EZ Drummer 'Audio Engine Inactive' Within Reaper

[FuriousGH]

Hello all,

This is going to be a long and detailed post including details of my issue and all correspondence with Toontrack, who ultimately ended up referring me to Cockos for my problem. Hopefully someone has run into this issue and can help.

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Message 1 to Toontrack:
EZ Drummer has been losing functionality bit by bit on my DAW (Reaper) until today, there was no playback at all. It was working flawlessly until a few weeks ago. I just purchased a ton of new expansion pack and this is frustrating me beyond measure.

I started noticing 'audio engine inactive.' I could drag a pattern out of EZ Drummer into the MIDI track and it would play, but I could not sample the individual patterns within EZ Drummer by playing them within the EZ Durmmer. It was also unresponsive to my Oxygen 49 keyboard controller. Reaper showed that MIDI messages were getting in, but EZ wasn't playing them.

Then, in the last two days, when I would arm the track and it wasn't playing back MIDI data (stopped) the track with EZ Drummer on it made this loud, unrelenting continuous buzzing sound. Quitting out of the program and returning to it would often solve this, but it's definitely not normal and never happened before.

I then went to product manager and saw there was an update, to EZ, (2.2.3 I think?) and hoped that would solve the issue. It in fact made things wors and rendered everything silent. Tracks played back and showed the program was getting triggered, but no sound. Again with the 'audio engine inactive' upon stopping playback.

My final attempt at solving this problem was to uninstall everything, down to EZ Drummer 1. After this, I reinstalled EZ Drummer 1, but now CANNOT install EZ Drummer 2. I've tried about 15 times and it is not installing the program. Back in the day, I bought EZ 1 and updated to EZ 2.

I am running a Mac Pro 1.1 with OSX 10.11.6 (Capitan). It's an oldie but a goodie. I believe these problems are related to updates. If I could get the oldest version of EZ Drummer 2 that is compatible with all the expansion packs that I recently bought, I think that might be the ticket. I am in the middle of recording projects for about 5 different clients and really need to get this solved quickly.

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Message 1 from Toontrack:
Thanks for your email.

In this case, please first download the latest 2.2.3 update installer again for EZdrummer 2. Then run the uninstaller for that update (Open the DMG in finder and launch Uninstaller).

Then you should be able to install EZdrummer 2.1.8 using the full product installer.

After you have installed it, please first try playing MIDI and/or use your Oxygen 49 in the standalone application (select it as a MIDI device in Settings > Audio/MIDI Setup). Then try in Reaper, does it still not work then?

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Message 2 from me:
Ok. I downloaded the latest 2.2.3 update installer and ran the uninstaller for that update.

I then installed EZdrummer 2.1.8 as recommended. Installation was successful.

After opening EZdrummer in the Solo application, I hooked up Oxygen 49 in the standalone application (select it as a MIDI device in Settings > Audio/MIDI Setup). It worked and drum samples were able to be triggered.

Opened in Reaper and it’s manifesting many of the same glitches. After having it play MIDI that was already in the track, once playback stopped, a loud buzzing noise would occur and wouldn’t stop until I relocate the play head or disable the track for recording.

Individual patterns cannot be auditioned either. It seems unless EZdrummer is a total slave to MIDI data already existing in a track, it does not function.

The Oxygen 49 is sending MIDI information successfully, but it is not connecting to EZdrummer and triggering nothing.

‘Audio engine inactive’ is on continuously as the little red lettered warning box unless the program is playing MIDI from a track, and like I said, after it stops the loud continuous buzz noise happens.

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Message 2 from Toontrack:
Thanks for confirming. If the standalone works we can be sure the software and sound library are installed okay, as the DAW and the standalone use the same stuff. The "Audio Engine Inactive" message can be shown in EZdrummer whenever the host/DAW hasn't called the audio rendering callback in EZdrummer for some time. This can happen when the DAW becomes “too busy” when you do various things, and it can delay the audio rendering for a short time.

Unfortunately, at this time there is no way to force that rendering callback for EZD2 in Reaper.

Is there an instrument or other plug-ins that can be made inactive? Are there other background applications running or using the same audio device?

If EZD2 shows the "Audio Engine Inactive" message, please try and use the Reaper preferences to re-add your device and the error should go away. It might also help if you remove the EZD2 insert and re-add EZD.

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Message 3 from me:
Today I opened a new project in Reaper and just ran the one track for EZD2 - no other plug-ins or tracks running - just EZD2.

When opening EZ into the FX channel, at first everything is fine and the volume slider is there. I can go and select things from the library and play them in EZ

As soon as I take a pattern from the library and drag it into the timeline, the ‘audio engine inactive - check your audio device’ reappears. When I play the audio in the timeline, EZD2’s audio engine activates which whatever given drums are selected. As soon as playback stops, the ‘audio engine’ alert pops up again. So I can’t do anything within EZD2. No auditioning of patterns.

One good thing - it seems after I created the aggregate device preset in Reaper, the horrible audio buzzing went away.

I am using an iRig pro for recording input and the analog line out (headphone jack) of the computer for output. I went in and configured an aggregate device so that all the devices I’m using for recording are in one line, as Reaper suggests.

Still no dice. Where do we go from here?

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Message 3 from Toontrack:
In this case, it comes down to looking at the settings of Reaper, is there a performance setting or anything else making the audio device direct power to the plug-ins that are using the reaper timeline, and deactivating plug-ins that are not directly using the Reaper playback?

The best possible help you could get for Reaper settings is from Cockos directly. If you cannot find a performance option that can be turned off or if you find one and it doesn't help, we would recommend that you contact them directly for further assistance.

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So that's where we're at currently. I just bought 6 expansion packs for EZ Drummer (Sweetwater holiday sale) and have a lot of diverse projects that I really need to use these on - and the problem as explained is EZ Drummer is only working if there is MIDI in the given track to trigger the sound engine. I cannot pre-sample any of the drum loops within EZ Drummer used inside Reaper as a plug-in because I keep getting the 'audio engine inactive' message and it's basically dead in the water.

This is a brand new issue and I've never had this problem with EZD2 used within Reaper. Toontrack says it's something within Reaper's settings.

Thanks in advance if you got this far, took the time to help and for reading this book of a post!

[numberthirty]

While I am not exactly ready to say these things might be related?

These recent threads do sound something like the issue you've laid out...

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=264799

Originally Posted by kemper

Several essential vsts ( a couple of Valhalla freebies, argotlunar , a few others ) are failing to scan in Reaper very single time...it started a few weeks ago


I'm on 6.52 on a Mac , but have tried this with several versions of Reaper going back to 5.35...what's going on ? Have tried reinstalling or moving plugins to no avail.

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=264593

Originally Posted by krissymf

I've been using some plugins for years. Then one day I go on the computer, and BOOM, all gone. I can't use any of my archetype plugins, valhalla plugins, heat up 3, nothing. It basically just says "the following effect plug-in could not be loaded. Effect configuration is reserved." The only plugin that works for some strange reason, are dune 3 synth and the legend synth, and superior drummer. I have lost about 20 of my favourite plugins. I've tried the re-scan clean cache thing, but it didn't work. So I uninstalled reaper then downloaded it again hoping it would let me use my plugins, but to no avail. Now I'm very frustrated, as I have manny guitar tracks I've made with metal distortion, that now sound silly because the archetype plugins won't work and it sounds like clean guitars. I am very frustrated, because I felt like I almost finished an ep. This happened completely out of the blue one day, as the day before it worked fine. I didn't move any folders away or anything. I really don't understand it. Its now been 2 weeks and I've been using nothing but my boss gt-100 to record guitar, and dune 3 for the synth stuff. Its so weird that this happened, because a lot of the sounds I really liked are now gone in all of my songs. Its very annoying.

And potentially(though this is a little less so...)

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=264794

Originally Posted by randall7

Reaper stole almost two days out of life this week,
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread....40#post2541740
so call the DAW Police lol. I could not get my midi keyboards to work with Reaper on my new laptop (XPG Xenia 14) no matter what I tried, and I am no noob to using Reaper and configuring audio and media device settings in Reaper.

I don't know why Reaper could not recognize my midi kbds, I would love to help Cockos fix this bug/issue so that I could keep using Reaper with confidence. But right now I am contemplating looking at other DAWs, because an hour ago I installed a free trial version of Cubase and that instantly recognized my midi keyboards, no problems at all. I don't meant to trash talk Reaper, I love Reaper, I have it on my desktop PC, have used Reaper for many years. Just that I have never been so frustrated trying to get Reaper to work with my midi kbd, thinking it was some configuration setting I had not set correctly; I am convinced this is something more fundamental in Reaper, something to do with the fact this is a very new laptop and recently updated with all of Windows 10 newest updates.

[FuriousGH]

Thanks for the reply. I just checked the threads you recommended. They do talk about plugins (and one talks about Kontact which I have also been having problems with), but none seem to be able to help with the direct issue.

I think the key lies in finding a setting I may not have looked into in Reaper, as the Toontrack rep stated:

__________________________________________________ ___________________________
Message 3 from Toontrack:
In this case, it comes down to looking at the settings of Reaper, is there a performance setting or anything else making the audio device direct power to the plug-ins that are using the reaper timeline, and deactivating plug-ins that are not directly using the Reaper playback?

The best possible help you could get for Reaper settings is from Cockos directly. If you cannot find a performance option that can be turned off or if you find one and it doesn't help, we would recommend that you contact them directly for further assistance.
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

EZ Drummer CAN make sound, but only if slaved to existing MIDI track information.

[numberthirty]

Ok...

I totally over looked your "Mac..."/"OS..." aspect.

Take a look through this thread at the link where it begins. While it is not exactly "Apples..."/"Apples..."?

I tend to suspect that it could be an issue similar to the one laid out there.

(Particularly when you lay out that the issue seemed to come out of nowhere. Sounds a lot like the issue this person ran into...)

http://www.premierrockforum.com/view...791536#p791536

[numberthirty]

This post is where that person got finally worked out a way to get things working.

http://www.premierrockforum.com/view...791685#p791685

[FuriousGH]

Just finished reading through it. Thanks again for the resource amigo.

It looks like they did a clean reinstall of the OS. I am working on a Mac Pro 1.1 and OSX Capitan is the highest unofficially supported OS. I had to go through hell to get the machine up to that OS and am a bit skittish about reinstalling the whole deal, because it was not a 'normal' install.

If that is the absolute last resort, I guess I'll have to find a way to do it. I am hoping that the answer lies to some setting I've overlooked within Reaper as the Toontrack rep suggested.

Update / addition to the problems this evening - now when I open up the MIDI editor (once there is a drum pattern / MIDI info in there) it too makes random buzzing noises. This is new.

[ivansc]

I may have missed this earlier in the thread, but have you tried doing a portable install of reaper? This would definitely show you if the cause was something you had modified (deliberately or accidentally) in your current version if reaper.ini.
Explanation if you have never used a portable install before is that the portable part means that the new install will be done into a single folder on your machine (Mac or windows or Linux) not onto a separate external drive! It also means that your existing installation`s setup will not get mangled to death by the portable install.

My apologies if you already know/tried this....

[FuriousGH]

Thanks for responding ivansc! I haven't tried a portable install of Reaper. I don't really know how to do that but I've seen it suggested in threads when I searched for solutions to my issue.

[ivansc]

Easier than you might think. Download the latest version of reaper. Click on it to install Reaper and you will see a little box to click for a portable install. Click on it & then click on the actual install button.
As I said earlier, on a PC this will by default set up a new folder called Reaper on your C:\ drive & install a factory-fresh install of reaper there. If you run that version, it will not use your existing initialisation file, reaper.ini, so you wont be using any modifications you may have made to your own version of reaper. THEN try loading up EDrummer & see if it behaves differently from your existing version.

good luck!

[FuriousGH]

It looks like this is an installation route for a PC? I am working on a Mac - I didn't see an option / little box for a portable install. Am I missing something?

[ivansc]

Sorry - I own a Mac Mini with reaper on it, but always use my PC!

Never tried to do a portable on Mac or Linux.

[numberthirty]

On portable install on a Mac...

Last post in this thread -

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=202752

Also a more involved "How To..." here -

http://lacinato.com/cm/blog/25-reaperportable

[FuriousGH]

Thsnks to all for the continued help / responses.

So, from what I've read about the portable install on the Mac, the native Reaper plug-ins will travel with it, but the VSTs and other outside modules (like EZD2) may not. In order to duplicate the operation of both versions of Reaper, I'd have to get EZD2 working in the portable one, which seems like it would be a big PITA.

Something is definitely amuck within Reaper itself, or there is a conflict with Reaper / My Mac Pro 1.1 / and EZD2 communication. I opened EZD2 standalone today and tested it rigorously. All of it's functions work perfectly. You can even drag a MIDI drum pattern from the standalone version into the timeline of Reaper and it works.

Within Reaper, it seems like the program is doing everything possible to block the editing / creation of MIDI drums with EZD2 (loud buzzing when opening the MIDI editor) and the creative process of the drum side (can't trigger drum sounds when hitting the drums in the interface of EZD2, loud buzzing happens when enabling the track, sometimes buzzing happens after you stop without track being enabled). The only time EZD2 is triggered correctly is when you hit play and there is existing midi information in the track that it is assigned to. I can't program anything because of the damned 'audio engine inactive.'

I think this is a problem very specific to the computer / EZD2 / Reaper combo. Is there anyone on the forum that has a Mac Pro 1.1 running Reaper / EZD2 / OSX Capitan 10.11.6? Is there anyway to get in touch with Cockos tech directly? This was never a problem for years and the program / EZD@ were working flawlessly together.

[EpicSounds]

can you check if this setting is enabled?

Preferences: Audio

close audio device when stopped and application is inactive

it is on by default, I recommend turning this off

[FuriousGH]

Yeah, I unchecked that setting. Someone had suggested that in the Toontrack forums. Same net result unfortunately - no change in any of the problems.

[ivansc]

If I remember rightly, direct contact with J. & Schwa is at info@cockos.com or it might be support@cockos.com
Try them both.
They are very helpful guys, bearing in mind that the two of them are pretty much 100% of the Reaper support group!

[numberthirty]

Here's the obvious problem with trying to approach this like it is a "Reaper..." issue...

It sounds almost exactly like an issue that wound up being a "Mac..." issue that was solved by addressing something on the "Mac..." end of the equation.

Accounting for all of that?

I would put a new box of jellybeans down that spending a bunch of time pulling hair out on the "Reaper..." end will most likely get you nowhere, and have wasted a bunch of time to boot.

Totally get not wanting to poke at the "Problem Walking Around Looking For A Place To Happen..." that is MAC.

That said, I feel like it's worth taking a moment to take a step back to look the whole thing over with sober eyes before diving down a rabbit hole that will most likely get you nowhere for your trouble.

Having said that?

There is a "Reaper For MacOS..." sub-forum. Entirely possible that there could be some insight there.

https://forum.cockos.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34

[numberthirty]

As for "Something Being Amuck In Reaper Itself..." -

There was nothing actually "Amuck..." in Reaper in the instance that I brought up earlier. Worked fine before MAC OS garbage threw a wrench into the works.

We can say that for certain because we know that doing nothing to Reaper while dealing with MAC OS gremlins got everything back up and running just fine.

Which would be a straight up impossibility if something was actually "Amuck..." in Reaper.

Again, it's just worth stepping back and taking a sober look at this kind of thing.

[spikemullings]

Same issue here - PC W10. Since a recent EZD2 update.

[numberthirty]

Originally Posted by spikemullings

Same issue here - PC W10. Since a recent EZD2 update.

Well...

This potentially changes some things.

IF you don't mind me asking, any other VST instruments(obviously assuming there are any...) doing something similar to what EZDrummer did?

Also, how "Recent..." are we talking?

[FuriousGH]

Thx ivansc for the contact info!

numberthirty - I do go heavy on the Jägermeister sometimes at gigs, but my posts are 100% Jäger-free and sober lol. I'll look around on the Mac-specific forums and appreciate the continued help / responses. I've delved into almost all related audio/MIDI settings on the Mac end to see if that changes anything and no dice unfortunately.

In regards to other VST instruments behaving this way, I use Signal by Kontakt and other than it being a resource hog, it operates fine.

spikemullings - I went back to EZD2 v2.1.8, hoping that would fix the problem. No dice. Still the same two main problems.

1. Audio engine inactive and it only plays when there is MIDI info pre-laid into the track. Can't audition any loops in EZD2 as a result or trigger any drum sounds by tapping on the drums in the interface.
2. Loud buzzing sound (equivalent to a full meter unclipped) similar to a portable razor sound or when an old 8-Bit video game locks up happens when the track with EZD2 is armed. Even when not armed, if you enter the MIDI editor it happens as well.

Interestingly enough, yet ANOTHER peculiar thing that is happening: my old projects that I recorded BEFORE these issues started occurring seem unaffected. I opened two previous songs that used EZD2 and did all the things that trigger the 'audio engine inactive' and buzzing sound and EZD2 was performing without problem.

I wonder if something within one of the Reaper updates could be causing a conflict of some sort?

[numberthirty]

Originally Posted by FuriousGH

...

Interestingly enough, yet ANOTHER peculiar thing that is happening: my old projects that I recorded BEFORE these issues started occurring seem unaffected. I opened two previous songs that used EZD2 and did all the things that trigger the 'audio engine inactive' and buzzing sound and EZD2 was performing without problem.

I wonder if something within one of the Reaper updates could be causing a conflict of some sort?

If you could...

Get a bit more specific here.

Opened them on one(a different one...) of the same MAC running Reaper?

or

Opened them on the MAC with the issue running the exact same version of Reaper that you suspect is creating the issue?

[numberthirty]

Past all of that...

I did have a thought as far as the "When you put MIDI into the track..." issue.

Is every single instance of the being an issue involving MIDI from Toontrack?

I'm starting to wonder if it would do the exact same thing with third party MIDI files that are designed to work in EZDrummer 2. Could be that it would work out the exact same way, but that is something that I would cross off of the list.

[numberthirty]

One other thing...

I'm not really suggesting just taking a look around on the "Reaper For MAC OS..." sub-forum.

I'm talking actually posting a second thread there on the specific issue that is seemingly only happening when EZDrummer 2 is in play.

Some folks might notice it, and it would be there if anyone else had run into this exact issue.

(Since it seems like this could be some sort of an "EZDrummer 2..." specific thing...)

[spikemullings]

Originally Posted by numberthirty

IF you don't mind me asking, any other VST instruments(obviously assuming there are any...) doing something similar to what EZDrummer did?

Also, how "Recent..." are we talking?

No other VST I have noticed.

In the last few days. I went to have a look at the product manager to see if anything about EZD3 there and it had an update for me which I did (to 2.2.3). Seems like the problem was after that. Happens after about a minute.

Also songs that I have already started in Reaper with EZD seem fine.
Standalone EZD seems fine.

[spikemullings]

Originally Posted by numberthirty

Is every single instance of the being an issue involving MIDI from Toontrack?

Not for me.
For me it is just about minute or two after putting EZD on a new track in Reaper.
I just tried it now. Opened Reaper on new project, added a track, added EZD to the track. Then did nothing. After a minute or two the audio engine message appeared.

[numberthirty]

Ok. Did a couple of minutes of poking around, and noticed this...

https://www.toontrack.com/forums/top...ersion-needed/

The lone post in the thread in question...



I have purchased EZX ACTION! for composing and have latest update EZX 2.2.3- though the original software version is 2.1.4. The prompt says I need a newer version of EZ Drummer. At $100+ for the latest software version new, I am not going to have to purchase the newest version at full price am I? I would hope an upgrade system is available for owners of older software. Any help ...

So...

Is 2.2.3 the version that each of you upgraded to before things went sideways?

[numberthirty]

That could just be a "New needs to run on an updated version..." issue, but that it seems like the same update stuck out.

[numberthirty]

Did a bit more looking around. Seems like this may already have been a thing...

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=217159

That said, someone in that thread seems to have had some luck. Since it seems kinda oddball, I'll quote it -

Originally Posted by useryo

I was having the same problem. But I think I found a solution.
I was getting the "Audio engine inactive Check your audio device" error message in Superior Drummer 3 when using it as an FX plug-in in Reaper.

Solution: You need to arm the track for recording. It seems like maybe Reaper turns off the plug-in's access to the audio device unless the track is armed for recording.

I hope this helps someone out there

[numberthirty]

Ok. More from that thread that makes it looks like it might not exactly be "Apples..."/"Apples..."

Originally Posted by ivansc

I never looked before, but when I load your reaper project, the SD3 VSTi is NOT loaded into SD3 Host track. Something weird going on either in your setup of SD3 or your reaper setup.

What you SHOULD do is right click in the tcp blank area and hit "Insert virtual instrument in new track"

[spikemullings]

Having track record armed fixes.
If you then take out of record arm it fails.
Put it back into record arm and it fixes again.

[numberthirty]

Originally Posted by spikemullings

Having track record armed fixes.
If you then take out of record arm it fails.
Put it back into record arm and it fixes again.

Now for the obvious question...

FuriousGH, is there any chance that you have not had the channel record armed?

If so, I'd be very interested to hear if record arming it also fixes your specific issue.

[FuriousGH]

No, unfortunately, arming the track creates the loud buzzing noise and the audio engine remains inactive.

My issue is two-fold.

1. The 'audio engine inactive' problem. To clarify, it is not only EZ Drummer's MIDI that it can play. It can be ANY MIDI info that is programmed on a track that will trigger the plug in to play. It does not have to come from EZ Drummer's loops. That is the only time it works, but after playback, or when opening the MIDI editor or when the track is armed...

2. Buzzing will occur. Only way to stop it is to disarm the track.

[numberthirty]

Well...

That being the case?

(Never mind that we had it just sort itself out easily in Windows...)

I'm going back to that I strongly suspect that this just came out of the blue in the same way as that earlier playback issue because of an issue with MAC OS.

Be nice if it felt like it could be something else, but this really sounds a lot like that other instance and it was easily fixed in Windows.

[numberthirty]

Thought I would point this out...

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=264412

From that thread...

Originally Posted by gorelik11

Hi!
My friend which is a programmer found a solution to the problem. As a result everything works on my El Capitan now.

The reason for the problem is Mobile Device Update and the solution is to revert to the previous version of it.

The offending framework is located at /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework

Here are the necessary steps:

1. Locate the previous version of MobileDevice.framework. You either use the TimeMachine back if you have one. Or you can take the file from a friend, that has the same OSX and didn’t do the update. You also can install old version of same OSX on a different computer and just copy this file from there. For your convenience this is the link for my El Capitan framework version. You need to unzip it:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/65q1y9nyzr...ework.zip?dl=0

2. Place the old-working version in root folder of Machintosh HD
3. Restart the computer and immediately hold Cmd-R in order to enter the recovery mode
4. Select language if necessary
5. In the top menu, launch Utilities -> Terminal
6. Once inside the terminal, run csrutil disable (if it was already disabled previously, still do it, because actualization might have enabled it back)
7. Backup the current-broken version by running:
cd /Volumes/Machintosh HD/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks; mv MobileDevice.framework MobileDevice.framework-broken
8. Place the old-working version:
cd /Volumes/Machintosh HD; mv MobileDevice.framework System/Library/PrivateFrameworks
9. Restart
10. Go to Reaper Preferences/Plugins/VST and Rescan or just press those which are "failed to scan".

Originally Posted by buvoltz

Hey, thought I'd chime in about this problem. You are correct about the fix and it works however I discovered this a few days ago when Logic Pro could not validate some new AU plugins on my old 2007 iMac running El Capitan 10.11.6. The error pointed directly to MobileDevice.framework so I opened a backup on an external drive and copied the known working file. Rebooted into Recovery and disabled SIP then rebooted and renamed the bad file then copied the working MobileDevice.framework right from finder. Reboot to recovery and turn SIP back on and now all is working again.

[FuriousGH]

Thanks again for the continued things to try / attempt amigo. Tried this and my computer got stuck on the recovery mode reboot, so no dice on this I guess.

This information I stumbled across in this old Reddit post seemed to help a bit, but after a few minutes, it just went back to the old behavior again.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Reaper/comm...und_in_reaper/

I have recently tried going 'back' to the versions of the software I was using when there were no problems.

Reaper V 6.25 (2001)

Completely uninstalled EZ Drummer2 to do a clean reinstall and get all of the variable in that plugin back to square 1. Now, another awesome development has happened. I can't even get EZD2 to reinstall.

Under Toontrack's Product Manager (manages all Toontrack's installs) installation info:
VST - not installed
AU - not installed
RTAS - 2.1.8
AAX - Not installed
Standalone - Not installed

Tried this about 15 times to no avail.

So I'm back to messaging with my friends at Toontrack again. How wonderful to have spent several hundred dollars of on new plugins / expansion packs and not be able to use them lol.

[EpicSounds]

Originally Posted by FuriousGH

Under Toontrack's Product Manager (manages all Toontrack's installs) installation info:
VST - not installed
AU - not installed
RTAS - 2.1.8
AAX - Not installed
Standalone - Not installed

RTAS is for old pro tools. You need VST

[numberthirty]

I would not be wasting too much time on Toontrack when this clearly looks like an "Apple..."/"Mac..." problem.

I would be going right to them with this thread, and how someone eventually managed to work around the issue that they created, and ask them to look into a fix.

[FuriousGH]

FIXED (hopefully)

Turned out it was a REAPER / TOONTRACK issue.

I installed Reaper on a 2015 Macbook Air running 10.15.7. Installed Toontrack EZ drummer. Authorized license key.

Here's the important part:
Imported the configuration from Reaper running on the OSX 10.11.6 machine with all the issues.

Opened a fresh project, initialized EZD2 onto the track,
"AUDIO ENGINE INACTIVE"

Brand new install, new machine, fresh import of EZD2. Same issue.

Then completely removed Reaper and EZD2 again from the laptop, including all application support files in the library.

Redownloaded, re-installed Reaper, EZD2 - except this time - I did NOT import the old configuration.

Everything worked - on the laptop.

I then did the same thing on the desktop (completely deleted Reaper, EZD2), installed latest updated everything. WORKED!!!

In my usage of Reaper, my conclusion is it had something to do with the relationship between Reaper (and the hundreds of customizations / changes I've done within the program) and EZD2. With a fresh start on the laptop that's never had Reaper / EZ Drummer 2,it manifested the same behaviors as the other computer after importing the older / main computer's configuration. Maybe something got corrupted on an install / update somewhere. Who knows. With the thousands of lines of code / permissions / crosstalk / communication that these programs have to exchange, maybe the fresh start is what everything needed.

It's going to be a pain in the butt to get all my settings back to where I liked them (I dare not import the old config - better to start again from scratch - because something in that config was doing me wrong).

All I know is So far so good. We'll see how things go in the coming weeks. I've never been so happy to hear / trigger a sampled drum sound in my life.

Thank you all for the help! This was my first post on the forum and you guys have been bad-ass! Hopefully I have nothing but good news a month from now with smooth sailing and this arduous (almost 2 month problem) has been remedied. I also hope that this can help someone if they run into similar issues.

[EpicSounds]

put them side by side and compare the settings.