Avid support seems like a joke

[Oli P]

I have been calling and calling ...I get in the queue ...they ask me to wait, and then after several minutes the phone makes a ringing tone ...then silence and it hangs up
This was both yesterday and today ...wonder what I'm paying for with this useless support plan

[TOM@METRO]

Things are a bit messed up everywhere during these Covid times. But you could post your problem here and see if we can help, or perhaps escalate this for you.

[Oli P]

Originally Posted by TOM@METRO

Things are a bit messed up everywhere during these Covid times. But you could post your problem here and see if we can help, or perhaps escalate this for you.

I honestly can't see why covid should be to blame for telephone support not working.

But my problem is that pro tools cpu usage goes crazy after having a session open for a while ...like an hour or less.
It just builds up until it goes into max and refuses to play.
If I quit pro tools and restart, it goes back to normal...and then the cycle repeats with the buildup again.
Sometimes it is still crazy when I reopen...and then I have to restart the computer to get it back to normal ...for a while until next surge.

Problem started a few days ago.

I then updated OSX to catalina to see if that helped...and latest PT version.
But this problem seems to persist.

[Ru_C]

Originally Posted by Oli P

I honestly can't see why covid should be to blame for telephone support not working.

But my problem is that pro tools cpu usage goes crazy after having a session open for a while ...like an hour or less.
It just builds up until it goes into max and refuses to play.
If I quit pro tools and restart, it goes back to normal...and then the cycle repeats with the buildup again.
Sometimes it is still crazy when I reopen...and then I have to restart the computer to get it back to normal ...for a while until next surge.

Problem started a few days ago.

I then updated OSX to catalina to see if that helped...and latest PT version.
But this problem seems to persist.

Out of curiosity, would you like to try using this (or similar app) to switch to using the Intel integrated graphics rather the discrete AMD card in your iMac? See if that does anything..

https://gfx.io

[Oli P]

Originally Posted by Ru_C

Out of curiosity, would you like to try using this (or similar app) to switch to using the Intel integrated graphics rather the discrete AMD card in your iMac? See if that does anything..

https://gfx.io

How do you suggest I do that?

And my graphics card is Radeon Pro Vega 48 8 GB

[Ru_C]

Originally Posted by Oli P

How do you suggest I do that?

And my graphics card is Radeon Pro Vega 48 8 GB

the little utility I linked to above , should allow you to force the MAC into using the basic integrated graphics, rather than the posh Vega card.

UPDATE:Sorry no, it seems that's only for the older MacBooks , there should be a utility around though, much like the ones that allowing to switch off hyperthreading. I'll have a dig.

[TOM@METRO]

Try opening without plug-ins, and see if the issue continues. (hold down shift while opening)

[Darryl Ramm]

You are almost certainly wasting your time trying to deal with Avid's Philippine based support. The first tier support seems pretty bad. Better if you get deeper, but for this problem you should be doing lots of basic troubleshooting yourself before trying to go near support.

First thought with CPU issues should always be plugins.

But as always start by trashing prefs. Use Pete Gate's PT Pref utility. Do it now.

But it might be a corrupt session... so try multiple sessions. try with a new empty session not from a template...and build up a session quickly... and/or try the Pro Tools demo session. Does the problem happen there as well??? If not try importing your existing session into a new session.

If you suspect plugins (i.e. not the session) move all .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder, trash prefs and restart Pro Tools. The standard plugin will be automagically put back... do sessions work now without the problem (but with many of your plugins missing)? If so then reinstall the other plugins (using latest compatible installers) and test frequently as you go. You may find a plugin that was causing the problem.

"Help Us Help You" up the top of every DUC web page has extra information, make sure your system is fully optimized.

[Oli P]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

You are almost certainly wasting your time trying to deal with Avid's Philippine based support. The first tier support seems pretty bad. Better if you get deeper, but for this problem you should be doing lots of basic troubleshooting yourself before trying to go near support.

First thought with CPU issues should always be plugins.

But as always start by trashing prefs. Use Pete Gate's PT Pref utility. Do it now.

But it might be a corrupt session... so try multiple sessions. try with a new empty session not from a template...and build up a session quickly... and/or try the Pro Tools demo session. Does the problem happen there as well??? If not try importing your existing session into a new session.

If you suspect plugins (i.e. not the session) move all .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder, trash prefs and restart Pro Tools. The standard plugin will be automagically put back... do sessions work now without the problem (but with many of your plugins missing)? If so then reinstall the other plugins (using latest compatible installers) and test frequently as you go. You may find a plugin that was causing the problem.

"Help Us Help You" up the top of every DUC web page has extra information, make sure your system is fully optimized.

Thanks Darryl ...I have of course tried some of the basics, but this issue started happening without me having installed any new plug-ins. So it would seem to be odd that it would just suddenly have problems with that.
But some preference file is a likely suspect as usual, so I'll start with the Prefs Helper.

And yes...the Phillipine hotline is useless...and impossible to understand and hear
But the US one said they would call me back...and even sent a mail to confirm it...but nobody called or wrote...and now it's two days later

[Basstian]

Originally Posted by Oli P

Thanks Darryl ...I have of course tried some of the basics, but this issue started happening without me having installed any new plug-ins. So it would seem to be odd that it would just suddenly have problems with that.
But some preference file is a likely suspect as usual, so I'll start with the Prefs Helper.

And yes...the Phillipine hotline is useless...and impossible to understand and hear
But the US one said they would call me back...and even sent a mail to confirm it...but nobody called or wrote...and now it's two days later

Turn off the enable GPU Option in the PT Preferences and you should be good.