6101 error message on iMac

[luddepaul]

Hi everyone!

Searching for some help to figure out what's wrong with my system (or if the system is working and pro tools is just not worth it....)

My setup:
iMac late 2015 Retina 4K (purchased Feb 2017) with 10.12.6 installed (same issue with previous versions)
3,3 GHz Intel Core i7 (quad core)
16 GB 1867 MHz DDR3 RAM
500 GB SSD
Separate 500 GB SSD Samsung T3 for audio record/playback (USB 3.0)
Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 (integrated, not discrete...)

Pro Tools 12.8 (same issue with previous version, from 12.7)

Audio interface:
Main: Audient iD22
secondary: Mbox mini (3rd gen)

I get the error message AAE -6101 CPU overload at insanely small sessions, like 3 tracks, when I'm recording. The problem gets worse the lower the buffer size is. When looking at the system information on CPU load it can be around 5-10% but as soon as I hit record enable, monitoring, or record, it jumps up, and jumps around a bit during recording (if it works that long) and eventually it stops the recording and I'm getting the error message. It’s always bar number 4 (of 8) that carries the heavy load and maxes out. I have gotten the error message on all buffer sizes (so far) except 1024. The higher the buffer size is the longer I can record without getting the error message. I don’t use any USB hubs.

I've been in contact with Avid support, who said that it could be 3 problems, 3rd party plugins problem, audio interface problem or faulty internal hard drive in the iMac. I have tested with different audio interfaces (my secondary unit, M box mini, and using pro tools aggregate) but still same problem. I have used different USB cables, no longer than 1.5 m, still issues. I have also tried reinstalling my whole computer and ONLY using the plugins that is included in pro tools (not even air plugins or instruments) but still the same problem.
Then I brought my Mac into an Apple Authorized service center, and they couldn't find a single problem with the Mac and told me the hard drive, along with all other hardware, is fine.

I have also tried my setup on my Macbook Pro 15” late 2011 (2,2 GHz Quad core Intel Core i7, 16 GB Ram, 500 GB SSD, integrated AND discrete graphics card, AMD Radeon HD 6750M (discrete) and Intel HD Graphics (integrated). The problem still occurs on the MBP, but not as often, and in significantly larger sessions. The performance is much more even, the CPU is more evenly distributed among the cores (according to pro tools CPU meter). So the 5 year old MBP outperforms the iMac.

I've also tried the trick with installing pro tools but uninstalling Application Manager but no improvements.

Avid then told me to experiment with the Host Engine and dynamic plugin proccessing options. Dynamic Plugin Processing makes no difference but it gets better with Host Engine disabled. Although I then get the error message 9173 and I can hear the clicks quite much, not as much in smaller sessions. Alse after a while, when disabling Host Engine, all the sounds from Pro Tools become “crackily” and sounds like a bad transistor radio or something.

I’ve been in contact with apple support as well, and since it’s third party software they don’t want to do anything. I’ve tried to get the error message in Logic Pro X but haven’t “succeeded” with that. Although looking at the CPU meters in logic while recording it maxes out on one meter only, but not getting error message. My Macbook Pro again distributes the load more efficiently on the cores (according to the DAWs own CPU meters).

Now, my thoughts are as follows:
My USB engine (?) are somewhat faulty or both my audio interfaces are causing it and I should try a thunderbolt interface? (although getting the same issues with the internal sound card…)
The integrated graphics are the culprit? And I ought to buy a new Mac with a discrete graphics card? (although Pro Tools doesn’t need much graphics power since I’m not currently using any external monitors nor working with video…)

Or does anyone else have any ideas or anything that could help me?

Thanks in Advance!

[The Weed]

Is your operating system drive a Fusion drive?

[luddepaul]

Originally Posted by The Weed

Is your operating system drive a Fusion drive?

No, the internal drive in the iMac is a 500 GB SSD (upgraded on purchase)

[Darryl Ramm]

What *exactly* did you do to test plugins?

Does this happen with all sessions? Only some? With new empty sessions? With sessions with what plugins in them.

Stop looking at CPU meters, they will not help you here.

Uncheck dynamic plugin processing and leave it that way forever.

What you should do to check third party is move all plugin files out of the plugin folder. Start Pro Tools (it will magically put back the standard plugins) and see what happens.

Make sure your session audio files really are going to that external SSD (check the audio files are in the session folder). While at it make sure disk cache is enabled, set to a few GB not "normal"=off.

Leave all third party plugins uninstalled while you test other things.

Trash prefs (you should already have done this, multiple times as you check other things).

Create a new admin account and test from there, creating a new empty session.

Make sure no other apps are running.

It is very unlikely your Mac hardware is at fault. And you are wasting time trying to get Apple support involved here in any way.

Not sorted out, may be time to do a full clean install of MacOS on a separate partition or third drive.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[luddepaul]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

What *exactly* did you do to test plugins?

Does this happen with all sessions? Only some? With new empty sessions? With sessions with what plugins in them.

Stop looking at CPU meters, they will not help you here.

Uncheck dynamic plugin processing and leave it that way forever.

What you should do to check third party is move all plugin files out of the plugin folder. Start Pro Tools (it will magically put back the standard plugins) and see what happens.

Make sure your session audio files really are going to that external SSD (check the audio files are in the session folder). While at it make sure disk cache is enabled, set to a few GB not "normal"=off.

Leave all third party plugins uninstalled while you test other things.

Trash prefs (you should already have done this, multiple times as you check other things).

Create a new admin account and test from there, creating a new empty session.

Make sure no other apps are running.

It is very unlikely your Mac hardware is at fault. And you are wasting time trying to get Apple support involved here in any way.

Not sorted out, may be time to do a full clean install of MacOS on a separate partition or third drive.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have uninstalled and then reinstalled pro tools. I have reinstalled pro tools and tried the trick with uninstalling the application manager. I have done a fresh install of the OS and then installed only pro tools, no other software or third party plugins.

Avid told me to mess around with the dynamic plugin processing, but for now i have it disabled (unchecked).

I get the error message with new sessions and one audio track.

I have made sure that pro tools is recording the files to the external drive.

I have also trashed prefs several times to no end.

I will try creating another admin account and go from there, be back with info on that soon!

[Darryl Ramm]

Your OS reinstalls were Sierra? Full clean OS installs from new downloaded installers? With no in-situ upgrade or system migration steps?

You really want to make sure that broken plugins cannot be reintroduced after you do a clean macOS install, and running system migration assasin can easily do that. Restoring a user can also corrupt a bunch of per-user prefs. Don't do any of that and test the totally clean MacOS install (which you may have already).

---

May be worth looking though the system and app logs in Console.app for any unusual looking warnings or errors.

Your external SSD is formatted HFS+ (Mac OS Extended...)?

[luddepaul]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Your OS reinstalls were Sierra? Full clean OS installs from new downloaded installers? With no in-situ upgrade or system migration steps?

You really want to make sure that broken plugins cannot be reintroduced after you do a clean macOS install, and running system migration assasin can easily do that. Restoring a user can also corrupt a bunch of per-user prefs. Don't do any of that and test the totally clean MacOS install (which you may have already).

---

May be worth looking though the system and app logs in Console.app for any unusual looking warnings or errors.

Your external SSD is formatted HFS+ (Mac OS Extended...)?

Yes, my reinstalls were Sierra, and fresh installs. I formatted the drive to erase everything and then installed new OS, and not transferring or importing any data from backups or anything like that.

And yes, my external drive is formatted to HFS+.

Okay, how do I notice something strange in console.app?

Thanks!

[bradch00]

Can you (only for testing) create and record to the internal SSD and see if the same thing happens. Trying to determine if the USB connected drive or an associated mechanism is at fault.

[luddepaul]

Originally Posted by bradch00

Can you (only for testing) create and record to the internal SSD and see if the same thing happens. Trying to determine if the USB connected drive or an associated mechanism is at fault.

I've acutally tried that as well but with no luck, still the same issue.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by luddepaul

Okay, how do I notice something strange in console.app?

You run console.app and start poking around, including the times the errors were thrown.

Start under Devices and then look at system.log and user reports (for say frequently crashing apps). You are looking for errors or warnings, especially stuff the repeats a lot or happens correlated with the errors.

If you have access to other Macs at similar OS levels and they work OK you can compare the types of things you see there.