This article was originally written in 2016 (or earlier) for Liquid Rhythm 1.4.5 (or earlier). Though later versions of Liquid Rhythm and Liquid Music are much more stable and less likely to encounter this issue, if this issue is encountered with later versions, the recommended steps to troubleshoot are similar to as described below (though likely with different operating system UI than as shown in the pictures included below).
What is the Audio Engine?
Liquid Rhythm runs in a two process model. The main application’s graphical user interface is separate from the Audio Engine for performance reasons. Thus when Liquid Rhythm starts it will launch two processes, and the graphical user interface will need to connect locally to the second process. When we are run in a standalone mode (for example, if you launched Liquid Rhythm by clicking on the icons on your desktop), we use Cycling ’74 MaxMSP as the core component of our audio engine. Usually on the very first launch of the application after a fresh install, the audio engine takes longer to startup, as it needs to configure itself to the new environment and version. On subsequent launches, it should take less time.
If Liquid Rhythm will not launch in standalone mode, here are steps we can take to help trouble shoot the problem. Of course, if you are ever stuck or need further help, please don’t hesitate to contact support@wavedna.com.
Warning Message
Chances are you are on this page because you receive the following warning message when you started Liquid Rhythm. The first thing to note is to give the Audio Engine a chance to startup, before attempting the troubleshooting below. Note, these troubleshooting steps do not apply if you are launching Liquid Rhythm as a VST/AU/RTAS plugin or through the special Max For Live integration.
Warning message received when Audio Engine cannot be started by Liquid Rhythm.
Liquid Rhythm is having difficulty starting up its Audio Engine (LiquidLoops.exe). Would you like Liquid Rhythm to try again? (It’s recommended to try again at least once).
Microsoft Windows TroubleShooting Steps
If you have tried launching Liquid Rhythm use the Task Manager to see if there are both processes are started. If LiquidLoops.exe starts, but then soon disappears, it likely means our Audio Engine failed in its startup. In testing at WaveDNA, we discovered that the Audio Engine will attempt to discover all of your audio related drivers. In some case, old drivers in the system will cause it to fail abruptly. Please check if the audio drivers are up to date. One driver we have had an issue with specifically are the M-Audio/Protools drivers.
After a successful Liquid Rhythm launch, we would expect to see two Processes listed in Task Manager, as shown below. You can launch the Task Manager by hitting the ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ key on your computer at the same time. In the Task Manager you want to observe the LiquidLoops.exe which is the Audio Engine for Liquid Rhythm in standalone mode.
Ctrl-Alt-Del to show the task manager to verify that LiquidLoops.exe is able to launch.
If it doesn’t appear, we can launch LiquidLoops.exe from the command line. If you launch from the command line (Command Prompt or PowerShell), and it fails, it will sometimes produce useful diagnostic information.
If you are still having issues and get a Windows crash report then please look at this article: Liquid Rhythm Standalone crashing. You can also try a complete uninstall (and reinstall), and if that doesn't help please contact support@wavedna.com.
Apple Mac TroubleShooting Steps
Some Mac users have run into an issue where they will install Liquid Rhythm and upon startup they keep getting this message. To solve this please do the following:
1. Delete the Liquid Rhythm folder within your User folder.
/Users/<username>/LiquidRhythm
2. Delete all of the possible Liquid Loops Audio Engine Preferences folders:
/Library/Application Support/LiquidLoops Audio Engine Preferences
/Library/Application Support/Liquid Loops Max 8 Preferences
/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/LiquidLoops Audio Engine Preferences
/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Liquid Loops Max 8 Preferences
3. Reinstall Liquid Rhythm.
4. Upon startup, your audio engine issues should be solved! If you are still having issues you can try a complete uninstall (and reinstall), and if this doesn't help please contact support@wavedna.com.
Known Issues
- If you have Pro Tools or M-Audio drivers, please ensure you have the latest versions. We (c. 2016) noticed that the Audio Engine would fail when attempting to load when we had out of date Pro Tools 8 drivers on one of the test systems.