Weird Pianoteq Sound with 6.2

[Edit to add this]

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Amazing timing..

Just like magic, not long after posting below the dots yesterday, plugged in my outboard sound (usb) and fired up Pianoteq and you guessed it.

"Extgherrrrerminate... exterrrghghrrrminate!"

OK, so how did that happen?

i
I was just a few minutes before-hand running Pianoteq via Windows' audio sys.

ii
Shut down PTQ. and moved to studio.

iii
Next I plugged my outboard sound device in, loaded PTQ and get the described Dalek sound.

iv
I rarely have such a glitch, but here is a textbook example of windows fighting over who gets to deliver my sound, Windows audio device (still hogging control and running and attached to ASIO4all) or the newly plugged in outboard device.

FIX (other than going back to "do not allow this device to share resources" maybe):

In Piantoeq (or other DAW etc) go to settings/audio - open your audio driver settings - in my case, it's ASIO4all here, and I can see immediately, BOTH Windows audio AND the outboard drivers are "working". In my interface, they're both lit up.

OK - in your audio driver control interface just un-select the Win drivers and in less than a second, the outboard driver takes over.

You may need to just re-start PTQ or your DAW, or it might just work right from there.

No more grating awful sound. Maybe that's the most common way it shows up? Anyway, forgot to add that yesterday to possibilities

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[Edit the following was posted before the above - not defunct but the above adds one new solution]

Only mentioning because this wasn't a Pianoteq issue for me (I've had the Dalek invasion maybe a dozen times over the last few years) but it happened only when loading an existing DAW session with and without Pianoteq as a VST.

I think it was because the loaded "song" or "session" was saved with different audio settings than the system/driver defaults (always worth checking they're inline with hardware spec - not much point in pushing things - if you know your specs, keep to them or understand what you're up against when settings exceed those recommended or hard-coded-welded in). I never had issues with browsers taking over audio I must say. I un-checked "allow devices to take exclusive control" in Win audio settings at some point also iirc.

But, largely, it was not Pianoteq itself with the issue for me - more that I was unaware (forgot) how blase I had become to keeping settings uniform. Worth it to check.

Worth noting maybe, I'm using Win 8.1 - so maybe it's possible that this is more an issue in Win 10? Regardless, I'd start by making all your audio try using the same settings as Pianoteq for audio.

If the system or Pianoteq is struggling, it might also help to make sure your buffer rate (in audio driver) is set to a number which works.

Eg. In some DAWs, you can run a small test to see if things are "tuned". In my case, I did indeed set some things a little more conservatively - no real difference in sound output - but more stable system.

Eg. If your system is capable of 96000Hz or more, is your buffer asking too much? Maybe if you're not requiring those rates, 48000Hz with a larger buffer is worth a little more latency for more stability.

All hardware changes over time too. If the Daleks have arrived, it might also signal something needing replacing, so I can understand support mentioning this kind of thing. More than one PC has died at the power source first (critically under-powering everything for months, enough to really bother HDs etc).

Hope something in there helps. I'd be interested to hear if/how you find a solution.