anewsome
Well I just got back from a long weekend in Las Vegas, and I was anxious to get some more practice in on VDJ and my XP10s. So I fire up VDJ and I load Zero 7 - Destiny on Deck A and start playing it, and then Twist - So Sexy on deck B (weird mix I know, this in my dining room not a club). So I start jogging the XP10 to find the right cue start on Deck B and then wham! Deck A goes into a 1 count loop and just keeps looping. Sound is still playing but just a 1 count loop. It sounds like a scratched record that is "skipping", seriously that is what it sounds like.
At this point VDJ is not responding to any input at all. It's still on the screen. Display appears to be updating itself, but the song is just a tight loop. Will not respond to keyboard input or the XP10s. I had to use the task manager to kill it. while I was in the task manager, I also saw that I have PLENTY of memory available too, as this system has 684MB of RAM in it.
As you may remember from my previous posts, this is an otherwise SOLID new Dell system with a fast processor and plenty of RAM. It's also a purpose-built system that only has 1 application installed (VDJ). It is not used for anything else.
There is only one good thing about this crash, and that's that it didn't happen while I was doing a real live performance . Since this is my third crash in about a month and a half of using VDJ, it really shakes my confidence on whether or not VDJ is viable for real club use. I think the first time a venue director heard my "broken record" malfunction that I experienced today, I would be dismissed from that job - with predjudice. Might be kinda hard to get gigs as a serious DJ if you have a reputation for using toy equipment, not suitable for real club use.
At this point VDJ is not responding to any input at all. It's still on the screen. Display appears to be updating itself, but the song is just a tight loop. Will not respond to keyboard input or the XP10s. I had to use the task manager to kill it. while I was in the task manager, I also saw that I have PLENTY of memory available too, as this system has 684MB of RAM in it.
As you may remember from my previous posts, this is an otherwise SOLID new Dell system with a fast processor and plenty of RAM. It's also a purpose-built system that only has 1 application installed (VDJ). It is not used for anything else.
There is only one good thing about this crash, and that's that it didn't happen while I was doing a real live performance . Since this is my third crash in about a month and a half of using VDJ, it really shakes my confidence on whether or not VDJ is viable for real club use. I think the first time a venue director heard my "broken record" malfunction that I experienced today, I would be dismissed from that job - with predjudice. Might be kinda hard to get gigs as a serious DJ if you have a reputation for using toy equipment, not suitable for real club use.
Posted Mon 24 Jan 05 @ 8:35 pm
anewsome
Adding some more comments to this thread since this just happened to me again! That makes crash number 4. I remember reading some threads about VDJ more prone to crashing while a song is loading on a deck. I think this is what's happening to me. The fix for this is one of the following:
1.) Don't touch ANYTHING while a song is loading
or
2.) Atomix can fix their program
I would much prefer fix #2 because I can't guarentee I'll be able to always use fix #1. Sometimes I would probably forget and then I would be hit by this bug.
Also, another update on the above described problem. The display does not update and BOTH decks are stuck in a tight loop broken record sound. Annoying indeed.
Maybe someone can write a plugin that doesn't allow you do touch anything while a song is loading and make it so the plugin can't be disabled. I know it sounds crazy but I'm serious.
1.) Don't touch ANYTHING while a song is loading
or
2.) Atomix can fix their program
I would much prefer fix #2 because I can't guarentee I'll be able to always use fix #1. Sometimes I would probably forget and then I would be hit by this bug.
Also, another update on the above described problem. The display does not update and BOTH decks are stuck in a tight loop broken record sound. Annoying indeed.
Maybe someone can write a plugin that doesn't allow you do touch anything while a song is loading and make it so the plugin can't be disabled. I know it sounds crazy but I'm serious.
Posted Mon 24 Jan 05 @ 8:35 pm
anewsome
Ok, I have been mixing for the last 3 hours and now this problem is so easy to reapeat it is ridiculous. To respond to the previous posts - The CPU is not too hot. This is a high end Dell desktop with giant fans front and rear and well designed case that directs the airflow over the hot spots. This isn't one of those generic build it yourself desktop boxes.
I've never touched the EQ things at all. I am using an external mixer with my two XP10s.
And now the problem is happening even when I don't touch anything while loading. The previous problem that someone had posted about scratching at the begining of the file, this is what's happening to me.
If I load up and start playing a song on deck 1 and then start scratch mixing the song on deck 2 (at the begining of the track), then it will almost certainly crash for sure.
I've recorded me doing this on this file:
http://weezy.homelinux.com/crash.mp3
This was recorded on a seperate computer than my VDJ system. I use an external mixer and my computer does not have a soundcard in it, and of course the XP10 have no input either so there is no way to record on my VDJ system. So I connected my mixer output to the input on my laptop.
Listen to it and you'll see that 30 seconds into my mix, the program crashes and does the broken record thing. No comments on my scratching ability, I really wasn't focusing on it - I was trying to reproduce the problem. Also, my apologies for the crappy sound quality of the mp3, my laptop does not have a line in, only a mic in so oviously there are some impedance matching problems there.
Listen to it and you'll see what I am talking about.
I've never touched the EQ things at all. I am using an external mixer with my two XP10s.
And now the problem is happening even when I don't touch anything while loading. The previous problem that someone had posted about scratching at the begining of the file, this is what's happening to me.
If I load up and start playing a song on deck 1 and then start scratch mixing the song on deck 2 (at the begining of the track), then it will almost certainly crash for sure.
I've recorded me doing this on this file:
http://weezy.homelinux.com/crash.mp3
This was recorded on a seperate computer than my VDJ system. I use an external mixer and my computer does not have a soundcard in it, and of course the XP10 have no input either so there is no way to record on my VDJ system. So I connected my mixer output to the input on my laptop.
Listen to it and you'll see that 30 seconds into my mix, the program crashes and does the broken record thing. No comments on my scratching ability, I really wasn't focusing on it - I was trying to reproduce the problem. Also, my apologies for the crappy sound quality of the mp3, my laptop does not have a line in, only a mic in so oviously there are some impedance matching problems there.
Listen to it and you'll see what I am talking about.
Posted Mon 24 Jan 05 @ 8:36 pm
Bargler
I just want to post in support of stability being the number one development priority.
Posted Mon 24 Jan 05 @ 10:59 pm
apopsisdj
But just in case ... always keep a backup, like a mixed cd ready and loaded...
Posted Tue 25 Jan 05 @ 4:48 am
anewsome
I also forgot to mention that I rip all of my files personally from my own CDs and they are all encoded with the high quality lame encoder. Also, I keep a database of md5 sums of all the mp3 files so if one becomes corrupted I'll know about it. These files are not corrupted that are crashing VDJ.
It is curious though that no one from support has chimed in on this thread. Does anybody there read this stuff? A simple "we have seen the problem and we are targeting it for our next bugfix release", would be nice. I have no idea if I am talking to dead air or what. Some recognition would be nice.
It is curious though that no one from support has chimed in on this thread. Does anybody there read this stuff? A simple "we have seen the problem and we are targeting it for our next bugfix release", would be nice. I have no idea if I am talking to dead air or what. Some recognition would be nice.
Posted Tue 01 Feb 05 @ 10:21 pm
vpcdj
vdj never crushes on me. it hangs instead. hangs when one deck's (A) playing and load another song on the other deck (B) before its (A) completely analyzed. the length of the hang depends on how long till the track is completely analyzed.
900MHz, 384MB (256+128), 32MB ATI video, Mad Dog soundcard.
900MHz, 384MB (256+128), 32MB ATI video, Mad Dog soundcard.
Posted Sat 05 Feb 05 @ 6:21 pm
Bargler
@vpcdj
You do not have enough ram, and maybe just barely enough processor, though I doubt that as well. That is why you are getting those hangs. It isn't a bug, but your computer being asked to do something it just doesn't have the power to handle.
You do not have enough ram, and maybe just barely enough processor, though I doubt that as well. That is why you are getting those hangs. It isn't a bug, but your computer being asked to do something it just doesn't have the power to handle.
Posted Sun 06 Feb 05 @ 6:28 am
SZ-B
that´s NOT true! vdj runs without problems with 256mb .
Posted Thu 17 Feb 05 @ 6:07 am
Bargler
If you think that VDJ works fine with 256 megs of ram, we have different definitions of "fine".
Posted Thu 17 Feb 05 @ 6:54 pm
dj kiteman
im sorry to hear that im not alone with the crash... suxx for us
Posted Mon 28 Mar 05 @ 10:39 pm
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
this might be fixed in next release :) hang around and see
Posted Mon 28 Mar 05 @ 11:33 pm
apopsisdj
Dj in Norway, any information about changes or fixes in the timecode algorithm/scratch sound of TCV, drift etc. ? for the next version ?
I have some problems related. Maybe is not needed to post them :)
Sorry if i'm off topic here...
I have some problems related. Maybe is not needed to post them :)
Sorry if i'm off topic here...
Posted Tue 29 Mar 05 @ 3:18 am
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
@apopsis
dev team is working on improvement for TCV
please do post your findings in a seperate post here at bug forum, and I'll advice Dev Team to look into it...
If the problems are related to scratch crash (beginning of song) and such, you can wait for next update and see if it works out the bugs for u :)
dev team is working on improvement for TCV
please do post your findings in a seperate post here at bug forum, and I'll advice Dev Team to look into it...
If the problems are related to scratch crash (beginning of song) and such, you can wait for next update and see if it works out the bugs for u :)
Posted Tue 29 Mar 05 @ 10:49 pm
cstoll
@dj-in-norway -- Here is a post I started awhile back in the General Forum that the Techs may want to read --
http://www.virtualdj.com/forum/display.html?topic=10769
@vpcdj - I would have to agree with Bargler - your system may be just under powered for what you are trying to do. BTW, what version are you using?
@ALL
I have only experienced the crash one additional time since making adjustments that are recommended throughout the forums. And, that crash was because I started my scratch before the track completely loaded. As for using in a 'real' club environment, just as others - I use it weekly in that environment, and I will tell you my fear is not with VDJ but with my hardware taking a dive. You just never know when that might happen? comment made because of this 'crash' thread:
http://www.virtualdj.com/forum/display.html?topic=11077
cstoll
http://www.virtualdj.com/forum/display.html?topic=10769
@vpcdj - I would have to agree with Bargler - your system may be just under powered for what you are trying to do. BTW, what version are you using?
@ALL
I have only experienced the crash one additional time since making adjustments that are recommended throughout the forums. And, that crash was because I started my scratch before the track completely loaded. As for using in a 'real' club environment, just as others - I use it weekly in that environment, and I will tell you my fear is not with VDJ but with my hardware taking a dive. You just never know when that might happen? comment made because of this 'crash' thread:
http://www.virtualdj.com/forum/display.html?topic=11077
cstoll
Posted Wed 30 Mar 05 @ 3:08 am