Frontier AlphaTrack lagging after updating Reaper - should I look at alternatives?

[borg64]

Hi!

I’m on a OS X 10.9.5 Mac Pro (2012, last of the tower models) and running latest version of Reaper 5. I use my AlphaTrack pretty much every day, but after the last couple of Reaper updates it’s been responding slower and slower, up until the point where it can take up to 20 seconds before a change between DAW and the control surface is registered. In this state, it’s basically useless.

I’ve always had both the AlphaTrack and AlphaTrack PRO drivers added in Reaper, but have now tried removing everything in the Control surface Prefs page, adding one, removing it, adding the other, removing that, adding both et cetera. Works fine for a session or so and then slows down again. This happens in both an empty one track session as well as a 200 track client mix project, yet always worked flawlessly before.

When I remove any of these drivers after the slowdown thing occurs, the spinning beachball of death comes up for about 20-30 secs before it disappears from the Prefs page, so something seems wrong with the sync.

Is there something in the later Reaper updates that could account for this (like… MIDI-stuff…?), or is this no-longer-supported Reaper driver (AlphaTrack PRO) showing its age? Anyone have any tips? Tonight, I finally removed everything from the Control surface window and unplugged the AlphaTrack for now, but I really miss it in my workflow.

If no tips, does anyone have good experience with a different motorized solution, like e.g. the PreSonus FaderPort, in current versions of Reaper? I’m not opposed to changing brand if that’s what it takes, and I’ve worked with the FaderPort in Pro Tools at a different studio and enjoy the ”feel”. As long as it works!

Sorry for the lenghty post and much obliged,

Sven

[wallace]

Mine seems to have gone intermittent in the last week or so.

Inputs from the Alphatrack in to Reaper work fine.

But selecting and moving a fader in Reaper no longer moves the fader on the Alphatrack (Native and Pro drivers same result)

W10 64
Reaper 5.33 64

[wallace]

Borg64 This worked for me. Worth a try.
On The Alphatrack buttons when not in Reaper
Shift+Stop+F4.

This re Calibrates the Alphatrack.

[borg64]

Many thanks Wallace, I just tried the re-calibration thingie, and so far so good! Crossing fingers...

I added the AlphaTrack PRO driver in the Control Surface window earlier today - without connecting the AlphaTrack - and some bigger mix projects started lagging like crazy, audio dropouts, stuttering and whatnot. Removing the driver immediately solved the problem, so there seems to be something strange going on here. I'll report back.

By any chance, have you used the FaderPort?

Thanks again,

Sven

[wallace]

Fingers crossed it works for you.
Not tried the faderport. I did look at the forum comments and feedback seemed a bit mixed.
I think like you I'm attached to my Alphatrack and reluctant to change to something that might not be as good.
I'm hoping something else comes out soon as I know the Alpha won't last for ever.