„AAE -9173 error“ - the biggest pro tools workflow killer over the last years

[Franklyn]

I think enough time has passed. we need a solution, NOW !

Over the last 3 years the AAE -9173 errors are part of the daily work of so many pro user how work with big plug in chains on aux and master busses.
(no matter what system or CPU)

I am a PT user since the late 90s and I always work with the latest hardware and software tools and I could always help myself to solve software problems over the years. but in 2016 I had my first Avid support ticket which goes over a year. there where different people at Avid who tried to solve my AAE-9173 errors. some of them told me that they could find a solution by adjusting my system prefs. some month later they told me that it depends on the CPU and the mac model. so I bought different macs over the last 3 years (MacBook Pro i7, iMac 4.0 i7, new mac pro 8 core). but at the end we had to recognize everything they told me and we have tried to adjust on my system was complete senseless and they agreed that my AAE-9173 errors are a KNOWN problem and the avid software team knows that problem.

big plug in chains on the master bus produces AAE -9173 errors. also when your CPU meter is less than 50%

you can freeze, commit or bounce tracks. but all these things don’t make it really better. because the center of the problem is that the AAE engine can not handle big plug in chains on AUX busses and especially on the master bus. and freezing on the master bus is not really an option :)

2015 we got Pro Tools 12, this year we got PT 2018 and now we got ProTools „Ultimate“. But in the last 3 years Avid has nothing changed in the AAE to solve the „master bus“ AAE -9173 error.


I have a simple solution idea for this problem:

Please give us an option in the playback engine for an "extra large audio playback buffer size" (4.096 / 8.192 or more samples for playback tracks) which allows the AAE to handle all those new 3rd party plug ins and big plug in chains on aux and master busses without interruption.

All of you who have these AAE -9173 errors please vote here on the protools idea scale:

https://protools.ideascale.com/a/dtd...ze/309189-3779

Thank you all !

I hope this 9173 nightmare ends soon.

Avid, please give us a sign !

Franklyn

[TOM@METRO]

Hi Franklyn,

Just wondering, are you running with hyperthreading turned on?

[arche3]

Originally Posted by TOM@METRO

Hi Franklyn,

Just wondering, are you running with hyperthreading turned on?

How can you turn hyperthreading on or off on a mac???

[TOM@METRO]

Originally Posted by arche3

How can you turn hyperthreading on or off on a mac???

If there's no way on a Mac, my apologies. My 9173 errors were greatly reduced by turning off Hyperthreding, but I'm on PC.

[lae777]

Originally Posted by arche3

How can you turn hyperthreading on or off on a mac???

https://www.whatroute.net/cpusetter.html

[Emi]

Originally Posted by lae777

https://www.whatroute.net/cpusetter.html

just tried this, for some reason my system likes hyperthreading. No errors here whatsoever (just some at 32 buffer size with processing on)

[Franklyn]

Originally Posted by TOM@METRO

Hi Franklyn,

Just wondering, are you running with hyperthreading turned on?

Hi Tom, thanx for your answer. Hyperthreading is on! And it should be always on, because when I turn it off it is much worse :) because your CPU is much slower working. I tested this. Thats not the solution here.

Sorry, but I opened this tread not for talking about system adjustment to avoid all those "other" 9173 errors (some people are getting these 9173 errors also with no plug ins, etc. ...). this adjustments are discussed enough in the past. :)

I talk about a reconstructable 9173 error which only depends on how plug ins are used in your session. plug in chains with modern 3rd party plug ins on mix/aux busses produces 9173 error on every (!) system. sooner or later. Its not an overload of the CPU. The CPU shows 50% or less but it gets spikes and 9173 errors.

when you use exact the same plug ins on 100 of audio tracks (and not on the mix/aux bus) the CPU meter behaves normal.

I open this thread to ask Avid to make changes in the AAE structure and/or giving us an extra audio buffer size option for mixing with big mixbus plug in chains.

Thank you all !

[TOM@METRO]

This is such a mystery to me.

Why some get these errors constantly and others do not. Some who have them find solutions that don't seem to work for others. Perhaps your idea of a larger buffer might help some.

I'm just happy I've been able to solve this issue on my rig. I hope you find a solution as well.

[zion]

Originally Posted by TOM@METRO

This is such a mystery to me.

Why some get these errors constantly and others do not. Some who have them find solutions that don't seem to work for others. Perhaps your idea of a larger buffer might help some.

I'm just happy I've been able to solve this issue on my rig. I hope you find a solution as well.

From my experience for the most part when I get this error code it is caused by a plugin. When I track it down and remove the offending plugin all is good again. Case in point the only plugin right now that causes this error code for me every now an again is the new Antares AutoTune Pro. When not in use I never see it but to there defense it is a new release so in time I'm sure it will get better.

[Franklyn]

Originally Posted by zion

From my experience for the most part when I get this error code it is caused by a plugin. When I track it down and remove the offending plugin all is good again. Case in point the only plugin right now that causes this error code for me every now an again is the new Antares AutoTune Pro. When not in use I never see it but to there defense it is a new release so in time I'm sure it will get better.

sure, it depends on plug ins. people who do not use much of those "new" 3rd party plug ins have not so much 9173 trouble.

but, that does not mean that all those new plug ins are bad programmed or incompatible. I know many Plug Ins from Waves, Slate, iZotope, Plug in Alliance, ... which make theses problems on the mix bus. Its a new generation of plug ins which needs more power from the audio engine. but all these plug ins should also be handled on busses by the AAE. Thats the reason why I say that Avid has to bring there AAE up to date.

It makes no sense to avoid all "new" plug ins. we want to use all those new tools. And it should be possible to use them.
All those plug ins make absolute no problems on an audio track.
The problem is that those big plug ins chain with modern plug ins need more resources from the audio engine. may be a extra big playback buffer will help.

f.e. when you have a Session with around 40-50% CPU and you put some plug ins like Kramer Master Tape, Abbey Road Vinyl, Greg Well Mix Centric
Scheps Parallel Particles, ... on the mix bus you get soon those 9173 errors. also when the CPU meter is still around 50% or less !
But (!) when you move all those plug ins to some tracks in the session everything works perfect. the CPU has the same "to do" but on the mix bus there is a kind of a bottleneck and only there the engine has not enough "time" for the realtime processing.

There are so many plug ins that are nearly unusable on the mix bus. but those plug ins work solid and good on audio tracks.

The AAE must be updated.

I had support from waves and Avid. And I am sure that only Avid can change game.