Pro Tools Freezes While Loading

[[email protected]]

Team,

Pro Tools won't load. Lemme explain. I have a MacBook pro M1 silicon running pro tools 2021.7 with 16mb ram. When I load pro tools it checks core plugins, runs through a few, then freezes. I read that I should move the plugin from the folder to the "unused" folder so I did. Then restart pro tools. It does it again but stops at another plugin. So I got frustrated and moved alllll of the plugins to another folder and pro tools loaded. But when I went to add efx it was bare bones lol. I don't want a bare pro tools session. I have Native Instruments Platinum. I have UAD plugins. I want to use them. I can open all other DAWs I have with no issue. FL Studio, Luna, Reason. Help me make it make sense.

Lauderdale

[cwsand]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

I have a MacBook pro M1 silicon running pro tools 2021.7 with 16mb ram. When I load pro tools it checks core plugins, runs through a few, then freezes. I read that I should move the plugin from the folder to the "unused" folder so I did. Then restart pro tools. It does it again but stops at another plugin. So I got frustrated and moved alllll of the plugins to another folder and pro tools loaded. But when I went to add efx it was bare bones lol. I don't want a bare pro tools session. I have Native Instruments Platinum. I have UAD plugins. I want to use them. I can open all other DAWs I have with no issue. FL Studio, Luna, Reason.

Well there are known issues with M1 Macs, but as far as the plugins go, you could have multiple plugins that aren't compatible with or have issues with your system. You just need to figure out which ones are preventing Pro Tools from loading. Also make sure you have the latest versions of those plugins. I would also go through everything here: Help Us Help You and if you need more assistance, make sure to include all the info requested in the link.

Also, I assume you meant 16GB of Ram - not 16MB, but even 16GB is is a little low for running Pro Tools.

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by cwsand

Well there are known issues with M1 Macs, but as far as the plugins go, you could have multiple plugins that aren't compatible with or have issues with your system. You just need to figure out which ones are preventing Pro Tools from loading. Also make sure you have the latest versions of those plugins. I would also go through everything here: Help Us Help You and if you need more assistance, make sure to include all the info requested in the link.

Also, I assume you meant 16GB of Ram - not 16MB, but even 16GB is is a little low for running Pro Tools.

Thanks. I meant GB lol... I was moving plugin by plugin and then I got to one that I would move. Then as soon as I ran PT again it reinserted itself. I kept the "move to" folder open and the "move from" folder open. I could actually see the plugin pop back in

[Teej]

The only plugins doing this for me at this point are the Crane Song / Dave Hill plugs. (Phoenix/Peacock/RA) If you're running these, take them out of your plugin folder and try again.

I have been in contact with him, he is aware of the issue and has informed AVID but my correspondence and attendance to troubleshooting the issue has fallen by the wayside over the last month, I hope to pick it up again asap but life is happening. Maybe drop him/AVID a line? Once these work I've got everything I use working on M1. :)

If it's not these plugs, do you have the absolute latest versions of everything?

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Thanks. I meant GB lol... I was moving plugin by plugin and then I got to one that I would move. Then as soon as I ran PT again it reinserted itself. I kept the "move to" folder open and the "move from" folder open. I could actually see the plugin pop back in

If you're talking about Avid plugins here that's normal.

[Obsidian Dragon]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

So I got frustrated and moved alllll of the plugins to another folder and pro tools loaded.

This points to one or more plugin(s) being the cause of Protools not loading. The troubleshooting procedure is to move all the plugin out (the standard Protools ones will automatically reinstall as you noticed). Then one by one (or a few at a time) you start to put them back in, then try to restart Protools. If Protools starts, move on to the next plugins of small group of plugins. If and when you hit a restart that does not load, the offending plugin (or plugins) is the culprit and you need to remove it. If doing a small group at a time, you need to test each one to identify the one(s) that are causing the problem. Continue this process until you have have gone through all the plugins. Search to see if any of your plugins have updates as many may not be compatible with Protools 2021.x or your OS. Unfortunately, each new version of either Protools or OS potentially breaks compatibility with plugins, requiring the manufacturer to update it. Some are quick to update while some take longer to release updates. It is a never-ending cycle between Apple's or Microsoft's OS updates, Avid's Protool's updates, and third-party plugin updates. The process to find non-compatible plugins is tedious but an unfortunate necessity.

[JFreak]

Hiu, welcome to the community.

I have a fully loaded M1 Mac Mini here and PT loads just fine, even with the NI instruments that I have. I obviously do not have everything, but if it works here your culprit must not be PT or NI but some other vendor. Just try moving plugs back one vendor at a time and you would notice when PT is not starting anymore.

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by Obsidian Dragon

This points to one or more plugin(s) being the cause of Protools not loading. The troubleshooting procedure is to move all the plugin out (the standard Protools ones will automatically reinstall as you noticed). Then one by one (or a few at a time) you start to put them back in, then try to restart Protools. If Protools starts, move on to the next plugins of small group of plugins. If and when you hit a restart that does not load, the offending plugin (or plugins) is the culprit and you need to remove it. If doing a small group at a time, you need to test each one to identify the one(s) that are causing the problem. Continue this process until you have have gone through all the plugins. Search to see if any of your plugins have updates as many may not be compatible with Protools 2021.x or your OS. Unfortunately, each new version of either Protools or OS potentially breaks compatibility with plugins, requiring the manufacturer to update it. Some are quick to update while some take longer to release updates. It is a never-ending cycle between Apple's or Microsoft's OS updates, Avid's Protool's updates, and third-party plugin updates. The process to find non-compatible plugins is tedious but an unfortunate necessity.

Lord what a tedious process... I was able to find the plugins with the issues. Pro Tools did open. Now I have to try to update the plugins or see if they are compatible

Thanks all...

[Obsidian Dragon]

I just noticed that you are running in a Mac with the M1 (Apple Silicon). This is another possible compatibility issue for plugins that have not been updated. Until these plugins are rewritten in native M1 code, they will still run through Rosetta 2, a type of code translator between Intel code and Apple Silicon processors.