AXE I/O + AmpliTube 4 constant crashing

[airfutur]

Hi all,

Before writing this I deeply googled & searched in this forum without finding a satisfactory solution.

Just bought a AXE I/O, great interface overall. AmpliTube 4 is sounding incredible so for that part good job IK i found what i were looking for... BUT AmpliTube is driving me crazy with its absolutely lack of stability (Right now it crashed more than worked ). Crashes Cubase, Logic, stand alone application... Always with the same invalid access:

Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x00007feffb1b7b40
Exception Note: EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFY

If i disconnect AXE I/O, no crashing. So I'm guessing this has to do with a poor CoreAudio driver implementation in AmpliTube. I already opened a ticket but no reply.

Situation is i can't record using AmpliTube 4. Well I have to do some weird protocols for at least put it working for practice... (E.g. disconecting interface, oppening software, then connecting...). I'd appreciate honest answers, if AmpliTube 4 happens to be this inestable as trade for that awesome sounding, maybe as semi-profesional I could sacrifice sound quality in order to have a stable workflow

Thanks in beforehand!

PS: I'm using a new stock iMac 27" 2020. No "mac cleaners", antivirus.... Everything tidy.

[dlgebert]

I'd appreciate honest answers, if AmpliTube 4 happens to be this inestable as trade for that awesome sounding,

PS: I'm using a new stock iMac 27" 2020. No "mac cleaners", antivirus.... Everything tidy.

Sorry to hear that you're having these issues, but you can have great sound and stability.

For background, I have an iMac running macOS Catalina and I'm using Studio One 5 as my DAW. I've been using my AXE I/O since it came out in 2019 and I've been using Amplitube since 2015, using the Amplitube plugin. You've asked for honest answers... and I can honestly state that I've never had Amplitube crash on me, ever... When I was on a PC running Windows 10 using Cakewalk Sonar Artist before I moved to an iMac in 2017, Amplitube 3 never crashed for me. It caused the Cakewalk audio engine to stop when changing amplifiers, but that was Cakewalk (before they went bankrupt), because it's never happened since I abandoned Cakewalk after using that software since 1995.

I've provided my history to show that you can use your AXE I/O and Amplitube 4 and have stability. On my iMac using Studio One 5 I can achieve latency at around 3.5 ms and it's rock solid for hours on end.

I assume you are running macOS Catalina (Big Sur is coming out soon...) since you said you have a 2020 iMac. Considering the errors you are getting are the same no matter what software you are using, makes me suspect the audio stack and drivers.

AXE I/O is a class compliant device on macOS and requires no external drivers. I assume you don't have ASIO4ALL installed, correct?

The device name for your AXE I/O should be exposed to macOS as a USB device named "AXE IO" "2 ins / 6 outs". I assume you are using these ports exclusively as your input and output device?

What sample rate are you trying to use? I've seen some people post having problems when trying to use the higher sample rates. I'm using [44,100 at 16bits] to get the stability I mentioned earlier.

I assume your AXE I/O is at the current firmware level [v.1.04] and you have the latest version of the AXE I/O Control Panel software installed?

Below is a link to IKMs FAQ. I can only report my experience with AXE I/O and Amplitube 4, and it's rock solid for me. I would have moved on if it weren't the case. Amplitube was my first piece of IKM software, and now I have pretty much every piece of software they have, including Sample Tank 4 MAX, T-RackS 5 MAX, Hammond B-3X, MODO BASS , MODO DRUM and Amplitube 4 with every item that is currently available.

If IKMs software was that buggy, I wouldn't have made this kind of investment in them. If you've tried all of the things I mentioned above and are still having issues, I'd keep working with support (when they reply), because once things are stable, you'll love the setup you have...

https://www.ikmultimedia.com/faq/index.php?category=13&topic=axe-io

Dave

[airfutur]

Thanks Dave for your detailed reply,

I'm glad our setup could be stable once problem solved

I don't use ASIO4ALL, just pluged interface, downloaded Control Panel & Updated the firmware. I'm using Catalina 10.15.6. Audio devices show the interface I/O as you stated.Firmware is 1.04

The only difference is sampling rate. I have it at 192 kHz resolution 24 bits. I read some users having trouble with 192 kHz so I first moved to 96 kHz but eventually doesn't matter, Cubase kick me out corrupting the project... I really don't find a satisfactory solution in going below 96kHz 24 bits. it's not matter of this thread to discuss benefits & drawbacks of hi-res, so let me say I could "sacrifice" 192kHz for 96kHz but well I'd like my guitar as pristine as it could be recorded

All said, Now at 96 kHz 24 bits I could practice all day without crashes... Restarting the AXE I/O seems to solve the problem but there's something that kick off the crashing loop. I'll update after a couple days.

Thanks,
Adrian

[dlgebert]

so let me say I could "sacrifice" 192kHz for 96kHz but well I'd like my guitar as pristine as it could be recorded

The specs say 192 kHz, so it's reasonable that should be working without crashing, and with a brand new iMac, that should work seamlessly. Unfortunately, hardware is useless without software, and I believe that's where the issue lies, in the drivers or some other layer, since it seems to be happening with all the applications you've tried.

I misspoke when I said 16bit. That's what I render down to with the final product. I'm old school, rendering down to "CD quality", which is where my tracks went to starting in 1996, when CD blanks were about $10.00 each... and you hoped your 75MHz Windows 95 PC didn't crash while burning a track. I record at 24 bit so the effects plugins have something to work with...

All said, Now at 96 kHz 24 bits I could practice all day without crashes...

I'm glad it's working for you at that "degraded" level... Just kidding...

Dave

[airfutur]

so let me say I could "sacrifice" 192kHz for 96kHz but well I'd like my guitar as pristine as it could be recorded

The specs say 192 kHz, so it's reasonable that should be working without crashing, and with a brand new iMac, that should work seamlessly. Unfortunately, hardware is useless without software, and I believe that's where the issue lies, in the drivers or some other layer, since it seems to be happening with all the applications you've tried.

I misspoke when I said 16bit. That's what I render down to with the final product. I'm old school, rendering down to "CD quality", which is where my tracks went to starting in 1996, when CD blanks were about $10.00 each... and you hoped your 75MHz Windows 95 PC didn't crash while burning a track. I record at 24 bit so the effects plugins have something to work with...

All said, Now at 96 kHz 24 bits I could practice all day without crashes...

I'm glad it's working for you at that "degraded" level... Just kidding...

Dave

Yeah Dave, definitively there's a problem with the drivers.... I can confirm after 1 week hardcore-using AmpliTube+AXE I/O without a problem working at 96kHz. Hardly can hear my pinch harmonics cutting at 48kHz but well that's matter of IK to get sued for compromising in such way my metal-guitarist career

Now serious, I think is fair to get hi-res for lowest latency, highest aliasing protection & frequency resolution if offered

Thanks again for your help, support just replied me so I'm continuing with them. If something interesting shows up i'll put it here for the shake of others.

[airfutur]

Hi again. I totally forgot updating this topic

The problem is Amplitube doesn't support 192kHz, confirmed by Official customer service agent. Now working at 96kHz everything smooth

Regards.