Avid Pro Audio Community - Pro Tools is critically low on memory

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Pro Tools is critically low on memory

Hi

Apologies if this is an error that is commonly addressed but it's been frustrating me all night, google hasn't helped and I am hoping for a quick solution here.

So within a few minutes of loading up a session it gives me this error before closing down pro-tools and giving me a lengthy error box, specs below...

iMac 27-inch, Late 2012
3.4 GHz Intel Core i7
32GB 1333MHz DDR3
1TB SSD

OS version: 10.9.5

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

The HDD I am recording to is an external (1TB Thunderbolt Lacie)

Any geniuses out there who can help me out with this please don't be shy :)

Thanks
George

[PS] May also be worth mentioning some plugins I am using in the session: NI Kontakt, Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0, various waves (SSLChannel, Trueverb, Delay, Element 2.0)

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

I don't think that's the problem. If you have all the files in back up I recommend u to fresh install your mac. That will solve your problem.

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

Hi, What version of Pro Tools?

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwsand (Post 2343814)

Hi, What version of Pro Tools?

Hi cwsand,

Pro Tools 10.3.10

Thanks
George

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

Quote:

Originally Posted by justinkr (Post 2343776)

I don't think that's the problem. If you have all the files in back up I recommend u to fresh install your mac. That will solve your problem.

Hi justinkr,

I'd like to avoid this for now but I guess it's an option. The reason is my iMac has only recently been formatted. I took it into a shop for a hard drive replacement only a month ago so the internal SSD is still relatively new, as is the 32GB ram (they were installed on the same day).

I have no data on the mac at all, only applications. Also when I run Pro Tools I make sure no other apps are running...

Thanks
George

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

Hi George

Your problem lies here:

Quote:

[PS] May also be worth mentioning some plugins I am using in the session: NI Kontakt, Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0, various waves (SSLChannel, Trueverb, Delay, Element 2.0)

Superior and Kontakt can both be highly RAM intensive depending on how many samples you have loaded. Now I know what you're thinking - I have 32GB, but you've probably missed a crucial bit of info being fairly new to the forums. PT10 is a 32-bit application - it cannot address more than 4GB of RAM and frankly starts to get a bit flaky long before that. So here are a few possible short and long-term solutions for you respectively:

Short term:

1 Check your session for any plugins you aren't using at all and remove them
2 Switch superior to using 16-bit samples
3 Unload any drum kit elements you are not using
4 Try enabling Kontakt's memory server - this loads its samples external to the plugin thereby reducing the load on PT

Long term:

1 Upgrade to PT11 or higher
2 Look at an external plugin hosting solution like VEPro or Bluecat

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

Quote:

Originally Posted by suicune (Post 2343841)

Hi George

Your problem lies here:

Superior and Kontakt can both be highly RAM intensive depending on how many samples you have loaded. Now I know what you're thinking - I have 32GB, but you've probably missed a crucial bit of info being fairly new to the forums. PT10 is a 32-bit application - it cannot address more than 4GB of RAM and frankly starts to get a bit flaky long before that. So here are a few possible short and long-term solutions for you respectively:

Short term:

1 Check your session for any plugins you aren't using at all and remove them
2 Switch superior to using 16-bit samples
3 Unload any drum kit elements you are not using
4 Try enabling Kontakt's memory server - this loads its samples external to the plugin thereby reducing the load on PT

Long term:

1 Upgrade to PT11 or higher
2 Look at an external plugin hosting solution like VEPro or Bluecat

Hi Suicune,

Thank you so much for the breakdown, that is exactly what I was thinking regarding the 32GB RAM. I'm currently at work but when I get home I'm going to try the tips you suggested.

I actually have a license for Pro Tools 11 so if the fact 10 being 32-bit is the real culprit here I may just upgrade to dismiss this issue.

The reason I stayed with Pro Tools 10 all this time is because at the time of Pro Tools 11's release there were some issues with running some plug-ins/not being compatible with RTAS and I believe Superior Drummer 2.0 was one of them, or it may have been NI's Guitar Rig 5.. I don't fully remember and i'm still not sure if this issue has since been resolved (perhaps someone here has the answer to that?).

I'll keep you posted!

Thanks
George

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

Quote:

Originally Posted by suicune (Post 2343841)

Running inside BlueCat Patchwork or MB7-2 won't help here as it's still within the memory footprint of whatever PT version is in use. But running inside VEPro 5 should help. What also will help and has been mentioned is running Kontakt memory server.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gyiakoumi (Post 2343848)

GR5 has always been RTAS compatible; it's only recent versions of any NI plugins that have removed RTAS compatibility. Are you sure you don't mean aax 64 compatibility instead? That was a huge issue when PT11 originally dropped.

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicman691 (Post 2343852)

Hi musicman691,

Yeah it may very well be that, my memory is a little fuzzy about the specifics, I only remember that it involved those plug-ins and it was a big enough issue that I ended up uninstalling and reverting back to Pro Tools 10... do you know if this issue has since been resolved?

Thanks
George

Re: Pro Tools is critically low on memory

I know that I get this 'out of memory' message frequently when dealing with large sessions, 96+ tracks. I use Arc 2 from IK while mixing and noticed that the message would almost always pop up when bringing up the GUI to change speakers. So on a whim, I took out the AAX version so it would run the older RTAS version. Now that plugin seems more stable. Even though PT 10 is supposed to run 32 bit AAX, makes me wonder if I should start checking other plugins I use frequently & just use the RTAS version. Has anyone else noticed that type of challenge?
BTW, for anyone using VI's with PT 10, I'd highly recommend VEP 5 as well. That environment is so much more stable than trying to use them in Protools itself.