Pro Tools 10 CPU Overload

[trebot000]

Here is what I got from my Sandra. I hope this helps. THanks again.

Computer >
Model: HP ENVY 14 Notebook PC 103C_5335KV
Serial Number: CNU03*****
Chassis: HP Notebook
Mainboard: HP 1436
Serial Number: PBQAA00*******
BIOS: HP F.13 08/27/2010
Intel vPro: 6.01.00.1042
Total Memory: 7.8GB DDR3 SO-DIMM

< Processors >
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU M 460 @
2.53GHz (2C 4T 2.66GHz/2.8GHz, 1.73GHz IMC,
2x 256kB L2, 3MB L3)
Socket/Slot: FC PGA988

< Chipset >
Memory Controller: HP Core (Arrandale) Mobile DRAM Controller
133MHz, 2x 4GB DDR3 SO-DIMM 1GHz 128-bit,
Integrated Graphics

< Memory Module(s) >
Memory Module: Kingston KHX1600C9S3K28GX 4GB DDR3 SO-DIMM
PC3-12800S DDR3-1600 (9-9-9-25 4-34-10-5)
Memory Module: Kingston KHX1600C9S3K28GX 4GB DDR3 SO-DIMM
PC3-12800S DDR3-1600 (9-9-9-25 4-34-10-5)

< Video System >
Monitor/Panel: AOC International 2440
(1920x1080, 30.2")
Monitor/Panel: LGD Generic PnP Monitor (1600x1200, LP145WH1-
TLB1, 14.5")
Video Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 (400 SM5.0 450MHz/
550MHz, 1GB DDR3 1.6GHz 128-bit, PCIe 2.00
x16)

[Darryl Ramm]

Unfortunately that is an incomplete Sandra report that does not really help. Can you look at the standard report formats listed in all the threads here where people post there Sandra reports.

Please follow the posted instructions in the "Help us help You.." link and look at the YouTube video for help.

Darryl

[Darryl Ramm]

And please attach all the hard drives you have when you run the Sandra report and explain where audio/session files and VI sample file are stored.

Also post here *all* the settings in your Playback engine dialog.

Avid just posted a Pro Tools 10.3 update that addresses some 9128 errors, you should update to that - and change in the problem?

Darryl

[trebot000]

I have tried for the past few hours to run a Sandra report just like the You TUbe video instructed. The Sandra software is downloaded but I cannot get it to run the report. It tells me this.

SiSoftware Sandra Agent Service (NT)(Unicode) has stopped working. A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available.

I don't know. I ran my updates for windows. I did not do the Pro Tools update yet.

[Darryl Ramm]

If you can't even get Sandra to run you may have worse problems and I would try to fix that.

Some ideas: Check the system messages for interesting looking errors. Disable any anti-virus software (should not be running anyhow). Try uninstalling Sandra and then uninstall all the Windows .NET framework packages installed on your system. (Sandra install only one of them I think v4). And then try doing another Sandra reinstall. EDIT: And if that does not work try running the Windows updater (to pick up lots of .NET bugfix updates).

If that does not work then do a clean reinstall of Windows.

Darryl

[Darryl Ramm]

Another obvious problem here is you have two core i5 CPUs but have the RTAS processors set to 4 in the playback engine settings.

You will kill the system like this, especially with a CPU hog like NI stuff. Start with CPU =1 (the idea is leave 1 CPU dedicated to pro tools, one to RTAS/AAX native processing), say 99% (use all that one CPU is OK since the other is free) and while you won't be able to do a lot of VI processing with a single processor at least the system overall should be more stable.

Loading up a dual core laptop like this with all this NI stuff might be wishful thinking.

Darryl

[trebot000]

I set the processors from 4 to 1 after one of the first replies you gave me.

I kind of figured the software i am running, NI Komplete Ultimate, Maschine, Pro Tools 10, etc... was alot for my PC. This is my first real dive into computer recording and all that comes with it. I appreciate all you suggestions and will get around to trying them.

The last thing you said about my i5 laptop is kind of what I figured in the first place, although I'm sure some adjustments can be made to make what I already have run better.

In your opinion, or in reality, instead of banging my head against the wall trying to solve all these problems and fixes with my i5 laptop, should I just upgrade to a more efficient powerful desktop? I still plan on doing all the stuff you mentioned but in the bigger picture of it what do you think?

I downloaded the Pro Tools 10.3 update. It took all night and now I am trying to unzip it and get it running.

Anyway, I really do appreciate all of your assistance. Thanks.

[Darryl Ramm]

Without knowing what you really want to do but just looking at that list of NI software makes me think you really should buy a new PC.

You want lots of disk, with separate 7200 rpm drives (that meet PT specs, e.g. WDC Caviar Black or Seagate barracuda) for system boot, NI samples and audio (so at least 3 separate drives). You could also consider a SSD drive for the system drive, but these get expensive if big enough to hold all the samples. Only use SATA III 6gbit/s interfaces.

With lots of VI activity you might even want to split the different VI sample libraries onto their own sample drives, but start with at least one separate sample drive and see how this goes. But get a large tower case PC so you can have several internal drives.

Get an i7 processor system. Get a system with all SATA III 6gbps disk interfaces (should be standard now in PC land). Get matched DIMMs but enough DIMMs that all the memory slots are filled -- that improves memory bandwidth. Get 16 or 32 GB of memory -- under the assumption you might use the NI memory servers to expand outside Pro Tools current 32bit limits, and you'll be ready for Pro Tools 11 64 bit.

There is a price/performance sweet spot with a single chip 4 or 6 core single chip system today (will show up as 8 or 12 cores with i7 hyper threading). If you have huge VI plans and a large budget then you can look at a dual CPU chip system (but you are unlikely to see linear scaling).

I cannot overemphasize how it is not just all CPU and memory --- lots of disk/io rate capacity, and proper/methodical/painful install and setup of the system and all software is critical. Start by blowing away any Windows install and doing your own install to clean out all the crapware. Install Sandra early on and make sure it works. Follow all the Avid Pro Tools systems install and optimization documentation.

Read all the minimum systems requirements for Pro Tools and for all you NI and any other third party software. Between Pro Tools and the NI stuff you have some of the fussiest/most demanding (but amazing) software around.

You can buy special media/Pro Tools built PCs from various places (eg Sweetwater) I think these are a waste of money for more technical/organized folks, but might be life savers for others.

Darryl

[albee1952]

Also, keep in mind that the Glyph drive needs to be run on USB or eSATA as firewire drives are not supported on Windows 7. Kontact has always(AFAIK) been troublesome with Pro Tools

[trebot000]

Thanks for the responses. I do have my Glyph drive connected through USB.

So I asked, or mentioned in an earlier post that I thought I should put my sample libraires on the external Glyph drive. I figured escepially with Kontakt 5 because I have a ton of library content there.

When you say to put sample libraries on a seperate drive, you are refering to things Kontakt 5 sample libraries or Maschine sample libraries correct? Is it safe to put these sample lbraries on a seperate external drive? I figure it should be as long as the computer knows where to find the files when I try and load them. I have had people tell me it is safe to put those libraries on a seperate drive and I have also been told the opposite. From what I gathered it seems as long as I keep the program ,Kontakt,Maschine etc.. on my C drive, the samples can be elswhere. True or false.

Also I appreciate the suggestions on what to look for in a better PC. That will be a little down the road. Maybe I will just use something else instead of Kontakt 5 or any NI software in Pro Tools. I really just want to become proficient in Pro Tools right now. I'm not trying to open a studio or make a living off of it, I just want to be able to use it to make my own music/audio ideas some to life and learn more about/get better at mixing etc.. I can just run Kontakt in stand alone and get better aquainted with that crazy program and I'm sure by that time I will save up enough to buy a better computer. Actaully by the time I really get my head around Kontakt and Reaktor I may be a very old man. Should have some extra computer money saved then.

Thanks again.