System Usage

[Darryl Ramm]

You have multiple things seemingly going on here and are throwing out a list of stuff you have done, but not in a way that it is easy for others to follow what you have exactly done.

Lets start with the basics... this is an exactly what Mac? iMac? Mac Pro?..
what exact interface are you using? what H/W buffer size, sample rate, ignore errors checked? all those other settings?

I'll just note 16GB memory is the minimum spec, if you are running lots of VIs or other very heavy sessions you may have memory issues.

set HW Buffer to some large value like 1024 and leave it at that for other tests. Try unchecking ignore errors and unchecking dynamic plugin processing since its an easy test. Leave them that way for all other tests.

What happens when you then use Built-in Output (or whatever it is called on your Mac) as the playback engine?

What was the original problem affecting your work that you are trying to solve? what AAE error etc? Or is it the meter was just worrying you? The Pro Tools meters are not the greatest resource for telling you anything.

As already asked do you see the Mac Activity Monitor also reporting this behavior?

Did anything change with plugin installs? Any other updates recently? Is the system fully optimized? every last thing done?

Your intuition to suspect plugins is good, a problematic plugin certainly can cause CPU use with no session open. But what exactly did you do with plugins? you said you moved out all plugin files to the unused folder. Make sure you are working with the correct .aaxplugin files, move them all to unused. then trash prefs, restart Pro Tools and confirm that the core plugins were automagically put back and you see them loading into Pro Tools. Then create a new session and confirm basic stuff works and all the non-core plugins are indeed gone. Then leaving that setup alone, do not return any plugins to the folder... and use that to continue to do other tests.

Use Pete Gates PT Prefs tool to make trashing prefs easy.

I would not be in a hurry to reinstall pro tools until you have done the above tests/clarified info here.

[aftermid]

Lets start with the basics... this is an exactly what Mac? iMac? Mac Pro?..
what exact interface are you using? what H/W buffer size, sample rate, ignore errors checked? all those other settings? This is Mac Mid 2012 Pro using an Omni HDX interface. Sample Rate is 44.1kHz. H//W Buffer I have tried different settings, as we as cache setting and RAM settings.

I'll just note 16GB memory is the minimum spec, if you are running lots of VIs or other very heavy sessions you may have memory issues.

set HW Buffer to some large value like 1024 and leave it at that for other tests. Try unchecking ignore errors and unchecking dynamic plugin processing since its an easy test. Leave them that way for all other tests.Already tried this

What happens when you then use Built-in Output (or whatever it is called on your Mac) as the playback engine?Have not tried this, but why would this be relavant?

What was the original problem affecting your work that you are trying to solve? what AAE error etc? Or is it the meter was just worrying you? The Pro Tools meters are not the greatest resource for telling you anything.Pro Tools stalls and freezes temporarily. I do get not enough RAM -9137 error

As already asked do you see the Mac Activity Monitor also reporting this behavior?yes

Did anything change with plugin installs? Any other updates recently? Is the system fully optimized? every last thing done?Yes, I installed a UVI plug in called VIR Harmonic Bohemian Cello. This seem to be taking up about 60% of the activity monitor. However, it does not affect Logic's performance in any way. I am talking to the company as to way this may be. Still waiting on an answer from them.

Your intuition to suspect plugins is good, a problematic plugin certainly can cause CPU use with no session open. But what exactly did you do with plugins? you said you moved out all plugin files to the unused folder. Make sure you are working with the correct .aaxplugin files, move them all to unused. then trash prefs, restart Pro Tools and confirm that the core plugins were automagically put back and you see them loading into Pro Tools. Then create a new session and confirm basic stuff works and all the non-core plugins are indeed gone. Then leaving that setup alone, do not return any plugins to the folder... and use that to continue to do other tests.Did this and I am suspecting the VIR Harmonic plugin, although I don't why it's causing this conflict, it doesn't with Logic Pro.

Use Pete Gates PT Prefs tool to make trashing prefs easy.

I would not be in a hurry to reinstall pro tools until you have done the above tests/clarified info here.I have not uninstalled/reinstalled Pro Tools through out my diagnosing.

[64GTOBOY]

A quick heads up on your possible plugin issue: Pro Tools and Logic use different plugin platforms so the fact that the problem occurs in one DAW only means little. You might try uninstalling the particular plugin, clearing the Pro Tools plugin preferences then reinstalling the plugin.

[aftermid]

Interestingly the plug in manufacturer is now pointing the finger to UVI, the platform it runs on. I've used Falcon on this UVI with no issues. So I'll try uninstalling, as you suggest.


UVI on their site suggest lowering the polyphony, so I did and this helped a little. Also, when I look at Pro Tool's activity monitor being slammed at 100%, the Mac's activity monitor shows about 18%. Don't know why the big discrepency between Pro Tools reading and the Mac's. If they are both monitoring Activity, you'd think they'd be in close proximity in their readings.


I find that a little perplexing.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by aftermid

Also, when I look at Pro Tool's activity monitor being slammed at 100%, the Mac's activity monitor shows about 18%.

I asked about this in post number four of this thread. You ignored it. I also asked another question that you never answered. I'll not bother with this thread anymore, it's just a mess.

[aftermid]

Originally Posted by Ben Jenssen

I asked about this in post number four of this thread. You ignored it. I also asked another question that you never answered. I'll not bother with this thread anymore, it's just a mess.

I think I already answered this, if I understood your question. The Mac's CPU and Memory manager does not match the numbers on Pro Tools activity usage manager. Not sure what you mean by "task manager", for this is something I am familiar with on PC's not Mac's. Mac's have a Force Quit window. Not sure if that clarifies or maybe I am still not understanding your question.

[aftermid]

Originally Posted by 64GTOBOY

A quick heads up on your possible plugin issue: Pro Tools and Logic use different plugin platforms so the fact that the problem occurs in one DAW only means little. You might try uninstalling the particular plugin, clearing the Pro Tools plugin preferences then reinstalling the plugin.

Tried uninstall/reinstall. Same thing. Trashed preferences, all the usual steps.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by aftermid

Yes, I installed a UVI plug in called VIR Harmonic Bohemian Cello. This seem to be taking up about 60% of the activity monitor. However, it does not affect Logic's performance in any way. I am talking to the company as to way this may be. Still waiting on an answer from them.

So the problem seems to be right in front of you.

As others have pointed out that the plugin in it's AU format is working fine for Logic Pro means absolutely nothing about it working fine in it's AAX format for Pro Tools. Different binary interfaces, different code executing in the plugin.

The test is simple if you suspect one plugin... move the .aaxplugin file out of the Pro Tools plugin folder for that plugin you installed, trash prefs, restart Pro Tools, then ideally your problem will be gone if it was that plugin. (OK there are possible very unlikely worse case scenarios say where a bad plugin helps corrupt a session file and problems persist because of that--but very unlikely and here you are having CPU issues even without a session open--which as I mentioned earlier is a classic sign of a bad plugin).

And not enough RAM AAE error... consistent with a bad plugin with a memory leak.

[aftermid]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

So the problem seems to be right in front of you.

As others have pointed out that the plugin in it's AU format is working fine for Logic Pro means absolutely nothing about it working fine in it's AAX format for Pro Tools. Different binary interfaces, different code executing in the plugin.

The test is simple if you suspect one plugin... move the .aaxplugin file out of the Pro Tools plugin folder for that plugin you installed, trash prefs, restart Pro Tools, then ideally your problem will be gone if it was that plugin. (OK there are possible very unlikely worse case scenarios say where a bad plugin helps corrupt a session file and problems persist because of that--but very unlikely and here you are having CPU issues even without a session open--which as I mentioned earlier is a classic sign of a bad plugin).

And not enough RAM AAE error... consistent with a bad plugin with a memory leak.

Yes, it's becoming clearer it's this plug in, in this particular. Trying to see how the manufacturer is going to explain this. Right now, they're pointing the finger at UVI and UVI back at them. Typical of software manufacturers.

[unkJE]

I know this reply is probably too late, but I only just saw this Thread.

If you haven’t already solved your issue, there’s a new host – a free upgrade from UVI to Gorilla-Engine for all customers who own the UVI versions of Virharmonic Bohemian Cello:
https://virharmonic.reamaze.com/kb/g...gorilla-engine

https://gorilla-engine.com/


Note:
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