PE 14.1 Project: Any Change in Audio Track Causes Playback to Crash

PE 14.1 on a WIN7 desktop PC with SSDs both for the C: & 😧 drives.

A few days ago I started a new project using video footage from my Panasonic V727 Camcorder (as I have done for many years).

Advanced Video Codec AVC, supported by PE 10 - 15 incl.

(AVCHD (.m2ts))

Video Stream: 23.7 Mb/s, 1920*1080 (16:9), at 50.000 FPS, AVC (High@L4.2)

I have included a small number of digital photos into the timeline with "Pan & Zoom" effect.

I use transitions between some of the clips.

Video#2 track has a number of "Default Texts" & for the credits at the end there is "Default Roll".

The entire video is less than 9 minutes long.

All is well & good & not really of any difference to numerous projects I have done in the past.

BUT when I try ANY modification to the audio (Audio 1) such as Fade in or out or just lowering the

level, when I try playback as soon as the TLI enters a clip with modified audio the program crashes.

I've not seen this before.  My audio system is nothing complicated - just two speakers plugged

into the back of the PC motherboard!