Topic: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Hi There,

i have issues with x64 drivers for dakota.

Although it was originally been approved for xp x64 and vista x64, i know most vista drivers work with windows 7 x64.

Also, i could never get the vista x64 driver to work, i always get digital noise (like you would hear in the movie transformers from soundwave :) instead of actual audio sounds from music, etc.

Now with windows 7 x64 (which i was hoping would fix this issue) after the second reboot and from the point on, i get a blue screen at the end of the shutdown.

The message i get:

system_service_exception

no idea how to fix this.

I tried compatibility mode for vista sp2 and "run as administrator" which failed.

Also, for those who don't understand the reasons for x64, you need x64 OS to access ram higher then 3.5GB (limited to 32-bit) - and even if you add the /pae switch (physical address extension) it is still not the same process as running x64 OS when dealing with audio and video.

In my case, i have 8GB of ram running.

Any solution is creately appreciated.

Thx

Matt.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Also additional information

I also tried with 4GB of ram and 2 GB of ram just in case the ram size is not supported by the dakota (which i doubt is the problem).

Still same results.

Any help is appreciated.

thx

matt.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Sorry, i forgot to mention the most important part of the whole windows 7 x64 RTM with dakota x64 drivers.

- the drivers actually work in windows 7 x64 and performing very fast no problems, sounds great and clear as always from dakota sound card

- only problem is with the blue screen when the computer goes to restart or shutdown

- reason why this is important to fix is because everytime it blue screens on shutdown/restart is that i risk damaging the hard-drive becasue the hard-drive head will stop in the middle of the disk sector as oppose to properly parking on a shutdown which will damage the physical drive platter.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

I believe you will find your crash is coming from daktray.exe (the Dakota Control Panel). You can choose not to run it from msconfig.  You can control some things from the sound applet in control panel but others probably only from daktray.  I too get great performance from win 7 but have found no way to unload daktray without crash. Daktray works well but when you end the process, logoff or shut down it will crash. My card seems to remember the last settings but heaven help you if you need to change them. I have not tried running Daktray as a service but I don’t hold much hope. I can’t really gripe at Frontier for not having a driver/control panel at this point but I hope they do as I am going forward with windows 7.

Good luck
Bill Stone

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

PROBLEM SOLVED for WINDOWS 7 64-BIT

Thanks to Williaml99

Yes his method works.

I did the installation twice on 2 fresh workstations and they work perfectly.

You need to open you command windows (in accessories) and type: msconfig

On the startup tab (along the top) - remove the check mark for DakotaTray.exe

You will prompt to reboot, just reboot and everything should work perfectly.

To access your Dakota Tray goto control panel, switch view from category to large icon (drop down option on right side of window)

and you will see your Dakota Tray

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

I am upgrading to 7 this week. I hope your fix works Matlock. I can't stand the thought of losing my Dakota. I'll post my results.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Mattlok's fix worked. I also installed ASIO4ALL (you can get it online for free) and with a little tweaking it improved Sonar 8.5 32 & 64 bit performance. Kudos you guys.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Guys I just installed Win 7 (on tri-boot : XP, Vista and 7) - 64 bit today.  Just to ensure I install Dakota correctly (it works since yeats on XP and Vista 64bit), could you be more specific on how to install this ?

I see in device manager there is a ''high definition audio device S/PDIF'' which is ready...   Is this what I should look for ? Or under the Device manager, a ''Multimedia Audio controller'' for which it says ''drivers not installed'' ?? 

If not, what would be the process ?

Thanks,
Rob

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

I'm not sure what you mean. Here is what I did.
1. Installed the 64 bit Dakota drivers.
2. Went to msconfig and unchecked the Dakota tray in Startup.
you can now access the Dakota control panel by going to Windows  control panel and clicking on it there. (I created a shortcut to my desktop for convenience)
3. I have found only the asio drivers allow record and then only 16 bit with no control for latency.
4. (Optional) install asioforall drivers. You can Google them and download them for free. They allowed me to access 24 bit drivers and have a latency control. If they screw with your system uninstall them.

Good Luck

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Michael,

Where am i supposed to see the Dakota ? Under Sound, Video and Games controlers ?

I do not see it... And if I try to have Windows detect it, nothing happen.  Guess I'm supposed to get it detected first, then install driver right ?

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Yeah, you should have the zip folder that contains the drivers unzipped and  on a disk, so that when the installation wizard asks for drivers you point  it to them. The question is, why isn't windows recognizing the Dakota and asking you for the drivers. Maybe try just unzipping the drivers folder and installing the DakTtray.exe and see what happens. Set a restore point first just in case.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Can you see the Dakota under Sound in the control panel?

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Yes Michael, finally got it... There was an unknown device (under ''other devices'', I unzipped the folder and was able to use it to update driver).  Thanks :-)

I also followed your advice to uncheck the daktray in msconfig.  However, can't find the panel icon in the Windows control panel - maybe because it's not classical view... You have a hint here ?

One other question : I read you were installing Sonar 8.5 - which is also my next step...  (I have been a Sonar user for a decade and CPA before) - But just out of curiosity: are you installing the 64bit version?  (Cakewalk tech took me to reverse to 32bit on version 6, 7 and even 8 under Vista 64bit... so just wondering if they finally catched up to what they have been promoting with bells and whitles for the last 4 years or so...   

And under Sonar/Dakota : although I use the WDM drivers in XP 32bit, I was only able to use ASIO in Vista 64bit - this is an issue I had brought to Frontier Design 2 years ago - looks like the noise you were describing...  But I am able to use the 24bit resolution - at least in Vista x64...

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Control Panel/ View by: Large Icons/Dakota Icon

I have the 32 and 64 bit versions installed. There are various reasons, like rewire doesn't work in 64 bit. I like the sound of 64 more. It does seem to make a difference, however some of my favorite plugins don't  work in it. I'm just getting use to a new work flow using them both.

As far as asio and bit rate it is what it is. Open up Sonar and check out the available inputs. It is latency that bums me out. Midi is very important to me. You might try those asio4all drivers I mentioned. They helped me. Just install them right on top of the Dakota drivers.
I started out with Cakewalk ProAudio 9 and have used Sonar the whole time it's been around. The Dakota too.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Thanks Michael.

Just installed Sonar 8.5 32bit for now.  I really don't get it why the ASIO 24bit is not available under Win 7 !!... I get it right and running well under Win Vista (both with the Dakota 64bit driver!!).

I checked and made sure that all settings were similar (unless I missed something...) between my Vista and Win7 setups.

Btw : just got my first blue screen (after only 10 hours running Win 7) when I was just launching the Dakota icon I placed on desktop... After disabling MIDI on it (I use another MIDI interface). It was not at shutdown (as you experienced).  Weird... 

Pls let me know if you discover anything for the ASIO 24bit. I'll do the same. 

Maybe try the allASIO as you suggested. 

Cheers,
Rob

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Michael,

Just re-reading your message: you stated that you get 24bit in ASIO with Asio4all ?

I googled that. but I get many results - not sure which one is the one...  Could you tell me which ?
AlsoL you said you installed ''on top'' of Dakota's driver... Can you tell me about it as well ? Is ut just matter of launching an app ?


Thanks in advance,
Rob

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

http://www.asio4all.com/

It's the download next to the British flag.
Install the drivers. Go to Sonar look under Options/Audio/Drivers
See what is in there. To use the asio4all drivers you will need to deselect the drivers that are selected and apply. Then select them, and apply. Under the general tab there is an ASIO Panel button. Push it and see if Dak Panel comes up or the Asio4all panel. I know, it's a lot of dicking around, and I'm still experimenting myself. Get back to me and let me know where you're at. If you come up with any good suggestions let me know. I've been fairly successful with recording at this point, so there is hope. If worse comes to worse, I'm going to ditch Dakota and see what pops up on the market to make life easier. Also adjust the the buffers to decrease latency. See if there is an updated driver for your midi interface.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Thanks Michael. I will try this for sure.

Just to let you know : I installed S 8.5 side by side with S 8  under my Vista x64 profile and I get the same behavior: only 16bit, although I get the full 24bit with S 8...

So the problem may lie not within the Dakota driver nor Windows 7, but within S 8.5 itself....

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Michael,
Thanks :-) Now using ASIO 24/24 ...
Just curious : I can now use the Dakota 24 bit (not tried the Asio4all 24bit. although I can see it).  Wondering if it's Asio4all, or just the fact I had forgotten to uncheck the 16 bit drivers prior to select the 24 bit ????

I'll keep experimenting, but for tonight I am more than satisfied.

However, another (2nd or 3rd) blue screen just by clicking toopen the Daktray (from within Sonar (ASIO panel) or directly... Fortunately not something requires too often...

Thanks again
Rob

Last edited by lanstrad (2009-12-03 00:20:12)

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Hmmm, good point about the Dakota 24 drivers. I might not have discovered that deselect thing in that order. I need to get into my daktray constantly, and I haven't blue screened. Do you have another system sound card it might be in conflict with?

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Oups... Got solution to recording SPDIF not working under my new setup: the Daktray settings pointed the S/PDIF to CD rather than coax... It installed this way by default for some reason.  Now recording problem via S/PDIF from digital mixer is solved.

Now the remaining one : Daktray crashing Win 7... About 8 times out of 10, when launched or when I exit. 

With some luck, maybe I have solved this as well by solving the S/PDIF issue... We'll see ;-)

Last edited by lanstrad (2009-12-11 02:01:17)

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Sorry i haven't been on here for awhile.

I do have a problem with my Dakota working with Windows 7 x64 Ultimate Edition.

Playback works no problem.

However, when i record, it shows it is recording but what i playback from the recordings ends up sounding like digital timecode signals

When i revert back to Windows 7 32-bit ultimate and use 32-bit drivers, it works fine.

This problems occurs on all 64 bit platforms (Winxp, Vista, Win7)

The workstation is a dell precision 490 with dakota card and 2 tango 24 using 44.1Khz for syncing.

Aside from doing Audio production, i am now needing to do video and because Adobe Premiere CS5 will only work with 64-bit Windows OS, i cannot use it with my Dakota now.

I am sure this is a simple fix and i have requesting this to support since WinXP 64-bit.

I have tried installation on whiteboxes, other dell desktops, HP, and IBM with the same results.

I am asking Frontier Design to please make a final fix for the Dakota 64 bit drivers.

As you also know, windows 7 is the last OS that will be 32-bit.

Therefore in 2 years when windows 8 comes out, it will only be 64-bit.

Please do not make me change to M-Audio, i have been proud since 1999 to have Dakota and told everyone what great technology this is for lasting for over a decade and a half.

I invite others with the same problem to please ask support to fix this issue as well.

23 Reply by mjn

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Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Hello, I'm researching a new computer system for my studio. Is the blue screen problem talked about here only on Win 7 64, or is it also happening on Win 7 32? Thanks.

Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

Hi MJN,

The blue screen is on both windows 7 x64 and x86 (32 bit).

You have to disable the dakota control panel on loadup so that it does not load into the system tray. 

But you can access it afterwards in control panel by changing the view to category view (on the right side of the screen).

Otherwise on Win7 32-bit everything else seems to work including recording directly to your line-in on your tango24 via dakota card (line-in recording will not work for win7 64-bit)

Hope this helps.

MattLok

Last edited by mattlok (2010-09-21 23:15:59)

25 Reply by mjn

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Re: x64 Dakota driver crashes windows 7 x64 (RTM)

It does help mattlok, thank you for taking the time. Many decisions to make...