CPU Overload Mac - Tried everything

[tommytime555]

I'm running 8 audio tracks from my electric drums directly into my Mac Studio (64GB Memory, M1 Max). Changing H/W Buffer Size makes zero difference, about every 20 seconds I get the "A CPU Overload error occurred."

I also tried putting my session on an external SSD, no difference.

I even have Activity Monitor open and I'm not seeing any real CPU spikes. Pro Tools doesn't seem to go over 21%.

The only two possibilities in my mind are:

1. My USB cable going to my drums is too long? (15 feet).
2. I'm using Sonoma 14.5, which isn't the latest OS, but it's also not too old?

Any recommendations really appreciated.

T