So here's an odd one... identical systems performing differently

[johan2006]

So I've spent most of the day tracking piano for a project that is set up running Live as a Rewire slave in to PT. Didn't have any issues until I came home and wanted to check the recordings - and PT grinds to a halt almost at every turn.
However, I've got an identical comp that I've got in the studio (Mac mini I7 2012 2.6). The only difference is that I'm running HD in the studio and vanilla at home, same update version.

I'm totally stumped to why there's such a massive difference? The only thing I can think of is that the disk cache doesn't seem to load up?

[JFreak]

Disc Cache is a huge factor

[johan2006]

I know, however I was under the impression native now has disk cache since 12.2?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by johan2006

I know, however I was under the impression native now has disk cache since 12.2?

Only if you turn it on. What is the cache size set to. Does the disk cache go green as expected in the meters?

I doubt anybody here can guess what you mean by "grind to a halt". What exactly happens? Intermittent pauses? Graphics/meters really laggy? Pro Tools takes forever to start up? The session takes forever to open? To save?

Is ignore errors unchecked? If so you expect a AAE error to be thrown for many serious problems.

Other than that if you want help start at the "help us help you" link up top of every DUC web page and describe your system clearly and what standard troubleshooting you have done.

[johan2006]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Only if you turn it on. What is the cache size set to. Does the disk cache go green as expected in the meters?

It's set to 5GB, and yes, it goes green but only for a few percentages.

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I doubt anybody here can guess what you mean by "grind to a halt". What exactly happens? Intermittent pauses? Graphics/meters really laggy? Pro Tools takes forever to start up? The session takes forever to open? To save?

Fair dues - PT shows the buffer under running warning i.e. remove plugins, increase the buffer. But, this is the same session on an identical machine. Yes, the studio comp runs mavericks & my home comp runs 10.10 - don't strike me as a valid reason tho.

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Is ignore errors unchecked? If so you expect a AAE error to be thrown for many serious problems.

I'll refer to my above reply, it's the identical machine.

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Other than that if you want help start at the "help us help you" link up top of every DUC web page and describe your system clearly and what standard troubleshooting you have done.

While I certainly appreciate your point, in this case it's not about the specs of "one" machine, rather the fact that one is behaving differently from the other. The comp in the studio had no problems running this session, but, an identical machine did? That strikes me as odd.

I fully get the implications of different storage usage, un-matched software (that could cause conflicts), and of course different OS'. I'm still perplexed to why one of the machines happily plays the sessions, and the other stops and throws error messages?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by johan2006

I'm still perplexed to why one of the machines happily plays the sessions, and the other stops and throws error messages?

Is there a prize for the answer? It is because they are different and one is broken. Now how do you find what is broken...

Oh one is running a completely different release of OS X? How could that possibly be relevant?

Buffer under errors... OK that immediately add suspicion on interfaces. You have identical interfaces on each system? identical drivers? Nope I thought not. Identical plugins installed? etc.

You need to stop wondering what the problem is and start standard troubleshooting. Asking folks here to explain it with almost no information is a total waste of time.

[Oliver M]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

You need to stop wondering what the problem is and start standard troubleshooting..

And you should stop to post such arrogant and demanding replies.
No one forces you to help, how about not replying at all if you do not like the questions? No need to educate anyone, smartypants.

[johan2006]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Is there a prize for the answer? It is because they are different and one is broken. Now how do you find what is broken...

Oh one is running a completely different release of OS X? How could that possibly be relevant?

Buffer under errors... OK that immediately add suspicion on interfaces. You have identical interfaces on each system? identical drivers? Nope I thought not. Identical plugins installed? etc.

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

You need to stop wondering what the problem is and start standard troubleshooting. Asking folks here to explain it with almost no information is a total waste of time.

While I completely admit that all your points have a certain validity and that there's nothing amiss in what you're implying I'm a bit confounded over the hostility of your reply? Yes, it is completely possible that one of the systems is broken, and yes OS differences could potentially play a part, as do any number of reasons. However, as stated in my original post, I'm perplexed that one system acts completely different from another,given that they're the same (within reason of course).
It goes without saying that I'll troubleshoot, but my intention of posting here wasn't to get advice on how to analyse systems, rather to enquire on an issue that seems like an anomaly. And yes, I could have phrased my original post differently - have anyone else encountered this issue? From your reply I gather that you've never encountered a problem like this, fair enough, all advise is usually good advise, if treated that way.

[darbyclash34]

The only way the two machines are "identical" is if you clone your startup volume from one onto the other. As soon as software versions (OS, PT, plugs) are different versions, as soon as directory and file structure are different, etc. you're not comparing like for like.

[darbyclash34]

Yes, I have encountered many instances of identical hardware not acting the same way. If the two are acting differently, they aren't identical. Since the hardware is the same, the software must not be, since you're getting different results. I guess that's the point that was trying to be made, wondering why this is happening will end up requiring a computer science degree. If you want to fix it, start going down the recommended troubleshooting.