| No sound | Component has patch or direct device; device open; master/volume > 0; OS mixer not muted; cue armed |
| Wrong outputs | Patch matrix mapping; cue routing matrix; correct device names after moving machines |
| Crackles / dropouts | Set latency mode to Prefer stability; reduce simultaneous heavy decodes; check disk I/O |
| Late GO | Pre-wait; large buffers; cold decode — use Load/preload; Prefer low latency only if stable |
| Clicks on start/seek | Increase de-click ms; avoid zero-length artistic fade with discontinuous edits |
| Missing file | Check File Presence; media backup paths; relative vs absolute paths |
| FFmpeg errors in log | Natives missing or architecture mismatch — reinstall package |