CPU Spikes and 9173 Errors

[japhy_rider]

Hey guys, never posted on here but I am absolutely at my wits end.

I started using Pro Tools 11 a few years back on an older MacBook Pro and a second gen Apogee Duet. I started having these CPU spikes where I'd get a 9173 error and the audio would go digitalized and distorted afterwards. At first I closed the session and reopened it and the audio would go back to normal. Eventually I figured out that if I just changed the H/W buffer size it would also reset the audio.

I spent hours on forums trying to figure it out, tried isolating plugins, doing the hyperthreading thing through CPUsetter. Somebody told me it might be the Click II plug I was using. Nothing.

I ended up buying all new gear. Everything. New iMac, new Apollo 8 interface, I even got the subscription to Pro Tools 2020, new faster lightning external hard drives. I've talked to every engineer and producer I know and nobody has any idea.

Yesterday I was running a session with four tracks, one small midi track on addictive drums and the session wouldn't even play. Constant spikes. I deleted every plugin and it was still spiking. I'm at my wits end, this is ruining my sessions and workflow. Does anybody have any ideas??

Thanks in advance.

[sw rec]

You’ll need to provide a lot more detailed info about your system. “New” doesn’t really mean anything if it isn’t compatible.

[Darryl Ramm]

Welcome to DUC, Way more clear details needed about your current issue, what happened in past times on different systems is of no interest/help and will slow down you getting help.

What does deleted every plugin mean exactly? You moved all the .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder? (not just not-instantiating them in Pro Tools).

What sample rate and IO buffer size? Disk cache size?

Have you tried basic stuff like trashing prefs? testing with built-in output. testing starting with a new empty session? Testing from a new admin account? Checking interface driver and all plugins are up to date and compatible with the pro tools and OS version?

Is the system fully optimized? Every last thing done not matter how painful for now, no networking, no bluetooth, etc.? Made sure no other crap is running... including uninstalling Avid Link and Cloud collaboration. Uninstalling any antivirus crapware. Making sure no web browsers are running (esp. Chrome), etc. etc.

The iMac should have an internal NVMe/PCIe SSD, why are you recoding to a slow old external HDD? What exact make/model is that external drive? From now on do all your tests with sessions on the internal boot SSD.

[japhy_rider]

Thanks Darryl,

I haven't moved the plugin files out, in that particular session I cleared all inserts.

Sample rate is 48 kHz
The issue has happened at all IO buffer sizes, if I change it the distorting audio resets, so I change it often, but try to stick at 512.
Disk Cache is set to normal

I've trashed prefs, tested with built in output. The problem happens with every session I open. All plugs are updated and the interface driver is updated. Also it's happened with three separate interfaces over time. I need bluetooth enabled because my keyboard is bluetooth. No antivirus, Avid Link or Cloud. Brower is open occasionally for work reasons but the issue happens regardless of if they are open or not.

I record directly to the OS hard drive, move sessions over to an Envoy Thunderbolt 3 when I'm finished.

Some research I've seen says that Kontakt 5 is causing these spikes which would make sense to me... I have Kontakt on every session I start. Most of these songs are for tv/film and I use Kontakt often.

2019 iMac
Mac 3 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i5
8 GB 2667 MHz DDR4

[arche3]

I'm pretty sure it's kontact. Try wrapping it in ve pro. If it's 128gigs ram it should run fine as instrument track. But try wrapping it anyways. Kontact has a multi cup setting. Fiddle with that.

I use a huge template in ve pro. Tons of kontact instances. Took awhile to get it stable on my old 5.1. Now on 7 1 it's even better.

i5 seems underpowered as well for kontact.



Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by japhy_rider

Thanks Darryl,

I haven't moved the plugin files out, in that particular session I cleared all inserts.

A sad reality with Pro Tools is when you get a CPU error the first thing you should suspect is plugins. You don't even need to have a plugin instantiated (e.g. on an insert) for it to cause problems.

To debug plugins you can move all the .aaxplugin files from
/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins
to
/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins (Unused)

Then trash prefs. Then start Pro Tools and it will automagically put back the default base plugins and you can test with those. Then if the problems have gone away then manually move back some of the other plugins and see if they cause problems and so on.

The issue has happened at all IO buffer sizes, if I change it the distorting audio resets, so I change it often, but try to stick at 512.

OK more sign its a rogue plugin.

Disk Cache is set to normal

That won't cause this problem but just so you are aware normal==disk cache off. If you have lots of memory set this to a size large enough to cache your whole session. Look at the cache meter to see if the sessions are getting fully cahced.

Edit: oops just noticed the 8GB memory mentioned in the post below... yep that is light. Don’t set a disk cache size.

Some research I've seen says that Kontakt 5 is causing these spikes which would make sense to me... I have Kontakt on every session I start. Most of these songs are for tv/film and I use Kontakt often.

Sounds like a good suspect, but you need to check, and can do so in minutes.

[Obsidian Dragon]

Originally Posted by japhy_rider

2019 iMac
Mac 3 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i5
8 GB 2667 MHz DDR4

i5 is a little underpowered. 8 GB is less than minimum requirements. While Protools will start and handle some audio tracks, the 8 GB RAM is probably choking when using VIs and plugins. You've invested in an great interface, excellent thunderbolt drive, etc., but your computer (however new) is underpowered in terms of processor and memory.