SOLVED...controller freezes after a few minutes..crashing FL..

[Adam Jones]

Any suggestions. Tech support not getting back.. :'(runnig windows 8 64 bit. I have sparkle and after i leave it runnig for a few minutes the controller freezes, lights stay stuck on but no control. It crashes Fl if i try to click spark Vst with a mouse...i would tell you that i have it running bridged using the 32 bit vst and that i have not enabled it in the midi section but i wouldnt matter as the same thing happens in stand alone mode 64bit. I have un installed and re installed and updated using the midi controll software. If i dont connect to the controller the software will run for hours with a few buggy crashes when changing kits ect. But doesnt crash FL...all OS and DAW legitand registered...2nd Arturia product...2nd piece of crap...so frustrating as it sound good but like my microbrute. Just doesnt do what its sold to do...at the moment the controller would be more useful as a boat anchor...any suggestions?

[Adam Jones]

Great forum😂

[Adam Jones]

Me..hey this thing is crap it doesnt work.
Arturia...silence!

Anybody need an expensive paper weight?

[mr_j]

I have sparkle and after i leave it runnig for a few minutes the controller freezes, lights stay stuck on but no control. Just doesnt do what its sold to do...at the moment the controller would be more useful as a boat anchor...any suggestions?

same kind of problems here... what ive noticed with mine :

device and his usb cable has to be installed FLAT on a table / plane surface otherwise the usb cable tend to disconnect making the sparkle freeze (even if the cable is still plugged in, windows disconnects the device)... nice for portability... 

software sometimes freezes when i start another program, even the task manager... it seems the soft is stable only in standalone mode, with no other program running...

[Adam Jones]

Ah
true. It ran for 1 hour last night then somebody switched the house modem on and bang. The controller froze. Crashed straight away....you could be onto something! I have noticed that if the internet is on it doesnt work even for a few moments....I wonder if mac users are experiencing the same...im going to experiment today running it stand alone and the launching other applications to see if there is a similarity...
mine is on a flat even surface and im going to gaffer tape the usb cable into the unit just incase...
have you reported it to Arturia and if so are they replying?

[019297]

hmm, I have had SPARKLE  for more than a year and it never happened, but for the last few weeks, my performance has been similar. I wonder if the USB jack is wearing out  on this thing. Sometimes jiggling the usb gently helps it reconnect.

It's funny that my lights stay on like yours, but it' isn't making a full connection. Sometimes I swap a cable and it helps. I do some sessions where this doesn't happen at all, and sometimes it ruins my night randomly.

I have a feeling that the micro usb jack itself on the SPARK isn't very secure. Sometimes I can sense it moving around when I plug in. I'm almost afraid to open up and back.

[mr_j]

have you reported it to Arturia and if so are they replying?

yeah and they are responding fast
(may be because Im not far from their office here lol)

they ask me to return it, which is not a good solution to find whats wrong, and I really doubt this will solve the problem, plus im a bit stubborn 

you have a 64 bit system as I do... what are your computer specs ?
I run Win 7 family edition SP1 with a HP pavilion dv7, i7-2630QM / 2 GHz quad core

the freezes problem seems to be very random here...
sometimes it freezes but i still can control the soft with the controller (which is quite useless)

may be your right and I will test in different conditions, with/without internet etc.

but if this goes on I will return it for good

and yeah as 019297 said, the micro usb jack is a really bad choice...

[019297]

not only is the mini usb bad ( i guess it isn't  micro) but it seems to be mounted to the main board with only solder and a few pins? I plug/unplug every time I use this thing, I wonder if I'm on borrowed time here with this controller.

Is the main SPARK (original large controller) much sturdier?

[Adam Jones]

Changed the plug...no differences...taped it in place with gaff...no different..

quad core i7 4770 3.4gHz Haswell
16 gig ram 2x8
toshiba solid state drive 2gb
seagate barracuda 1tb sata 3
asus z87 motherboard
windows 8 oem 64 all updated to current
Saphire 2gb 6570 vga card
775w evo power supply
1394 pci card

Buggy buggy buggy...! I wonder if you say its been only recently that you have had this problem, weather a windows up date has cased a conflict? do you auto update and if so can you check to see if the time it started to happen coincided with a windows up date....?

[CC4]

It's not just your cord?  I experienced some of that with the SparkLE controller after a year or so of use and it was due to the USB cord being flaky.  I replaced the cord and haven't had a problem like that since.

[mr_j]

Changed the plug...no differences...taped it in place with gaff...no different..

Buggy buggy buggy...! I wonder if you say its been only recently that you have had this problem, weather a windows up date has cased a conflict? do you auto update and if so can you check to see if the time it started to happen coincided with a windows up date....?

may be ive got smth :

when I kill the nusb3mon.exe process it seems to be working quite good... dont freeze randomly anymore.
I can deconnect and reconnect with no problems... even when the sparkle soft is running ! recognized everytime.

did 2 long jams and no more prob. may be theres some usb conflict,

do you have this process running ?

[Adam Jones]

O.k.
 Cant find any trace of the process...when spark isn't running...i just tried for half an hour to get it running and couldnt get it to connect...if i ever get this lump of rubish to work i will see if i can find an instant of the process running.
Arturia got back to say that they tried the unit with windows 8 64 and FL11 and it was slow..but not crashing. i dont even know what means...  they then asked if i wanted free software to compensate which is nice but at the moment i dont trust thier products enough to install another broken thing !...i used to read things like this on forums and think what a bunch of whining...now i get it...anyway back to  a solution or a refund...any more ideas or similar stories that may lead in a positive direction?

[CC4]

Does it freeze with the controller in standalone also or just inside FL?  Are you using the 1.0.0.3 firmware and the latest version of Spark?  Are you loading the Spark VST from FL's Browser of from Channels > Add One > More?  And have you tried the controller in other USB ports?

[Adam Jones]

Yes it freezes stand alone...as well..infact its worse stand alone...some times the connection just fails and in stand alone so it doesnt get a chance to freeze...if it doesnt connect i can unplug it an replug it...it will do the boot up light flash thing and when i try connect still nothing..
With FL i am loading the 32bit version bridged.(fl is 32 bit as most of my vst still are). the way you mentioned....i have tried 64 and no go...i have updated to the most recent version using midi control centre...i have tried multiple usb 2 and usb 3 ports and they are all the same...and i have changed the cable...?...i dont think its fl based...

[CC4]

...And it runs fine without the controller?