Problems with AMD Dual Core....check this out.

[figment]

I'm running an AMD FX64 X2 4400+ processor on win XP Pro SP2. I am also running Pro Tools 6.7r2 with a digi 002. I was experiencing H/W Buffer size errors during playback or recording, as well as choppy playback of my keyboard when I was sending it through an aux input track I routed to my studio monitors. I spent hours and hours digging through these forums. I am summarizing it all in one shot, so I hope this helps anybody else experiencing similar problems.

I basically gathered all of these potential fixes, and installed them all, before I Launched pro tools again. So, I don't know which ones actually helped, but at least one of them solved the problem. Here are the fixes I did:

1. First of all, XP was initially designed for single core processors. Service Pack 2 contained fixes to have the operating system at least work with dual cores, but not as effectively as possible. Follow this link, which will take you to a site where you can learn more about the "XP Dual Core Hotfix" and download the necessary file. I suggest you muscle through all the reading. This was probably the trickiest and most elaborate fix I found, but it wasn't that bad. After you install the fix, you will need to do a little registry editing. If you're not a complete moron, you will not have to reinstall your operating system. (Heck, even I was able to live through it, haha. Anyways, here's the link. http://www.amdzone.com/modules.php?o...ticle&sid=3964

2. Go to the AMD website where you will find a number of different free downloads to improve your system's performance. (I'm not providing a link for it, I think you'll be able to find AMD's site).

2a. First of all, get the AMD Drivers. This allows the system to automatically adjust the CPU speed, voltage and power combination that match the instantaneous user performance need. (I think it's safe to assume that this would be a good thing).

2b. The next thing you'll want to do, is get the AMD Dual Core Optimizer, which will help to keep the TSC's (Time Stamp Counters) synced up. Basically, it should improve video performance if nothing else.

2c. AMD CPU info (?Optional?). This is just a program that will tell you all about your processor(s). It goes into a little bit more depth than sandra lite from sisoft, but i thought it was nice information to know. Probably won't solve any problems, though...

2d. Power Monitor & Clock Utility (?Optional?). These are little utilities used to monitor the current frequency, voltage, utilization, and power savings of each core of each processor in a system. This application also has a system tray icon that can be used to view and select power schemes on the system. The system tray icon will show the average utilization of every core on the system. Again...these probably won't fix anything, but I was glad I came across them. They look kinda cool, and don't hog up a lot of memory. Be nice to them, and give them a try. If you don't like them, trash em'.

3. The next thing you'll want to do, is get rid of the "usepmtimer" that gets added to your boot.ini file, after you install the AMD Drivers. I think this one may have been one the more important fixes, here. Follow this link, which will tell you a little more about it, and how to get rid of it. http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread...=&sb=5&o=&vc=1

4. Lastly, would be something that may be optional, but may also save the day. Maybe not TODAY, but possibly TOMORROW, or the next day. It has to do with Processor Scheduling. Taskassign is a utility, which enables you to allocate which programs you want to run on certain processor cores. For example, you can have some system utilities run on core 0, and more important programs run on core 1. It will allow you to browse to programs, and select which core to run on. Also, i think it gave me another option to do it from the processes tab in the task manager by right clicking on a process, which I never remember seeing before.

http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.p...0224&Forum=f32,f46&Words=9093&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=1050071 &Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=&daterange=1&newer val=1&newertype=w&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#P ost1050224

I never did anything with the Taskassign utility, before I started up pro Tools, and found that the problems concerning hardware buffer errors and choppy keyboard playback had disappeared. I was extremely excited, and immediately tried to record something from my keyboard. Wouldn't you know it...now I need to fuss with the routing of my midi track. (One problem to the next...)

[Captain_Pants]

wait, im confused.. which post should we look at?

[figment]

sorry...duplicate post. All I wanted to do, was to put a question mark in the subject line. It won't let you edit, or delete your own posts. What kind of crap is that?

[CEGray]

Thanks...figment

That tweak I had not performed on my set-up, followed the link and edited the boot.ini-file and removed the /usepmtimer switch, saved it and reboot, So far so good!

[The Weed]

You have a Dual CPU processor. Only Pro Tools 7x takes advantage of multicore CPU's. Either turn off one core when using 6.7 or upgrade to 7.1 cs9.

Cheers,

[figment]

Unfortunately, I'm not able to upgrade to 7.1, as of yet. I hope to be able to do it, by the time I start getting into heavy recording. However, after I did the fixes noted in the original thread, I'm not getting any more error messages. If I run into more issues of that nature, I will heed your advice, and disable one of the CPU's...as painful as it may be. (Just for future reference, how would I do that, again?)

Also, if anybody knows how to fix the following issue, it would be extremely appreciated, and I would be able to embark on my project. I believe this is the final barricade keeping me from getting started at least.

It has to do with MIDI. I have a Motif ES88. I connect via two midi cables running in-out, and out-in with my digi 002. I uploaded the .midnam file for the Motif ES, and patched the .middev file to enable the Motif ES as a selectable model in the "MIDI Studio Setup" window. Within that same window, I have the I/O's set to the following settings:
I: Digi 002 Port 1
O: Digi 002 Port 1 [Emulated]

I have the Motif ES enabled in the 'Input Devices' window, and 'MIDI Thru' enabled, under the MIDI menu.

Concerning the Midi Track; I have the I/O settings as follows:
I: Motif ES > All
O: Motif ES > CH 1

I also have an Aux track set up to receive signal from "Mic/Line 1-2" and have two 1/4" cables running from the Motif's audio outputs straight to the line inputs of track 1-2. I have the outputs of that track set to "analog 1-2"

I have a master track, set up to ouput to the 'main out (analog 1-2)' also.

I can monitor sound coming from the keyboard. I can also see visual confirmation of levels fluctuation for the aux and master track. Also for the Midi track, when it is record-armed.

I can record midi data to the midi track, which I can also see the notes displayed in the edit window.

However, when it comes time to playback of the recorded data, I get no sound. I see level fluctuations when Pro Tools encounters the notes, but no sound.

It sounds like MIDI data is not being sent back to the Motif, in order to trigger the internal tone generator. I believe it would then route the tones back to the digi 002 via the 1/4" cables, and then go to the speakers. The Yamaha guy said I would have to hook the speakers straight to the Motif, but that's stupid. How the hell would I monitor any audio tracks in any future projects? Why wouldn't the motif behave the same way that it would when I'm just playing the darn thing and route the tones over the 1/4" cables. Isn't that what the aux track is for?

Anyways, I know that is not why I'm not being able to monitor the playback of the recorded midi data. The reason I know that, is because I hooked my headphones up to the phones output jack of the motif and heard no sound during playback of recorded midi data that Pro Tools should be sending to the Motif. This would override whether or not I had the speakers hooked up to the motif, or to protools. I verified with Yamaha tech support that the other connections are correct and that the Motif is in the proper mode with the appropriate settings. No sound. I can hit a note on the keyboard, and hear it play in the speakers AND the headphones.

Another troubleshooting step I did, was to connect a single MIDI cable from the Motif's Midi Out to the Motif's Midi In. I could play a note, and hear sound in the headphones, which tells me that the Motif can not only send MIDI data, but it can also receive it, and recognize it.

All fingers point to Pro Tools. There has to be some kind of setting in pro tools that is keeping it from sending the Midi Information back to the Motif, and tell it what notes to play.

Also, the Yamaha Technician let me in on a little secret, when I asked him why I can't run the Motif's voice editing software with pro tools, as a plug-in. He informed me that it's because I'm running Pro Tools. He then elaborated, informing me that Pro Tools is a 'closed program' and is the ONLY major sequencing software that WILL NOT allow Yamaha to write software with the ability to run inside protools. This would make life A LOT easier, being that you can never really see what the heck is going on with the display screens of these fancy keyboards. I thought that kinda sucked, but I doubt it is keeping me from playing back midi data.

Anyways, if anyone knows of a fix for this MIDI OUT from Pro Tools issue, please let me know.