An overview of various software logging and debugging methods in SoundID Reference which can be used in certain troubleshooting scenarios.
In this article:
- Software logging and debugging
- SoundID Reference Logs
- Install logs
- Crash reports
- Freeze dumps
- Debug Mode
Software logging and debugging
When encountering any issues with the SoundID Reference software, a variety of log files and debug procedures are available to help us determine the issue. These include software logs, crash reports, install logs, and more. Collecting this information can help us better understand the issue, and assist the Sonarworks developers to provide a solution faster.
Below is an overview of the logging and debugging mechanisms available for SoundID Reference, including explanations for their relevance in certain situations, and links to step-by-step instructions.
SoundID Reference Logs
SoundID Reference features its own native logging mechanisms, and generates various log files for all software modules. These files are stored in the Sonarworks/Logs directory in a .log file format, and conveniently sorted in session-based folders. Logs are stored for the past 7 days of software use, older files are deleted automatically.
These logs can be useful in any issue scenario, and show a detailed account of what happened from the moment of launching the software until the issue occurred. Read here how to collect them:
IMPORTANT! The SoundID Reference native logs should be collected and included by default when troubleshooting any issue associated with the SoundID Reference software.
Install logs
In case the SoundID Reference software doesn't install properly, or fails during the installation process, the install logs will show us more about what is happening locally or within our installer. They are stored as install.log files on macOS and as .tmp & MSI.txt files on Windows. This root cause will help us resolve the issue, and help us improve the installer too. Follow these instructions:
Crash reports
When the SoundID Reference software crashes, our developers will need the respective crash reports. These are generated automatically as .crash files on macOS, while a third-party tool will be needed to extract crash dumps in .txt format on Windows.
The same method also applies to third-party software crashes when interacting with the SoundID Reference software (for example, a DAW crash with the SoundID Reference plugin format). Follow the guides here:
NOTE! Crash dumps are readable by the software manufacturer only (we can't read crash dumps of third-party software). However, if the support staff of the third-party software can be contacted, they can likely provide some input on the problem.
Freeze dumps
There have been documented cases where the SoundID Reference software freezes, or using the SoundID Reference plugin format causes a DAW to freeze. Since there are no crash logs created in such situations (the app hasn't fully crashed), it can be highly useful to extract freeze dumps instead.
Follow the instructions below on how to collect .txt Spindumps on macOS, or .dmp Minidumps on Windows to help us understand what caused the issue and how to resolve it:
- Collecting spindumps for frozen apps (freeze dumps) [MAC]
- Collecting minidumps for frozen apps (freeze dumps) [WIN]
NOTE! Freeze dumps are readable by the software manufacturer only (we can't read freeze dumps of third-party software). However, if the support staff of the third-party software can be contacted, they can likely provide some input on the problem.
Debug Mode
SoundID Reference Debug Mode feature is currently not available and is in development. The option can be found in SoundID Reference Preferences, but at the moment it will show up as disabled (grayed out). We encourage users experiencing an issue with software to forward SoundID Reference logs instead. However, for macOS users, there is a script available that collects the same data. The steps are described in the article below:
SoundID Reference Measure app features a Debug mode, making it easier to investigate and fix particularly complex speaker measurement issues. The debug data will be essential for our support and development teams to figure out what exactly is causing the problem.
Details on each log file collection method can be found via the links. However, if any questions come up, you can reach out to our support below for assistance.
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