1.4.0-beta12 version hangs the machine

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Anonymous user
1.4.0-beta12 version hangs the machine

The program is very useful, exact what I was looking for to play midi karaoke.

I use it with Karafun player, the version 1.3.1 works fine, the only inconvenience I need to call mixer manually with each song. Beta version 1.4.0-beta12 has more functionality, but it hangs my PC when Karafun player starts playing midi with video background (kfp video preset). When playing static photo kfp preset, it works fine. I use Win XP, no preload of soundfont file, no h/w mixing. Pls help to make v. 1.4.0-beta workeable!

MichaelC

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Can't reproduce this bug on

Can't reproduce this bug on my side, sorry.

I tried a default Karafun setup and Power Ska.kfp preset...

Maybe it's related to a particular preset file?
Please give me further details: soundfont name, kfp filename.

Anonymous user
Thanks for your effort, but

Thanks for your effort, but it's no wonder you can not reproduce it, because Power Ska preset is not a video preset. It has static jpg background. Pls use any preset, listed under the title "Video Karaoke Kfp" (it's free for download from Karafun site). For example, try Jellyfish.kfp. It can even be played once, but on second time it freezes the machine to hard reset. It happens at initial moment, when video background file (its avi) refers to video codec.

I use any sond font file, LAV video codec or FFDshow - no matter. I use 1 core CPU, video background loads it to almost 95-100%, but still no hanging with your version 1.3.1.

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Further tests - beta13

I downloaded Jellyfish.kfp preset and tested it on Win7-x64 (my development machine) with no issues.

So I tested Karafun on an XP virtual machine, but after setting the video preset, it hanged to 100% CPU; I can only hard reset it to get control back.
VirtualMIDISynth 1.4 automatically raises process priority to HIGH to achieve better (and smooth) play. The worst is that a 95%+ CPU process with HIGH priority makes the machine unresponsive.

Now in beta13 the process priority raising is a configurable option (enabled by default, since I had no issues with that, except with Karafun video backgrounds on XP).
On my test XP VM (and  process priority raising disabled) Karafun still hangs, but the machine remains responsive, so I was able to terminate Karafun with task manager.

Please try it (disabling the new option) and let me know ASAP.

Anonymous user
Great, now it's fixed!

Great, now it's fixed! Everything works fine with beta 13.

Actually, it is Karafun who increased CPU load while playing video in their current version. Previous version 1.18 did not utilize CPU that much, but it is incompatible with BASSMidi 2.4...

Thank you, wish you to go on and on with this great software.

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Thanks for your quick

Thanks for your quick feedback, I'm happy it works!

I think that the new "raise process priority" option should stay enabled by default, because it's the best choice for most users.
Only Karafun users must disable it, and only if (1) using XP and (2) using a video preset; only this particular environment make the PC hang to 100% CPU.
Win7 users are safe, even with video preset enabled.

> Actually, it is Karafun who increased CPU load while playing video in their current version.
Why don't you send them a bug report, maybe linking this thread.

> Previous version 1.18 did not utilize CPU that much, but it is incompatible with BASSMidi 2.4...
Version 2.x of VirtualMIDISynth will solve all of these compatibility issues (see previous comments for architectural details), but that's far away from complete...