PT 2019.5 with no session open using 5GB RAM?

[kirkbross]

I have a new Mac Mini running Mojave with 32 gigs of RAM.

When I launch Pro Tools (2019.5) the memory usage jumps to 16% which is around 5 gigs. That seems like quite a lot for an idle program with no session open.

When I open a moderate size session with a moderate amount of VIs (like Addictive Drums, Superior Drummer, Kontakt, Omnisphere) memory usage jumps to around 70% which also seems a lot, even factoring for drum plugs caching a lot of samples.

Are these normal usage stats?

As an aside, I also still get the CPU overload error constantly, at any sample buffer size -- something I was hoping would get solved in 2019.5.

[Darryl Ramm]

There are likely hundreds of posts on DUC talking about how great 2019.5 is working, how its CPU performance improvements are working for so many people. But counter to all that you are seeing problems... and you keep posting about them. You have to get organized and troubleshoot what is going on on your system.

High memory usage, and CPU errors. Both can be caused by ... plugins. And plugins should be the first suspect here for you to troubleshoot.

But memory usage may not be worth chasing, it would be interesting if your total systems is running out of memory, you see the computer crash or hang, you see Pro Tools out of memory errors, or the over all system responsiveness/UI behavior etc became erratic. If instead you are having AAE CPU errors then your time is likely better spent focus on testing for and solving those.

... start with trashing prefs, test, still happening? then remove all plugins from the plugin folder, trash prefs and restart. And test to see if CPU errors happen. We've been over that and other stuff to try before. What troubleshooting have you done?

VIs loading or caching samples can take an awful lot of memory. There is no off the cuff numbers to assume there, it depends on what you are doing (and I dont' think anybody here knows what you mean by a "moderate" session), some folks can work with a handful of GB, some run out of memory at 64GB or more with VIs and/or need to run outboard DAW hosts. If you are running out of memory with your VIs in operation (symptoms I've described above) you need to troubleshoot that, including looking for ever growing memory... may indicate a plugin memory leak, refer to the VI plugin vendor(s) for memory tuning tips (e.g. stream vs preload samples if that is an option), disable PT disk cache, etc. But worry about that only if your Mac is actually running out of memory.

Just throwing out an idea, it is possible you may have a sample based VIs that is preallocating memory for samples before a session is open... I'd be surprised/disappointed if that is happening. Or at the other extreme it may be a buggy plugin. It may be interesting doing some tests to work out which of the VI plugins are consuming memory with no session open... but again I'd focus on the CPU errors.

But again, this is likely not helping you. You keep posting on DUC about problems, and I don't think you've posted a clear summary of troubleshooting that you have done.

--

But OK to give you a memory data point: in my case with my batch of working plugins (most Toontrack VIs, Avid plugin bundle, most BIAS plugins, a bunch of other stuff), I see memory usage a reported by Activity Monitor increase from ~3GB to ~4.5 GB when starting up Pro Tools 2019.5 without opening a session. Wether what you are seeing is a "bug" or not, I have no idea.

[BScout]

What is your disk cache set to? That would grab RAM immediately because Pro Tools reserves that RAM for, in essence, a RAM disk.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by BScout

What is your disk cache set to? That would grab RAM immediately because Pro Tools reserves that RAM for, in essence, a RAM disk.

That's not quite how things work/will show up. Memory is not allocated by the system to the PT disk cache until it's needed. The disk cache memory does not show up before a session is open and does not turn up in systems memory usage stats until data is loaded into it. Pro Tools disk cache is actually well implemented, sitting on top of modern low-level file system stuff. It's not just a simple static glob of memory like say classic RAM disks.

Edit: But let me clarify that: I am talking about actual memory usage, or close to it, as shown by say "memory used" in the memory panel of Activity Monitor, or the value for the "memory" shown for each app in the Activity Monitor memory page.

You'll see the disk cache space "virtually allocated" if you look at the virtual address size of the application... but that is not even become actual memory until files are put into it, does not affect the system performance, etc. until used... and then it shows up in the actual memory above.

I hope the OP here was not looking at process virtual memory sizes.

[kirkbross]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

That's not quite how things work/will show up. Memory is not allocated by the system to the PT disk cache until it's needed. The disk cache memory does not show up before a session is open and does not turn up in systems memory usage stats until data is loaded into it. Pro Tools disk cache is actually well implemented, sitting on top of modern low-level file system stuff. It's not just a simple static glob of memory like say classic RAM disks.

Edit: But let me clarify that: I am talking about actual memory usage, or close to it, as shown by say "memory used" in the memory panel of Activity Monitor, or the value for the "memory" shown for each app in the Activity Monitor memory page.

You'll see the disk cache space "virtually allocated" if you look at the virtual address size of the application... but that is not even become actual memory until files are put into it, does not affect the system performance, etc. until used... and then it shows up in the actual memory above.

I hope the OP here was not looking at process virtual memory sizes.

I'm getting a different warning from MacOS Mojave now. See image. When I click on Learn More it takes me to a page about running 32 bit apps in Mojave. Does Pro Tools even have a 32 bit version (for 2019.5)? Is it possible I accidentally installed a 32 bit version of one of my plugins? I thought it was all 64 bit at this point.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by kirkbross

I'm getting a different warning from MacOS Mojave now. See image. When I click on Learn More it takes me to a page about running 32 bit apps in Mojave. Does Pro Tools even have a 32 bit version (for 2019.5)? Is it possible I accidentally installed a 32 bit version of one of my plugins? I thought it was all 64 bit at this point.

Don't worry about it. That is "working correctly". Caused by old QuickTime that Avid relies on currently, been discussed lots here.