Ableton Live --> Pro Tools Studio --> Dolby Atmos Renderer

[phil_rum]

Dear community,

I'm having a with a question re: problems with my current workflow. I just installed my 5.1.4 Atmos Setup in my project studio. My idea is to work on my compositions in Atmos rather than upmixing the pieces in the end.

Therefore I’m using both Ableton Live and Pro Tools in my workflow. I’m routing Ableton Live through Pro Tools via the Pro Tools Audio Bridge 16 and linking Pro Tools & Lives Start/Stop via Ableton Link. Most of the virtual instruments and midi stuff is happening in Ableton Live whereas I do all the mixing stuff (automation, fx) in Pro Tools. I try to import bounced audio from Ableton into Pro Tools as soon as possible but very often in the process I use this setup to monitor my workflow (instrument creation, composition) from Ableton to tweak single tracks while working on the project. Unfortunately it happens quite a lot that there are audible audio errors and also the session crashes with error message AAE 6101 in Pro Tools on a very regular basis. I already read a bit on the internet and here in the forum and did things to get rid of the problem (reducing the sample rate from 96 kHz to 48 kHz, turning off WiFi, various other Aux I/O options such as BlackHole 16, no LTC, turning off dynamic plugin processing) but nothing really helps. Error Suppression in turned on at all parameters. I set buffer size in Ableton to the max. In Pro Tools I also tried various buffer size options. I checked my system usage (also on MacOSX’s activity monitor) and my system is far from being at its peak point (both CPU and RAM below 50% usage).

I assume that the problem comes from syncing the engines of Ableton, Pro Tools and the Dolby Atmos Renderer (the audible errors also happen when I route Kontakt through the Pro Tools Audio Bridge when monitoring my instrument creation process in Kontakt)? Is there anything similar that users reported to you and do you have any ideas to solve the problem?

I’m running Pro Tools 2022.10, Live 11.2.6 and Dolby Atmos Renderer 3.7.0 on MacOSX 12.6. My computer is a MacBook Pro with M1 Max with 64 GB.
I’m looking very much forward to hear from you.

[nednednerb]

There are any number of bottleneck points regarding keeping things "live" while also processing in time. I would probably leave the buffer sizes the same in all apps. Timing issues, and hence, errors, are so very likely in this kind of setup.

Another point to consider is when you will have Silicon native Pro Tools, and no Rosetta helping run the hosts or any plug-ins. Maybe some (but maybe not all) of your issues will get better.

[phil_rum]

Thanks nednednerb,

I will try setting the buffer size of all Applications the same.
I was also thinking of sending LTC from Pro Tools to both the Renderer and Ableton Live. However, it seems like Live can't receive LTC natively. You're having any idea / workaround for that?