Anyone using M3

[chemdream]

I recently got a Macbook Pro M3.

I installed ProTools on it. It won't even get to the splash screen before it crashes. And it's a weird crash. Pro Tools will still be in the dock, but not running. I click on the dock icon, it bounces once and nothing else.

Funny thing, I actually remember this stuff from the first ProTools in OSX.

Anyways, I've read on this forum that many people are successfully using Sonoma. Is anyone using M3 successfully? I did search the forum for "M3", which pulled up zero results. Which I thought was weird because I saw "M3" in a few other threads.

Thanks and sorry about the likely repeat questions!


(I know M3 isn't officially supports)

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by chemdream

I recently got a Macbook Pro M3.

I installed ProTools on it. It won't even get to the splash screen before it crashes. And it's a weird crash. Pro Tools will still be in the dock, but not running. I click on the dock icon, it bounces once and nothing else.

Funny thing, I actually remember this stuff from the first ProTools in OSX.

Anyways, I've read on this forum that many people are successfully using Sonoma. Is anyone using M3 successfully? I did search the forum for "M3", which pulled up zero results. Which I thought was weird because I saw "M3" in a few other threads.

Thanks and sorry about the likely repeat questions!


(I know M3 isn't officially supports)

Interesting
No I'm using M1 MacBook and the Intel Imac in my sig
But curious what PT version ?

[chemdream]

Whatever the latest is.

The annoying thing is I just got PT again because of the latest perpetual license they offered. I was totally happy in Reaper and Logic. And I've only been able to use PT once until I moved to my new computer.

Originally Posted by K Roche

Interesting
No I'm using M1 MacBook and the Intel Imac in my sig
But curious what PT version ?

[thebeatless]

I tried one and it was a slight improvement in CPU power over my M2 Max Macboook, but Sonoma was no good for me. Pro Tools worked pretty well, but I couldn't deal with plugin search not working in the usual manner, soundflow was useless, and I had issues with plugin settings not recalling properly when opening sessions from the M2. I figure/hope that they'll have a desktop model out not long after Avid fixes these OS compatibility issues, so I returned it. I'd rather have a desktop for the studio and keep the m2 macbook as my mobile rig.

[Darryl Ramm]

I doubt that M3 is the issue here. And Avid really does not track support by specific CPU versions, operating system is almost always the issue and what is tracked.

https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...tibility-Chart

You read up on DUC which is great. There are multiple annoyances in Pro Tools 2023.9 on Sonoma (like plugin search not working when you type into the insert) and some potential problems with hangs and crashes but unclear if they are on Intel only or only triggers by some plugin UI issues (like Mini Grand).

When you have problems focus on troubleshooting...

Did you do full clean reinstall of apps and drivers onto this Mac or did you try to move them using Migration Assistant (Assasin)?

If nothing else try as much as you can of the standard troubleshooting steps. (Help us Help You up the top of each DUC web page).

Pro Tools crashes... do you see a pop-up asking you to submit a crash report to Apple? What do the stack traces show?

Does a Pro Tools log file get created? ~/Library/Logs/Avid/Pro_Tools*.txt

Does a Pro Tools Breakpad crash file get created? ~/Library/Logs/Avid/Crashlog (more stuff to get to Avid support/needs to have Google Breakpad tools installed to even look at) but useful to know at least if they are created or not).

Apps bouncing repetitively in the dock are often having problems contacting Apple code signing revocation servers. Presumably this has nothing to do with that. But you can try disconnecting your Mac from any network, WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth etc. and try restarting Pro Tools.

Does Console.app show anything in the logs around when Pro Tools crashes?

[moogboy100]

Works fine for me on a M3.

The only thing causing problems is Sonoma.

[chemdream]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I doubt that M3 is the issue here. And Avid really does not track support by specific CPU versions, operating system is almost always the issue and what is tracked.

https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...tibility-Chart

You read up on DUC which is great. There are multiple annoyances in Pro Tools 2023.9 on Sonoma (like plugin search not working when you type into the insert) and some potential problems with hangs and crashes but unclear if they are on Intel only or only triggers by some plugin UI issues (like Mini Grand).

When you have problems focus on troubleshooting...

Did you do full clean reinstall of apps and drivers onto this Mac or did you try to move them using Migration Assistant (Assasin)?

If nothing else try as much as you can of the standard troubleshooting steps. (Help us Help You up the top of each DUC web page).

Pro Tools crashes... do you see a pop-up asking you to submit a crash report to Apple? What do the stack traces show?

Does a Pro Tools log file get created? ~/Library/Logs/Avid/Pro_Tools*.txt

Does a Pro Tools Breakpad crash file get created? ~/Library/Logs/Avid/Crashlog (more stuff to get to Avid support/needs to have Google Breakpad tools installed to even look at) but useful to know at least if they are created or not).

Apps bouncing repetitively in the dock are often having problems contacting Apple code signing revocation servers. Presumably this has nothing to do with that. But you can try disconnecting your Mac from any network, WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth etc. and try restarting Pro Tools.

Does Console.app show anything in the logs around when Pro Tools crashes?

The spirit of my post was just to see if someone had it working on M3 before I wasted more time. That's why I didn't offer anymore details in the first post. But since you offered to help...

It was a clean install. Received the MBP->ran system updates->Installed iLok->ProTools via Avid Link->Reboot->Crash

The crashlog/console/stack trace shows nothing useful (Our all mighty ChatGPT agrees. hah)

Starting PT in safe mode doesn't help because it doesn't even get that far.

Clearing prefs/caches/etc and rebooting does nothing.

Uninstalling all plugins didn't help.

One strange thing is happening. In Avid Link, my old (haven't used or had access to since 2006) ilok account shows up two times. My current ilok account, that is bound to my Avid account does not show up. I notified PT support, but over the past 20 years have had zero luck with them.

I wish I could wipe this laptop and start over again. but it's just not an option because it's my day-to-day dev env and I just don't have time. I'd just rather go back to being happy with Reaper and Logic.

I'll likely just wait for the next version of PT to release.


UPDATE: response from Avid support:
Avid Link is not causing Pro Tools to crash. Please note that Pro Tools is not yet compatible with macOS Sonoma and the M3 Pro chip. Please check our system requirements below.


So possibly Pro Tools will launch with M3, but not M3 Pro?

Anyone here using PT with M3 Pro chip?

[its2loud]

That would be expected as a typical response from Avid support.

Get rid of Avid Link. Never use it to install anything. Particularly on Sonoma and an M3 Pro.

Download the Pro Tools installer from your Avid account and install that way.

Move your current installation to the trash.

[moogboy100]

Originally Posted by chemdream

Anyone here using PT with M3 Pro chip?

Yes. It's fine.

Sonoma on the other hand, is a problem.

[moogboy100]

Originally Posted by its2loud

That would be expected as a typical response from Avid support.

Get rid of Avid Link. Never use it to install anything. Particularly on Sonoma and an M3 Pro.

Download the Pro Tools installer from your Avid account and install that way.

Move your current installation to the trash.

Why? I used Avid Link to install the bajillion Avid plugins pain-free on Sonoma/M3. There was zero issue.

All Avid Link does when it comes to installs, is download the installers and run them. There's nothing concerning about that. On the other hand, the fact that Avid Link is still Intel-based, and still has 32-bit frameworks in it, and is basically Avid marketing their extra junk (like Sonic Drop) at users, is a reason to want to make it go away.