Is my Balance interface dead/dying? :(

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SF007
Posts: 10
Joined: 31 May 2016

12 Jan 2018

Hey all, just wondering if you might be able to offer me some troubleshooting tips and/or emotional support, because it appears that my trusty Balance interface might be dead or dying...

About two weeks ago, I upgraded the RAM in my studio rig (Windows 7 64 bit, i7 4770K at 3.5 GHz) to 16GB because I started to get the dreaded "your computer is too slow to play this song" message in a rather complex song I'd been working on. I also recently got Ozone 8 which I believe is relatively resource-intensive.

In any event, I thought the RAM might be the bottleneck. So after installing the RAM the stuttering audio was still an issue, and it even branched out to just YouTube videos or Spotify on the machine. I've been using Balance for all computer audio since it makes for a convenient way to use and adjust the levels of my studio monitors and headphones when doing anything on the computer.

So my current issue is that even playing a song on Spotify I'm getting audio stuttering. And when I load that complex song it loads up quicker than before (thanks to the RAM) but even before I try to play the song I get the "your computer is too slow" message. When changing the audio driver to the on-motherboard audio and plugging headphones in, the audio plays just fine.

I've looked around at others who have experienced similar things, and tried a number of the proposed solutions like uninstalling/reinstalling the Balance drivers, removing my old wireless card from the PC, checking a DPC latency monitor (no issues), trying plugging it directly into the PC, trying different USB cords, etc... I'm kind of at my wit's end.

Any thoughts? I know this product isn't sold any longer, as Propellerhead stopped production a while ago. I'd rather not buy a new interface if it can be avoided, and I loved my workflow with the Balance, so it'll be somewhat difficult to move on to another product (and I don't have a ton of money to drop on a new interface anyways).

Thanks in advance for any thoughts (or commiseration)...

FrankJaeger
Posts: 302
Joined: 17 Jan 2015

12 Jan 2018

SF007 wrote:
12 Jan 2018
Hey all, just wondering if you might be able to offer me some troubleshooting tips and/or emotional support, because it appears that my trusty Balance interface might be dead or dying...

About two weeks ago, I upgraded the RAM in my studio rig (Windows 7 64 bit, i7 4770K at 3.5 GHz) to 16GB because I started to get the dreaded "your computer is too slow to play this song" message in a rather complex song I'd been working on. I also recently got Ozone 8 which I believe is relatively resource-intensive.

In any event, I thought the RAM might be the bottleneck. So after installing the RAM the stuttering audio was still an issue, and it even branched out to just YouTube videos or Spotify on the machine. I've been using Balance for all computer audio since it makes for a convenient way to use and adjust the levels of my studio monitors and headphones when doing anything on the computer.

So my current issue is that even playing a song on Spotify I'm getting audio stuttering. And when I load that complex song it loads up quicker than before (thanks to the RAM) but even before I try to play the song I get the "your computer is too slow" message. When changing the audio driver to the on-motherboard audio and plugging headphones in, the audio plays just fine.

I've looked around at others who have experienced similar things, and tried a number of the proposed solutions like uninstalling/reinstalling the Balance drivers, removing my old wireless card from the PC, checking a DPC latency monitor (no issues), trying plugging it directly into the PC, trying different USB cords, etc... I'm kind of at my wit's end.

Any thoughts? I know this product isn't sold any longer, as Propellerhead stopped production a while ago. I'd rather not buy a new interface if it can be avoided, and I loved my workflow with the Balance, so it'll be somewhat difficult to move on to another product (and I don't have a ton of money to drop on a new interface anyways).

Thanks in advance for any thoughts (or commiseration)...
I don't know what the problem is with your particular balance, but I only got about 3-4 months of use out of mind before it completely died on me. I had bought it because of how perfectly it paired with Reason but these things were clearly not built to last. Mine was never dropped or handled roughly at all. It just wouldn't turn on one day and I had to get a new interface. I now have a Focusrite scarlett 2i2 and it does what I need it to do. I do miss some of the perks of the Balance interface though like clip safe and the stepped gain structure.
Midniite Music
My Gear: 2021 Macbook Pro M1/UA Volt 176 Interface/JBL Series 3, 8" Monitors/Akai MPK mini mk3/

SF007
Posts: 10
Joined: 31 May 2016

12 Jan 2018

Thanks for those thoughts, Frank. I just tried plugging the Balance into my 2017 Macbook Pro (work computer, but am able to use it for personal things too) and it works flawlessly both with Reason and on other audio applications like Spotify. Hmm. Maybe there IS something I still need to tweak on the studio rig to make it work...

EDIT: I know this isn't 100% proof that the Balance will work on my studio PC, since it's Windows, and Macs are known for being really great with their audio drivers. So we'll just have to see!

SF007
Posts: 10
Joined: 31 May 2016

13 Jan 2018

All might not be lost! Seems like it might be an audio driver issue with Windows. I fussed with a bunch of settings last night and things seemed to work well for the most part, just occasional glitches and pops but very rarely... that plus when plugging Balance into my MacBook it was flawless with playback makes me pretty sure at least for now the Balance isn’t the issue! Woohoo!

Will keep people updated in case someone else has this issue.

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EnochLight
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Posts: 8405
Joined: 17 Jan 2015
Location: Imladris

15 Jan 2018

SF007 wrote:
12 Jan 2018
Hey all, just wondering if you might be able to offer me some troubleshooting tips and/or emotional support, because it appears that my trusty Balance interface might be dead or dying...

About two weeks ago, I upgraded the RAM in my studio rig (Windows 7 64 bit, i7 4770K at 3.5 GHz) to 16GB because I started to get the dreaded "your computer is too slow to play this song" message in a rather complex song I'd been working on.
It could also be the dreaded Spectre/Meltdown fix that Microsoft pushed to Windows, as older machines running Windows 7 running pre-Haswell chips like your 4770K will note a significant decrease in performance:

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2 ... c-slowdown
Win 10 | Ableton Live 11 Suite |  Reason 12 | i7 3770k @ 3.5 Ghz | 16 GB RAM | RME Babyface Pro | Akai MPC Live 2 & Akai Force | Roland System 8, MX1, TB3 | Dreadbox Typhon | Korg Minilogue XD

househoppin09
Posts: 536
Joined: 03 Aug 2016

15 Jan 2018

No, OP was pretty clear that this started happening well before the patch came out.

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EnochLight
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Posts: 8405
Joined: 17 Jan 2015
Location: Imladris

16 Jan 2018

Just a thought..
Win 10 | Ableton Live 11 Suite |  Reason 12 | i7 3770k @ 3.5 Ghz | 16 GB RAM | RME Babyface Pro | Akai MPC Live 2 & Akai Force | Roland System 8, MX1, TB3 | Dreadbox Typhon | Korg Minilogue XD

SF007
Posts: 10
Joined: 31 May 2016

16 Jan 2018

Appreciate those replies, fellas! And for a quick update... fixed things a couple nights ago! Some further context: I'd had the Balance running through a USB hub with literally zero problems from when I first got the Balance until earlier this month when this issue started. Yeah, I know that Props recommended getting a USB cable right into the computer versus going through a hub, but didn't have any issues with that before. But now, it does appear the hub is the issue, as plugging the interface directly into my PC resulted in crystal clear audio with not a hint of lag, clicks, pops, or dropouts! Woohoo! So weird that when I tried that earlier it didn't change anything, but trying again a couple nights ago it did the trick. So... back to production!

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EnochLight
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Posts: 8405
Joined: 17 Jan 2015
Location: Imladris

16 Jan 2018

SF007 wrote:
16 Jan 2018
Appreciate those replies, fellas! And for a quick update... fixed things a couple nights ago! Some further context: I'd had the Balance running through a USB hub with literally zero problems from when I first got the Balance until earlier this month when this issue started. Yeah, I know that Props recommended getting a USB cable right into the computer versus going through a hub, but didn't have any issues with that before. But now, it does appear the hub is the issue, as plugging the interface directly into my PC resulted in crystal clear audio with not a hint of lag, clicks, pops, or dropouts! Woohoo! So weird that when I tried that earlier it didn't change anything, but trying again a couple nights ago it did the trick. So... back to production!
Great to hear you resolved your problem! I still have my Balance laying around (long ago replaced it with an RME Babyface Pro). If it keeps working, it'll probably land it in my kid's workstation at some point.
Win 10 | Ableton Live 11 Suite |  Reason 12 | i7 3770k @ 3.5 Ghz | 16 GB RAM | RME Babyface Pro | Akai MPC Live 2 & Akai Force | Roland System 8, MX1, TB3 | Dreadbox Typhon | Korg Minilogue XD

SF007
Posts: 10
Joined: 31 May 2016

16 Jan 2018

EnochLight wrote:
16 Jan 2018
Great to hear you resolved your problem! I still have my Balance laying around (long ago replaced it with an RME Babyface Pro). If it keeps working, it'll probably land it in my kid's workstation at some point.
Thanks! And I feel like I'm seeing more and more people talking about the RME Babyface Pro - if and when I ever need to replace my Balance (say it ain't so!) I might have to look into that. Pricey, but seems like lots of people speak highly of it.

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EnochLight
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Joined: 17 Jan 2015
Location: Imladris

16 Jan 2018

SF007 wrote:
16 Jan 2018
Thanks! And I feel like I'm seeing more and more people talking about the RME Babyface Pro - if and when I ever need to replace my Balance (say it ain't so!) I might have to look into that. Pricey, but seems like lots of people speak highly of it.
It's built like a tank, gig-worthy/mobile, works with any iOS device, sounds fantastic, and has probably the most lowest latency and rock-solid drivers available in the industry. Highly recommended!
Win 10 | Ableton Live 11 Suite |  Reason 12 | i7 3770k @ 3.5 Ghz | 16 GB RAM | RME Babyface Pro | Akai MPC Live 2 & Akai Force | Roland System 8, MX1, TB3 | Dreadbox Typhon | Korg Minilogue XD

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zabukowski
Posts: 194
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia, EU
Contact:

17 Jan 2018

EnochLight wrote:
16 Jan 2018
SF007 wrote:
16 Jan 2018
Thanks! And I feel like I'm seeing more and more people talking about the RME Babyface Pro - if and when I ever need to replace my Balance (say it ain't so!) I might have to look into that. Pricey, but seems like lots of people speak highly of it.
It's built like a tank, gig-worthy/mobile, works with any iOS device, sounds fantastic, and has probably the most lowest latency and rock-solid drivers available in the industry. Highly recommended!
+100

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PSoames
Posts: 278
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: Somerset, UK

25 Jan 2018

I recently upgraded to an AMD 7 1800X and, as a consequence, had to upgrade to Windows 10. Ever since I too have the same stuttering issues you report.

It happens every time I boot up my computer, with any streamed video content stuttering or running at slide show speeds until I disconnect my Balance and reconnect. After that, everything is fine again.

Not sure what it is but I suspect weirdness going on with USB drivers. Can't be bothered to do to much digging for solutions, as I too am considering a new audio interface. Good to hear recommendations for the RME.

dana
Posts: 335
Joined: 29 Apr 2015
Contact:

25 Jan 2018

On windows 10 i've had the sample rate changing which changes the pitch of the audio, it seems its best to just use it with one application at a time. I've had stuttering audio with vlc and web browsers sometimes, but never with Reason

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