Audio dropout at 2:06 when outputting to tape? Can't track it down! Please help.

[Hulk]

I'm having a problem with an audio dropout when printing my project back to tape. If I start the playback from the beginning I get a short audio dropout at 2:06 into the production. It's alright from there to the end 11 minutes later.

If I start the playback through the camera 1:00 into the video, then the dropout occurs at 3:06. So, the dropout occurs after 2:06 of playback.

Here's what I have tried so far:

defrag hard drive
create the project as one avi file on my fastest hard drive (Maxtor 60 plus), with ONLY that file on the drive! Same result
I don't think it's drive problem

I have turned off almost everything in my msdiag "start up"

Windows XP must be polling something but I have yet to track it down.

Any suggestions would be apprciated.

My system:

P4 1.5 w/intel 845
512MB PC133
Matrox g450 eTV
HP 9100i CDRW
Pyro firewire card
M-Audio Delta 66 sound card

[Patrick]

Probably a different situation, but...

I was having a similar problem where I was getting audio dropouts in a project at the very end of a one hour production. I was recording the project back out to my Sony TRV900 MiniDV camcorder. Every time I made a recording and played the tape back I was getting the same audio dropouts, no matter how I tried to massage the computer and/or MSP6. I finally became suspicious of the tape, and sure enough the tape had been creased near the end. It turns out this is a common headache with the TRV900.

Sometimes it's the relatively simple things we overlook that are causing our problems!

[Hulk]

Yes, usually it is something very simple.

This dropout occurs even when just playing the timeline to the camera.

I called Ulead and they actually had someone calling in this morning with the same problem. Weird thing is both of us are using Gateway computers. It might be a Gateway thing.

I'm going to keep trying things. Eventually I will try a clean install of XP. If that doens't work I'll try a clean install of 98SE. This project is going to be airing on local cable Monday so I am going to have to figure something out!

Thanks

Mark