crashing. i dont even know what means...  they then asked if i wanted free software to compensate which is nice but at the moment i dont trust thier products enough to install another broken thing !...i used to read things like this on forums and think what a bunch of whining...now i get it...anyway back to  a solution or a refund...any more ideas or similar stories that may lead in a positive direction?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: CC4 on April 09, 2015, 09:57:17 pm
Does it freeze with the controller in standalone also or just inside FL?  Are you using the 1.0.0.3 firmware and the latest version of Spark?  Are you loading the Spark VST from FL's Browser of from Channels > Add One > More?  And have you tried the controller in other USB ports?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 10, 2015, 12:08:33 pm
Yes it freezes stand alone...as well..infact its worse stand alone...some times the connection just fails and in stand alone so it doesnt get a chance to freeze...if it doesnt connect i can unplug it an replug it...it will do the boot up light flash thing and when i try connect still nothing..
With FL i am loading the 32bit version bridged.(fl is 32 bit as most of my vst still are). the way you mentioned....i have tried 64 and no go...i have updated to the most recent version using midi control centre...i have tried multiple usb 2 and usb 3 ports and they are all the same...and i have changed the cable...?...i dont think its fl based...
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: CC4 on April 10, 2015, 10:11:44 pm
...And it runs fine without the controller?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Terrym on April 11, 2015, 08:36:51 am
Hi adam , i'm not a pc user so not sure how much i can help . but have you tried another computer ? if its happening in standalone all you need to do is install the demo and plug in the controller and have a play.
see if its still a problem .
If you where on a mac i would say delete the midi drivers for sparkle .so not sure if that possible in pc .as it could be corrupted .


hope it helps a bit

terrym
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: mr_j on April 11, 2015, 05:49:11 pm
Yes it freezes stand alone...as well..infact its worse stand alone...some times the connection just fails and in stand alone so it doesnt get a chance to freeze...

your problem seems very similar to the one i had.
when it freezes, does windows still recognizes the sparkle ?

can you copy paste your task manager here ?

may be check your usb port power savings option (should be disabled)
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: CC4 on April 11, 2015, 08:03:38 pm
may be check your usb port power savings option (should be disabled)

That's probably some very good advice mr_j.
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 12, 2015, 02:01:13 am
I wont say fine but yes!...the software works...it works with a few crashes here and there. Sometimes if im trying to change kits or save a kit it will crash FL...Or if its stand alone...which is crappy but at least it does function. The main problems occur when i manage to connect the controller. If it connects at all.
 I know from experience with a microbrute Arturia will say "send it back" i will probably recieve another with the same problem about 6 weeks later. And $20 spent on postage...? i have an old 32bit laptop and im going to try if it runns on that to see if the hardware  is faulty or if its system or software based...
But to answer your question it kinda works when the controller is not connected. There are bugs though but i think they are probably the same buggs everyone is experiencing from what ive been researching...
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: CC4 on April 12, 2015, 05:51:18 am
Did you happen to check usb ports' power management settings as mr_j mentioned?
Title: Re: help! controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 18, 2015, 01:18:15 am
Solved....!
Arturia team sent me a link to 2.1.1 version and it worked straight away! Ran for 2 hrs first time no problem and 3 hrs the following day...i think its safe to say they have worked it out.
i did try it on a 32bit windows laptop and it worked fine. I never had a chance to check the power saving on the usb however i will check and report back. It is a clever suggestion. And yes the sytem failed to recognize the controller once it crashed and only a reboot would make it recognized again.
Thanks to everyone for thier suggested solutions. I did suggest a few back to Arturia...although the process was slow it has restored faith in forums and communities. Oh yes and technical support at Artiria.
now back to trying to make music.
Title: Re: SOLVED...controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..
Post by: Adam Jones on April 18, 2015, 06:04:44 am
Out of interest i un installed 2.1.1 and reinstalled 2.1.0...problem back...
i changed the power settings for the usb powersave off and 2nd hard drive where the arturia sound files are stored so there is no power saving and.....problem gone with 2.1.0...you legend...
i will go back to 2.1.1 but very clever.