Contstant CPU Overload Issue

[hgwy407]

I am finding myself hitting the proverbial wall for the first time in my history of using Pro Tools and want to throw a hail Mary pass here in hope of finding a solution, please.

I am running version 2021.3.0 on a 2017 IMac 27
Big Sur 11.2.3
3.8Ghz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
64 Gb Ram
Radeon 5k video card

I am using an Axe FX III as audio interface via USB.

I have a single analog bass track and a midi drum track triggering EZdrummer and can't get 30 seconds without a CPU error. I am hitting upwards of 127% of CPU memory almost instantly upon hitting the play button. I have the same results opening a new session and importing a single guitar track, which is a mono .wav track.

I have attempted to use all buffer settings from 32-1024. I have also tried moving all plugins to the unused folder and relaunching PT. I have disabled all native plugins with the same end result. Additionally I have tried unchecking dynamic plug-in processing in the playback engine.

All other programs are closed and Activity Monitor confirms that.

I can, and please don't flame me, playback the same tracks and the EZdrummer plugin in Logic Pro and am running between 26 and 39% CPU usage. I realize PT and LP are different animals, but wanted to help shed any additional insight that may bring.

Thank you, any help would be more than appreciated.

[JFreak]

Hi, welcome to the community.

Have you upgraded to Big Sur or made a clean install?

[hgwy407]

Yes, I have the latest version of Bug Sur and will try and uninstall and clean install and see what happens. Thank you.

[JFreak]

Clean install is the only way to success. Also do not use any automatic migration tool but copy your stuff manually

[basehead617]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Clean install is the only way to success. Also do not use any automatic migration tool but copy your stuff manually

That's a rather insane requirement, does it have a basis in support-suggested fact?

[JFreak]

Avid only tests clean installs, that is why


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[albee1952]

I'm with JFreak on this. Migration makes too many assumptions(and Apple cares very little about backward compatibility in hardware or software)

[Ben Jenssen]

My personal experience is Apples Migration Assistant is fine and saves you a lot of ekstra work. It has just never been good with Pro Tools! Solution: don't use the "Transfer applications option" (or whatever it's called), and it will work good. System settings, app prefs, bookmarks, logins, drivers, extensions, installed plugins etc.

So I suggest you do like I did when I went from High Sierra to Catalina and imac to Mini:
Wipe HD, Clean system install, Pro Tools and ilok install - then Migration Assistant without applications migration. Then install other apps.
No problem at all!

[hgwy407]

I did a complete uninstall and clean re-install and same issue. I imported a single .wav file and upon playback, 120% CPU. I have no other programs that have this issue. I stuck with stock factory plugins that were there with the clean install and no other additions. Perplexing to say the least.

I performed First Aid and a few other diagnostics with other diagnostic programs and there are no hardware issues.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by hgwy407

I did a complete uninstall and clean re-install and same issue. I imported a single .wav file and upon playback, 120% CPU. I have no other programs that have this issue. I stuck with stock factory plugins that were there with the clean install and no other additions. Perplexing to say the least.

I performed First Aid and a few other diagnostics with other diagnostic programs and there are no hardware issues.

I think perhaps you misunderstand; when we say clean install, we mean boot from recovery partition, format/erase the volume and install the MacOS again from ground up.