[ahughes3]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I am carefully pointing out what you need to do. And pointing you at documentation you need to follow. So focus on just doing exactly that.

I'm trying, really I am

You need to get off ASIO4ALL or WASAPI (sounds like you might be using WASAPI/Windows Audio) onto a proper ASIO interface. Yes even if only playing back content. If this was not super important I would not have mentioned it.

I've uninstalled ASIO4ALL but I don't have an alternative at the moment. I still can't work out from Behringer if my UMC202HD is an ASIO based interface. It says they have their own dedicated driver but it doesn't say what it is. Are they all ASIO? They don't say to use ASIO4ALL so maybe it is their own version.

If your current interfaces do not support ASIO you need to get an interface that does and you install the driver that the vendor supplies with the interface.

Currently looking at Audient ID4 which looks to have it's own ASIO driver.

The standard troubleshooting instructions I pointed you at describe exactly what to do with plugin troubleshooting. You move all .aaxplugin files out of the Pro Tools plugin folder. It says nothing about removing plugins from tracks. Even plugins not being used in a session can and frequently do cause CPU errors. Again focus on fully following the instructions.

Be default I installed all plugins into a separate folder to Pro Tools, just in case I needed to delete any. I also trashed the preferences too, like you said.

You need to optimize the system, the instructions for doing that have been followed by many people of vastly varying technical skill. If you don't understand some instruction try googling for more info, or if still lost ask a question here. You do need to be able to do this stuff, the way to learn and become comfortable is by doing it.

I've done all the optimisation stuff now. Well everything that applied to my system.

So with the ASIO4ALL driver gone, it defaults back to Windows Audio and surprisingly the cutouts have disappeared. That would definitely seem to hint at ASIO4ALL being a big part of the problem. Until I get a new AI, I'm stuck with WASAPI. But at least it's functioning so I can mix.

Thanks for all your help, genuinely. I will give another update once I've sorted an interface.

Thanks again