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Audio routing issues

whataweirdguywhataweirdguy
edited March 2022 in MAIN

Every once in a while, Millumin stops outputting audio to the routed channels. Usually can be fixed with a close and re-open, or a system power cycle. But in the instance of a critical moment in the show, this is not an option. Has anyone come across this issue and/or solves?

Last night I had some audio and data tracks in a timeline in the dashboard. Tested it many times before the show with 100% execution, and then on the show, only the data in the timeline fired, and the audio did not output. Upon restart after the show, it worked again.

Also, are there a detailed change log list for updates? Something more that just "minor bug fixes and changes"?

Comments

  • MilluminMillumin

    Hello @whataweirdguy,

    We are not aware of such an issue. A few questions :

    • Do you have the issue if you do not use "audio routing" ?
    • Do you use audio+video files, or just audio files ?
    • What is the model of your audio card ? Could you try with another model ?
    • What is your version of Millumin ? 4.12.g ?
    • What is your version of macOS ? Big Sur 11.6 ?

    Thank you for your answers point by point.

    Best. Philippe

  • MilluminMillumin

    Hello @whataweirdguy,

    We are not aware of such an issue. A few questions :

    • Do you have the issue if you do not use "audio routing" ?
    • Do you use audio+video files, or just audio files ?
    • What is the model of your audio card ? Could you try with another model ?
    • What is your version of Millumin ? 4.12.g ?
    • What is your version of macOS ? Big Sur 11.6 ?

    Thank you for your answers point by point.

    Best. Philippe

  • whataweirdguywhataweirdguy

    Meant to post this in response a while back. Submitting for community knowledge. Solve will be in following response.

    -----------

    Thanks Philippe,

    • Other applications do not suffer any routing issues, which go to the same digital audio device.
    • This instance was audio and an OSC data track in a timeline only. The data successfully fired, the audio output did not send out, despite the playhead playing.
    • This is a digital output via USB to a digital sound device/mixer. There are 12 outputs on the device.
    • M4 4.12.g
    • Big Sur 11.2.3
    • 2020 Mac Pro (cheese grader) with 24 core intel, 48gb Ram, Afterburner and biggest GPU available.

    Since I last posted I did have another instance where all audio digital outputs refused to output, and a restart of Millumin fixed it. An hour earlier in pre-show visual/sound check everything worked. The ONLY thing that was different from the above was:

    • I had changed the default audio output in the System Preferences for another completely separate application. No routing, outputs or devices we related to the Millumin show file.
    • This column had two video files, one data track timeline, and 14 audio stems (not timelines).
  • whataweirdguywhataweirdguy

    SOLUTION / SOLVE

    ---------

    There was one variable that I did not take into account, and that was that the projectors had been powered on, and then subsequently shut down prior to the show event when I needed the cue to play correctly. This is the only variable that was changing between testing and show conditions. I do not use the projectors as any sort of sound device, and they do not appear as such at any surface level within audio devices management apps. However they do absolutely have audio outputs themselves, and are connected directly HDMI via the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports which do have audio capabilities. 

    The theory is that the HDMI projectors are acting as hidden audio devices, and registering at some root level with MacOS as an audio device in an index of some sort, even though they do not show up as audio devices in the Sound Preferences "Sound Output" window or Millumin audio routing windows. My assumption is that Millumin software takes a single snapshot/audit of all the audio devices or indexes of them at a root level in MacOS when it initially launches, never to scan the devices or "index" again while that app instance is launched. Therefore if I adjust anything that would change the audio device "index", even if it is not routed or interacted with at a surface level in Millumin, Millumin loses its map of devices and consequently stops routing the audio media to its designated outputs entirely. 

    This adequately explains why the correct column launched, as well as the playhead inside the timeline media that was in the dashboard layer, and successfully triggered the OSC data track, but not the two audio files that were also in the same timeline. This is also corroborated with the fact that when we play Spotify from the same computer post-show, which is routed through Loopback and does not touch Millumin, when we power down the projectors, Spotify output mutes/glitches for about a second while the displays are shuffling around back down to the single playback computer display.

    So in conclusion it appears to me that Millumin scans/audits root level audio devices only once, which is upon launching the app instance. Any change to this audio device "audit" after launch nullifies audio routing within Millumin.

    I am not a software engineer, and now only a sliver of coding, so I may be completely off, but in backtesting this theory, it is repeatable, and when no changes are made to any of the sound devices or projectors, they function without fail. This does not feel like a "bug" but a slight oversight of a somewhat niche use-case.

  • MilluminMillumin

    Hello @whataweirdguy,

    Thank you for the detailled reply.

    We will investigate the case you are mentionning (changing audio interface after Millumin's start) and we will keep you informed.

    Best. Philippe

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