CPU overload msg at 17% usage

[MBseva]

Activity Monitor might be instructive as a first step. Different sessions have hung at similar places.

Backblaze really should have an 'all off' toggle for easy access.

What's the word on bluetooth keyboard and trackpad? I've gotten used to them, but wonder if I need to silence BT as well, go back to wired?

[MBseva]

Okay, I have not tried everything, but happened on my glitch after starting a new project: spoken word, stereo files imported from CDs (made from cassettes recorded last century...). My typical hang/error occurred 8 minutes in, as I was dinking with SoundSoap, which is the only plug in so far.

I really need to make a PT checklist, but... optimizations duly obeyed, Backblaze off, Time Machine, however, on. Is that a thing too?

I am not using my music SSD drive here, or the internal SSD, but a new external Seagate 4 TB (such as one buys at Costco), plugged directly to USB3 port on iMac.

Screen shots below; thoughts welcome. I have to say I am not familiar with using Activity Monitor, so if any thoughts on what you see, I'm glad to learn.

[MBseva]

My thoughts: go purge those .aaxplugin files (shoulda done that foist!), and testing from new admin account. My sense is this is some lurking crapola of that sort...

I really would be interested unknowing what I'm looking for in Activity Monitor, typically.

[Darryl Ramm]

EDIT: (deleted confused ramble)

With CPU errors you need to *always* suspect plugins. We are three pages in on this thread and you've not done the most important tests there.

And now your are mentioning a disk drive you brought at Costco? We can't do anything with that information? What exact make/model/spec is that drive? What filesystem format? If it's a slow 4800 rpm drive, or not using a HFS+ or APFS filesystem, then that might be contributing to you seeing problems.

You need to get organized and do focused, structured troubleshooting to solve problems. And provide us with clear info about exactly what hardware, drives, etc. you have. You should be able to run thought all the possible tests in an hour or so. And if that does not work then test by doing a full clean macOS install and start over and that takes at most a few hours.

Start by taking other suspects like some possibly suspect disk out of the equation, put copies of your sessions on your fast internal PCIe SDD and work with that. Disconnect all the external drives. Trash prefs. Is the ASIO interface driver up to date? This happen on one session or multiple ones (not a copy of the others?) then it's possibly a corrupt session. Try starting with a totally empty new session. Are all plugins up to date? Move all .aaxpugin files out of the plugin folder, trash prefs, restart Pro Tools, does it work now or not? If it does reinstall (latest/up to date/compatible) third party plugins again until you find the culprit. If it does not work with standard plugins try from a newly created admin account. Still no joy grab an empty disk/partition and do a full clean macOS install on it and Pro Tools and ILM and just test with Built-In Outpu, if it works install other needed plugins, drivers, software. testing as you go.

Originally Posted by MBseva

Okay, I have not tried everything, but happened on my glitch after starting a new project: spoken word, stereo files imported from CDs (made from cassettes recorded last century...). My typical hang/error occurred 8 minutes in, as I was dinking with SoundSoap, which is the only plug in so far.

I really need to make a PT checklist, but... optimizations duly obeyed, Backblaze off, Time Machine, however, on. Is that a thing too?

I am not using my music SSD drive here, or the internal SSD, but a new external Seagate 4 TB (such as one buys at Costco), plugged directly to USB3 port on iMac.

Screen shots below; thoughts welcome. I have to say I am not familiar with using Activity Monitor, so if any thoughts on what you see, I'm glad to learn.

[MBseva]

Originally Posted by MBseva

Okay, I have not tried everything, but happened on my glitch ...

Darryl,

You misquote me... I specified that I had NOT tried everything, but simply--and apparently too casually for this forum--popped on to share an experience.

I have mentioned using Backblaze several times, and now have it turned off during PT use. Time Machine is secondary and will also get turned off.

I hear ya and do appreciate the advice. Catch you after I am more thorough in my efforts.

Mary

[Darryl Ramm]

Doh. Sorry about that Mary, I read that multiple times completely wrong.

OK. Damn I have myself confused about other stuff as well. I was looking at two threads at once and the other is on Windows.. I'll edit the above to fix again, but...

On a Mac... Make sure Time Machine is off.

Try Built-In Output as the PlayBack engine... that is a quick test to show if the audio interface driver has any problems that can occasionally cause CPU errors. Very unlikely but it's an easy quick test to do.

Then the main thing is plugins. **Plugins are always the leading suspect with CPU errors**. And even more so with 2019.x which fixed many past generic CPU problems. Shut down Pro Tools. Just move all the .aaxplugin files elsewhere, the "Plug-Ins (Unused)" folder is a good place. Trash Prefs (again-yews just do it, even if you have trashed prefs before). Restart Pro Tools and it will magically put back the standard plugins. Just test with Pro Tools with those plugins installed. What happens?

Plugins are here: /Library/Application\ Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins

You should be using Peter Gates' utility to trash prefs. http://petegates.com/pg-pt-prefs.html (do so frequently between other steps).

You should make great progress by just finding out if you have problems with just the standard plugins installed. If you do then try running Pro Tools from the new admin user account. If still having problems then it's time to cut losses and try a new macOS install. But check back before doing that and we can help with advice.

[MBseva]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Doh. Sorry about that Mary, I read that multiple times completely wrong.

OK. Damn I have myself confused about other stuff as well. I was looking at two threads at once and the other is on Windows.. I'll edit the above to fix again, but...

On a Mac... Make sure Time Machine is off.

Try Built-In Output as the PlayBack engine... that is a quick test to show if the audio interface driver has any problems that can occasionally cause CPU errors. Very unlikely but it's an easy quick test to do.

Then the main thing is plugins. **Plugins are always the leading suspect with CPU errors**. And even more so with 2019.x which fixed many past generic CPU problems. Shut down Pro Tools. Just move all the .aaxplugin files elsewhere, the "Plug-Ins (Unused)" folder is a good place. Trash Prefs (again-yews just do it, even if you have trashed prefs before). Restart Pro Tools and it will magically put back the standard plugins. Just test with Pro Tools with those plugins installed. What happens?

Plugins are here: /Library/Application\ Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins

You should be using Peter Gates' utility to trash prefs. http://petegates.com/pg-pt-prefs.html (do so frequently between other steps).

You should make great progress by just finding out if you have problems with just the standard plugins installed. If you do then try ftom the new admin user account. If still having problems then it's time to cut losses and try a new macOS install. But check back before doing that and we can help with advice.

S'okay, Darryl. When someone gets mad AND continues helping--that's a good person. And thanks for the additional pointers, especially the address on the #$% aaxplugin files. Had not found them to date.

I am traveling soon, will go over your advice very finely, have started but it might get bumped to after trip.

Be well! thanks again

[Darryl Ramm]

I also noticed you have Dropbox running. So while plugins are still the first suspect, all these sorts of disk and remote backup utilities can cause problems, especially if you accidentally have content playing to/from a dropbox volume. So another thing to consider if nothing else works--check stuff is not playing from there, it's an easy mistake to make.

And a comment on Time Machine -- it's not a great primary way to back up your boot/system drive. A utility like Carbon Copy Cloner is a much better way for most of us to work, as it gives you instant boot recovery from problems using an external clone drive. Time Machine can be OK for backup of general user documents and maybe sessions.

[MBseva]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I also noticed you have Dropbox running. So while plugins are still the first suspect, all these sorts of disk and remote backup utilities can cause problems, especially if you accidentally have content playing to/from a dropbox volume. So another thing to consider if nothing else works--check stuff is not playing from there, it's an easy mistake to make.

And a comment on Time Machine -- it's not a great primary way to back up your boot/system drive. A utility like Carbon Copy Cloner is a much better way for most of us to work, as it gives you instant boot recovery from problems using an external clone drive. Time Machine can be OK for backup of general user documents and maybe sessions.

I guess I did not realize that Dropbox ran when not in use. I use it for basic sharing of files. Sounds, though, like not noxious unless active.

I had ignored Time Machine for years until a local fellow recordist got me back into it. I can ignore it again and go with CCC, no prob. Tell me your favorite drive for that?

And THANK YOU for the PT prefs app! What a small stroke o helpful genius. Now if someone would create an Automator script or software to adjust settings, toggle things off/on to set up for PT sessions...

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by MBseva

I guess I did not realize that Dropbox ran when not in use. I use it for basic sharing of files. Sounds, though, like not noxious unless active.

I had ignored Time Machine for years until a local fellow recordist got me back into it. I can ignore it again and go with CCC, no prob. Tell me your favorite drive for that?

And THANK YOU for the PT prefs app! What a small stroke o helpful genius. Now if someone would create an Automator script or software to adjust settings, toggle things off/on to set up for PT sessions...

Dropbox usually won't be running when not in use, but it may be syncing stuff in the background you are not aware of... but it's more important that you just check that sessions are not accidentally say using a dropbox folder. You never imported dropbox content into a session and left it in those folders, etc.