Excessive Processor Usage and Temperature: Avid 002 & 003 Family Driver

[Mike Harrison]

After replacing the older Digi CoreAudio driver (v9) with the Avid 002 & 003 Family driver (v11), there is excessive processor usage and processor temperature when launching audio software that accesses the driver.

I first noticed it using Adobe Audition. Without even having an audio file open, processor usage leaps to and remains at about 70%, as does the processor temperature, to 65°C or higher. Then I launched Pro Tools (LE 8.0.5) and saw the same conditions. And the same is also true when a web browser grabs the Avid driver for online audio.

Apple's Activity Monitor utility shows a kernel_task causing this. That's all I can say; I don't have the knowledge to research this any further, but I am told by those far more experienced than I that continued processor use at high temperatures will definitely shorten its life.

I hope that someone from Avid will look into this. My system specs are Mac OS 10.8.3, Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5, Memory: 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3. I had been successful running Pro Tools LE 8.0.5 and Adobe Audition CS6 on this computer with the Digi CoreAudio driver ver 9, but it acted erratically (it would self-launch if I merely opened a Finder window containing audio files and would keep relaunching if I quit it, and it would cause freezes if I attempted to play standalone or online movies.

[Chief Technician]

Originally Posted by Mike Harrison

I had been successful running Pro Tools LE 8.0.5 and Adobe Audition CS6 on this computer with the Digi CoreAudio driver ver 9, but it acted erratically (it would self-launch if I merely opened a Finder window containing audio files and would keep relaunching if I quit it, and it would cause freezes if I attempted to play standalone or online movies.

You should not expect Pro Tools LE 8.0.5 to work properly with this OS.

[Mike Harrison]

Pro Tools – at least for my very simple needs – works just fine. It's the CoreAudio driver that behaves erratically, even when using other audio software, a web browser or just in the Finder.

And the Avid 002 & 003 Family driver, which according to the compatibility page should work on this OS, draws excessive processor power.

[foreststone]

Originally Posted by Mike Harrison

Pro Tools – at least for my very simple needs – works just fine. It's the CoreAudio driver that behaves erratically, even when using other audio software, a web browser or just in the Finder.

And the Avid 002 & 003 Family driver, which according to the compatibility page should work on this OS, draws excessive processor power.

Hi Mike, can you confirm what I have posted here...

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=342284

[Park Seward]

I don't think the latest 003 driver is supposed to work with PT 8.0.3.

From Avid-

"Do not install on Pro Tools LE 8.x Mac systems (can be installed on LE 8.0.5 Windows, but not necessary. 003 Family and Digi 002 Family drivers are included with Pro Tools LE 8 Mac and Windows installation and 8.x updates."

[Mike Harrison]

Originally Posted by foreststone

Hi Mike, can you confirm what I have posted here... http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=342284

Yes, Foreststone. This is essentially what I am experiencing, although you're using the 003 Console and I'm using the 002, and our respective computers are different.

I've discovered one additional thing when using Adobe Audition (which also uses the 002/003 driver): in Audition's hardware preferences, if I select to use my computer's built-in output rather than the 002 (however leaving the input connected to the 002), processor usage and temperature immediately return to normal. But the moment I switch the output back to the 002, they go right back up.

Park Seward: I'm using PTLE 8.0.5, but now I do not recall exactly why I began using version 9 of the 002/003 driver (the one that worked well with PTLE and Adobe Audition, but behaved erratically with web browsers and in the Finder). I'm now going to do a clean uninstall Pro Tools and the driver, and then reinstall PTLE 8.0.5 and the driver that came with it so that I can refresh my memory as to why I made the change.

[Mike Harrison]

OK... one hour since my last post, and I did the clean uninstall of Pro Tools LE 8.0.5 (and the Digi CoreAudio driver), then reinstalled Pro Tools LE 8.0.0 and the CoreAudio driver that was included.

While the CoreAudio driver did not show up in System Preferences>Sound, Adobe Audition was able to find and run it perfectly. However, Pro Tools LE 8.0.0 launched and then promptly crashed.

I then installed the Pro Tools 8.0.5 updater, which also replaced the CoreAudio driver. The driver now appears in System Preferencess>Sound, and Pro Tools LE 8.0.5 runs fine (again, for my minimal needs) and accesses the CoreAudio driver just fine, as does Adobe Audition.

I could not get the CoreAudio driver to misbehave, so I still cannot remember why I had previously installed the Avid version 9 driver.

The only performance issue I notice with PTLE 8.0.5 on this computer (Mac Mini, with 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB RAM, running OS 10.8.3) is, right after launching, it takes a full minute to "restore audio engine settings" (although my MenuMeters app shows no processor or drive activity during this time).

Go figure!

[Park Seward]

Glad you are back in business.

[MikeHart]

I've been having the same problem since upgrading from PT9 to 10/11. Kernel_Task is taking up 90% of a computer processor when the 003 is connected to ProTools, or having audio played through it from iTunes. Has to be the driver...

Opening blank tracks in ProTools (and garageband) with the 003, It is eating up excessive amounts of processor power and overloads with just a few tracks in the session. However when I open up heavy sessions with "built-in-output" selected in the playback engine, ProTools behaves normally.

Any ideas or solutions?

[foreststone]

Originally Posted by MikeHart

I've been having the same problem since upgrading from PT9 to 10/11. Kernel_Task is taking up 90% of a computer processor when the 003 is connected to ProTools, or having audio played through it from iTunes. Has to be the driver...

Opening blank tracks in ProTools (and garageband) with the 003, It is eating up excessive amounts of processor power and overloads with just a few tracks in the session. However when I open up heavy sessions with "built-in-output" selected in the playback engine, ProTools behaves normally.

Any ideas or solutions?

It appears many are having the same issue. See these threads...

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=342284

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=344790

I tried using up my complimentary support code to try and report this issue to Avid but I was unable to get confirmation that they can replicate the issue or that even others have reported it to them. I think our only option at this point is to make sure Avid is aware of this issue and help them replicate it so that their engineers can try and resolve this. When I last spoke with them, several months ago, they did not acknowledge this as a problem.