Audio Dropout with STEM Separation

Bug Reports
1

DJ Software Issue: Audio Dropout with Stem Separation

​Hello everyone,

​When I mix two tracks together, one of them using stem separation, I’m experiencing an issue where the track with the stem separation stops playing audio during the mix.

​There is an audible “click” and then the sound cuts out. I can temporarily “re-engage” the sound by performing a short “baby scratch.” However, the audio drops out again shortly after.

​My setup is:

  • ​Controller: Rane One MK2
  • ​Processor: Intel Core i7
  • ​RAM: 16 GB
  • ​OS: Windows 11

​I’m looking for suggestions on what might be causing this. Has anyone encountered this specific behavior?

​Thanks!

1 Like
3

Hi @Niels_J_Johansen, welcome to the Community! Sorry to hear you’re experiencing this issue.

  1. Can you please capture and share a short video of this?
  2. If you disable Key Lock on your decks does this help?
  3. What music source are you using?
  4. If you’re using local music, what file formats and are they stored internally or on an external drive?
1 Like
4

Thank you for your reply.
To briefly answer your questions, I use local MP3 files from my PC.
Disabling Key Lock solved the problem. A bit more information is below.
The problem only occurs when I use acapella. If I have another stem active, such as drums, and turn them down almost completely using the Neuro function on the low-frequency knob, the problem also does not occur. Apparently, the problem only arises when there is “empty” sound-wise (silence/minimal signal). It would be great if it were possible to also have Key Lock active. But the solution without Key Lock works for now.
Best regards,
Niels

5

You’re welcome @Niels_J_Johansen, please note that both Key Lock and Neural Mix are processor intensive features, so using them in conjunction on older/less powerful devices can result in additional latency. If you could capture and share a short video, we might be able to provide additional help. Thanks!

6

Hello! It’s been a week since my last reply. I’m going to consider this topic completed for now so I can focus on others. However, please feel free to respond and we can definitely revisit this. Thanks!

8

Now I know why it happens, I can manage around. Thanks a lot for the support. .

9

You’re welcome @Niels_J_Johansen. Thanks for the follow up.

10

Hey there @Slak_Jaw ! Sorry to ping you here on what has been deemed a solved issue, but I’m experiencing precisely this exact same behavior - and given my context, I think it’s worth revisiting/troubleshooting further in case this can potentially be attributed to something other than an aloof/suspected hardware bottleneck.

Context: I’ve been using Djay Pro as my main gigging software for roughly 7+ years. Have used the software across multiple laptops with varying OSes, and mobile devices as well. The software is generally VERY stable, and I’m consistently astounded at all of the thought and innovation your team puts into each update and new feature. My mixing style is very harmonic in nature, which inherently makes me use (and value the ability to use) stems quite a lot.

This issue appears to have recently propped up, as I’d never encountered it until about a month ago (roughly around the 12/11 release of 5.6 for Windows, but no earlier than the 11/24 release of 5.5.2 for Windows).

The first time I encountered this issue I was using my old DDJ RX with the latest driver available (1.100) and firmware (1.04). The issue initially presented itself as a random click, followed by the dropping out of audio from one (sometimes both) tracks. The LEDs on my controller had not cycled, so it wasn’t a power issue. However, oddly enough, when this issue occurs, the affected deck’s output level meter freezes, and does not change dynamically even if the track associated with the affected deck is playing in the software. This issue occurred regardless of file type, location, and/or download status. I tested songs that were locally hosted on my computers internal SSD, files that were stored on my external SSD, and files that were exclusively streamed (via Tidal).

Naturally, this appeared to be either an issue with my hardware, or something had gone awry with the drivers or firmware for my controller.

I proceeded to uninstall and reinstall the drivers for my DDJ RX, and factory reset the controller in order to reinstall the firmware update - yet the issue still persisted. With the age of my DDJ RX, I honestly just figured there was something wrong internally, and I have no time to attempt fixing it myself or sending it out to repair, as I have a wedding to DJ on NYE. So, I went out and bought myself a new controller I’d been eyeballing for some time!

The new controller I picked up is a Rane Performer (most up-to-date drivers - 1.0.2 - and Firmware - 1.3.0.13). Started practicing after unboxing and updating everything, and the issue occurred on my brand new controller as well. I was doing pitch play with a vocal stem at the time this occurred on my new controller, which is when I started to piece together that this appears to be stem related (potentially solely occurring when just a vocal stem is being used, as @Niels_J_Johansen mentioned, but I can’t confirm this through all of my experiences with the issue).

I’m hard pressed to think this is an issue related to hardware incapabilities in my experience. While utilizing Djay Pro with one (sometimes up to three) separate Midi controllers involved, playing high quality WAV/AIFF files, and using stem separation and fx, my CPU usage has never gone above 35%, and my RAM usage is only at 40-45% at any given time using the software.

I’ll provide my detailed hardware info below.

Windows Version: Windows 11, version 25H2
DJay Pro Version: 5.6.5613.0
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
RAM: 32GB (5600MHz) DDR5

**DJ Controllers: ** DDJ RX, Rane Performer, and Reloop Mixtour PRO.

Troubleshooting Steps Taken: uninstalled/reinstalled associated device drivers, ensured Windows and DJay Pro are up-to-date, tried new cables, tried different USB ports, adjusted buffering size for audio drivers all the way to max as well as all the way down (this did not affect the frequency in which the issue occurred), closed background apps, ensured in-game overlays from Steam and NVIDIA are both disabled, ensured applications aren’t allowed to take exclusive control of any applicable audio devices involved in my setup (per your troubleshooting article), tested files from various internal and external drives, tested streaming files only, ensured device is in High Performance mode, ensured control panel doesn’t allow any USB ports to be put to sleep to save power, backed up DJay Pro data (as advised in your related help article) and uninstalled/reinstalled DJay Pro then proceeded to put backed up files back in place.

I’m a bit at a loss here on how to troubleshoot this any further without just attributing it to a bug that was recently introduced. I truly adore this software, and often tout it to my DJ friends in the field as often as I find myself able to. Unfortunately, with the way that I mix and rely on stems to do my transitions, this issue has terrified me on attempting to use DJay Pro live at gigs until the problem has been rectified. :confused:

Any and all troubleshooting measures I haven’t tried yet would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

2 Likes
11

I am experiencing the same issue. However, since I am now aware of the problem occurring when vocal stems are isolated while the key lock is active, I have opted to turn down the volume of the unused stems via the EQ. Specifically, I keep that option active using Shift+Cue; this is my workaround for the problem.
I am likely less ‘aggressive’ in my use of stem separation during my mixes than you are, which is why this approach works for me. Furthermore, I have not encountered any issues regarding CPU or RAM overload.

2 Likes
12

Hi @HubWub, welcome to the Community! Wow, it sounds like you’ve tried all the trouble shooting steps that I would normally suggest.

  1. Are you able to reproduce the issue with Keylock disabled on both decks?
  2. Can you please capture and share a short video of the issue? Thanks!
14

Hey there @Slak_Jaw! I appreciate you replying so quickly here. :man_bowing:

Interestingly enough, I found a guaranteed way to replicate the issue - but have encountered some unexpected tertiary problems while trying to test this and capture a video for you.

While setting up the tracks I’m able to easily replicate the problem with, DJay now appears to freeze on me the moment I press play on one of the tracks.

not-responding
not-responding1920×1440 261 KB

Then, after closing the program, I tried to open it up again in an attempt to capture the video.. but now it won’t open. So I pulled Windows Task Manager up to see if anything suspicious was happening, and it appears that DJay pro is still “running” a process that’s been suspended by Windows (likely not closing properly after it crashed). Unfortunately, this process isn’t able to be force-quit like other processes (see attached video).

Restarting my computer should force clear this process from the system and allow me to try capturing a video again. I’ll reply here with a video as soon as I’m able!

This is very odd for the program to be this unstable with all the running hours I have with it on a daily basis on this exact machine. :face_with_spiral_eyes: If you have any workaround steps to these weird tertiary issues detailed here, feel free to let me know :+1:

15

@Slak_Jaw Sorry to double reply, but I just thought I’d give an update on the situation.

While trying to capture a video of the issue, the software has practically become unusable on my machine :confused: For the most part, it won’t even boot up (although it appears in Task Manager after clicking the icon in my taskbar). Then, if it manages to boot, it freezes shortly after I load any track onto the decks for seemingly no reason.

Since this new issue has popped up, I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled the software on my computer and it’s made no difference in the application freezing/crashing, or not booting up at all.

Are there any cache files or other app related data that may need deleted in order to resolve this so I can at least open the software? I’m open to any troubleshooting steps you might have regardless of how nuclear they are :sweat_smile:

16

Hi @HubWub, sorry for the delayed reply here. This sounds like very unusual behaviour. Plus you seem to have tried everything that I would normally recommend.

  1. All of the djay files are stored in %HOMEPATH%>Music>djay. You could backup this folder to a different location then delete the original folder before your next uninstall.
  2. After uninstalling djay, make sure you download the latest djay 5.6.1 version from the Official Microsoft Store.
  3. Disable your Anti-Virus software before you do the installation.
    1. Do you have another Windows device that you could test this on?
17

Hey @Slak_Jaw ! Appreciate the tips here to get the software stable again and bootable. I apologize for the delayed response on my part as well! I’ve been busy with events and thoroughly testing what might be causing this issue in my downtime.

Reinstalling the app after manually deleting all of DJays files (as well as the cached data files in the AppData folder) has made the software bootable for me, and it hasn’t been crashing since - so that’s a huge win!

That said, I’ve got some pretty interesting findings - as well as what appears to be a potential workaround!

What I’ve Found:

  • As @Niels_J_Johansen noted as well, the issue only appears when using an Acapella stem, and when there’s “dead air” in the acapella track you’re playing. Noting this has made it very easy to replicate the problem.
  • Including any other stem - even at very minimal volumes adjusted via the Neural Mix faders - completely prevents the issue from happening altogether.
  • When the issue occurs, it’s as though the problematic acapella track is given some sort of output priority after the audio drops out - even though this isn’t visibly seen by any movement in the crossfader or channel faders of the application UI. After the issue occurs, if you slide the crossfader over to the unaffected (instrumental) track, that track is playing just fine. However, sliding the crossfader over to the affected (acapella) track immediately cuts the audio for both tracks out. Also worth noting: the degree at which the crossfader needs to be moved between channels A - B varies based on whichever Crossfader Curve setting the user has chosen at the time.
  • The issue occurs LESS often, but is not completely resolved, when reducing the max number of channels Neural Mix utilizes from 4 to anything less.
  • The issue also occurs marginally less often when NM MuteFX are disabled, but not less enough to trust utilizing Neural Mix in a live setting.
  • The problem is more frequent depending on when the app was opened last. It seems like the longer the app has been opened, the less frequent the issue is - regardless of adjusting any of the settings previously mentioned. However, when the app is freshly opened, the issue is immediately able to be replicated under the previously detailed circumstances. What this is a testament to, I’m not entirely sure. Could be a background service at play in Windows that’s more active shortly after opening the app - but I’m just hazarding a guess here.

Potential Workaround:

After adjusting a plethora of settings one at a time within DJay, I found that the issue can be worked around in the meantime by adjusting the FX Routing setting to Pre-Fader instead of Post-Fader. Making this adjustment has prevented the issue from occurring thus far under every circumstance I was previously able to readily replicate the problem with. I’ve attached a video demonstrating the problem occurring predictably before this setting is toggled, and going on to demonstrate the issue not occurring after the setting is toggled.

I hope all of this information may help aid in the further investigation of this issue! If you’d like me to provide any more info, or to test anything out on my end, please do let me know.

Thanks again for all of your attention and assistance in the matter!

18

@Slak_Jaw Just had time to test this on two other Windows devices with fresh installs of the software as well and was immediately able to replicate the issue. Unfortunately appears to be a legitimate bug that was likely introduced in a recent update.

With my Rane Performer being an external-only mixer for DJay Pro, I’m not able to conveniently use the workaround of lowering stem volume to isolate vocals without utilizing an entirely separate mapped midi controller to individually lower the volume of stems at this time. Although I have these at my disposal, I’m not too fond of crowding my setup unnecessarily as a workaround. :sweat_smile:

Since the problem wasn’t present before the most recent update, is there any possible way you or your team could provide me with a direct download to the previous version of the software in the meantime? Rolling back software versions downloaded from the Microsoft Store isn’t possible at this time, or I’d absolutely be fine with doing that on my own accord :sob:

As previously mentioned, I’d be happy to work with you and your team further to gather further diagnostic data that could shed some light on why this is happening - as I’m able to replicate the issue without fault on all of my Windows machines.

Thanks again for your time and attention! I hope your weekend is going well. :man_bowing:

20

You’re welcome @HubWub, sorry for the delayed reply here. Thank you for the video and detailed information about your troubleshooting and workarounds. These are super helpful and I have shared them with our engineering team for a deeper analysis.

Regarding a direct download of a previous djay version, unfortunately, this is not possible. All distribution of our software is handled directly through the various app stores. Do you have a full system backup of your Windows device with an earlier version of djay installed that you can recover to?

In the meantime, have you tried disabling Key Lock on both decks to see if that helps?

21

Hey there again @Slak_Jaw ! Apologies for the delayed response on my end as well. Post-holidays has kept me quite busy :melting_face:

I appreciate you passing that info along though! Regarding access to a previous version of the software, I completely understand. I definitely figured it was a bit of a long shot, but worth a try nonetheless. :sweat_smile: I don’t currently have an earlier backup of my main gigging device that I’d be willing to recover back to at this time, so I’ll just stick through this and see what may come to light as the issue is investigated. :+1:

That covered, I did have a chance to try disabling Key Lock on both decks to see if that helped. Much like reducing the number of stem channels Neural Mix has, this helps to reduce the frequency at which the issue occurs, but doesn’t eliminate the problem for me altogether. Not having Key Lock on also makes it unfortunately hard to mix harmonically between tracks with varying BPMs as well, so I’m opting to use the other options we’ve discussed to workaround the issue in the meantime.

Thanks again for all of your attention to this. Feel free to let me know if the engineering team happens to find anything, or if you need any additional information from me in the interim!

1 Like
22

You’re welcome @HubWub. Thanks for the follow up. Sorry to hear that workaround isn’t effective for you. I’ll report back here when I have more news from our engineering team. Thanks!

1 Like