SonoBus hangs if audio buffer size is set too low

[Jim Amsden]

I generally use SonoBus with Loopback on macOS to integrate Clarett 8pre and Quad Cortex input devices along with Logic, Transcribe, etc. for remote band rehearsal. Recently I've noticed SonoBus hangs on startup and has to be force quit. 

Upon investigation, this seems related to the audio buffer size. If I set the buffer size high, say 320 samples or higher, then SonoBus starts up fine using a Loopback virtual device for input. But as I attempt to lower the audio buffer size, SonoBus will eventually hang on startup and have to restarted. This doesn't happen every time, it seems dependent on what else is going on in the system. The best I seem to be able to get is around 256 samples without frequent hanging on startup. 

If I attempt to set the audio buffer size to 128 or lower, SonoBus hangs immediately and does not even take down the buffer size menu.

I found the same issues with using just the Clarett for SonoBus input, except it happens on much lower audio buffer sizes. 

I had expected to be able to lower the audio buffer size until I hear clicks and pops - SonoBus use to work this way. But now setting the buffer size too low seems to cause SonoBus to hang immediately, or sometimes hang on startup.

[Jim Amsden]

Some additional information: this issue only happens on macOS 12.5.1 (I tried two different computers), it does not happen on macOS 10.15.7. 

[Mike O'Connor]

hi Jim,

i've just tried to replicate this on an M1 Mac running 10.5.1 and haven't been able to.  i also run Loopback to talk to various Motu AVB audio interfaces.  

i'm just starting up, connecting to a private group (by myself, nobody else), disconnecting and then restarting Sonobus.  i got down to a buffer size of 16...

any tips on how i can do this differently?

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SonoBus Users" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sonobus-user...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sonobus-users/21d5c6c9-6b4f-4e26-b26c-7c89325d842bn%40googlegroups.com.

[Mike O'Connor]

bah...  on a Mac running *12* .5.1 - Monterey 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sonobus-users/A5E18476-6B5D-44E2-A1D0-90EDA1C8904D%40gmail.com.

[Jesse Chappell]

Jim,

Can you include a screenshot of the SonoBus audio options page on that system with the worst issue? Also, what model mac and architecture?

Jesse 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sonobus-users/6FB57C1E-4BD6-4E4E-9326-90C41EF37691%40gmail.com.

[Jim Amsden]

I think I've narrowed down the issue to one of my OWC Thunderbolt 3 interfaces, an older one with Firewire. If that device is not connected, I don't seem to have any problems. 

2017 MacBook Pro.

[Jim Amsden]

Update: I continued to have problems with SonoBus intermittently hanging on startup - until - I updated to macOS 12.6. The problems seem to be gone now. No idea why, might have been something corrupt or a bug in core audio that got fixed. Anyway. all good now so far.

[Jim Amsden]

I think I've narrowed down the problem a little more. It seems if a Loopback configuration used in SonoBus has an external audio interface such as Quad Cortex or Helix that isn't connected, then SonoBus will often hang on startup. If you remove the disconnected device from the Loopback virtual device, then SonoBus no longer hangs on startup. 

[Yonatan Mijelshon]

You shouldn't use Loopback for low latency audio, anyway. It adds 20ms. Try using Blackhole instead! Less features, but you can build what you need using aggregate devices/multi output devices in audio midi setup 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sonobus-users/e7d8c3e2-82db-4f3e-b609-0397cbbb51d1n%40googlegroups.com.