Constant CPU Overload
 

I came in to put some time into my project and have been fighting PT for over an hour to get it to stop with the CPU overloads, freezing, crashing, driving me crazy. I finally copied my session file just to see what would happen if I deleted everything except the 9 audio tracks currently being worked on—totally stripped down to those 9 tracks—and it still does it.

Have done an SMC reset.
Have restarted several times.
Ejected all but my Pro Tools external drive.
Not a single other program running.
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)
4 GHz Intel Core i7
32 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

When idle, my CPU usage shows in the red as shown in the attached screen shot. As soon as I arm any track to record, it overloads and freezes.

Any ideas on what I can do with this?

Thanks.

Re: Constant CPU Overload
 

First thing, move all plugins to unused folder and relaunch PT. Stock plugins will be copied back but anything else is not usable. If the performance is satisfactory, then start moving plugins back one vendor at a time.

You will notice when you get problems. Remember, you do not need to use a bad plugin in a session, it only needs to be loaded into memory to cause random errors. Once you find a problematic vendor find updated plugin installer or stop using those.

Re: Constant CPU Overload
 

Amazing, Janne. Running better than it has in a while. I had no idea. I haven't been able to run a session without the Session Usage meters pegging for the longest time, and now they're barely moving. Have a look at the attached image taken while actively recording: almost no usage. Nice work. Back in business. Thanks much.

Darryl:
"Nobody here can guess what your "it's all @#$$%& up" problems are."
Well, actually Janne did and solved it in just a few short sentences. And by the looks of things—this 80 pounds of rant you dumped back on me—the "it's all @#$$%& up" problems appear to be on your end. "What make/model/spec is the "Pro Tools external drive"?" Really? Well let's not forget the make and model of the USB cables and the hub, and the desk they all sit on, ok?

Maybe you're havin' a bad day, but your pants have gotta be fitting better after such a dump. Glad I could help.

Get well soon there, Darryl.

Re: Constant CPU Overload
 

HAHAH

Apparently Darryl has got some behavioral problems always hitting out at people asking for help with this kind of "you are so dumb asking a question like that" lol been there ...

Re: Constant CPU Overload
 

OK, Darryl often does this, and it can get a little too much.
But he IS right, Cayce; you explained the problem in a far too general way, didn't specify the errors.
And how about you tell us what you found to be the cause of the problems? Please share. And lose the attitude.

Re: Constant CPU Overload
 

It didn't seem so general to me at the time, but I'm teachable. There's way better ways of bringing someone along, though, than Darryl's attempted battering with arrogance. It was also late for me, and the needle was buried on my frustration meter.

The solution was just as Janne suggested: I transferred all my plugins into the "Plug-Ins (Unused)" folder, restarted Pro Tools, opened my session, a PT is now running like it's got a brand new beast of an engine. I'll reinstate those plugins needed when they're called for, but learned something valuable with this.

Re: Constant CPU Overload
 

Well you have a big problem if you have to do ”anything” when launching PT so if it works good now then there is youe answer. Find the plugin causing this and remove that and put back the rest. You are only half done troubleshooting

Re: Constant CPU Overload
 

A potentially faster way is to either start a new fresh session (not from a template) and import the tracks from the offending session or alternatively save the tracks as a new sessions. Pro Tools & Logic had/has this annoying thing of not flushing the session of the plugins when you delete a track. This used to be super obvious in Logic where you'd delete an aux, create a new one and it had the exact same plugins as the one you just got rid of... PT doesn't seem to do this anymore but the behaviour at least has been the same in the past.
You'll still have a bugged plugin somewhere but at least you can get on with the work this and save that orderal to a rainier day.

Best

J