Topic: Podium constantly crashing

Out of interest in your endeavour and a great curiosity of why I have never at least tested ZASF at some point, I wanted to stop by and see how things are going. I did a quick search myself, and if my info is correct, you should not use any version of ZASF below v2.4.3, as earlier ones were indeed buggy in some hosts, notably trashing the attempts of those brave souls who insist on trying to do serious music on Linux systems and causing other fidgety DAWs such as Ableton to crash. (Not surprised in the slightest to see Live 8 listed among the victims after my year to trying this DAW and seeing numerous plugins crash it!) I’m not 100% confident on that version #, so you might want to look into that as well.
I also wanted to offer that placing that ms runtime library within the VSTi’s folder should offer no real advantage to your machine over having a copy each in System32 and SysWOW64 (assuming you are on a 64-bit and you’ve given your PC a fresh boot so it can find all goodies such as those). I thought I should also mention that you really ought to have permission from any dev-owner of any software you plan to hack into. Now, don’t expect a hard knock on your door at 3 a.m. to find men in black suits to confront you about your tampering, but it is simply considered a common courtesy, and often devs are more than willing, even sometimes quite interested, to allow whatever project. I haven’t read the licenses, including Podium’s, but can assure it prohibits making changes. I recall in the case involving the day-glo bright red of charming synth Charlatan causing real eye strain that it was only after its owner’s written permission and our promise to then spec it as altered and ‘non-original’ that we opened up that .DLL and switched out the original .PNG files of its GUI. (One version of mine now sports a darker ruby metal flake skin today!)
On to your other topics, I thought I’d offer that of all the various means outside of ASIO I’ve only made use of Windows Direct Sound and not MME (and WASABI locked up Podium the one time I tried it), and I only used it for a simple mic input a couple of times. If your TASCAM driver is giving you an issue, you could always try the free ASIO4ALL (important: v2.11, beta 1 is the most stable version for most users). Sometimes this ASIO will work considerably better than the native driver included with your hardware.
As regards your question about the ‘rebuild plugin database’, it is merely one of the few options offered. Interestingly, the few times I have moved a plugin from one sub-folder within my VSTPlugins to another, Podium has caught the change every time, and it changes the file address automatically and will ask me if I wish to SAVE any project I have opened after making the change. [edit: should note that Podium is not like some DAWs that freak out over the slightest change in a plugin’s file address; it is a ‘ relative reader’] I’m explaining this part because your edition of Podium likewise should detect and change and ask to SAVE anytime you move an item. So, this part of your post above I did not understand. Perhaps you moved the plugin to a far different folder that you had not included in the important listing in your Preferences section? In any case, you can change the address yourself in the details box. Podium was built in a former time when users did not add, move or alter plugins nearly every day, unlike today when upgrades and new plugins are being released by the virtual hundreds constantly. I spend a fair portion of my time in this Host making sure my database is accurate and contains what I want to use in projects. I go through all current projects and use only ‘Load Database’ for each after updating plugindatabase.pod in my Roaming folder for Podium. It is the fastest and least painful way (and encourages me to be conservative about making lots of constant plugin changes as well)!
I have probably missed something else you asked, but this seems a lot for now. Although I have settled on a simple ‘Two-DAW User’ approach to making music, no matter which other DAW I might use, Podium remains a mainstay and one of the two. And although I have always encouraged the addition of my ‘shortlist’ of features to future Podium editions, the simplicity and stability of Podium without a whole bevy of more and newer features is actually rather helpful and refreshing to me. The added features (and therefore the manual lengths) of every other DAW continue to grow by leaps and bounds with every new edition, and it is starting to be a bit too much, if you ask me. Like all DAWs, Podium ‘prefers’ some things set and/or done a certain way. Once these few idiosyncrasies are understood, Podium is a rock-solid and extremely efficient chunk of software. I have had no real issues or crashes in many months now. Best Wishes on your efforts and progress! -Tele

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by The Telenator.

Just happened to see your response in my mail as was leaving the net, so thought I should put in another word. Podium is one of those DAWs that does not like to find multiple .dll’s of any plugin. Now, I haven’t tried the renaming trick that will work in some hosts, but I’ll guess it wouldn’t be too keen. So, if you will, let that be a layman response to GetName/String and all that. Some hosts will ‘see’ multiple copies, other will only get the first it reads. Some you can ‘fool’ with naming and such.

Let me just put it simply: Podium is a very ‘precise’ system. Bet you can feel it. It doesn’t like funny stuff or trick fixes. It’s like you can tell Frits thought through every possible iota of every aspect when putting it together. Operates very precisely and just how it is meant to. DAWs like Reaper will do all sorts of crazy things at times, will run with all manner of files missing or lost, post a complaint message, and then go on running! Podium doesn’t like BS. So, I certainly wouldn’t leave other files and copies belonging to ZASF floating around anywhere Podium might read them. Give it one good version with presets or whatever just where its support folder is supposed to be located, etc.

Some details, of course, are in the Guide for smooth operation. The Preferences, Audio/MIDI settings are all rather sparse affairs without a lot of extra options/controls, but just make sure everything is set up correctly and the connections, especially, are right. Yes, Podium is one of those DAWs that will want to lock up on you if things aren’t 100%. I have a folder in x86 right near VSTPlugins that I drag plugins and things I don’t want hosts to see — extra copies, altered versions, etc. Hope this helps!

Yes, it gets everything from its .INI and plugindatabase in Roaming, so, yes, I keep those proper and always make copies of them to store away. I tend to test potentially buggy plugins elsewhere first, too. Must say, once you get the ‘zen’ of Podium it won’t give any further trouble.

Didn’t know ZASF was open source but did hear a user option to make a DSSI out of it, I guess for Linux use. That did make me wonder. So, hack away!

Does Podium have any issues with multiple copies of a plugin within the path? Or different plugins that have the same internal name?

That should not be an issue. Plugins are identified by their file path.

what is the point of “rebuild plugin database” if it keeps pointers to deleted folders / plugins? And how do I tell it to actually start clean?

Podium will try to reconfigure mappings of plugins that have moved location. If you have the same plugin filename in multiple folders, then this may cause the mappings to not be reassigned, and you’ll have to fix those mappings manually. The plugin combobox selectors in the arrangement editor should be highlighted in red if the referenced plugins are missing.

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Sorry to bang on about the device list in Podium, but I must add another tip 🙂

Customizing parameter objects includes redefining their range. By default these are between 0…1 or 0…127. Say you have a parameter with 5 states, you can define a range of 1…5 and the vertical ruler in the automation editor will reflect this. Useful as selecting an automation point invokes a popup with the value at that point.

Sorry again for my verbal diarrhoea :S