Multiple errors and crashes since upgrade to PT8

[GretschUK]

Hi all,

I'll start with the basic system info:-

• MacBook Pro 2.2Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo (approx 18 months old)

• Leopard 10.5.7

• Digi 002 Factory Console (s/n AKP0066600J)

• Pro Tools 8 cs3

• RAM - 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

• Peripherals - GTech G Drive Q 500GB Firewire 800 External HD, iLok USB device, Secondary monitor via HDI output on MacBook Pro

• Drives - Internal Drive is a FUJITSU MHY2120BH SATA drive, 120GB, Journaled HFS+ File System. External drive is a G Tech G Drive Q 500GB which has a Hitachi HDT725050VLA360 inside, Oxford 911 chipset, Journaled K-Sensative File System. Pro Tools, Plugins and Plugin content etc is installed on internal drive. All audio files and session files are kept on external firewire drive

• Had completed troubleshooting advice in the 'General Troubleshooting - Pro Tools LE Mac' thread.

I had been running Pro Tools 7.3 with all of the above equipment and had relatively trouble free for the most part. I decided to upgrade to Pro Tools 8 about three weeks ago and have been suffering ever since. Almost immediately all of my sessions were stricken by errors (6086, 6097, 9128 and the 002 constantly loses communication with Pro Tools even when idle with very little plugins active).

The errors keep occur regardless of how many tracks and plugins I am using. Obviously on smaller sessions they are less frequent, but the problem persists non the less. The only time the system will run for a decent length of time is if I tell it to ignore error messages (which results in nasty pops and clicks).

I'd like to think that this is not related to any of my equipment, as the problem seemed to appear almost the instant I began using Pro Tools 8. Is it possible that one of the plugins bundled with PT8 is the problem? I've read on here examples of people removing MINI GRAND from the Plugins folder due it causing problems.

A standard session for me would be somewhere between 20-28 tracks using T-Racks 3 suite, Digi Eleven LE, Amplitube 2, Ampeg SVX and Smack LE. However I do not use these all at the same time as most are RAM heavy. I tend to bounce down audio from the virtual instruments and then remove those plugins. As I said, I had relatively few problems before I upgrade to Pro Tools 8.

Any help is much appreciated, as my system is virtually unusable in this state.

[The Dougfather]

T-Racks 3 suite, Digi Eleven LE, Amplitube 2, Ampeg SVX and Smack LE

Those IK plugs are almost certainly going to cause havock if you don't reduce to one cpu core in the playback engine. Doing this will open up another core for non real time processes which these plugins are notorious for, a shame because by and large IK stuff sounds good it just performs crap in Pro Tools.

[GretschUK]

Originally Posted by The Dougfather

Those IK plugs are almost certainly going to cause havock if you don't reduce to one cpu core in the playback engine. Doing this will open up another core for non real time processes which these plugins are notorious for, a shame because by and large IK stuff sounds good it just performs crap in Pro Tools.

I changed it to one core on the playback engine and it solved the problem in some of my smaller sessions which are still in the recording process, however larger sessions are still seriously messed up.

The frustrating thing here is that the sessions haven't changed since I got Pro Tools 8. So whilst a larger session which has lots of mastering plugins active would be a bigger load on the CPU and the RAM, the very same session was working absolutely fine on Pro Tools 7.3. Also, I rarely have those IK plugins active together. I normally bounce down to audio once I get the settings where I want them. So in some sessions the IK stuff isn't even in use.

If Pro Tools 7.3 was fully qualified for Leopard then right now I'd be considering deleting PT8 and reinstalling on 7.3 from my original disc. I don't even care about the money paid for the upgrade anymore, I just want my system to work again.

Thanks for the help though.

[GretschUK]

This issue has now seemingly been solved thanks to the help of Digidesign Technical Support.

It appears as though the problem was Eleven LE - this plugin has always been CPU hungry but it looks as though Pro Tools 8 now uses a lot of CPU alone, so with Eleven in the mix it gets too much for a large session.

By removing Eleven performance was improved drastically. I'm going to try and remove old unused plugins from my plugins folder to help too. But for now if anybody is experiencing similar problems, try removing Eleven LE after you have bounced it down to an audio file.