I need your suggestions for a perplexing problem...please.

[MDslammer]

Hello guys,

Sorry for the winded post.

Here's the issue: Recently, last month or so, the volume for my DAW has been inconsistent. What I mean by that is, all of a sudden, the volume drops way low. After a few minutes or so, it goes back to normal volume. I hear a very faint "pop" when this happens. Could be hardware, however...

Here's my audio chain:
MOTU 24 I/O converters (old but reliable)"
Presonus Central Station with 3 sets of monitors attached.
Nuendo 14 / Windows 10 Pro

I have swapped out the MOTU 24 I/O, the MOTU PCIe-424 audio card, the Firewire connecting these two.
I have a ticket into MOTU regarding this issues, also asking if there's an updated drive for Cuemix (no luck).
I have checked all the monitor cables going in/out of the Central Station.

When this happens, I checked all the meters (24 I/O, Cuemix, Central Station, Nuendo) for all of these components and they are all showing lower volume.
Then, I'll hear the "pop" again, and the volume goes back to normal. This could last from a few minutes to longer sometimes.

I'm not sure what to check next. I looked for a Presonus forum but they closed in November 2024.

If any of you have experienced a failure from a Central Station, did it begin like this.
Note: I realize my MOTU gear is a bit "Fred Flinstone" but I have had very good luck with this setup by replacing gear that was suspect or went south.

Any other ideas where to look would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all.
Mark

[Hugh Robjohns]

When this happens, I checked all the meters (24 I/O, Cuemix, Central Station, Nuendo) for all of these components and they are all showing lower volume.

If they all show low volume during the 'fault', anything after the first metered item in the chain must be blameless...

If Nuendo is showing low level the problem must lie in the DAW, surely?

Does it happen at the same point in the DAW playback? Have you checked the automation? Does it happen on all outputs or just some?

[RichardT]

If the meters in Nuendo are showing a lower volume sometimes (I’m assuming you mean the stereo out meters) then it looks like something is happening before the signal is leaving Nuendo.

I’m not aware of a way in which errors later in the audio chain can alter the levels back in the DAW, which are independent of the audio interface. It’s a one-way flow.

To check this, try running the DAW output through your OS’s default audio interface.

Do you have any inserts on the stereo bus or possibly group channels? Do you have any volume automation on those channels?

I have occasionally had a problem with Sonarworks mysteriously cutting the volume. If you’re using it, that would be my first port of call.

Edit: ninja’d by Hugh…

[Michael Dow]

Have you linked some volumes to a midi controller maybe, and the controller is spitting out values at random frmo a faulty knob/fader?

[RichardT]

Have you linked some volumes to a midi controller maybe, and the controller is spitting out values at random frmo a faulty knob/fader?

Good thought.

[amanise]

I have a MIDI related volume problem that cropped up this afternoon, with a section of MIDI playing a synth using 'Portamento' to give it a bit of a yelp. The MIDI section is a join of three, one original and then two copies of the same - then glued together. All velocity values are the same across the finished section, but the volume drops dramatically on the crossing of the previous join between the first two copied parts.

I'm going to trouble shoot this tomorrow, and I've had volume and pitch problems post tone wheel pitch bends before - so I'm expecting it to be to do with that. Sometimes MIDI does weird stuff after the use of a volume pot, tone wheel, or modulation - even if its done in automation. To do with settings not returning to zero properly I think. Could it be something like that?

[MDslammer]

When this happens, I checked all the meters (24 I/O, Cuemix, Central Station, Nuendo) for all of these components and they are all showing lower volume.

If they all show low volume during the 'fault', anything after the first metered item in the chain must be blameless...
Agreed.

If Nuendo is showing low level the problem must lie in the DAW, surely? If you mean Nuendo software, yes.

Does it happen at the same point in the DAW playback? No.
Have you checked the automation? Happened with and without automation.
Does it happen on all outputs or just some? The 24 I/O, Cuemix, Central Station all were at a lower volume level

[MDslammer]

If the meters in Nuendo are showing a lower volume sometimes (I’m assuming you mean the stereo out meters) then it looks like something is happening before the signal is leaving Nuendo.

I’m not aware of a way in which errors later in the audio chain can alter the levels back in the DAW, which are independent of the audio interface. It’s a one-way flow.

To check this, try running the DAW output through your OS’s default audio interface. Good idea. Thnx.

Do you have any inserts on the stereo bus or possibly group channels? NO
Do you have any volume automation on those channels? Happened on different projects, with and w/o automation.

I have occasionally had a problem with Sonarworks mysteriously cutting the volume. If you’re using it, that would be my first port of call.

Edit: ninja’d by Hugh…

[MDslammer]

Have you linked some volumes to a midi controller maybe, and the controller is spitting out values at random frmo a faulty knob/fader?

No midi being used.

[MDslammer]

Note:
Prior to upgrading to Nuendo14, I have been using Nuendo 13 without any of these issues. Currently, I have a loop going. So far, no issues. I will let this go for at least 8 hours. If there's no issues, I will repeat this tomorrow and see what happens.
Mark
P.S. I really do appreciate all of you who are trying to trouble shoot this for me. I'm kind of out of my element for these type of situations.

[MDslammer]

Update:
I have been working in Nuendo 14 for about 5 weeks or so. This audio issue started about 2 weeks back.

I decided to open Nuendo 13. 

I have a 5 minute loop (one of the same loops that had the audio issue in N14) playing since 1:30 this afternoon (Pacific). About 7 hours so far.

0 drop outs. No issues.

I would come in every 30 minutes or so and pump up the volume to verify it was stable. Which it has been.

The link for the video (below) shows all the meters are strong. (24 I/O, Central Station, MOTU's Cuemix mixer and Nuendo 13 stereo out meter).

I'm  not sure exactly what this determines, other than for almost 7 hours, it has been smooth sailing. 

Mark

https://vimeo.com/1133698246?share=copy#t=0

[RichardT]

Just to confirm, if you do the same thing in 14, can you reproducibly get the error?

Assuming you can, in these circumstances the first thing I would do is double check that your software versions are compatible with each other, particularly Nuendo and your OS.

If so, I would then ensure that all the relevant software is updated to its latest version (Nuendo and all the plugins and sample libraries used in the offending project).

[James Perrett]

Not sure if this has been suggested already, but could one or more of your plug-ins be working in demo mode?

[Wonks]

Not sure if this has been suggested already, but could one or more of your plug-ins be working in demo mode?

But presumably only in v14 as it might see itself as a new install?

[James Perrett]

Not sure if this has been suggested already, but could one or more of your plug-ins be working in demo mode?

But presumably only in v14 as it might see itself as a new install?

Yes, I'm thinking that there might be something in V14 that causes the software to mislay its authorisation.

[Wonks]

[Martin Walker]

Have you linked some volumes to a midi controller maybe, and the controller is spitting out values at random frmo a faulty knob/fader?

Good thought.

Yep, that one's caught me out several times over the years, and is particularly annoying when Reaper sends a rogue midi controller 7 or 11 to one of my hardware synths, because until you resolve it you suspect that it might be broken