Show freezes for an instant at end of audio track

[cnf]

Hi,

When I have show set up with audio files, whenever the show gets to the end of the audio track the show freezes for an instant. It is not just the UI, the lights stop mid transition as well.

I have attached the show, and one of the audio files, and a link to a video here: https://imgur.com/a/2wrF8Oq

This is with QLC+ 4.12.6 on windows 10, macos, and windows 11 (tried 3 different machines)

Thanks!

[cnf]

I have found the following threads that might or might not be related? I am not certain:
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=13748
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=15809
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=15574

[mcallegari]

Please check if the latest test version fixes the issue
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3135

[kenact]

I just tried opening your QXW file on my Windows 10 x64 pc, with 4.12.6, and it crashes QLC+

[cnf]

Please check if the latest test version fixes the issue
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3135

4.12.7 22 behaves exactly the same, i'm afraid

[cnf]

I just tried opening your QXW file on my Windows 10 x64 pc, with 4.12.6, and it crashes QLC+

Not sure what to say to that, that works on at least 3 machines here...

[cnf]

I have tried various audio tracks, on 3 different computers, and I always get the same problem.
Is there anything I can do to debug this, at all?

[kenact]

I was able to download your project to another machine and test it. In the SHOW Window, it does APPEAR to stop, but I captured the screen to video, and looked at it in Sony Vegas. The screen does stop for approximately 2ms, but there isn't any time lost.

I tested this with an audio clip that is 1m10s. The display appears to freeze at 1m10s1ms, but when the display continues, it picks up at 1m10s4ms.

I tested the Show in the VC windows, putting up a button to play the show, and another to play a different audio file. At the point where the audio track in the Show ended, the other track continued playing.

I "THINK" you're seeing a video hiccup, that shouldn't effect how your cues actually function.

[cnf]

I was able to download your project to another machine and test it. In the SHOW Window, it does APPEAR to stop, but I captured the screen to video, and looked at it in Sony Vegas. The screen does stop for approximately 2ms, but there isn't any time lost.

I tested this with an audio clip that is 1m10s. The display appears to freeze at 1m10s1ms, but when the display continues, it picks up at 1m10s4ms.

I tested the Show in the VC windows, putting up a button to play the show, and another to play a different audio file. At the point where the audio track in the Show ended, the other track continued playing.

I "THINK" you're seeing a video hiccup, that shouldn't effect how your cues actually function.

Hi, thanks for testing my show!

If the hickup happens in the middle of a light transition, the transition stops as well. It does appear to go to the right time as soon as the hickup ends, but any transitions during the hickup freeze. Can you confirm this?

Thanks!

[kenact]

If the hickup happens in the middle of a light transition, the transition stops as well. It does appear to go to the right time as soon as the hickup ends, but any transitions during the hickup freeze. Can you confirm this?

Thanks!

I have seen that and reported it. When I have an audio track that ends at the same time as the light track, I set the fade out on the light track to 1 second, otherwise the lights flicker.

I just tested that on 4.12.6, and that issue seems to have been fixed.

[edogawa]

I've tried with your project in both Windows 10 and Linux, and I see the issue in Windows only.

In the Show editor, start the show. I can see a very short hiccup/freeze while the playhead enters the audio "block", introducing a delay in starting the sound, and a very noticable halt/stutter when the audio finishes, like you describe.

The lights from track 1 which should flash up the moment the audio starts, in the 2d monitor appear delayed as well, and this delay is different each time I start the show.

I've managed to obtain the second soundfile (the maniac laughing) from Soundbible.com, and the same thing happens there - audio and lights delayed by different amounts, so becoming out of sync.

Next I converted both audio files from mp3 to wav. Tried in the IO page / audio tab to change the samplerate to 48kHz instead 44,1 as it was, and tried setting the output device to my Connexant HD device instead "default", nothing of these actions changed anything noticable.

So II suspect it has to do with Qt5's windows specific audio implementation - if I understand the code in engine/audio/src/audio.cpp correctly, for Qt5 builds the same audo backend (audiorenderer_qt5.cpp) is used on all three platforms.

In Linux the show plays exactly in time, in sync and without stuttering, regardless if started from Show editor or Virtual console.

[cnf]

I've tried with your project in both Windows 10 and Linux, and I see the issue in Windows only.

In the Show editor, start the show. I can see a very short hiccup/freeze while the playhead enters the audio "block", introducing a delay in starting the sound, and a very noticable halt/stutter when the audio finishes, like you describe.

The lights from track 1 which should flash up the moment the audio starts, in the 2d monitor appear delayed as well, and this delay is different each time I start the show.

I've managed to obtain the second soundfile (the maniac laughing) from Soundbible.com, and the same thing happens there - audio and lights delayed by different amounts, so becoming out of sync.

Next I converted both audio files from mp3 to wav. Tried in the IO page / audio tab to change the samplerate to 48kHz instead 44,1 as it was, and tried setting the output device to my Connexant HD device instead "default", nothing of these actions changed anything noticable.

So II suspect it has to do with Qt5's windows specific audio implementation - if I understand the code in engine/audio/src/audio.cpp correctly, for Qt5 builds the same audo backend (audiorenderer_qt5.cpp) is used on all three platforms.

In Linux the show plays exactly in time, in sync and without stuttering, regardless if started from Show editor or Virtual console.

Thanks for testing!

I have not yet tried it in Linux, only on windows and MacOS.

I’ll see if I can get a Linux machine with a GUI installed going here.

[markzvo]

This occurs on the Raspberry Pi too.
We have learned to just live with it