MacBook Pro Mid 2009 + PT 11.3 + Digi 003 - Please Help

[Alexrkstr]

I wanted to update this post with what has happened...

I was actually able to install BOTH PT10 and PT11 in my MacBook Pro mid-2009 with a Core 2 Duo, Mountain Lion, and my 003. Everything is working well. The only odd thing is that there seems to be only one processor utilized rather than two. Is there a way I can change this?

[VRW]

Hey, that´s good news actually.
Great that all is working well, even with the 003.

As to your processor question I´m not quite sure what you mean?
Is it in the Playback Engine tab where it reads "Host Processors" that
there you read (only) 1 processor?
This is where you theoretically can change this setting up to 2 in your
particular case as you have a Dual Core.
Anyway the standard setting in Pro Tools is always like leaving 1 of the
available processors for the OS, all the others available for Pro Tools.
Maybe this is the reason why it is set like this?

This is the most useful setting most of the time as the computer needs
some power for other applications running in the background too.
Sometimes however people use all available processors for Pro Tools but
it´s not recommended actually.

If that´s not what you meant I´m sorry as I have no idea at the moment.


All the best again, cool that you got your system to work flawlessly,


cheers, VRW





Mac Mini i7Quad, 16GB Ram, MBP Mid 2012 2,5GHz i5, 16GB Ram, Mac OSX 10.10.1 Yosemite, Apogee Quartet+Duet 2
Genelec Active, Yamaha NS10, Pro Tools 11.3, Logic 10.0.7, Waves, MCDSP, Duende Native, HOFA, IK Multimedia, NI etc.

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by Alexrkstr

I wanted to ask if there would be any issues with this setup since my machine is a Core 2 Duo, and not an i5 or above?

From everything I've tried and heard, PT11 really loves an i7 CPU. While some folks have had success with i5 (and there are many) still I strongly think that C2D won't make you happy.

Try it and see how it goes. But if it fails, you should realise the computer is +5 years old and PT11 is brand new 64bit beast that wants to see at least 8GB memory.

[Alexrkstr]

Thanks VRW, that's what I was asking. I will run a trial and error experiment to see what happens, I'll look for where I can edit these settings too.

[VRW]

Originally Posted by Alexrkstr

I'll look for where I can edit these settings too.

It should be only a drop down menu.
If you click straight on the window where it says
"1" there should appear the option to choose 1 or 2.

The best of success,

VRW

[Alexrkstr]

Originally Posted by VRW

It should be only a drop down menu.
If you click straight on the window where it says
"1" there should appear the option to choose 1 or 2.

The best of success,

VRW

Hi VRW, I tried to find it without success. I don't have a dropdown box under any of the following menus:
Hardware...
Playback Engine...
Disk Allocation...

Under playback engine, I can only find:
1) playback engine and a dropdown to select my i/o (Avid 003)
2) HW buffer size (set at 256 samples)
3) Host Engine: unchecked Ignore error during playback/record; checked dynamic plug-in processing
4) Video engine unchecked enable

Any input on how to select both processors would be great.

Also, is there a way to have the second processor allocated to Addictive Drums? AD consumes as much or more CPU power as PT11.

Thanks!

[VRW]

Originally Posted by Alexrkstr

I don't have a dropdown box under any of the following menus:
Hardware...
Playback Engine...
Disk Allocation...

Under playback engine, I can only find:
1) playback engine and a dropdown to select my i/o (Avid 003)
2) HW buffer size (set at 256 samples)
3) Host Engine: unchecked Ignore error during playback/record; checked dynamic plug-in processing
4) Video engine unchecked enable

Well, you know, that´s the playback engine of PT11.
With PT11 there you cannot set the amount of processors yourself anymore.
It´s a new kind of audio engine which does it automatically.
Read it there additionally.
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=345267

I know you will hate to hear it again but let me recommend it one more time
to focus on Pro Tools 10 with your existing equipment.
For Pro Tools 10 everything will fit, the 003 as well as your (not really powerful)
Dual Core Macbook (it´s officially qualified for PT10 by Avid).

Pro Tools 11 is completely new stuff which will likely not make you happy...with
your 003, your Dual Core MacBook, your plugins and VIs etc.
To run PT11 will mean a lot of updating and having to invest a bunch of money
for you I´m afraid...to get it to work flawlessly as it should.

Anyway I have attached a picture of the Playback Engine tab of Pro Tools 10.
There you still can choose how many processors to use for Pro Tools as there
you will find a drop down box at "Host Processors".

You may set it up there as you like and have a trial.
Unfortunately it will have no influence in the setting of Pro Tools 11 as in 11 its
selected automatically by the new 11 audio engine itself and if the engine thinks
there has to be left 1 processor for the OS you can´t do anything.
I assume it will adapt the setting automatically by demand.

Originally Posted by Alexrkstr

Also, is there a way to have the second processor allocated to Addictive Drums? AD consumes as much or more CPU power as PT11.

You must have a look into the settings of Addictive Drums itself if there´s an option
to do that. There´s no way to do it via Pro Tools as well as from the OS.

You may go back to PT10 and see if you can improve the behaviour in PT10 by
assigning 2 processors to Pro Tools for the work with Addictive Drums.
Maybe in PT10 it even will work with 1, you will see.

If I remember right you have upgraded only to 8GB Ram which is the minimum
for a good working PT11 anyway. 16GB Ram are recommended for the use with
PT11, even more if you will use VIs like Addictive Drums!!

One last time let me say you may go back to 10 and try it out. Pro Tools 10 doesn´t
use more than 4GB Ram actually because it´s a 32bit application (unlike PT11 which
is 64bit and uses all the Ram you´ve got).
With PT10 and your installed 8GB Ram there should be enough "headroom" for the system
itself as well as for applications like Addictive Drums (as in PT10 you use the 32bit
version of Addictive Drums unlike with 11 which will use the 64bit version again...you just
don´t have enough Ram installed for all the 64bit applications too!).

So you see, your system will be perfect for the use with Pro Tools 10 but you better not
mess with PT11 with your existing gear.

Finally it´s all up to you of course but I´m telling you the truth.

If you really want to use PT11 not only for testing and maybe to play with a little but to work
seriously with all your stuff you will have to upgrade your computer, your audio interface and
your whole bunch of plugins and VIs.

Sorry for not having better news.


The very best to you anyway,


VRW





Mac Mini i7Quad, 16GB Ram, MBP Mid 2012 2,5GHz i5, 16GB Ram, Mac OSX 10.10.1 Yosemite, Apogee Quartet+Duet 2
Genelec Active, Yamaha NS10, Pro Tools 11.3, Logic 10.1, Waves, MCDSP, Duende Native, HOFA, IK Multimedia, NI etc.

[Alexrkstr]

Thanks again VRW! I'll lay down some ideas in PT 11 but f ocus on PT 10. I really like what Addictive Drums 2 does from an inspiration perspective... Thanks again!

[tearitdown]

Hi everybody,

I have read this thread with great attention, unfortunately AFTER having ordered my crossgrade activation card for PT11which is on its way to me...

I used to run PT8LE on my Macbook Pro C2Duo @2,53GHz with 8 GB RAM and a nice SSD and Snow Leopard 10.6.8 for a long time.

Now I updated the OS to 10.10.2 (Yosemite) which runs very smooth on my machine. I did not have any doubt to be able to run PT11 on this machine (unless using too many plugins) together with my mbox 2 mini. Until now!

I understood that 10.8 + PT10 would be the best working thing for me as well. But as I have some newer hardware than the discussed 003 - do you think I could have a chance using PT11+Yosemite - regarding the tweaked RAM size and SSD modification?

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts!

[JFreak]

there is a good chance you get it working, because you have 8GB memory. however, the c2d processor is showing its age...