How to Fix Blockchain Crashing Pro Tools on Session Load

Blockchain &  Blockchain Ultra 1.1.2 introduced a the new Quick Load preset system, allowing you to define a home preset that loads each time a new instance is created.

However, if you have set up Pro Tools to also load a saved user preset as the default, it might lead to conflicts and Pro Tools crashing when loading a session that has Blockchain or Blockchain Ultra loaded on it.

In order to fix this conflict so that you can open sessions and continue using Blockchain, you'll just need to remove the .tfx files that were saved specifically for Blockchain or Blockchain Ultra. Follow the steps below to fix this.

Steps to Fix This on macOS

  1. Close / Quit Pro Tools
  2. In Finder, in the top menu bar, click Go > Go To Folder (Shift + Command + G)
  3. Paste this entire line in the search bar:
~/Documents/Pro Tools/Plug-In Settings
  1. Once in the Plug-In Settings folder, locate any Blockchain / Blockchain Ultra Folders that may exist and remove or delete them1
  2. Next, go to the specific session folder for the session you're trying to open.
  3. Look for a "Plug-In Settings" folder (it would be next to your .ptx session file). If one exists, remove or delete any Blockchain / Blockchain Ultra folders from the Plug-In Settings folder.
  4. Re-open the session - it should open without any issues, and all settings should be recalled correctly, as saved with the session.

1 Note that this folder contains .tfx files, which are Pro Tools level plug-in settings files. They are not required to save your plugin settings in your session, and all of your sessions will still recall with correct plugin settings. If you want to save these files for future reference, just move this folder out of the "Plug-In Settings" folder and put it somewhere else on your hard drive, instead of deleting it.

Steps to Fix This on Windows

  1. Close Pro Tools
  2. In Windows Explorer, go to: C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Pro Tools\Plug-In Settings\
  3. Once in the Plug-In Settings folder, locate any Blockchain / Blockchain Ultra Folders that may exist and remove or delete them1
  4. Next, go to the specific session folder for the session you're trying to open.
  5. Look for a "Plug-In Settings" folder (it would be next to your .ptx session file). If one exists, remove or delete any Blockchain / Blockchain Ultra folders from the Plug-In Settings folder.
  6. Re-open the session - it should open without any issues, and all settings should be recalled correctly, as saved with the session.

1 Note that this folder contains .tfx files, which are Pro Tools level plug-in settings files. They are not required to save your plugin settings in your session, and all of your sessions will still recall with correct plugin settings. If you want to save these files for future reference, just move this folder out of the "Plug-In Settings" folder and put it somewhere else on your hard drive, instead of deleting it.

How to Save User Presets / Plug-in Settings Instead

Instead of using the Pro Tools .tfx system for storing User Presets in Blockchain or Blockchain Ultra, the best method to ensure compatibility is to use the preset system within the plugin itself.

Here, you can:

  1. Click the "+" button along the top of the plugin GUI to save a new user preset
  2. Click the Preset Bar to open the preset browser and load User or Factory presets

Watch the video below for a full explanation of how to use the new Preset System in Blockchain 1.2:

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