This would appear to from the use of outdated libs and perhaps the use of gtk2.
Running from a terminal gives:
$ ubuntustudio-controls
__main__
laura@atom1:~$ pkexec ubuntustudio-controls
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py:57: GtkWarning: could not open display
warnings.warn(str(e), _gtk.Warning)
__main__
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: Warning: invalid (NULL) pointer instance
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: Warning: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: IA__gdk_pango_context_get_for_screen: assertion 'GDK_IS_SCREEN (screen)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_context_set_font_description: assertion 'context != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_context_set_base_dir: assertion 'context != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_context_set_language: assertion 'context != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_new: assertion 'context != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_set_attributes: assertion 'layout != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_set_text: assertion 'layout != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_get_unknown_glyphs_count: assertion 'PANGO_IS_LAYOUT (layout)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: Warning: g_object_unref: assertion 'G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: GtkSpinButton: setting an adjustment with non-zero page size is deprecated
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: IA__gdk_cursor_new_for_display: assertion 'GDK_IS_DISPLAY (display)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: IA__gtk_settings_get_for_screen: assertion 'GDK_IS_SCREEN (screen)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: Warning: g_object_get: assertion 'G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: Warning: value "TRUE" of type 'gboolean' is invalid or out of range for property 'visible' of type 'gboolean'
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: Ignoring the separator setting
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: Screen for GtkWindow not set; you must always set
a screen for a GtkWindow before using the window
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_set_alignment: assertion 'layout != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_set_ellipsize: assertion 'PANGO_IS_LAYOUT (layout)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_set_single_paragraph_mode: assertion 'PANGO_IS_LAYOUT (layout)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_set_width: assertion 'layout != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_layout_get_extents: assertion 'layout != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_context_get_language: assertion 'context != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_context_get_metrics: assertion 'PANGO_IS_CONTEXT (context)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_font_metrics_get_ascent: assertion 'metrics != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_font_metrics_get_descent: assertion 'metrics != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: PangoWarning: pango_font_metrics_get_approximate_digit_width: assertion 'metrics != NULL' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: IA__gdk_screen_get_default_colormap: assertion 'GDK_IS_SCREEN (screen)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: IA__gdk_colormap_get_visual: assertion 'GDK_IS_COLORMAP (colormap)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: IA__gdk_screen_get_root_window: assertion 'GDK_IS_SCREEN (screen)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
/usr/bin/ubuntustudio-controls:33: GtkWarning: IA__gdk_window_new: assertion 'GDK_IS_WINDOW (parent)' failed
self.builder.add_from_file(self.gtkbuilderfile)
Segmentation fault (core dumped)
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: ubuntustudio-controls 0.4.9
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-29.53-lowlatency 3.13.11.2
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-29-lowlatency x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Wed Jun 11 17:42:22 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-09-07 (277 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Alpha amd64 (20130907)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: ubuntustudio-controls
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-22 (50 days ago)
ubuntustudio-