PT8 CPU Usage

[Bhudie]

Hey Guys,

I'm not trying to cite a riot here, but I got some bad news from Tech Support...

I've been in conversations with them trying everything under the sun over the last few weeks, and I thought I'd share my last exchange...

I tried the suggestions that you made, about making sure the windows don't go passed the edge of my screens, and it didn't have any effect on my ability to record...

I was unable to maximize the window over two monitors. Anytime I maximized it it would snap to one screen. However, testing it on one screen didn't improve my situation at all. Both maximized to one screen, and resizing the windows to make sure that there was space before the edge of my screen on one screen or two did nothing to help. As long as the mix or edit window or both was open, I would get the error. This includes after I got the cs2 update.

I still contend that the problem with my cpu bandwidth being eaten up when these windows are open is what I am experiencing.

On that note, I know that this issue is not top of your priority list and may not make it into the next update as it's not a crash and we can manage by minimizing while recording, but I was curious how long you usually go between cs updates? Just want to know around what time I should start hoping for for a fix. :)

Thanks again for your help, and let me know if you still think there is anything else I can try.

Then I got the reply...

I'm not sure if I suggested dropping the number of processors in the Play Back Engine (Setup Menu) down to 3 or 2.
Other than that the only thing I have left to try would be a complete reinstall of Window Vista.

This behavior wouldn't be classified as a bug, so a cs fix wouldn't be in the works for something like this. Your system hardware is supported. I would say this is something software related with your Windows install, or possibly bad memory in the system.

Try reinstalling Windows and then a fresh install of Pro Tools and see what kind of results you get.
I'm out of ideas for this system (other than the reinstall).

Sounds to me like they are not fixing this issue...

I for one, am choked...

[RoMi]

I am going back to Win7/32bit - it turned out to be the most stable (PT8 - OK, better CPU usage level, but still to high!) and useful (all my apps work fine, in general) platform for me at this moment.

I will be mostly on REAPER 3, until Avid solves the PT8 high CPU Usage serious problem (and other important stuff).
I find REAPER 3 as the best environment for what I am doing - composing, recording, editing and mixing my own stuff.
I decided NOT to stay in the PT 7.4.
I liked the general idea of PT8 from the perspective of my needs - liked the new GUI, new MIDI features, etc...
I just need some more... hmmm... "features":
- faster install (what is this freakn' PT8 installer thing doing for almost 30 minutes - REAPER installs in less than 30 seconds !),
- fixing the CPU usage level very serious and obvious issue,
- why this PT8 installer thing is not asking me where to install the "Creative Collecton" media files - I do NOT want it on my OS/programs drive and I have to move it and redirect the PT8 VI's to my separate "media" drive where I place the .big "media collection"
- smaller footprint = "leaner code" = "modern, XXI century code approach",
- 64-bit (hello! XXI century started almost 9 years ago!),
- multi-audio-formats in the same session without translation/conversion (as REAPER does!),
- and of course this long time standard: ADC !
- no track limits (limited only by the CPU abilities) - what the heck ?... The Big Brother will never control my space!
- don't event want to ask for the "universal" VST standard within PT without the FXpansion wrapper,
- don't even want to mention "smaller stuff" like Play-Pause problems, etc, etc...

I will postpone the Win7/64bit experiments. PT8 crashed at start-up, REAPER doesn't see the Digi ASIO driver for my 002R, nor the VST 32bit plugs. I know there is a VST 32-64 bridge, but I don't want to mess with it at this early stage...

... Kinda... think... we are trying to be to fast, guys , for what they have on the market at this time... We have the machines, but they don't have the "fuel"

OK, enough of this technology craziness. I've got it enough at work - tons of AV show production equipment to service and engineer (but also fun = ).
Let's get back to making some music and HAVING FUN!

[RoMi]

... so, having said that, Shan, you can consider me "the first January Guy", leaving Pro Tools, until... ...

[RoMi]

Bhudie, I agree, it sounds just ridiculous !!!

[bmichoulas]

Bhudie is right. I have been struggling myself with ProTools and a core 2 duo system for over a year now. And now i've resorted to using my Pentium 4.

I think everyone needs to go onto musicians friend and other sites.. and post all of the flaws that ProTools and the Digi have.

It's not fair that you spend $1500 to get a system that doesnt work properly... and when you talk to tech support... it eventually leads to "buy a mac". I'm not knocking the tech support guys (they were actually quite friendly), but I think that their hands are tied cause Digidesign continually releases versions of ProTools that have bugs. Ohh.... and why don't they have a toll-free number for tech support? It's probably because they have every single person who bought a digi is calling them.

Where is my Digi 001? Life was so much better with it.

[hue]

Originally Posted by Bhudie

Sounds to me like they are not fixing this issue...

I for one, am choked...

All due respect but it sounds to me like you either got a newb or a complete idiot with those emails. All conversations with DigiTech Support on this forum thus far leads me to believe they are working on a solution. Just read back a few pages. If they are not trying to fix this however, I'm sure they must realize that there will be a mass exodus very shortly.

There are plenty of people who are having issues with dual core systems as well.

Recently I had an issue where all faders became unresponsive for no apparent reason. I tried everything. Deleting preferences didn't help. I finally gave up and did a full reinstall. Fortunately all of my sessions still loaded fine. What the...? It doesn't make any sense. I hadn't installed anything new. PT just decided not to work.

[hue]

Just out of curiosity. Are there as many people having issues on AMD systems as there are on Intel chips? I know it's a stretch. Not too many people using AMD for audio anymore.

[The Weed]

I'm on an AMD 64 2X 4800. No issue here that I'm aware of. My Windows Task Manager shows 15% when I have the Mix and Edit Windows open. The Pro Tools CPU meter is well down the scale at the left. Digi 002 Rack, Pro Tools LE 7.3.1cs7.

Cheers,

[hue]

Originally Posted by The Weed

I'm on an AMD 64 2X 4800. No issue here that I'm aware of. My Windows Task Manager shows 15% when I have the Mix and Edit Windows open. The Pro Tools CPU meter is well down the scale at the left.

Cheers,

Yeah. Me too. I have no issues other than the one I mentioned but other than that, everything seems peachy. I was using an X2 3600 previously and now an X2 7750 @ 3.2GHz. 4 Gigs of RAM. Using one of the templates, I can easily see 30-40% but I think some of those sessions are a bit convoluted for most users. With a Digi 003 different story but then those templates are scant even if you are recording more than one person at a time..

I noticed you mentioned LE 7.3. I meant PT 8 users with AMD chips. I'm using 8 with similar results as yourself.

[Ludia]

Originally Posted by Bhudie

Hey Guys,

I'm not trying to cite a riot here, but I got some bad news from Tech Support...



Sounds to me like they are not fixing this issue...

I for one, am choked...

Bhudie thanks for the heads-up. I do have to say these are contradicting stories all over now. The Digi tech guy(s) posting in here claim that they are working on a fix. No need for a riot just yet but maybe it is possible for Digi to post in here a ticket or call number of this issue handled at the developers ?

I'm a developer myself ( in a total different branch though ) and I can asure you that any organisation doing updates and releases of there products are working with some kind of Incident/Problem/Change Management and there is always a number attached to this either by the report of the incident, problem or actually for the change request and activities beloning to the change. In our organisation all these different numbers are even linked to each other and to a patch number/verion number that has a release date already set.


So Digi, if you are still watching and covering this thread you may want to pass on some of this information to us as an act of good faith ???

Regards, Luc