AAE -6101 Error

[ryanwilsonfive]

I'm constantly getting AAE -6101 errors during record/playback.

My Specs:
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
Processor 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
OS X Yosemite 10.10.5
Avid Pro Tools 12.2
Avid Mbox 3 Pro (1.3.2 Drivers) via Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter
G-DRIVE ev RaW 500GB Audio Drive


Things I've Tried:
Everything.

[ryanwilsonfive]

Seemed to help a little when I turned Spotlight off on the audio drive, but I'm still getting errors. I've made all recommended optimizations. My PC with less RAM on PT 10 never had a hiccup. Certainly this MacBook is not the problem. All works well in Logic Pro X. Any help?

[Darryl Ramm]

If you actually tell us what you have tried you'll probably get more useful help. We cannot guess what you have tried, and if you really tired everything I'm pretty confident you would have solved the problem.

Interface drivers up to date? What version?

What is in your session? Sample rate? Number of tracks? what plugins/VIs and how many instances? ... does this happens to multiple sessions? If so just describe the simplest one it happens with. If it only happens with one session and similar sized ones work OK then that session may just be corrupt.

What playback engine buffer size are you using? If you increase that size when/if ever does the problem go away?

Standard troubleshooting is under the "help us help you" link above.

Trash prefs (and keep doing so while you do other tests).

Especially fully optimize the Mac, Evey last thing.

Try a new empty session and add tracks and plugins to that slowly and see if that works.

I'm not sure there are many users on that disk you are using, so I'd suspect that a bit. All you audio/session files are on that external drive? All your VI samples are on the internal MBP SSD?

Copy your session and all audio content to that internal MBP SSD and try running it from there. That internal SSD is so much faster (more than an order of magnitude) that that slow external HDD you are just slowing things down using a dedicated audio drive. Plus you can turn on disk cache in PT.

Try removing all third party .aaxplugin files from the plugin folder and restarting Pro Tools. Add back plugins in batches until you find a problem. Yes even plugins not being used can cause havoc.

This should not be happening, so try to find out why. But on the other hand also try using Pro Tools disk cache. Change that from "Normal" which means nothing.. to say 4GB and see what happens. I would not be happy just doing that, you have somethign else wrong.

[ryanwilsonfive]

Thank you for the reply, Darryl.

Side Note: Unchecking "Ignore Errors During Playback/Record" may have helped me a little, as well.

Interface drivers up to date? What version?
Avid Mbox 3 Pro (1.3.2 Drivers)

What is in your session?
Just about three Audio tracks, a Click track on an Aux, and a Master Fader.

Sample rate?
48kHz

Number of tracks?
Around 3 or 4 audio tracks.

What plugins/VIs and how many instances?
None or very, very little. Just keeping it simple for right now.

Does this happens to multiple sessions? If so just describe the simplest one it happens with.
Yes, multiple sessions. Every session, in fact. I've been intentionally keeping it simple for the sake of testing and finding out what my problem is. I'm also mainly doing overdubs and tracking vocals on top of a stereo mix.

What playback engine buffer size are you using? If you increase that size when/if ever does the problem go away?
I've tried various buffer sizes. I like to keep it low when tracking, so you can't hear or feel the latency. I get errors every time at 32 samples, after only about 20 seconds in. However, the more I increase the buffer, the less errors I get. On my old setup, with my self built PC, buffer sizes were not an issue, even in the 32-bit version Pro Tools 10, unless I was using lots of VI's and plug-ins. This is a 64-bit program, 16 GB of Memory, and an i7 processor. I feel like I shouldn't have any hiccups.

Standard troubleshooting is under the "help us help you" link above.
Thank you. I've already checked it out.

Trash prefs (and keep doing so while you do other tests).
I have tried this, too.

Especially fully optimize the Mac, Evey last thing.
Done all of this, as well.

Try a new empty session and add tracks and plugins to that slowly and see if that works.
That's basically what I'm working with. Very minimal tracks and little to no plug-ins.

I'm not sure there are many users on that disk you are using, so I'd suspect that a bit. All you audio/session files are on that external drive? All your VI samples are on the internal MBP SSD?
I can try daisy chaining my old Glyph with the Mbox Pro. All of it on the external. No VI's at the moment.

Copy your session and all audio content to that internal MBP SSD and try running it from there. That internal SSD is so much faster (more than an order of magnitude) that that slow external HDD you are just slowing things down using a dedicated audio drive. Plus you can turn on disk cache in PT.
Still getting errors using the internal.

Try removing all third party .aaxplugin files from the plugin folder and restarting Pro Tools. Add back plugins in batches until you find a problem. Yes even plugins not being used can cause havoc.
I can try this, however, I have very few third-party plug-ins on this machine at the moment. Mostly typical stuff - Waves Gold, Waves CLA, Antares Auto-Tune 8, VocALign Project, Steven Slate Trigger 2, some SoundToys stuff. That's about it. I will try it, though.

This should not be happening, so try to find out why. But on the other hand also try using Pro Tools disk cache. Change that from "Normal" which means nothing.. to say 4GB and see what happens. I would not be happy just doing that, you have somethign else wrong.
I've tried this, as well, at all different sizes and I still have errors.

Sorry for the lack of information in my original post. I was just a little tired and fed up. Long days at the studio, then to come home to my setup with so many errors!

---

UPDATE: So, as of right now, after typing all of the above, it seems to be working just fine with playback on a 26 audio track session, with no plug-ins. This is the smoothest it's been. H/W Buffer Size at 64 samples. Wi-Fi On.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by ryanwilsonfive

Thank you for the reply, Darryl.

Side Note: Unchecking "Ignore Errors During Playback/Record" may have helped me a little, as well.

Well you want to leave it unchecked anyhow to see if it helps fire other errors, but normally it behaves the other way and makes things less stable. I'm smelling a problematic plugin here...

What plugins/VIs and how many instances?
None or very, very little. Just keeping it simple for right now.

But of the few there what ones are they? A few instances of Sansamp or similar broken plugins with denromalization problems could easily kill your sessions.

What playback engine buffer size are you using? If you increase that size when/if ever does the problem go away?
I've tried various buffer sizes. I like to keep it low when tracking, so you can't hear or feel the latency. I get errors every time at 32 samples, after only about 20 seconds in. However, the more I increase the buffer, the less errors I get. On my old setup, with my self built PC, buffer sizes were not an issue, even in the 32-bit version Pro Tools 10, unless I was using lots of VI's and plug-ins. This is a 64-bit program, 16 GB of Memory, and an i7 processor. I feel like I shouldn't have any hiccups.

You are likely to have issues at small buffer sizes, that is expected. You are running at fairly low values for a Firewire interface. 64 bit program, how much memory you have is totally irrelevant to how you can work at low buffer sizes (but does factor into say large VI heavy session performance).

I'm not sure there are many users on that disk you are using, so I'd suspect that a bit. All you audio/session files are on that external drive? All your VI samples are on the internal MBP SSD?
I can try daisy chaining my old Glyph with the Mbox Pro. All of it on the external. No VI's at the moment.

There is no point in doing any more disk tests, this is not a disk IO problem, running off the internal utlrafast SSD and still having CPU error problems showed that. I'm suspecting bad plugins... (maybe ones you are not even using).

Try removing all third party .aaxplugin files from the plugin folder and restarting Pro Tools. Add back plugins in batches until you find a problem. Yes even plugins not being used can cause havoc.
I can try this, however, I have very few third-party plug-ins on this machine at the moment. Mostly typical stuff - Waves Gold, Waves CLA, Antares Auto-Tune 8, VocALign Project, Steven Slate Trigger 2, some SoundToys stuff. That's about it. I will try it, though.

Gee only several of those plugins (IIRC: Slate, SoundToys, Auto-tune, ...) have caused others woe on Pro Tools 11/12 system This is where I would focus all the troubleshooting efforts. If you are not using them in your simple session anyhow just move all (every last one) of the .aaxplugin files elsewhere (any old directory so pro Tools can't find them when it starts up) and restart Pro tools. It will magically putt back the standard plugins. Try some small sessions with those. If that works you know the problem is one or more of those third party pluguns, and again you don't even need to be using them for them to break things... But start by doublechecking all plugins are up to date/claimed compatible with your OS X and Pro Tools versions and get any updates applied.

This should not be happening, so try to find out why. But on the other hand also try using Pro Tools disk cache. Change that from "Normal" which means nothing.. to say 4GB and see what happens. I would not be happy just doing that, you have somethign else wrong.
I've tried this, as well, at all different sizes and I still have errors.

Yep that again helps show it is not a disk issue. have I mentioned plugins? Oh yes I have....

---

UPDATE: So, as of right now, after typing all of the above, it seems to be working just fine with playback on a 26 audio track session, with no plug-ins. This is the smoothest it's been. H/W Buffer Size at 64 samples. Wi-Fi On.

Mmm well it is hard to troubleshoot if the problem has gone away. But if it comes back I would focus on those plugins. Also make sure you really do not have a corrupt session, however simple, and say that all you test sessions were not corrupted copies of a corrupt session. If you test again always start with a new empty session, not a copy, not from a template.

And again be careful of denomalization issues with some plugins, minor changes in a session, or ordering of plugin chains etc. can make huge differences in the CPU burn of those plugins-- and those problems can come and go, maybe what you are seeing here. (Sansamp is the common culprit, but others are broken as well). one thing to try to look for there is high CPU burn or CPU spikes on the Pro Tools CPU meters or the OS X System Activity monitor. Including things like high CPU use when you put the transport in stop.

[ryanwilsonfive]

Man, thank you so much for taking the time to reply back to me in such great detail and care. I will try removing plug-ins and testing again tomorrow, if I have time. Either way, I'll keep you and everyone else posted.

[darbyclash34]

I'm going to be following this thread closely, I'm having the exact same problem. I'm running Pro Tools HD 11.3.2 on a fresh install of 10.9.5, running on a Hackintosh with a Core i7 2600K at 3.7ghz with turbo boost and all other CPU throttling tech turned off, 32gbs of RAM, system drive is a Samsung 840 pro and the audio drive is a 10k RPM Raptor drive. I've got a UAD-2 quad and octo cards in there too, and I'm using an Antelope Audio Zen Studio for my interface.

This morning I finished reinstalling my software (all new copies so fully updated and checked for compatibility), and worked on a simple song demo I'm working on, it's got a stereo instance of ezdrummer and Monark from NI, with 3 tracks of guitar with Guitar Rig on it. Everything was running great, better than it had before the erase and install. Shut the computer down, and opened it back up and suddenly it wouldn't play back at all on any buffer except 1024, all others have a -6101 error, and at 1024 it was just digital distortion that got more and more garbled until it finally gave a -6101 error. Nothing running in the background (hell, I even use an AppleScript to kill spotlight when I'm using pro tools). Frustrating needless to say. The weirdest part is it only doing this sometimes.

I'll move plugins around and experiment with that, as well as trash all the prefs etc, question: if plugins are moved to the Plug-ins (unused) folder, are they completely ignored by pro tools? Is that just as good as moving them to the desktop etc? Thanks!

[ryanwilsonfive]

UPDATE...

Just installed the latest version, Pro Tools 12.2.1, and I'm still getting -6101 errors.

I removed all plug-ins from the plug-ins folder and I still get this error.

Session included only one Audio Track, Buffer Size at 32 Samples. I get the 6101 error after only 7 seconds into recording. This just can't be normal behavior.

Internal or external drive - doesn't make a difference. Mbox Pro or Pro Tools Aggregate I/O - doesn't matter.

[mzkguy]

This may be a silly question but how are the Mbox and hard drive connected? I've found in the past that if the hard drive is connected to the computer FIRST and the Mbox is daisy chained through the drive then there are issues. Try connecting the interface to the computer first and then daisy chain the drive through the Mbox.

Mzkguy

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by ryanwilsonfive

UPDATE...

Just installed the latest version, Pro Tools 12.2.1, and I'm still getting -6101 errors.

I removed all plug-ins from the plug-ins folder and I still get this error.

Session included only one Audio Track, Buffer Size at 32 Samples. I get the 6101 error after only 7 seconds into recording. This just can't be normal behavior.

Internal or external drive - doesn't make a difference. Mbox Pro or Pro Tools Aggregate I/O - doesn't matter.

Buffer size at 32 samples, it may be perfectly normal behavior. yes even if you had it running better on Pro Tools 10. Few folks will track at such a low buffer size.

I would leave all third party plugin files removed and play with the system until it is working better.

Do not use aggregate IO, do your troubleshooting with the Mbox Pro selected as the playback engine.

Start with something more reasonable like IO buffer size size set to say 128, sample rate 44.1 or 48kHz to start with. Ignore errors should *not* be checked -- you want to see all errors.

I would put the session on the internal SSD and just leave it there for troubleshooting.

Double check all optimizations (the number of times I have found something mysteriously changed...).

Try disabling dynamic plugin processing (and leave it off why you try other thigns).

Trash prefs frequently as you try other things (make sure you carefully follow the directions).

Try a new empty session (yes even if you have done so before...)

Try creating a new admin account and try a new empty session from there.

It's a good idea to get things working as well as they can without disk cache and then turn that on to speed things up.

If you are still having problems, unplug all unneeded USB, thunderbolt of Firewire peripherals you can.

Try Built in Output as the playback engine.. what buffer size can you run that down to reliably. If you get down to 128 with say a dozen tracks and standard plugins on each track then you are likely doing OK.