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  #1  
Old 10-03-2022, 03:45 PM
A Chapman A Chapman is offline
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Location: Sunderland, UK
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Default Initial startup hangs on "Loading Plug-Ins: VariFi" M1 Pro 12.3

Hi All,

Just setting up a Macbook Pro 14" M1 Pro (16GB RAM / 1TB storage / 10 core CPU / 14 core GPU) and can't get Pro Tools Studio 2022.9.0 to start reliably.



Initially it would hang while scanning one of my plugins (Softube Tube Delay). Moved all my plugins to the unused folder, and it started fine. Brought all my plugins back and it hangs on "Loading Plug-Ins: VariFi". If I remove VariFi, PT Studio re-creates it on startup and it hangs again.


Things I've tried:

Clean uninstall + Reinstall
Moving plugins to unused folder (as above)
Trashing all prefs etc with PT Prefs

Little bit stumped at this stage - anyone had the same thing? Many thanks!
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  #2  
Old 10-03-2022, 04:56 PM
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nednednerb nednednerb is offline
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Default Re: Initial startup hangs on "Loading Plug-Ins: VariFi" M1 Pro 12.3

Did you install the right version of plug-in bundle?

Did you migrate your OS and plug-ins?

If you didn't do a fresh install and nothing is fixing weird problems that don't make sense, a fresh install is a good place to start.

When I google "site:duc.avid.com loading plugins varifi" I see lots of random stuff over years with different versions.

Potentially, removing VariFi fixes issue for a second, but maybe it's ANOTHER plug-in that is 3rd party having a conflict when it gets loaded. So when PT auto created the stock plugin as you describe, it might have the 3rd party conflict again. So it seems like VariFi is issue, but it might be the signal of another conflict.

SO, move all the plugins to unused AGAIN, then LOAD Pro-Tools, recreate all stock plug-ins, see if PT loads, if so VariFi is fine. THEN, move plugins back manually in small batches to see when the conflict really happens.

From the sounds of it, you moved all your plugins at once, so that is improper troubleshooting as far as I know. Narrowing down a batch at a time then individually, might reveal something.
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>> me: nednednerB //
||main gig: editing audio voiceovers & testing software | 2nd gig: music software tutoring | hobby: electronic music //
||software: Sonoma 14.2 | PT Studio 2023.12 | Ableton Live 11 | iZotope RX, Ozone, Neutron | Arturia Pigments | Auto-Tune | Dubler2 //
||system: iMac (Retina 5K, 27", 2020) 10-Core-i9 | 128GB-DDR4 | 5700-XT-16GB | OWC Thunderbolt Hub and Thunderbolt 3 Dock //
||devices: RME Babyface Pro FS | Focusrite Clarett 2Pre | some AT mics | SM58 | Ableton Push 2 | Sennheiser HD 600 HP // Onkyo TX-8220 SR
||automation: SoundFlow | Stream Deck+ | Keyboard Maestro | SteerMouse | MacOS Shortcuts //
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  #3  
Old 10-03-2022, 05:01 PM
A Chapman A Chapman is offline
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Default Re: Initial startup hangs on "Loading Plug-Ins: VariFi" M1 Pro 12.3

Brand new laptop, no upgrade to OS.

It's not VariFi - if I remove *all* third party plugins, it starts. If I bring any third party plugins back, it hangs during the Loading Plug-Ins phase, seemingly on a random one each time I change which plugins are present in the folder.
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Old 10-03-2022, 10:40 PM
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nednednerb nednednerb is offline
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Default Re: Initial startup hangs on "Loading Plug-Ins: VariFi" M1 Pro 12.3

Where did you get the installers for ALL those plug-ins?

If they are not verified by the developer to work on new Silicon processors, very high probability of problems.

So isolate if ANY of the third party plug-ins work, attempt to update the rest, or uninstall them for now, because they aren't working as you can see PT not loading right unless you remove all of them.
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>> me: nednednerB //
||main gig: editing audio voiceovers & testing software | 2nd gig: music software tutoring | hobby: electronic music //
||software: Sonoma 14.2 | PT Studio 2023.12 | Ableton Live 11 | iZotope RX, Ozone, Neutron | Arturia Pigments | Auto-Tune | Dubler2 //
||system: iMac (Retina 5K, 27", 2020) 10-Core-i9 | 128GB-DDR4 | 5700-XT-16GB | OWC Thunderbolt Hub and Thunderbolt 3 Dock //
||devices: RME Babyface Pro FS | Focusrite Clarett 2Pre | some AT mics | SM58 | Ableton Push 2 | Sennheiser HD 600 HP // Onkyo TX-8220 SR
||automation: SoundFlow | Stream Deck+ | Keyboard Maestro | SteerMouse | MacOS Shortcuts //
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  #5  
Old 10-03-2022, 11:29 PM
npapaleo npapaleo is offline
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Default Re: Initial startup hangs on "Loading Plug-Ins: VariFi" M1 Pro 12.3

This is a bug for those of use with quite a few plug-ins. Every once in awhile with a fresh install or PT update you'll hang on a seemingly random plug-in during launch. The fix is to remove all plug-ins and add them back in just a handful at a time. I usually ad 30-40 plugs back in, relaunch pro tools, quit PT, add another 30-40 plugs, relaunch, etc. etc. The nice thing is you should only have to go through this whole process once.

Fingers crossed this solution works for you.
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  #6  
Old 10-16-2022, 06:51 AM
685 685 is offline
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Default Re: Initial startup hangs on "Loading Plug-Ins: VariFi" M1 Pro 12.3

Quote:
Originally Posted by npapaleo View Post
This is a bug for those of use with quite a few plug-ins. Every once in awhile with a fresh install or PT update you'll hang on a seemingly random plug-in during launch. The fix is to remove all plug-ins and add them back in just a handful at a time. I usually ad 30-40 plugs back in, relaunch pro tools, quit PT, add another 30-40 plugs, relaunch, etc. etc. The nice thing is you should only have to go through this whole process once.

Fingers crossed this solution works for you.

Yep! This is the solution that worked for me as well. Weird deal but it works.
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