9030 Errors

[uno1234]

Hey guys
Loving the HD Native but getting some rough 9030 errors. It gives me the message regarding a CPU interuption and that I should raise my Hardware Buffer (9030 error).

I'm running at 64 samples, 4 of 8 processors at 95% usage, a 48K session with 25 voices, CPU running at about 25%, disk use running at 10%. Nothing crazy. But every once in a while recording will stop with these errors, especially when tracking 8-10 tracks of drums. It's just not acceptable for any stopping during tracking. What concerns me is the CPU does not seem to be taxed very hard, but there seems to be spikes of some kind that stop the recording. The message indicates that it is coming from somewhere else, ie not pro tools, but nothing else is running.

Machine is a 2x Dual Core 2.8 GHZ Xeon Mac Pro (8 cores total) with 8GB RAM. Pro tools is using about 2GB of RAM. It's 2 generations old now. No soft synths are running. Mac OS 10.6.6.

Thoughts? Should I just bite the bullet and blow it out with a 12 core CPU? Or are these errors common with HD Native and PT9 regardless and the faster CPU won't fix it? It's not like Pro Tools is showing that it is anywhere near maxed out...

THANKS!!

[Eric Seaberg]

Your Mac is really a Quad Dual core, right, so set it to 3 processors (1-less than the max) and 99%. Also, 64 samples is really asking a lot and you'll never hear it. Try 128 or 256 if necessary.

[uno1234]

Actually it says 2x Quad Core in the about this Mac. Think it is really 8.

Also 128 is okay, but definitely some musicians say they hear a delay. it's not nothing.

[Tom Hartman]

Originally Posted by uno1234

Actually it says 2x Quad Core in the about this Mac. Think it is really 8.

Also 128 is okay, but definitely some musicians say they hear a delay. it's not nothing.

This is why TDM users keep saying that when it counts, TDM is the only rock solid platform, and as much as I would love to disagree with them, they are correct. There's just too much flakiness in ALL native stuff, not just AVIDs.

TH

[uno1234]

Yeah, thanks Tom, but if anyone could help solve my problem maybe this would be a rock solid system that would stand up to tdm? Very helpful though.

[Tom Hartman]

Originally Posted by uno1234

Yeah, thanks Tom, but if anyone could help solve my problem maybe this would be a rock solid system that would stand up to tdm? Very helpful though.

First off as you someone else said, you need to set the processors for one less than the total available, at least as a starting point. Some people choose a couple less. Experiment.

Secondly, just hang in there with it. Avid has stated many times that they are working on the program itself to make it more efficient, which eventually I'm sure it will be. Pro Tools was not conceived as a native program, it was conceived as a DSP based DAW and it is slowly but surely evolving, but is not 100 per cent there yet. So don't blow a bunch of money on a faster CPU. I've gotten those errors too, on a Mac Pro Dual 2.8g with the CPU showing that the Mac is almost asleep.

TH