Mixer as a VI

[soniklee]

Good morning Frank, you are an early bird :-) Thanks for staying with me.
Attached i show some printscreens of the error message i get in mixbuss version 6 when I try to start Mixbuss with the Jack engine:

Not Frank and it's nearly 9pm here
One question: Have you tried ASIO4ALL or does your UA device have a "normal" Windows driver? I faintly remember that not all ASIO implementations work with Jack.

MMM

HI MMM,
thanx for asking.
The UAD comes with his dedicated asio driver.
So when i configured JackportAudio, i went to the properties, and added in "Target"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Jack\jackd.exe" -R -S -d portaudio -d "ASIO::Universal Audio Thunderbolt.

According to JackPortAudio, it does recognize and work with this driver.
I checked it through cmd running following command:
jackd -d portaudio -l.

I followed the steps mentioned in Jack's manual:
- Now go to your desktop and right click on the Jack PortAudio shortcut, and then select ‘Properties’ (use right click to open ‘Properties’)
- Add the following information to the ‘Target’ property: "C:\Program Files\Jack\jackd.exe" -R -S -d portaudio -d "ASIO::ASIO4ALL v2" [This configures Jack to use the ASIO4ALL v2 driver, if you have another ASIO device then configure the ‘Target’ property with that device name. For a list of all the audio devices on your system that Jack can connect to, open a Command Prompt, change directory to the Jack folder (i.e. cd “c:\Program Files (x86)\Jack") then run this command: jackd -d portaudio -l (that’s an ‘ell’ for List, not a ‘one’), this will present you with the list of supported devices.]

As stated by Frank before, it seems to be good practise to also include images. Which you will find in attachment. Have a nice day!

[madmaxmiller]

As stated by Frank before, it seems to be good practise to also include images. Which you will find in attachment. Have a nice day!

You should have qjackctl. This is a tool which lets you set up Jack, or, if Jack is already running, it connects to the running Jack server and lets you see the current sample rate and more.
So, if you stop Mixbus, then start Jack via qjackcontrol ("Jack Control" in the start menu) then you know for sure that Jack is running. Open the connect window and check if your hardware is represented.
The open Mixbus and let it connect to Jack.

MMM
   

[soniklee]

As stated by Frank before, it seems to be good practise to also include images. Which you will find in attachment. Have a nice day!

You should have qjackctl. This is a tool which lets you set up Jack, or, if Jack is already running, it connects to the running Jack server and lets you see the current sample rate and more.
So, if you stop Mixbus, then start Jack via qjackcontrol ("Jack Control" in the start menu) then you know for sure that Jack is running. Open the connect window and check if your hardware is represented.
The open Mixbus and let it connect to Jack.

MMM

thx MMM, i didn't knew the existance of qjackctl.
I only went to jackaudio.org and downloaded there the software which after installation gave me the jackAudioPort and JackControl.
Off which i thought was sufficient enough following the tutorials online :-)
I'll give it a try to install also qjackctl.
Have a good day.

Update: went to QjackCtl page, seems only for Linux? I am on Windows :-)...

[soniklee]

Last update:
i finaly got it to work!
I specially want to thank MMM and Frank who were willing to think along.
Respect to both!

So for all other users who are struggling with connecting Jack and MB 6 in windows here are the steps i followed.

Connecting Jack with Mixbuss V6 for Windows:

Path of steps to take in exact order:

1. open mixbuss and switch default audio/midi setup portAudio to JACK, but do NOT start it !
2. Close mixbuss
1. open jackportaudio as admin
2. open jackcontrol as admin
3. if you want to be sure that Jack is running or not : Jackcontrol / messages/ tab "Status"
The status is normally active when you started jackcontrol
Go and stop it.
The status will show: server state: stopped
4. Open Mixbuss as admin !
5. Mixbuss will now start by default with JACK as audio setup and won't give the error of "could not reconnect to Audio/Midi Setup".
6. Start Jack through Jackcontrol
7. Mixbuss is now connected to Jack
8. Check the connection in Jackcontrol under "connections": Mixbuss should be present

8 steps to connect it, but finaly it works :-)

[madmaxmiller]

Last update:
i finaly got it to work!

Congratulations!

8 steps to connect it, but finaly it works :-)

Some of them are redundant...
Now that you have a sure fire way you could try a 2-step method after you started your computer:
1) run Jack Control (which is btw qjackctl) and start Jack
2) start Mixbus with Jack as audio engine

Cheers,
MMM

[soniklee]

Last update:
i finaly got it to work!

Congratulations!

8 steps to connect it, but finaly it works :-)

Some of them are redundant...
Now that you have a sure fire way you could try a 2-step method after you started your computer:
1) run Jack Control (which is btw qjackctl) and start Jack
2) start Mixbus with Jack as audio engine

Cheers,
MMM

Hi MMM,
a little question : did you try your method with version 6?
Because i tried that many many times before during my trial and error period, all with no luck.

Regarding: "Some of them are redundant..."
You have to see my 8 steps as the first configuration of MB6 straight after fresh install and firing it up for the first time -
Also by someone without any knowledge of earlier versions and how they worked.
This said because all tutorials refers to earlier versions.
I am a total newbee.

In this context:
As you surely know, MB6 is now by default configured with PortAudio as the default engine, not with Jack anymore like in earlier versions.

In order to get it to work a manual switch from PortAudio to Jack needs to be done, as it starts up by default with PortAudio when you open MB6.
The trick is to know: when to switch :-)

But as MB6 does not follow the tutorials or manuals, "starting MB with Jack as the default audio engine" is not straight forward.

Because when starting MB6 and going to the Audio/Midi setup: you find "PortAudio"...
Switching it then from PortAudio to Jack when Jackcontrol is running and hit start (because if you do not hit start, you stay at the screen) gives the error: could not reconnect to the engine.
Switching it then from PortAudio to Jack without Jackcontrol is running and hit start : gives the error: could not reconnect to the engine.

In no tutorial (as they are all for earlier versions, remember :-) or the online manual for V6 i could find : how to configure MB6 so the default engine is Jack by a next startup,
which then and only then let me start it through JackControl and connect it to Jack without an error.
This I only found out by trial and error.

So finaly when i took those 8 steps, i got it to work.

I tried your 2 step method: no luck ,still gives me the error.
Now I know i am just a newbee and you are a 5 star member, so way smarter than me: I'm sure you can do it in the 3 or 2 steps as you told :-)
So I am not arguing the fact that there could be a shorter way to start up V6 and connect it to Jack through JackControl. However i still haven't found it, and sadly your 2 step method didn't do the trick for me.

Best regards and thanks again for thinking along and to suggest this shortcut.

[madmaxmiller]

a little question : did you try your method with version 6?
Because i tried that many many times before during my trial and error period, all with no luck.

I'll fire up my Windows box tonight, just for giggles
MMM

[soniklee]

a little question : did you try your method with version 6?
Because i tried that many many times before during my trial and error period, all with no luck.

I'll fire up my Windows box tonight, just for giggles
MMM

Looking forward to hear your results

[madmaxmiller]

a little question : did you try your method with version 6?
Because i tried that many many times before during my trial and error period, all with no luck.

I'll fire up my Windows box tonight, just for giggles
MMM

Looking forward to hear your results

Here they come, I'll write it down step by step:
1) installed MB6
2) started MB6 - no Jack running (but MB6 had Jack set as standard)
3) "Cant connect to audio engine". as expected
   
4) closed MB6
5) started Jack Control and Jack
       
6) started Mixbus -> no probs
   
7) stopped MB6, deleted MB6 config
8) Jack still running
9) started MB6, answered questions etc -> no probs

So, Mixbus doesn't come necessarily with any particular engine preconfigured. And when you start it and the selected engine is available there's no problem.
How does that info help you? Try the following:
0) restart computer (hold shift when clicking "restart" to do a full reboot)
1) delete the folder C:\Users\<yourname>\AppData\Local\Mixbus6 (that are the configs)
2) start Jack Control and Jack
3) start Mixbus 6 and make sure you have selected Jack

Step 1) is of course a one-off
From now on you should just start Jack, then Mixbus, done.

Works perfectly here, with Jack over network into my Linux machine

MMM

[soniklee]

a little question : did you try your method with version 6?
Because i tried that many many times before during my trial and error period, all with no luck.

I'll fire up my Windows box tonight, just for giggles
MMM

Looking forward to hear your results

Here they come, I'll write it down step by step:
1) installed MB6
2) started MB6 - no Jack running (but MB6 had Jack set as standard)
3) "Cant connect to audio engine". as expected

4) closed MB6
5) started Jack Control and Jack

6) started Mixbus -> no probs

7) stopped MB6, deleted MB6 config
8) Jack still running
9) started MB6, answered questions etc -> no probs

So, Mixbus doesn't come necessarily with any particular engine preconfigured. And when you start it and the selected engine is available there's no problem.
How does that info help you? Try the following:
0) restart computer (hold shift when clicking "restart" to do a full reboot)
1) delete the folder C:\Users\<yourname>\AppData\Local\Mixbus6 (that are the configs)
2) start Jack Control and Jack
3) start Mixbus 6 and make sure you have selected Jack

Step 1) is of course a one-off
From now on you should just start Jack, then Mixbus, done.

Works perfectly here, with Jack over network into my Linux machine

MMM

Hi MMM,
i surely give it a try and let you know.

Just one thing: I'm on Windows 10 :-).
your printscreen of your step "starting JackControl and Jack" ( where you see the picto's of the installed programs) let me think that you did the test on a different platform or version of Windows :-).

Regarding your Quote:
"So, Mixbus doesn't come necessarily with any particular engine preconfigured"

In the manual v6, when you go to the Audio Midi Setup Dialog section, there is a clear picture stating as engine : PortAudio (default) :-).

I realy WHISHED that when firing MB6 up for the first time; JACK came up as the standard default engine :-)
Would have saved me lot of trouble.
However it didn't :
on my version i received always PortAudio as the automatically chosen option by Mixbuss to start up.
That's why your step 6 didn't work for me, as by starting MB6 up, i got always a popup with the Audio/Midi Setup: PortAudio set as default.

Switching it at that moment to Jack, like described in an earlier post gave me all those errors.Once i found out how to let MB6 start up with Jack by default instead of PortAudio, so no manual switching was needed during the process, it finaly came to pieces :-).

Now it seems to me very strange that a same program version (6) for a same platform (windows) when you start it for the first time, randomly start with a different engine: mine with PortAudio, yours with Jack as you stated, perhaps a bug? or perhaps Version 6 has in the meantime released several update versions of V6 like 6.1.1. or 6.1.2 .. and they switched it?
Worhtwhile to check it out.


Anyhow, I'll try your solution asap!