VP13: Clicking master audio fader freezes mouse

Eddy Bee wrote on 1/5/2016, 3:43 PM

I just upgraded my production system from an old XP-based Dell XPS to a custom-built Win7 Xeon with 32GB RAM and a Radeon 390X video card. In the process, I upgraded from VP10 32-bit to VP13 64-bit.

VP13 has been performing great on this system, and the improvement in preview and rendering speed is quite remarkable compared to my old system. However, I'm encountering a bizarre problem with VP13.

Whenever I try to adjust the master audio fader, Vegas stops responding to mouse input. Here's what happens exactly:
- I click the master audio fader in Vegas to adjust it
- Vegas immediately stops responding to mouse clicks, I can move the mouse pointer around, but I'm unable to use the mouse to slide the fader, select menu items, select clips/tracks, or operate the transport controls. The interface behaves like it's completely frozen.
- However, Vegas is actually still running, and I can use keyboard commands to stop/start playback, save the project, etc.
- If I wait long enough (1-5 minutes) the mouse button may become usable again, but after a few clicks, anywhere in the Vegas UI, it stops working again.
- I'm forced to quit and restart Vegas to resume normal functionality.

I've tried selecting a different audio device in Preferences in an attempt to remedy the problem. My choices are:
- Microsoft Sound Mapper
- Direct Sound Surround Mapper
- Windows Classic Wav Driver
- Focusrite USB 2.0 Audio Driver

Microsoft Sound Mapper yields the most reliable results, but the mouse button will still freeze, just not necessarily the first time I click the master fader.

Focusrite, which is my preferred choice, is by far the least reliable, causing Vegas to lock up instantly anytime I click the master audio controls (a Focsrite Scarlett 2i2 USB audio interface is connected to the system).

I use this system for video, audio, and photo production and have been running the following applications without any problems:
- HitFilm Pro 4
- Reason 8
- Reaper 5
- Photoshop CS6
- Lightroom 6
- Photomatix
- along with a bunch of audio and video plugins

Any ideas for a solution to this problem with Vegas would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

Comments

john_dennis wrote on 1/5/2016, 4:12 PM

Did you mention what kind of mouse you're using?

This is so old timey, but does the mouse hardware use an interrupt that might be shared with some other hardware?

Excuse me if I'm dating myself.

astar wrote on 1/5/2016, 4:25 PM

I would look at the following:

What Mouse and drivers?

What USB chipset drivers are you using, and are they up to date?

Are you using the correct USB driver for the audio interface? The manufacturer has 2 versions for what looks like 2 different speeds.

If using USB3 interface with USB2.0 device, make sure to try legacy modes, auto, or hard set the mode in bios.

Is the mouse and USB audio plugged into the same USB chip? Most Motherboards have multiple USB chipsets.

Have you tried uninstalling the USB audio interface, and switch back to the onboard audio chip included with your motherboard? Does the mouse thing happen the same?

Eagle Six wrote on 1/5/2016, 4:54 PM

Eddy, try this.....when the mouse action freezes after clicking on the master bus, press ctrl+alt+delete, then click on cancel.....that should release the mouse freeze. That's how mine is working. Of course that is not the solution, but may help in the diagnostics and ultimate fix, which I would also appreciate.

Best Regards.......George

Steve_Rhoden wrote on 1/5/2016, 5:33 PM

You all are misinformed and asking questions thats not gonna help.
This is a looong established bug for some Vegas users Eddy, and one with no
fixed solution.
It has been reported many times in the past, but through even numerous
updates and patches, it has never been truly addressed.
Sorry, you have to work around it!

Paul Fierlinger wrote on 1/5/2016, 5:44 PM

What got me out of it was upgrading to Windows 10.

john_dennis wrote on 1/5/2016, 5:51 PM

Steve, we're not misinformed but rather uninformed. Perhaps, you would post links to some of the posts where it was reported many times in the past.

I've seen a similar lack of response to left mouse clicks with the Windows Image Acquisition Drivers when scanning into Photoshop on multiple hardware machines with multiple operating systems over many years.

Invoking the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Escape woke the process out of its funk 100% of the time. A good workaround is second best to a real fix. Since most of us are not developers and don't write drivers, a workaround is as close as we'll ever get to a fix until Microsoft, SCS, Logitech or some other large organization does something.

Eddy Bee wrote on 1/5/2016, 6:18 PM

Thanks for all the responses and ideas. Before I start digging into the inner workings of my system, I have a question: since all the other audio-intensive applications are working fine on my system, wouldn't it seem to point to something wrong in Vegas - either a bug, or a mis-configuration on my part?

I'm using the latest Focusrite driver (2.5.1). I'm only seeing one version of the driver available on the Focusrite site.

The Focusrite unit is indeed plugged into a USB 3.0 port, so maybe there's something to that. I'll explore further.

The mouse is a wired USB mouse that I've been using for years. Never gave me any problems on my old system, and works fine with all other applications on my new system. It uses the native Win 7 mouse drivers.

Thanks for the ctrl-alt-del tip, George. Just tried it and it seems to do the trick. Vegas blinks out for a few seconds, but eventually comes back and lets me continue working.

NickHope wrote on 1/5/2016, 9:53 PM

wilvan reported this issue on this thread. Problem in VP13. No problem in VP12 and earlier.

Eagle Six wrote on 1/6/2016, 11:31 AM

Hi Eddy,

I may have stumbled over a little better fix. I'm on Windows 7 64 bit, using SMS13P (I found the mouse freeze to be the same in the trial version of Vegas Pro 13). I have a Logitech USB optical mouse.

I downloaded from the Logitech website their SetPoint software, installed it. Now when I hover over the master bus slider, I can move the slider up and down without needing to click. Hoover over slider, move mouse pointer up or down to adjust, then move pointer off slider either right or left, and the master bus slider will stay put. No mouse freeze!

Here is the download link: http://support.logitech.com/en_us/product/mouse-m100#download

UPDATE: After closing SMS13P and restarting the program, the mouse frooze again, did Ctrl+Alt+Delete, then Cancel......then the mouse pointer again worked as described above. Seem, it takes freezing the mouse and releasing it with Task Manager first, each time the program is started......strange stuff!

2nd UPDATE: Well.....it appears the Logictech SetPoint software didn't have anything to do with it!!! I uninstalled the SetPoint software and the pointer works the same as described above.....Load up SMS13P and the mouse freezes, Ctrl+Alt+Delete, then Cancel...the mouse works again. From that moment forward hovvering the mouse pointer over the master bus slider will move and adjust the slider without having to click. SetPoint isn't necessary!

I also tried all the USB ports in my box. In one port, the mouse pointer worked as it should, but on for 2 attempts at adjusting the master bus slider, then it frooze!

And, as others may have reported, I don't have this problem in SMS12P version.

Best Regards......George

astar wrote on 1/7/2016, 1:42 PM

Does the problem still happen if you remove the USB audio device and use the onboard audio device and driver?

wwaag wrote on 1/7/2016, 7:38 PM

I never realized that I had this problem--mainly since I always use the Audio Bus Track (B) to change volume. When using the Master Audio Fader as described by the OP, my mouse also freezes after awhile. Entering Ctrl-Alt-Delete and then cancel also restores use of the mouse. However, use of the Audio Bus Track to change volume works without issue. Easiest workaround seems to be "just use the Audio Bus Track" to change master volume.

wwaag

wilvan wrote on 1/10/2016, 3:06 PM

Undock the Master Audio Fader and things work as they should .

Worked on all my 3 workstations which had this problem with version 13 only . ( all standard PS/2 mouse )

Discussed this here long time ago ( and with SCS , same long time ago )

They would fix this ( and some issues with windows lay-outs ) in a next release .. or next life , can' t remember which one anymore :-)

Eagle Six wrote on 2/5/2016, 12:46 PM

UPDATE (Vegas Pro 13): I recently hooked up a 2nd monitor. I moved the Master Bus, Mixing Console and some other windows to the 2nd monitor, Surprise....the Master Bus slider adjustment worked fine, as well did the Mixing Console sliders.

I moved the Master Bus back to the main monitor and docked it as in the past, and got an immediate mouse lock-up.

I then undocked the Master Bus and allowed the window to float.....surprise, it works fine. It appears only when I dock the Master Bus window does it lock the mouse when adjusting the slider!

Best Regards....George