Log files, crash reports, and debug procedures in SoundID Reference

Find SoundID Reference log files for issue troubleshooting. If you're experiencing some problems with the software, log files are beneficial for our team in resolving issues.

 

In this article:

• SoundID Reference log files
• Installation log files
• Crash reports
• Freeze logs (spindumps)
• Measure app log files
  • Debug Mode in the SoundID Reference Measure app
  • SoundID Virtual Monitoring PRO Measure log files
• HAL logging on macOS
• Frequently asked questions
  • Why is the 'Debug mode' feature grayed out in the standalone app?

SoundID Reference log files

If you encounter a technical issue while using SoundID Reference and believe that it is caused by the software itself, the log files will contain information on the cause. Unless the bug is clearly reproducible on any computer, our developers will need to read the software log files generated on your computer. To speed up the resolution time, collect and attach the log files when submitting a support request.

Log files are generated automatically, and are grouped by each software session separately - a new log subfolder is generated whenever you launch the SoundID Reference standalone app, DAW plugin, or Measure app.

macOS

1. Relaunch the software to automatically start a new logging session.
2. Reproduce the issue to capture the problematic behavior in the logs.
3. Open Finder and click on Go > Go to Folder... and enter the following location:
   • ~/Library/Application Support/Sonarworks/Logs
4. Locate the log subfolder from the latest session (sort the folder content by Date Modified if you're unable to locate the latest session logs manually).
5. Right-click on the logs folder and compress it into a ZIP archive. 

You can also navigate to the Sonarworks folder manually in Finder:

Macintosh HD/Users/your username/Application Support/Sonarworks/Logs

Note: The User/Library directory on macOS is hidden by default. Use the Command + Shift + "." (dot) key command in Finder to show hidden files, or follow the directions here: How to show hidden files Mac and Windows?

Windows

1. Relaunch the software to automatically start a new logging session.
2. Reproduce the issue to capture the problematic behavior in the logs.
3. Navigate to the following location on your PC:
   • C:\Users\your username\AppData\Local\Sonarworks\Logs
4. Locate the log subfolder from the latest session (sort the folder content by Date Modified if you're unable to locate the latest session logs manually).
5. Right-click on the logs folder and compress it into a ZIP archive. 

Note: The Library\AppData directory on Windows is hidden by default. To show hidden files, follow the directions here: How to show hidden files Mac and Windows?

Installation log files

If you are experiencing an issue with the SoundID Reference installer on your computer or an installation issue in general, gathering installation logs may help our support team investigate the issue further.

macOS

1. Find and click on the Spotlight search icon in the top-right corner of your desktop.
2. Type Console and then press enter.
3. Navigate to Log Reports, scroll to the bottom of the list, and locate the install.log file.
4. Right-click on the install.log file and choose Reveal in Finder.

Note: There are additional install logs available within the regular SoundID Reference log files - collect them too, as shown above: Collecting log files on macOS.

Escalated installer logging on macOS

There might be more information regarding the issue in the Console's log messages. If you wish to add more information to the ticket or if the support agent asks you to provide a more detailed report about the issue, please follow these steps:  

1. Launch the Console utility and click on Start in the top center bar.
2. Type in “reference installer” in the search bar to filter out relevant entries, and press Enter.
3. Launch the SoundID Reference installer, and proceed as usual (until getting stuck).
4. Return to the Console app and select all events (use the Cmd + A keyboard command).
5. Copy all events (Cmd+C) and paste to TextEdit (Cmd + V) or any other text editor app.
6. Save the text file, and attach it to your support request.

Windows

1. Navigate to this directory in Windows Explorer:
   • C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp
2. Sort folder contents by Date modified, so that the latest entries appear on top.
3. Launch the SoundID Reference online installer and monitor the Temp folder for new entries.
4. Finalize the installation (a failed installation also counts) and immediately extract the newest files from the Temp folder, archive them and attach the resulting archive to your support request.

Pay attention to the timestamp on the items - the timestamps are the best way to distinguish the files from the latest launched installation.

Note: There are additional install logs available within the regular SoundID Reference log files - collect them too, as shown above: Collecting log files on Windows.

Crash reports

Crash reports can help our team investigate an issue if the SoundID Reference standalone app is crashing on your computer (or other SoundID Reference-related application crash, such as your DAW). 

macOS

1. Find and click on the Spotlight search icon in the menubar.
2. Type Console and then press enter.
3. Navigate to Crash Reports and find and select the relevant crash report from the list.
4. Right-click on the file and choose Reveal in Finder.

Note: To pinpoint the cause of the issue, it is necessary to collect the SoundID Reference log files too. Collect them as shown above: Collecting log files on macOS.

Windows

If you are experiencing a SoundID Reference app crash or a silent crash (app quitting unexpectedly without any error messages or other indications), the following steps for collecting and forwarding crash logs to us will help us with our investigation.

Automated crash reports

With the release of SoundID Reference version 5.7.3, a new feature has been implemented, which shows an action message in case of a crash of the SoundID Reference standalone app. When a crash occurs, follow these steps: 

1. Click Contact support to create a support ticket.
2. Click Save report.
3. Attach the entire folder to the support request.

Collecting crash dumps

In case the automatic crash logs are not gathered, it will be useful to send over the crash dump logs instead. Crash dumps can be gathered for both the SoundID Reference standalone app and the Measure app. 
This method can also be used for other applications (e.g., your DAW). Sonarworks cannot read these minidumps, as they're encrypted, but you can send them to the manufacturer to check if the crash is related to SoundID Reference. 

1. Download the CrashDumpTool.exe file (attached at the ↓ bottom of this article ↓).
2. Run the CrashDumpTool.exe file.
3. Click on the Browse button, navigate to the SoundID Reference app/Measure app directory, select .exe file, and click the Open button:
   • C:\Program Files\Sonarworks\SoundID Reference\Systemwide\SoundID Reference.exe
   • C:\Program Files\Sonarworks\SoundID Reference\Measure\Reference Measure.exe
4. Navigate to the Crash Dump Type dropdown menu and select Full dump.
5. Click Run, and proceed to use the app normally until it crashes.
6. Click Show to open the crash dump file location, and compress it into a ZIP archive.

Note: If the file size is too large to be attached to the support request, please use any file upload service (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) and share the upload link in your inquiry.

Freeze logs (spindumps)

It can happen that inserting the SoundID Reference plugin in DAW, or launching the SoundID Reference standalone app, causes third-party software to freeze up. Even if it is SoundID Reference itself that freezes, the Spindump can help us understand what caused it and how to resolve it. 

macOS

1. Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.
2. Locate and select the frozen app from the list of processes.
3. Press View (...) > Run Spindump, and Save the generated report.
4. Lauch the Terminal utility, and copy-paste this command in the Terminal window; hit Return/Enter to execute the command:
   • sudo spindump -file ~/Desktop/spindump.txt
5. The spindump.txt file is saved to the desktop.
6. Compress both reports into a ZIP archive. 

Windows

1. Download and extract the Process Explorer utility here: Microsoft downloads.
2. Run the procexp.exe file to launch Process Explorer.
3. Right-click on the frozen application, and proceed to Create Dump > Create Minidump.
4. Save and compress the minidump to a ZIP archive.

Note: Minidumps are encrypted and can only be read by the software manufacturer. Sonarworks can debug minidumps generated by Sonarworks apps, but we cannot read those from third-party software. For third-party apps, please contact their support team - they may be able to assist.

Measure app log files

When troubleshooting, it’s important to collect logs from the correct tool -  SoundID Reference Measure logs focus on room and speaker calibration processes, including microphone detection, routing, and measurement stability. SoundID Virtual Monitoring Pro Measure logs instead record details related to room/space capture on your headphones, including device setup, signal playback, and measurement accuracy checks. 

Debug Mode in the SoundID Reference Measure app

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. 

Note that most issues can easily be self-diagnosed and avoided using this guide: SoundID Reference speaker measurement troubleshooting guide.

1. Launch the SoundID Reference Measure app and click on Preferences.
2. Enable the 'Debug mode' and 'Store raw audio in measurement project' features.
3. Close the Preferences sidebar by clicking on X, and click on Get started. Proceed with the speaker measurements up to the point where you're getting stuck.
   • Note: During this stage, feel free to take screenshots, video/audio captures of any errors or other problematic behavior, third-party component configuration aspects, or anything else you consider useful.
4. Exit and relaunch the Measure app, and go to Preferences > Assemble logs.

SoundID Virtual Monitoring PRO Measure log files

For Virtual Monitoring PRO Measure, there are two essential files to investigate any issues, errors or if the app gets stuck at any point. If you encounter an issue, these can be found at the following locations and will help us troubleshoot and resolve the issue for you.

• The 'request.json' file:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Sonarworks/SoundIDMeasure/logs/SoundIDReferenceMeasureVM2
  • Windows: C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Local\Sonarworks\SoundIDMeasure\logs\SoundIDReferenceMeasureVM2
• The 'autosave.swvm' file:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Sonarworks/MeasureVM
  • Windows: C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Local\Sonarworks\MeasureVM

HAL logging on macOS

On macOS, it's possible to run the HAL logging procedure that collects all CoreAudio data for troubleshooting severe audio issues with the SoundID Reference standalone app:

1. Quit the standalone app fully: How to fully quit the SoundID Reference app?
2. Download and extract the HALLogger-1.0.6.0.zip file, attached to this article below. Make sure not to move or delete this folder for the remaining steps.
3. Run the HAL Logger 'Installer' and follow the instructions. Note that you might be required to allow it System Settings: Security & Privacy > scroll down to Security > Open Anyway.
4. Open Activity Monitor and ensure the 'HALLoggerDaemon' process is running.
5. Go to the Sonarworks Logs directory and check for two new files created: HAL.log.gz and Setup.log.
6. Launch the standalone app and proceed with your regular workflow - playing local audio, browser playback, etc., until the issue occurs.
7. Return to the folder containing the HALLogger, and run the 'Uninstaller' file.
8. Collect the HAL.log.gz and Setup.log logs, and also the latest regular session logs - collect everything in the Sonarworks Logs directory and attach the files to your support request.

Note:  The HAL logger is designed to keep running continuously throughout computer sleep and reboot cycles, thus logging any potientional issues after computer sleep, during computer startup, etc.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the 'Debug mode' feature grayed out in the standalone app?

The Debug mode in the SoundID Reference is currently in development, but for troubleshooting severe playback issues on macOS, the HAL logging mechanism is availalbe as shown above (which is essentially the main debug feature): HAL logging on macOS.