AAE 6101 error - PLEASE HELP

[sheeptuf]

Long story short - My 2015 MacBook Pro won't record one track for more than 2 mins without crashing. No effects.
(1) 3.1 GHz Intel Core i7
(2) 16GB ram
(3) Graphics: Intel Iris Graphics 6100 1536 MB
(4) Protools 2018 & 2019
(5) MacOS 10.13.6
(6) Waves Plug ins
(7) UA Apollo 8p (brand new, works with my old computer)
(8) New Thunderbolt cable

One must service rep told me to remove all of PT and reinstall, I did - - still failed.
I also reinstalled all UA software - still failed.
One told me to start a new user and reinstall - still failed.
The Apple reps tested my RAM - RAM was fine.
They completely wiped my computer and reinstalled 10.13.6.
BRAND new install again of PT and UA - still failed.
FYI - Studio One failed ALSO!!!

I have tried everything online. All people's advice.
I think my Mac is the cause. I have heard people say Intel Graphics cards are protools death. Is this the WHOLE CAUSE?

[AlexLakis]

You say "no effects" and then you say "Waves Plugins"...Are your Waves Plugins up to date? Have you tried removing all third-party plugins from the plugin folder?

[Drew Mazurek]

What buffer setting?

[Darryl Ramm]

A lot of stuff here but just work though it slowly... try to answer all the questions you can here before diving into do stuff.

As already asked, what is the buffer size ...and what is your session sample rates? Both are super critical.

It won't record without crashing -- what about just playing back prerecorded audio? Drag and drop some existing MP3, or whatever into some audio tracks.

And while we are here, what *exact* Mac Book Pro model? Model code name e.g. MacBookPro6,1 or better Model number better EMC code. Look for stuff printed on the back of the MBP.

Unfortunately you may have wasted some time here, like worrying about hardware/memory issues or jumping to doing a new macOS install before troubleshooting other things.

Confirm what exact playback engine device you have selected in the playback engine. I want to make sure you are not using an aggregate IO device to aggregate your UAD interface with the MBP built-in output or anything else, since this AAE-6101 relates to CoreAudio problems.

Where are you recording the audio/session to? Hopefully the internal MBP SSD. But check the session content is really going there, not say unintentionally to some slow USB stick etc. Do all the tests below with new empty sessions, not clones, not from templates, recording to the internal SSD.

Did Pro Tools installed just with ILM and no other drivers or plugins ever work on the original OS install? On the new OS install? i.e. using it just with built-in output and no interface drivers or plugins installed?

Has Pro Tools on this MBP ever worked? If so what changed?

Hopefully you are working at a conservative sample rate, if not do that now and work at 44.1 kHz until you get stuff working. You should have tried increasing the buffer size until things work. Did you try that? So it is still not working at 1024 samples?

With UAD plugins instantiated in Pro Tools (not the UAD console) you should expect to need to be running at much larger IO buffer sizes that with similar native plugins. You say you are not using plugins, but I want to make sure you understand the issue with the UAD plugin architecture. And don't have say UAD plugins running on hidden tracks. UAD plugins in Pro Tools are for mixing (with large IO buffer settings) more than tracking (with lower IO buffer settings).

Have you tried everything here http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...-Pro-Tools-Mac ?

And more basic housekeeping:

Get the mac fully optimized, every last thing on the standard optimization list done. e.g. WiFi disabled bluetooth disabled, etc. If you think it's been done before double check it again..

In the playback engine dialog:
Uncheck ignore errors (you want to see as many errors as possible while troubleshooting)
Set the disk cache to 2GB ("normal" is off).

Unplug all hardware you don't actually need from the MBP. Mice, keyboards, USB hubs, external drives, etc. unplug it all. Just connect the MBP power supply, UAD interface and iLok if you are using one. When testing without the UAD interface unplug that as well.

Make sure other programs, web browsers etc. are not running.

——

If you don’t know if other software might have broken Pro Tools when you added it then your job now is to peel everything away until it (hopefully) works.

As always start by trashing prefs and doing that between other main steps below. Use Peter Gates' tool. http://petegates.com/pg-pt-prefs.html

Move all .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder. Trash prefs. Start Pro Tools, it will automagically put back the default plugins. If Pro Tools now works OK, move the third party plugins back in batches until you find which ones are bad.

If moving all plugins out did not fix the problem, then don't put them back.
- Uninstall *all* the UAD software. Disconnect the UAD interface.

With built-in output as the playback engine just try playing back content.
With an aggregate of built-in output/input try to see if you can record anything (e.g. using the MBP internal mic).

... still a problem... then maybe do a clean new macOS install. But come back here and tell us the details of what you have done/seen so far (take notes as you do all the above).

---

Basic optimization stuff is under troubleshooting links under "help us help you" up the top of each DUC web page.

[sheeptuf]

-----First of all thank you so much for your response. You took a lot of time and I appreciate it. I answered all questions with a "-----" before


As already asked, what is the buffer size ...and what is your session sample rates? Both are super critical.

---I have tried it with buffer rates all across. No change. .
---Sample Rate - I just use the default. 44.1?

It won't record without crashing -- what about just playing back prerecorded audio? Drag and drop some existing MP3, or whatever into some audio tracks.

---It only seems to crash while recording. From what I can tell. Though I would have to upload

And while we are here, what *exact* Mac Book Pro model? Model code name e.g. MacBookPro6,1 or better Model number better EMC code. Look for stuff printed on the back of the MBP.

---MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015), Model A1502 EMC2835


Confirm what exact playback engine device you have selected in the playback engine. I want to make sure you are not using an aggregate IO device to aggregate your UAD interface with the MBP built-in output or anything else, since this AAE-6101 relates to CoreAudio problems.


---I have used the UAD, a 002, the built in, and pro-tools aggregate on the playback engine -- none of them have worked.


Where are you recording the audio/session to? Hopefully the internal MBP SSD. But check the session content is really going there, not say unintentionally to some slow USB stick etc. Do all the tests below with new empty sessions, not clones, not from templates, recording to the internal SSD.

---I have used the internal HD as a destination & my external hard drive that I have used for a long time. The external HD is a FW800 drive and I have an apple adapter.


Did Pro Tools installed just with ILM and no other drivers or plugins ever work on the original OS install? On the new OS install? i.e. using it just with built-in output and no interface drivers or plugins installed?

---I tried it with just PT and no plug ins installed. No luck.


Has Pro Tools on this MBP ever worked? If so what changed?

---This computer has never worked with PT. I have a supped up 002 (Black Lion) that has worked fine with every computer I have ever owned. Then I got this one, and it never worked. I bought a few different adapters, but no luck. I thought that since PT had just stopped supporting the legacy drivers, that new Apple would no longer worked with them. SO, I upgraded and bought all new stuff (UA). And it did not work with the UA either.



Hopefully you are working at a conservative sample rate, if not do that now and work at 44.1 kHz until you get stuff working. You should have tried increasing the buffer size until things work. Did you try that? So it is still not working at 1024 samples?

-----I tried all the different buffer sizes.

With UAD plugins instantiated in Pro Tools (not the UAD console) you should expect to need to be running at much larger IO buffer sizes that with similar native plugins. You say you are not using plugins, but I want to make sure you understand the issue with the UAD plugin architecture. And don't have say UAD plugins running on hidden tracks. UAD plugins in Pro Tools are for mixing (with large IO buffer settings) more than tracking (with lower IO buffer settings).





Have you tried everything here http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...-Pro-Tools-Mac ?

I did everything on this list. I have to learn more about a discrete graphics card though.


And more basic housekeeping:

Get the mac fully optimized, every last thing on the standard optimization list done. e.g. WiFi disabled bluetooth disabled, etc. If you think it's been done before double check it again..

----I did all this - specifically while I was on the phone with one of the reps. Didn't help.

In the playback engine dialog:
Uncheck ignore errors (you want to see as many errors as possible while troubleshooting)

---I did this.


Set the disk cache to 2GB ("normal" is off).



Unplug all hardware you don't actually need from the MBP. Mice, keyboards, USB hubs, external drives, etc. unplug it all. Just connect the MBP power supply, UAD interface and iLok if you are using one. When testing without the UAD interface unplug that as well.

Make sure other programs, web browsers etc. are not running.

——I did this.


If you don’t know if other software might have broken Pro Tools when you added it then your job now is to peel everything away until it (hopefully) works.

As always start by trashing prefs and doing that between other main steps below. Use Peter Gates' tool. http://petegates.com/pg-pt-prefs.html

----I did all this. That PG tool is cool.


Move all .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder. Trash prefs. Start Pro Tools, it will automagically put back the default plugins. If Pro Tools now works OK, move the third party plugins back in batches until you find which ones are bad.

If moving all plugins out did not fix the problem, then don't put them back.
- Uninstall *all* the UAD software. Disconnect the UAD interface.

-----Wouldn't this happen with a completely clean install of PT? With no Waves or anything?


With built-in output as the playback engine just try playing back content.
With an aggregate of built-in output/input try to see if you can record anything (e.g. using the MBP internal mic).

----I have to do this. It only seems to stop when I am recording, but I haven't tried to just listen to stuff.

... still a problem... then maybe do a clean new macOS install. But come back here and tell us the details of what you have done/seen so far (take notes as you do all the above).

---The Mac store completely re-installed 10.13.6 with nothing else on my computer. I downloaded PT and it still happened.

Basic optimization stuff is under troubleshooting links under "help us help you" up the top of each DUC web page.[/QUOTE]

-----I will look at this.

----This might be ill advised, but I am sending it to Apple to have them do a deep dive into the computer itself. I will be without it for 5-7 days, but I can then at least rule out any hardware failure.

Thanks again

[Southsidemusic]

I feel the pain brother

Does this happen even if you try recording to the internal hard drive? Have you tried that? No other stuff like FW drives and adaptors etc, only the internal drive?

And what internal drive is this? 7200rpm or SSD/Flash or a slow 5400rpm drive? We really need that info.

[Darryl Ramm]

Chris is right, test by getting rid of that external disk. But he must not have noticed you gave all your computer specs so nicely...

So it's this model... https://everymac.com/systems/apple/m...lay-specs.html

And with the trusty Mac SSD reference at https://beetstech.com/blog/apple-pro...pgrades#hdr-20

So fast internal PCIe based SSD, although in the 13" model this is only a 4 x PCIe 2/NVMe connection, the 15" version of that model has 4 x PCIe 3/NVMe.

Still way faster than any old Firewire drive and should be fast enough to run sessions from that internal boot SSD. And with Disk Cache, hell yes.

I am still hoping for the exact specs of that external drive, including it's file system type -- I want to hear it is HFS+ aka "Mac OS Extended" and not NTFS, or FAT32, or exFAT -- more likely say if your previous computers were Windows PCs -- but any of those might help explain your problems).

--------

I would not yet be having anybody look at this Macintosh, especially not an Apple store or somebody else who is not a Pro Tools expert.

With so many things going wrong I would simplify the hell out of everything and just test the most basic stuff again basics. If the basics never worked it makes *no* sense to add plugins etc.

Right now, go for broke: uninstall everything possible. And again check optimization. Unplug everything, external drives, graphics monitors, keyboards, USB hubs etc. Only have an iLok directly connected. Uninstall all UAD software, move all plugins out of the plugin folder. Create a new admin user. Make sure no background or other apps are running.

Check optimization. Including WiFi disabled, Bluetooth disabled. Set disk cache to 2GB and uncheck ignore errors.

And logged in as that new admin user create a new empty session (not a clone, not from template) on the internal SSD using built in Output as the playback engine and see if that works at all. If it does then maybe switch to aggregate Built-in Output/Built-In Input and play around and you build up a session. Any problems try trashing prefs, from that Admin user account, carefully making sure to get this right/pick all the right options in peter's tools.

---

There are lots of reasons things may be messed up and keep being messed up. Look for what could be the same across even seemingly large changes.

e.g. The same external disks are in use... what *exact* drives? What exact *filesystem*? are they corrupt? Any errors being logged in Console.app? etc. But the first step is to try simplifying and remove that drive.

e.g. Clean MacOS installs were not actually "clean", e.g. somebody used the System Migration utility after a clean install (oops could migrate crapped up drivers, or corrupted preferences between systems) or did an insitu upgrade from an old backup, etc. Or the same incompatible or corrupted installer for some piece of software was run.

e.g. something running that should not be. e.g. iCloud or something else syncing crap in the background (another user on DUC just suspected serious problems with 2018.5... nope, luckily they found it was caused by cloud file syncing). Lots of folks are turning on iCloud crap by default, and leaving WiFi running...

I'm first going to suspect anything that is consisted across things, e.g. maybe you are testing with the same few corrupt session(s) or there is some common thing like an attached external display monitor. Or maybe the session you think are all on the internal drive actually have some media elsewhere, some hidden tracks, some plugin use. Exclude that stuff, e.g. unplug stuff, uninstall stuff, test with new empty sessions.

---

If things are still not working after the tests above then I would (yes again) do a full clean reinstall of macOS but do it all *yourself*, building a bootable macOS install on a USB stick or similar. Lots of explanation of how to do that on the web. Trust nothing you have, use new downloads from the Apple Mac Store. Install Pro Tools 2018.5 using a new downloaded installer, install the latest ILM using a new downloaded installer. Test from the admin account you set up at the macOS install. Do *NOT* use system migration assistant or manually move anything from the old install or user account to this system.

The probability that consistent problems recoding tracks in Pro Tools are related to hardware issues and you see no other horrible problems, the computer is not panicing or crashing etc. is very very low. But if you take this Mac to an Apple store or other repair shop they have no idea what they are doing with Pro Tools and are likely to want to do *something*...especially if they can charge for it... like check hardware.

---

Sounds like it might be good to confirm that playing back sessions does or does not also have the same problems as recording?

And there is no discrete graphics option in your MacBook Pro (well there is via Thunderbolt but you don't want to go there). I hope your integrated graphics driving the 13" display should not be causing problems here. And again you should simplify, and remove any external displays (if you are using one).

[sheeptuf]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

I feel the pain brother

Does this happen even if you try recording to the internal hard drive? Have you tried that? No other stuff like FW drives and adaptors etc, only the internal drive?

And what internal drive is this? 7200rpm or SSD/Flash or a slow 5400rpm drive? We really need that info.

----Internal OR external.

[Darryl Ramm]

Oops my typo. I want to get all the specs on the *external* drive. Make/model (model number if you have it) and what filesystem is on the drive... that info for each external drive you have.

But also go ahead and test as soon as you can, with a new session created on the internal SSD, with all the external drives physically unplugged.