Failed to play back MIDI via sequencer

[Ian (PassMark)]

We have had a report of the "Failed to play back MIDI via sequencer" error that has occurred due to the system running out of memory on Vista and later. It would appear that this is caused by a memory leak in the Microsoft process audiodg.exe. Information and a hotfix can be found here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981013/en-us

[GI Wan]

Failed to play back MIDI via sequencer on Win7 SP1

Dear Lan~
Help...
I also encounter the same issue.
I can't install this hotfix (KB981013) for it does not support Win7 SP1 OS.
Could you please kindly advise if it is possible to fix this issue in Win7 SP1 OS?
Or just as readme file said, PassMark BurnInTest V6.0 Requirement is not including Win7 SP1. (We should not test PassMark BurnIn by Win7 SP1 OS.)
============
- Operating System: Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, 2008 Server, Windows 7 (*)

Prevent to violate PassMark BurnIn requirement, I try OS without SP1.
I build a Win7 without SP1 x64 OS and install the hotfix (KB981013) to check if this hotfix can fix the issue on the same system. But it still fail.
Is it possible also a memory leak issue after update hotfix? Or other risk?
Please kindly help~ Thank you.

By the way, there is another fail may related the same root cause.
"Unrecoverable video playback error" also happen when Sound + Video Playback test.
Since if it happens, then "Failed to play back MIDI via sequencer" issue will not happen.
If it does not happen, then "Failed to play back MIDI via sequencer" issue will happen.
Could you advise if it is also related to Audiodg.exe also?
(A memory leak issue occurs in the Audiodg.exe process when you play audio on a computer)

Fail system information:
AMD Brazos APU + Hudson M1 platform
Audio Codec Realtek ALC269 (SonicFocus feature is enabled)

(If you need more detail information, please kindly let me know. I will reply as soon as possible. Thank you.)

[Ian (PassMark)]

I found this information on a SonicFocus handle resource leak that could cause this problem:
http://www.withinwindows.com/2008/05...audio-drivers/

I would check you have the latest audio chipset drivers.

If this does not resolve the problem, then this website gives quite detailed information on how you could try debugging the problem if you have a handle resource leak.

[GI Wan]

Failed to play back MIDI via sequencer

Dear IanR,

Thank you.
Answer your previous question, I use Realtek v.6.0.1.6307 for audio codec ALC269. It was released by Realtek on 2011/2/16.

After checked the number of handles for audiodg.exe, it was normal for both enabled/disabled SonicFocus.
So it seems not handle leak issue for our systems.
After update memory leak hotfix(KB981013)also can’t solve the issue.
Neither handle leak nor memory leak issue for the system.
No doubt now it is related to SonicFocus function.

Could you please kindly advise any idea to debug this issue?
Or you have any other comment?

Correct my description in previous mail:
BurnIn issue: Sound and Video Playback may both fail after enable SonicFocus

By the way, is it possible fail for the low system performance, especially enable third-party SonicFocus function?

[Ian (PassMark)]

Here is a copy of the email I sent you. We can just continue to use email, and if/when we find a resolution to the problem, I will post the result here.

Can you please send me a log file showing the Video playback error as this can include an error code number that may help.

“By the way, is it possible fail for the low system performance, especially enable third-party SonicFocus function?”
Can you explain in more detail what you see in terms of performance on the system when SonicFocus is enabled and disabled?

[Johnatan]

Have tried using newest sound card drivers? or switching pci bus ports (audio card)?

[David (PassMark)]

Update: June 2012.

With the help of Lenovo, who also had the MIDI playback back on their Thinkpad laptops we have got to the bottom of at least one of the causes of MIDI playback problem.

It was found there was a memory leak in the Conexant audio device drivers. After running for some time the device driver would fail.

Device: Conexant 20672 SmartAudio HD
Bad version: 8.32.23.2 or before
Good version 8.32.27.50 and after

[Aaron]

I got the MIDI sequencer failure until I actually plugged a headphone into the Audio Out jack. I didn't see this tidbit of info in the thread so thought I'd add it. I'm using the Microsoft driver in Windows 7 with Intel HD Audio controller.

[anglela]

hi admin,
recently i have met the same issue: Failed to play back MIDI via sequencer.
i choose CPU, Memory, 2D, 3D, video, disk, serial ports, LPT and sound to run full loading test, after the error happened, i made an experiment， and i found out that when i test video and sound the same time, the sound will be failed. when i tested sound or video in different time, there was no error. so i wandered that if it is reasonable that i test video and sound the same time?
PS: i use passmark burnin V7.1 build 1007/1015, V8.0 build 1015. the result was the same
thanks

[Ian (PassMark)]

Running the tests simultaneously is going to be a better test for problems with the interaction of hardware and software components. Running them together is a reasonable test. How serious this problem is for you depends on what your system is going to be used for. Generally speaking, for an individual home desktop this is not a serious problem. It still makes sense to update your audio drivers though.

[JerryX]

Hi,Ian,we also encounter the same issue with the latest conxant Audio CX20752 Driver 8.65.55.52 on win7 64bit OS.
But the failrate is lower.
As your experience,what can we do except update audio driver?
If any good method to check whether it's audio driver issue or not?

[Ian (PassMark)]

Apart from updating the audio drivers, the only solutions we are aware of are described in the forum post:
http://www.passmark.com/forum/showth...highlight=midi
These appear to have been mainly due to memory leaks (software bugs) in various software components (Microsoft audiodg.exe and SonicFocus sound effects).
I would check what software components are delivering your MIDI synthesizer functionality (e.g. is it the standard Microsoft or what 3rd party MIDI synthesizer software components are used). I would check for updates to these components. If you are using a non-Microsoft MIDI solution, then I would try disabling that and try the Microsoft MIDI software.
If you have sound effects turned on, you could try disabling these - if this makes a difference, then it could be a memory leak in the sound effects software.

[JerryX]

Hi Ian,
We only installed the Burnin V7.1 on win8.1 64bit OS,no 3^rd party Midi file involved for this test.The Burnin test used midi file is the Microsoft inbox midi file or Burnin midi file?
We already update to the latest audio driver,but also failed,and not only failed on one audio codec.
We used so many brands memory and not only failed with the same brands memory,it seems the fail not followed memory hardware.
So when this issue happened,what else can we do?

I have sent the failed log file to your email:help@passmark.com.

[Ian (PassMark)]

I have your log. I will take a look at it and email you a response.

[David (PassMark)]

Two additional updates.

Update #1.
In Windows 10 there was a bug. When collecting hard disk temperatures at the same time as midi playback, the playback could fail. Only Win10 was effected. Turning off all the temperature collection functions would also avoid the problem. This was fixed up in BurnInTest release Version 8.1 build 1010, 28/September/2015.

Update #2.
A new rare behaviour was observed where a midi playback error occurred right at the end of the scheduled test period. So for example in a 8 hour test there was one error exactly at the 8 hour mark. The behaviour was somewhat random as the error might or might not occur depending on exactly where the sound test was up to when the test period finished. So it will only been seen on some test runs. This will be corrected in the next patch release. Version 8.1 build 1013, expected around Mid Mar 2016.