Cross 3.2 freezing mid-set

[kugmo]

I seem to be having some problem with Cross 3.2 lately, and I've been able to reproduce it (6 times total, with 4 of them outside a club scenario)

The configuration used is:

- Windows 8.1 Pro (clean install, no weird memory managers or device drivers. the only installed application is Cross), wifi off
- Reloop Terminal Mix 4 (using onboard soundcard, USB power used)
- Samsung Series 5 Ultra (Intel i5@1.7GHz, 4GB RAM, 500 GB Hitachi HDD)
- Cross 3.2 (video function switched off, all tracks pre-analysed, standard Reloop Terminal Mix 4 mapping used)
- Reloop ASIO with suggested latency setting.
- All tracks played are MP3 320K CBR

I've been using the same configuration since v2.6 of Cross without problems.

I've noticed that the app freezes (no crash, as the GUI is still functional and i can close Cross through Alt-F4 or through clicking the "X") at around 50+ tracks played, or approximately 4hours of play.

I tried monitoring the app (standard Windows Process Monitor) as i tried reproducing the "error". These are what I noticed:

1. CPU usage of Cross remains steady between 12-15% throughout the process. Total system CPU hovers between 15-21% (task manager and system interrupts being the only other seeming active processes)

2. Cross startup consumes approximately 200-250MB memory on first track load.

3. On each succeeding track load, memory usage jumps up by 60-80MB per track, depending on track length). CPU usage jumps up to 40% on load

4. After each track loads, memory usage decreases to the approximate physical track size (12-19MB, depending on track length). CPU usage normalises to 15-21%

5. This process off eating up and giving back memory continues for every loaded track (2 steps forward, one step back), and slowly increases memory usage as I continue using Cross

6. At 80-85% system memory used (1.5-1.7GB used), successive track loads would produce a "pop". Not loud, but definitely audible.

7. At 86-94% memory used (1.9-2.1GB+), Cross pauses, but music does not. Processes go on normally after that.

8. I am not sure what the magic number is, but Cross freezes between 88-90% of memory used. Two things are consistent here, though: Cross freezes in the middle of the track, not on load, and memory usage had previously hit 94% on the last track load and was actually decreasing when the freezing track played (and no, it happens on any random track, as I check all tracks for errors when ripping from CD or vinyl)

My thought:
1. Shouldn't deck memory be freed right before a track is loaded into it?
2. Are there any memory cache tips/trick/suggestions I can use?

Let me know if:
1. I'm missing something here
2. Laptop is out of spec (although it has been running perfectly up until v3.2)...it might be, but CPU load doesn't show it.

What bothers me is the increased memory usage. All other parameters, hard drive activity included, is steady and minimal, and is reflected on the process monitor)

Thanks

[kugmo]

*Additional note: USB functions and connection lost when Cross freezes

[DJ Vintage]

Wow, compliments. This is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive and extensive error report I have ever witnessed in here :-)

Good job.

[discopex]

I too have experienced system freeze when CrossDJ process is taking about 1.5 Gb of RAM in a 4 Gb system. This happens just about 4 hours into playing. CrossDJ 3.0.0 does not behave like this. I reported this a while back, not sure if it has gone unnoticed...

[RoJeC]

Seems like a time consuming and for that detailed analyses. Tried to simulate along your lines, but do not seem to get the issue your way, while loading like 50 tracks.

Some question:
- Do you manual load and play, or did you use autoplay.
- what is your status of audio cache in General tab.

[kugmo]

All tracks are manual load and play. The whole nine yards: pitch slider, jogs, vinyl mode on/off, EQing on transitions. pretty much everything normally done on CDJs. sync button unused and still as good as new.

Audio cache status: "cache audio in memory" is checked, "max 2.40GB"

Also, on track load, the thin orange line shows only for an moment, but the "Analyzing" message does not (track load time is under 3 seconds each time, and average track length is 5 minutes), so these would be pre-analysed tracks, I assume (I load from the collection, not from the files tab). I mean, a play count of 20+ would already mean that the track has been analysed in a much earlier session, right?

one other item i forgot. OS is 64-bit on a 4GB system. I hope it's Windows faulting on this one. I can easily relicense for a 32-bit OS if this is the case.

[kugmo]

I'm checking the scenario with autoplay. So far, after 20 tracks at over one hour, memory load is excellent, under 450MB. CPU spikes only on load as expected. No surprises at all.

[Eric inVIBES]

I'm checking the scenario with autoplay. So far, after 20 tracks at over one hour, memory load is excellent, under 450MB. CPU spikes only on load as expected. No surprises at all.

Thanks for your excellent reports and tests.
We have produced the problem in our office and are trying to solve it asap. The only advise is to re open Cross before making a DJ set.

[kugmo]

I'm checking the scenario with autoplay. So far, after 20 tracks at over one hour, memory load is excellent, under 450MB. CPU spikes only on load as expected. No surprises at all.

Thanks for your excellent reports and tests.
We have produced the problem in our office and are trying to solve it asap. The only advise is to re open Cross before making a DJ set.

I've made arrangements with the club owner to allow a ten minute break in between sets, starting tomorrow. My other option is to add more memory to the laptop as a stopgap measure, but unfortunately, the service centre here does not get many requests for laptop parts, and the process takes weeks.

I thank you all for the very quick response to this issue. Hopefully this gets resolved with very few code changes and without affecting other Cross functions. Happy hunting

[daniel clark]

thankyou for your perservernce to get this issue to light