PT9 HD - cpu overload. The classic issue.

[scicom]

I recently resurrected my PT9 HD system, very specifically to run the Access Indigo TDM synth. Getting this system up and running has brought out all my PT-SD. Hoping someone here might have a few tips on how to sort the CPU issue I'm having.

first to vent. Dear lord it's a pain in the butt getting a vintage PC system up an running. I had an older computer laying about unused, so figured I'd just dedicate it to PT and the Indigo plug and used it as a fully blown out synth. I have an expansion chassis, so it's a core and 5 DSP cards. Terrific, right? What a great way to have a fully maxed Indigo synth. (It really is a terrific TDM plugin). PT9HD was the last system I used. PT10hd was stupid expensive (somehow still is), and the first pain in the but was trying to locate installs. The avid site is pretty much abandoned with dead links to older software. So, I manage to track down the installers. Requires a 9.02 install, and then an upgrade install for 9.06. 9.02 installs fine on Win10. 9.06 upgrade does not. It does not work on system10. So, now I go on a rodeo to put Win7 on my PC. Same pain in the but trying to track down installs for that. Finally get everything installed, it takes 3 tries reinstalling protools until the hardware drivers are recognized. Finally get that going. Then, I have to track down the Indigo installer, and figure I might as well get some of my other TDM plugs going as well. This stuff is nowhere out there. I really wish I'd not trusted the internet to provide back in the day. Always keep a local install. I even went looking for kracks in desperation. But, every path to this stuff has gone dark. (If anyone knows of a good repository for old software installs, please advise. I plan to collect everything i have and put it up, so that anyone else venturing down this path has an easier time than I did).

Anyway, long road, finally have the software installed and Indigo in place, and it's sounding fantastic. BUT, when any RTAS plug is in place (figured I'd use a few effects on the synth), I get an almost immediate CPU issue. The classic CPU overload problem that made me pull my hair out back in the day.

Now, I went through every fricken' step to try and sort this. The motherboard (X58) is fine. Plenty of ram. Bios cleaned of any threading or clocking issues. Did every optimization step. It does the same thing. In the process window I see the PCI column freeze at 19. Sound drops out. This is without pushing the CPU at all. It'll be fine for like 30 seconds, and then just freeze up. I then have to click on play, or on the plug, and it'll unlock, but only for another few seconds.

Figured I'd check here and see if anyone has any eurekas they could share? Again, I did ALL the classic AVID tips on optimization's. Turned off autosave. Cleared the BIOS of any threading or clocking issues. I can't figure out where this interrupt is happening. There really is no spike being shown (and no reason for one, it happens with just a single rtas plug. I tried every combination of memory and cache. I tried every variant of core count (It's an 8 core, but I tried using 7, 5 etc). Feel like I've tried everything. Desperate for any leads from y'all before I just try to scrap up another computer and see if it was some weird incompatibility.

[Darryl Ramm]

The very first thing is what HW buffer size are you running at... and what happens when you increase this, to the maximum if needed?

Uncheck ignore errors.

What *exact* errors are you getting?

Post a Sandra report.

[original_min]

It's not much to go-on, and I'm probably barking up the wrong tree.
But some things that came to mind...

Sounds like the TDM are fully working without the RTAS?
If so the cards are probably fine. Right?

I'd check if,
The pci bus is choking/stalling, try with minimum cards.
The cards are in the wrong way, reverse the order.
The X58 is using pci bridging, use a different board.

Best of luck!

[EGS]

Originally Posted by scicom

... I did ALL the classic AVID tips on optimization's ...

Try the Affinity Switch.

[scicom]

Originally Posted by EGS

Try the Affinity Switch.

I had hope for this one. Exactly the sort of lost info I was hoping for when I posted. So, thank you. But, alas, it did not work.

Since I last posted, I tried a few things. Firstly, I seated it in an old server rack I have. Already had system 7, and a single PCI slot to run out to the expansion chasis. Everything works like a charm in there. Trouble is, it's loud as F. It's a 1 space rackmount server, dual Xeon with built in vga video, not really built for this. Though, I'll be honest, it performed better than I thought. I only need the one slot, as I run out to a magma expansion chasis for the 6 cards. A little on the sluggish side, but no cpu overloads at all with a ton of rtas plugs on the Indigo channels.

I ran in there successful for a few days, which only furthered my interest in getting a stable system running 9 and the Indigo plug. It really is stellar. So, with this affinity switch in mind I went back to the Gigabyte X58. Again combed the bios, stripped it back to a single ram slot. Disabled everything I could in device manager (USB etc) problem persists. I guess I'll try a full reinstall. I think I already tried that at the jump... but it's been such a long (and somewhat sporadic) tour I can't say for sure.

I did locate another old x58 motherboard, it's an evg x58. I tried that too, but no video on boot. Ugh. So, a whole 'nother set of problems there to try and troubleshoot. I can't win.

I've got the server to fall back on. Boy, i tell you, I'm in too many hours on this crusade. But, onward ho.

Thanks to everyone who replied!