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[glynor]

So, this is a long-shot, but I figured I'd ask. When I use MC 29 x64 with the current (and older) version of G-Force's visualizer plugin, it works correctly but only gets audio input from Zone with index 0. Any other Zones, even clones of my working "primary" Zone, work and load the plugin, but the visualizer doesn't react to the sound (at all).

I have no earthly clue if this is Soundspectrum's "fault" or JRiver's or whatever, but does anyone know if there is a way to get it working? Some kind of crazy G-Force or MC configuration I can switch to make it do the thing to the thing on other Zones?

Backstory (And a Tip):
For a long, long time, I always loved Soundspectrum's G-Force (and Aeon, to a lesser degree) visualizer plugins. But, when I moved to MC's 64-bit builds, I had to leave it behind because I couldn't get it to run. It would install, but as soon as I selected it in MC with active audio playback, it would crash MC entirely.

Well, just this weekend, I thought I'd give it another stab. I looked, and I still had an old copy of G-Force Platinum lying around, so I installed it. It still crashed in MC but I went into the standalone doodad and played around with the various settings. While in there, largely on a whim but not because I thought it would help, I changed the Graphics Interface setting in there from Direct3D to OpenGL.

Low and behold that worked! So, I immediately re-tested it with the trial version of the latest G-Force, and it still works. But, I noticed that it wasn't getting any audio input into it at all on any of my Zones (no matter how configured) except the "main", original one (called "Standard" on my setup).

[glynor]

I've confirmed the same behavior on a second machine.

[marko]

Hi glynor, you good?

I was also a long time Aeon and GForce user. I'm very wary of it now as it can cause MC (32bit) to behave very strangely and ultimately, crash.

Reported back in the MC27 cycle. Not sure if you caught it or not?

This might not be an issue when using the standalone thingamajig, but could still be worth keeping an eye. Basically, if you have music playing, so Soundspectrum is running, but not visible, there will be problems. I don't really know what "updates on a provisional basis" actually means, but presumed it to mean not to expect a fix any time soon

-marko

[glynor]

Hi glynor, you good?

Quite! It is my busy time of the year (which now, honestly, never seems to end, but this time is worst), but doing quite well. Family is good. We're like the only three people on earth, it seems, who haven't caught the plague yet.

I was also a long time Aeon and GForce user. I'm very wary of it now as it can cause MC (32bit) to behave very strangely and ultimately, crash.

I'd abandoned using all of the SoundSpectrum plugins because when I switched over to MC x64, I couldn't get it to load at all. When I'd select it as the active Display plugin in MC, as soon as it tried to load, the whole kit-and-kaboodle would crash.

However, since switching G-Force over to OpenGL mode, I've had zero issues with stability on it. Played music with G-Force open and running on two different PCs for at least 8 hours over the weekend, with no apparent issues of any kind. Rock solid. I even found that the cover art is properly loading when MC is connected to a Library Server, which (to my memory) didn't work previously. I remember having to hack the G-Force/Aeon config files manually to disable cover-art loading (which I think Andy added as a hidden option just for me). It does briefly cut out the music when I switch from Theater View to Display View with the plugin active. I haven't checked yet, but my HTPC might be still set with Theater View in DirectX mode, though, so I'm going to look into that later to see if I can get rid of that little issue.
 
In any case, it is working now! To be clear, though:

This might not be an issue when using the standalone thingamajig

I'm not using the standalone thingamajig. I only used that to get it to load so I could access the G-Force config menus (because if I used it in MC, it would totally crash). But I noticed that OpenGL setting and figured, what the heck, maybe that'll work better?

It does. It just doesn't work with any non-index-zero Zone.

I've done additional testing and found that it really is Index Zero that matters. I can replicate any of my Zones as the "primary" zone and then they work fine with it, but no other Zones work (even clones). I tried deleting the existing "primary" zone, hoping one my my others would then become "index zero" and start working, but that doesn't seem to happen. I have to modify, by hand, the existing "first listed" Zone for it to work. So, it took some rejiggering, but I got it working pretty nicely.

But I have a vague recollection of something you could do in the registry or config files or something for G-Force way, way back in the day to make it handle Zones better, but no idea what it might be (or even if I'm inventing this vague memory). I've searched around, but since SoundSpectrum lost their forum a few years back, there's nothing on their site, and I couldn't find anything on various Google Searches of Interact.

Ah, well, I can live with it as it is.

[glynor]

It does briefly cut out the music when I switch from Theater View to Display View with the plugin active. I haven't checked yet, but my HTPC might be still set with Theater View in DirectX mode, though, so I'm going to look into that later to see if I can get rid of that little issue.

Hmmm. I don't see any setting for OpenGL vs DirectDraw. I remember when Hendrik implemented TheaterView in OpenGL. Maybe that's the only option now?

I do see a Vulcan checkbox marked experimental. Not sure I want to check that box, but I might test it out later to see if I can get rid of the blip.

[HPBEME]

Dang it!

I was so excited when I read that you had G-Force working, if only in a limited way. I set everything up as you indicated in your posts, but sadly, no joy.

To be clear though, when I select G-Force (or Aeon) as the visualization option, neither crashes MC… It just acts as though I've done nothing. If the cover art was showing when I launched it, it continues to show. Of course when the next track begins to play, it still shows the cover art of the prior track when I tried to launch G force to begin with - so it is trying to do something, it is just not succeeding.  When I choose cover art from the context menu again, it updates to the current track.

Bottom line, I don't know why your machine crashes when launching G force and not mine does not, but for whatever reason, that seems to be the difference. Mine behaves exactly as I described above whether it is OpenGL or Direct 3D, and whether I use the 32 or 64 bit version of MC. 

Additional info: the standalone versions for both G-Force and Aeon react to audio for me, but only when I select the microphone as the input (for Direct 3D and OpenGL), as it picks up the speaker's output. For every other device input/output I have, whether I set it in the window audio settings, in MC, or in the Sound Spectrum app itself - trying every combination I can think of, it only works sporadically, if at all. When it does work, you first have to let it run for 20 or 30 seconds (presumably to fill up a buffer?) with no audio response.  And then, sometimes, it does start to respond, only to then just randomly stop responding after a few songs.

I have found that if you manually bump to the next iteration in the visualization by hitting the space-bar, it will sometimes resume responding to audio, but only sometimes, and again, you typically have to wait 20 or 30 seconds before it does react, if it ever does. As soon as I switch back to the microphone though, it responds great and immediately! Unfortunately, this means I can't really use it when listening on headphones though, which is typically when I really want to zone out on visualizations. Not only that, the standalone version is by definition not integrated with MC, so no cover art or song titles etc., further degrading its usability.

I wish MC and Sound Spectrum could get their act together on this, since each program exists to complement the other! Resolving these issues so they behave together in a seamless way would seriously benefit both companies... How could it not?  Matt/J River and Adam/Sound Spectrum should commit to making this happen, and then promote the hell out of it.  Clearly the microphone input works fantastically… Get it figured out!