Is my MONSTER 12-core 3,33GHz Mac Pro underperforming on low buffer sizes?

[Kroon]

So I bought the biggest and baddest pre-trashcan Mac Pro I could get my hands on to run my PTHD Native system with Apogee Symphony interfaces.

It is a 12-core, 3.33 GHz, 64 GB RAM, Early 2009 Mac Pro with separate system and audio PCI SSD drives.

As far as I know this model is regarded a cost-effective way of getting great CPU performance for running Pro Tools. While the trashcan can obviously be configured to be more powerful, it gets expensive very quickly.

So this is my situation:

Good news: It is a fantastic mixing system; great performance on 1024 or 2048 buffer sizes. Loads of tracks, hardware inserts and CPU-intensive plug-ins.

Bad news: It is a rather poor recording system; struggling to achieve error-free performance while tracking any reasonable number of audio tracks with a minimum of plug-ins on any buffer size lower than 256.

That is quite frankly a little disappointing.

I expected to be able to record with a 64 or at least a 128 buffer size.

In comparison, my Mid 2012 MacBook Pro 2.3 GHz happily records 32 tracks with plug-ins on 64 buffer size. No problems whatsoever. I realize it is a newer computer, but it is also much less powerful.

So, any ideas on this?

Is my Mac Pro underperforming on low buffer sizes?

[albee1952]

I hope somebody has some ideas for you as that system SHOULD be a powerhouse for recording. My PC is a 6 core and I can track bands all day long at the 64 buffer with several dozen plugins and 6 stereo headphone mixes done from in the sessions. I am toying with the idea of adding a similar computer to my studio, so I will watch this thread with interest

[Tweakhead]

How does it behave if you remove all plug-ins ?
Does it record flawlessly then ?
Observe disk, CPU, and memory activity while recording.
Then re-test with plugs. See if any particular one is the culprit.

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/hom...pro-tools.html

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Kroon

So I bought the biggest and baddest pre-trashcan Mac Pro I could get my hands on to run my PTHD Native system with Apogee Symphony interfaces.

It is a 12-core, 3.33 GHz, 64 GB RAM, Early 2009 Mac Pro with separate system and audio PCI SSD drives.

As far as I know this model is regarded a cost-effective way of getting great CPU performance for running Pro Tools. While the trashcan can obviously be configured to be more powerful, it gets expensive very quickly.

So this is my situation:

Good news: It is a fantastic mixing system; great performance on 1024 or 2048 buffer sizes. Loads of tracks, hardware inserts and CPU-intensive plug-ins.

Bad news: It is a rather poor recording system; struggling to achieve error-free performance while tracking any reasonable number of audio tracks with a minimum of plug-ins on any buffer size lower than 256.

That is quite frankly a little disappointing.

I expected to be able to record with a 64 or at least a 128 buffer size.

In comparison, my Mid 2012 MacBook Pro 2.3 GHz happily records 32 tracks with plug-ins on 64 buffer size. No problems whatsoever. I realize it is a newer computer, but it is also much less powerful.

So, any ideas on this?

Is my Mac Pro underperforming on low buffer sizes?

What exact OSX version are you running and what PT version?
How is the ram set up in your machine? Do you have all eight slots filled with the same size and specification ram modules? If you do for a test pull the ram sticks in slots 4 and 8; MacPros use what's called triple channel ram and you should gain a bit of a throughput speed.

You have the model just before mine (I have a 2012 cheesegrater with a single 3.46 GHz hex core cpu and 48 gig ram). My system drive is a Samsung 850 EVO in a pcie slot and my samples & recording drives are 7200 rpm spinners in bays 2 and 4). No power starvation problems with OSX 10.10.5 in PT11.3.2. Then again I've turned off or disabled everything in OSX that I can - wifi, spotlight, etc. With Spotlight indexing my drives I'd get weird slowdowns and PT locking up so I'd have to do a force quit and begin again.

[Kroon]

Thanks for your responses.

A little more detail on my setup:

• Mac OS Sierra 10.12.1
• Pro Tools HD 2018.1.0
• All 8 RAM slots filled with the same size and specification modules
• System drive Samsung 850 PRO 512 GB on an OWC Accelsior S PCIe adapter
• Audio drive Samsung 850 PRO 256 GB on an OWC Accelsior S PCIe adapter

I have done all the things AVID proposes in this optimalization guide: http://bit.ly/2C6oRcC - like disabling wifi, hard drive sleep, automatic updates, etc.

I have Spotlight indexing enabled, per AVID's recommendation. I can try disabling it, although I have a feeling I have a CPU problem and not a hard drive problem. I'll give it a try though.

I'm doing some recording tests now - I'll get back shortly with the results.

[Kroon]

So here are the results of a quick test I did today.

• 24-bit / 48KHz session
• HW buffer size 64 samples
• Dynamic plug-in processing disabled
• Delay compensation disabled
• No plug-ins

Recording 24 audio tracks:

Starts recording OK.

Disk activity meter at 1%.

Memory activity meter at 4%.

CPU meter fluctuates between 10% and 70%.

After 60 seconds of recording the CPU meter starts peaking above 70% until it eventually hits 100% and recording stops after 90 seconds.

Pro Tools displays the following message:

"Audio processing could not complete due to conflicts with other CPU tasks or a potential clocking issue. If this occurs often, verify your sync cables or try changing the HW Buffer Size setting in the Playback Engine dialog. In most cases, a larger HW buffer size will prevent the problem. (AAE -9172)"

➤ Note that if I touch ANYTHING in the graphical user interface while performing this test, like zoom in or out, scroll horizontally or vertically or even touch a fader, the CPU meter immediately hits 100% and recording stops. In this case I get either the AAE -9172 or -9093 message, which (interestingly) seem to have the same language.

[musicman691]

Have you done the 'Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.4' to the machine?

I know you said you used no plugins in your test session. Do you have any third party plugins in the PT plugins folder? If so move them to the unused plugins folder and then retry your test session. A plugin need not be inserted in a session to cause a problem. After you move them to the unused plugins folder (with PT shut down) use the Pete Gates utility to trash the databases and restart PT and your test session.

In the realm of oddball things - are all the fans in the computer running? MacPros have multiple fans and the video card has it's own fan.

[Kroon]

Have you done the 'Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.4' to the machine?

I have not. I'll back up my system drive and give it a go right away.

In the realm of oddball things - are all the fans in the computer running? MacPros have multiple fans and the video card has it's own fan.

All system fans seem to be working. I have attached a screenshot showing a readout from the Mac Fan Control application.

The video card fan doesn't seem to show up in the application though. The video card is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2048 MB by the way.

Do you have any third party plugins in the PT plugins folder? If so move them to the unused plugins folder and then retry your test session. A plugin need not be inserted in a session to cause a problem. After you move them to the unused plugins folder (with PT shut down) use the Pete Gates utility to trash the databases and restart PT and your test session.

I'll give this a go. Thanks.

[Kroon]

UPDATE:

Downloaded and launched the Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.4.
It says "This machine doesn't need this update".
So I guess it's already in place.

Moved all plug-ins to the Unused folder.

Used the Pete Gates utility to trash everything.

Performed the test again.

Same thing.

I get consistent results when running the test multiple times:

The strain on disk and memory is very low, but the CPU meter moves vividly between 10% and 70%, gradually higher, until it eventually peaks at 100% a couple of times and then stops. This happens after 1-3 minutes of recording.

Also, if I attempt to zoom or scroll while recording, the CPU meter hits 100% immediately and recording stops.

Always AAE -9172 or -9093.

I have submitted an AVID support ticket. Still hoping to find a solution.

Thanks for all your useful suggestions!

[BScout]

What is your graphic card?

Also, if using Sierra, should be on 10.12.6 not 10.12.1