VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

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Posts: 20
Joined: June 10, 2016 - 13:55
VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

I'm sure I've mentioned thia issue before. I use VirtuaMIDISynth 2 RC1 in conjunction with NoteWorthy Composer 2.75 and the Sound Blaster Audigy 8MBGMSFX.SF2 soundfont, and the combination will work without problems for long periods and I'm delighted with the results. Then, for some inexplicible reson, I open NWC to listen to a composition - and get nothing, then the following error message appears: Device "VirtualMIDISynth #1" is already in use by process "C:\Program Files (x86)\Noteworthy software\Noteworthy Composer 2\NWC2.exe", PID#1964" At the same time there is a message at the right hand end of the taskbar, informing me that "The 'VirtualMIDISynth #1' out port failed".

I can reboot the computer and (usually) all will be well. However, I would obviously like to know what's happening and whether it can be easily remidied.

I have saved the Debug Report associated with this latest occurrence and have uploaded it for your interest.

Thank you.

Attachments (Only registered users)
VirtualMIDISynth_debug_report.txt

Johnno

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

The attached debug log seems all ok, nothing strange.
This bug was reported sometime ago, related to Chrome. After a long investigation it turned out that Chrome wasn't properly releasing its devices or it did it so faster (close and immediately reopen) than VirtualMIDISynth won't catch it.

I suppose you're in the same boat with a different software.
As a workaround a new "Suppress Device is already in use message" configuration option was added that removes that MessageBox.

Please note that the workaround is only going to suppress the message, the device opening task will still fail (Chrome worked well like this).
Maybe NWC won't be happy with a second negative reply so we'll need to further investigate (I'm talking about the second error message you reported).

Please try to activate that option and check if you still have the bug.

Meanwhile I'll add a safety check to that workaround: I'll silently suppress any error (and return a success code) if the process opening the device is the same that is keeping it in use.

Posts: 20
Joined: June 10, 2016 - 13:55
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

Ticking the 'Suppress device already in use" in VMS certainly eliminated the display of the first message, as you anticipated, but the second message I had seen previously on the taskbar (port out fail) flashed on momentarily so I knew the problem still existed - again, as you expected. When I opened a composition in NWC, and attempted to play it, the following message appeared: "One or more of your selected MIDI devices are failing to open. Would you like to go to the MIDI options tab to investigate?" I clicked the 'Yes' button, even though I knew it would simply show me that VMS was the selected MIDI output device - which it was - and that there was nothing unexpected to be seen there.

I note you mentioned that the first instance of this problem occurred when Chrome was being used. I use Firefox as my browser, if that is any help.

I also forgot to mention that when I couldn't hear any output when I first tried to play a composition, I went into the MIDI options section of NWC and swapped the MIDI devices - that is, I set up use of the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth device as the default (the only alternative in Windows 10, it seems: the MIDI Mapper was much better) - and there was immediate playback (of the most abysmal kind!) so I knew the problem had to be to do with VMS.

Johnno

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

I'll try to reproduce it on my side first (I see there's a trial version of NWC available).
Then the way to go is a better "workaround": accept device open requests if they come from the same ProcessID that is currently keeping the device busy.

Hope I can add it to next RC2.

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

Could you pleasee check if, when you got the error message, you only have one NWC process running?
Please check it through the TaskManager: open the "Details" tab, sort processe by name and check you only have one instance of NoteWorthy Composer running (I don't know what's its process name...).

Posts: 20
Joined: June 10, 2016 - 13:55
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

Thanks for your replies, Claudio. Firstly, I'll be most interested in your experiments with NoteWorthy Composer. You may, like me, find that VMS will work fine with it for quite long periods then, all of a sudden, it will fail.

Regarding your second reply, I am as certain as I can be that I always have just ONE instance of NoteWorthy Composer running at any one time. I make that assertion because I always close it at the end of a session, as there is simply no reason for leaving it running. At the moment, VMS is integrating with NWC without incident as I have been running the latter a number of times today, working on anither composition. Most recently, I did check Task Manager during that time and there was definitely just one instance of the program running.

I look forward to finding out whatever you discover with the NWC experiments and any changes you decide to incorporate into VMS2/RC2.

Thank you again.

Johnno

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

RC2 changed the behavior of the error message.
Now it's not shown if the same PID (Process ID) reopens the same device more than once.

Please check it out and report any other bug.

Posts: 20
Joined: June 10, 2016 - 13:55
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

After having had considerable success using VMS2 RC 2 with NoteWorthy Composer over the past week or so  - I"ve been in and out of the program without any problems whatsover - I regret to advise that the 'Out Port failure' has occurred again just now. It really is becoming frustrating. Have you downloaded NoteWorthy Composer and tried it out yourself?

Johnno

Posts: 20
Joined: June 10, 2016 - 13:55
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure

I think I've mentioned previously that if I reboot the system, port activation for VMS is restored - and, of course, all is well at startup each day.  The problem with system rebooting was that a progarm that scans for malware would automatically start up and that was obviously annoying as it was time-consuming. However, I've now adjusted the program's settings so that I have to start the program and that will only occur ar startup in the morning. However, it would still be nice if I didn't have to reboot the system  to reactivate VMS.

Johnno

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth #1 out port failure
Johnno wrote:
I think I've mentioned previously that if I reboot the system, port activation for VMS is restored

The process that locks the driver should be seen in theAbout tab of configurator dialog.
If you kill that process, the device should be freed in a short time by the device watchdog itself.
If the device is kept open I suppose that the process is still alive.

Could you check this out?

Johnno wrote:
Have you downloaded NoteWorthy Composer and tried it out yourself?

No, will do ASAP.

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