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[Bluey]

If you have a lot of DXI plugins (virtual instruments, soft synths) DXI host will attempt to open
and authenticate each one.  This takes a lot of time for Media Center to start, some of the
DXI's will require user interaction before the next plugin can be processed.

Also if you use Cakewalk Sonar or Project 5, the wrapper makes all VSTis to DXIs, and the Direct X host
crashes during its authentication process, crashing MC 11.  So Cakewalk products are incompatible with
MC for this reason.

Is it possible to stop this scanning everytime MC opens ? Or just scan and list the plugins without
authentication (like some hosts do) and allow the user to simply select them from the list.

As it stands, Direct X host is buggy and unstable, and needs to be fixed to maintain the proper level
of stability that I expect, and probably others also.

Bluey.

[Polfliet]

I agree.  I was excited to discover the DirectX Host recently.  I have many DX apps from Sony Sound Forge including a great quality Paragraphic EQ and their "Wave Hammer" plug-in.  It worked great for a while, but then would crash MC (and sometimes my whole system).  It seemed to crash after opening the DirectX Host and adjusting the settings on the EQ or other plug-in and/or after switching songs.  I had to force a system reboot a few times.  I first thought it was because of installing the latest version of MC (175), but after "rolling back" to version 172 it still would crash.  Does anybody have any suggestions?  I would love to be able to use DirectX Host for DJ'ing, but can't risk a crash when performing.  Thanks!

[JimH]

There are a lot of possible reasons for crashes.  Audioscrobbler is a common one, but here's a thread that has more:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=24031.0

Bringing the system down is probebly a hardware problem.

[Polfliet]

FYI...  I don't use Audioscrobbler and checked to make sure it wasn't loaded.  I'm positive this has to do with the DirectX Host plug-in because it started happening on 2 separate computers only immediately after loading this plug-in.  It does not occur when DirectX Host is unchecked in DSP Studio.

Thanks in advance.

Chuck

[jgreen]

As JimH mentioned, there are some plugins that can cause instability apart from the DirectX host.  I had seen some instability with the MC host, and I tried a plugin that negopus mentioned in a thread I bumped today regarding spetrum analysis, called FFX-4.  This is an effects host, allowing you to chain up to 4 plugins within the MC DirectX host.  I had two plugins that were not working nicely together, only one or the other would work.  I loaded them both into the FFX-4, which appears as a single plugin to the MC host.  It's been smooth sailing ever since.

I couldn't identify the source of the directx issues with absolute certainty.  For a good while the MC host was working well with several plugins at a time.  Certain plugins seemed to be problematic in and of themselves, and hosting them through the FFX4 allowed me to use them with MC.

[GHammer]

I use iZotope Ozone 3 via the DirectX plugin.
I have seen some odd behavior during the 11.1 run, but never had a crash.
Ozone 3 is pretty comprehensive and I'd guess is as taxing as any DX component.
Anything else being done to the signal in DSP Studio, changing bitdepth, sample rate, etc?

[jgreen]

Based on your recommendation I did a demo of the Ozone 3, and I can tell you it is a really cool looking widget.  But I don't think it's cool enough for me to cough up $250 for a permanent version.

I agree, it seems like a very comprehensive plugin, but I get the feeling that its fairly well-behaved within the DirectX structure, whatever that is.  It was acutally other, lighter-weight plugins (free alternatives to Ozone 3) that seemed to be giving the MC host a hard time.

OT--I'd love to see jriver build this capability out more, maybe even offer their own alternative to Ozone 3 (with equally-cool graphics).  Don't forget, they're getting $250 a copy for that, guys!

[Polfliet]

I downloaded FFX-4 and it is working so far!  I'll let you know longer term results.  Thanks!

Chuck

[jgreen]

Polfliet--
That is great news!  Also, Bluey, if you or Polfliet are using VST plugins, did you try Spin Audio's VST DX Wrapper Lite?  I use this also, and it seems bulletproof.  The wrapper will only do one VST plugin, but within FFX-4 (at least) you can chain multiple instances of wrapper running different VST plugins.

[Polfliet]

I don't have any VST plug-ins, but I noticed during the install of FFX-4 it had 3 separate selections which could be unchecked for install:  "Required Components", "DX Plug-in Version" and "VST Plug-in Version".  I left all checked.  With the "VST Plug-in Version" do you still need Wrapper?  And if so, do you know what this option is for then?

Any particular VST plug-ins you like over DX plug-ins?

[jgreen]

Well, my impression during install was that those options enabled FFX-4 to operate within those environments, rather than host those formats.  I can't find anything in the interface that indicates it hosts or chains VST, but I haven't been using it too much longer than you have, so I might just nominate YOU as the new Resident Expert.

As for cool plugins, I'm only doing playback so there isn't much I need.  I found a great little EQ module called "Linear Phase Graphic EQ 2", or LPGEQ2.  It is written by some guys called "Slim Slow Slider."  The thing was well reviewed, didn't contain any obvious spyware that I could find, and most importantly, FREE.  You can find this and other great plugins at www.kvraudio.com.

I use the LPGEQ 2 module for Global and/or Room EQ, and I use a standard-format plugin from scthom, available on jriver third-party plugin board, called "EQdb".  This allows me to make track-based or selected-group based EQ changes in the DSP studio, which EQdb calls and implements on playback.  It is a brilliant idea, although highly specialized, and there is a design kink:  since MC queues up tracks 5 seconds in advance, EQ changes are made for the upcoming track during the fadeout of the current track.  If you have huge EQ changes between tracks, this will be noticable.  I highly recommend it; in my experience replay gain doesn't give complete results in about 10% of the cases, and you can use this plugin to fine-tune that.  If you try it, it's a standard-format plugin that installs in the usual way.

Also look at the Ozone 3 plugin from Izotope, that hammer mentions.  You can get a free 10-day trial, but it then bugs out unless you fork over $250.  It doesn't do anything for the audiophile than free plugins don't, but it is so incredibly cool looking that 10 days spent staring at it seem like 10 days well spent.