PT2023 and Mac Studio disappointments

[juh]

I just purchased a new Mac Studio M2 ultra, with 128 GB RAM, my main use is composing music for movies.
I preformed a clean install from scratch, with every lastest softwares / plugins versions. OS is Ventura. Previously I used to work with a Mac Pro 2013.
With my new Mac I thought everything would be so much faster, like launching sessions, loading samples... Actually not that much.
Moreover, I’m still encountering CPU issues (same as when I worked with my old Mac Pro 2013) even when my sessions only have 20 tracks (my main virtual instruments as Kontakt, Omnisphere…). Not systematically but it frequently occurs.
I don’t have any CPU nor RAM overload, but playback is interrupted with messages saying that the DAE buffer size has to be increased…

This is so disappointing and frustrating, it’s really not what I was expecting. So I’m wondering if those issues are due to my system configuration ?
Or maybe PT is not able to take advantage of the full power of latest M2 yet ?

Thanks

J

[capt kirk]

What version of ProTools?

[sw rec]

Originally Posted by capt kirk

What version of ProTools?

Indeed, and what are you using for an interface? Using a Studio M1 Max here, with a Sonnet Echo III and UA Apollo 8. Works splendidly.

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by juh

I just purchased a new Mac Studio M2 ultra, with 128 GB RAM, my main use is composing music for movies.
I preformed a clean install from scratch, with every lastest softwares / plugins versions. OS is Ventura. Previously I used to work with a Mac Pro 2013.
With my new Mac I thought everything would be so much faster, like launching sessions, loading samples... Actually not that much.
Moreover, I’m still encountering CPU issues (same as when I worked with my old Mac Pro 2013) even when my sessions only have 20 tracks (my main virtual instruments as Kontakt, Omnisphere…). Not systematically but it frequently occurs.
I don’t have any CPU nor RAM overload, but playback is interrupted with messages saying that the DAE buffer size has to be increased…

This is so disappointing and frustrating, it’s really not what I was expecting. So I’m wondering if those issues are due to my system configuration ?
Or maybe PT is not able to take advantage of the full power of latest M2 yet ?

Thanks

J

I’m running a Mac Studio M1 Ultra here and performance is big upgrade from my previous Mac Pro 2019 16 core. I’m using a lot of VIs and VE Pro.

[SomeOtherGuy]

Are you sure you're not running PT in Rosetta mode?

[juh]

Protools version is 2023.9, and I'm using an Apollo 8.
And not using Rosetta...
DAE buffer size set to 256, too low ?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by juh

Moreover, I’m still encountering CPU issues (same as when I worked with my old Mac Pro 2013) even when my sessions only have 20 tracks (my main virtual instruments as Kontakt, Omnisphere…). Not systematically but it frequently occurs. I don’t have any CPU nor RAM overload, but playback is interrupted with messages saying that the DAE buffer size has to be increased…

Since you have a UAD Apollo interface - are you running UAD plugins in Pro Tools? If so do you understand the significant latency of UAD DSP plugins in Pro Tools and why you typically need to run at large H/W buffers? If using UAD DSP plugins 256 samples may well be too low. If trying to track with low H/W buffer size keep the UAD DSP plugins running only in the Apollo Console. Is that a part of your problems here?

VI heavy workloads may also require large H/W buffer size and require good optimization of the system, and VI samples being on a fast drive (hopefully you don't have any HDD anywhere in this setup). And there are often lots of opportunities to reduce overall VI workloads by printing/committing/freezing VI tracks.

If that is not the whole cause.... there is a standard approach to systems optimization and troubleshooting for problems like this, described under "help us help you" up the top of every DUC web page. None of which start with upgrading the computer. And it sounds like you probably reinstalled a pile of plugins on the new computer without testing if Pro Tools with just core plugins works OK... and plugins are always a suspect for these problems and *exactly* what you are experiencing can be caused by plugin problems in addition to what I mention above. And you don't necessarily even need to be using a plugin for it to cause a problem, just having them installed can be enough. A session with one or even no tracks can throw these errors, and throw them without showing what looks like significant CPU load, so trying to infer the cause often does not help. Plugins are a suspect until you prove they are not by removing them. So time for you to do that standard troubleshooting work.

DAE aka Digidesign Audio Engine refers to stuff from ancient versions of Pro Tools. It's weird if a Pro Tools error message is still referring to "DAE". Not AAE buffer or better just "hardware buffer".

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by sw rec

Try Rosetta. I sincerely doubt if it’s a buffer issue.

UAD Apollo 8. If using UAD DSP plugins in Pro Tools then hardware buffer size set too small would be first thing on my list. So the question is are the UAD DSP plugins being used in Pro Tools.

[massivekerry]

Seems odd. My M1 Ultra Studio was a huge upgrade, especially once I started running it Silicon Native. I do notice that the app loads faster. Sessions - not necessarily so. Some of that is due to a lot of routing and complexity in a few tracks. Some of it is that Kontakt still loads samples as if it's using a spinning HDD. Some of it is just an amount of active tracks with a lot of plugins.

Of course, if I have a bunch of look-ahead/AI plugins loaded (Ozone + Soothe + Gullfoss + some real-time vocal pitch processing, it may occasionally pull a "Raise your Buffer" error. But usually I'm plugging along at 256 for all VI, or 128 to track live instruments just fine. But at 48k. Are you using VIs at a higher sample rate? 96/192?

I'm running a Carbon though. Not sure how much the UA Console affects things.

[innerbooty]

Hmmm, this is a little concerning. About to pull the trigger on an M2 Studio Max (at least, I think I am), with a Sonnett III chassis for HDX card and UAD Octo. Avid HD IO 16. Are UAD plugins going to slow me down / add latency and end up negating gains from the upgrade? I'll be upgrading from a 2009 Cheesegrater, so I am very much hoping/expecting to see serious gains. Hoping to run a bunch of Kontakt instruments, Roland Cloud and other VIs and run at lower buffer settings. And not get CPU errors!! Am I in for a rude (expensive) awakening...?