CPU-error even if i usage is no more then 20-30%

[timeey]

Is it normal to get CPU-errors ("Reduce buffer size or remove some plugins" - Error 6104 etc.) even if your CPU-usage is only at about 20-30 % ?

I have a pretty powerful imac (mid-2011):

i7 Sandy-bridge 2.7 GHz
8Gb Ram

Running PT8 LE


I am not completely shure if PT is sensetive to other things then just plugins when it comes to CPU-errors like 6104 etc. (like recording to an external hard-drive or not, and what type of external hard-drive it is and what not).
I don't record to an external hard-drive (it's on my purchase-list though).

But anyways, isn't the CPU-usage supposed to stretch all the way to 100% before one should get errors like 6104? Or does other factors play in when getting these errors?

[JazzyJ]

I don't record to an external hard-drive

"I don't put air in the tyres of my car"

"Can anyone tell me why my car doesn't drive properly?"



Is it any wonder that no one has responded?

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by JazzyJ

"I don't put air in the tyres of my car"
"Can anyone tell me why my car doesn't drive properly?"
Is it any wonder that no one has responded?

Let's calm down.

Everybody knows that it's possble to record to your system drive. Can work like hell. It's just not supported.

Then again it's quite possible that it's the cause of the error.

...

[timeey]

"I don't put air in the tyres of my car"

"Can anyone tell me why my car doesn't drive properly?"



Is it any wonder that no one has responded?

Are you serious? If you don't have anything but condescending things to say then don't respond to my post's.

Everybody knows that it's possble to record to your system drive. Can work like hell. It's just not supported.

Then again it's quite possible that it's the cause of the error.

Thank you. I don't have an external hard-drive that is supported so that's why i don't use it. However the CPU-errors are very random so that's why i ask. From my experience there are several things that causes these CPU-errors, and i've eliminated several of these factors over the years, but it's such a complicated thing with PT. It might help with a supported hard-drive, but there might be other things as well that i could improve before i do this.

In general i get these errors when i push 30-40 % so why should it be a hard-drive issue in that case? Shouldn't the CPU-errors appear regardless of what the CPU-usage is at then?

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by timeey

In general i get these errors when i push 30-40 % so why should it be a hard-drive issue in that case? Shouldn't the CPU-errors appear regardless of what the CPU-usage is at then?

I'm not shure if the cpu usage meter shows the total or just PT usage.
The cpu and memory might be working hard with disk buffers, I don't know.
There might be spikes that don't show up at all.

Many times I have found plugins to be the cause of problems. Maybe pull out all plugins except Avids, push a session with the most cpu hungry of them and if you get to 80-90%, start up PT with a section of other plugins and see if the session plays. If it's a plugin, you narrow it down this way. (Lot of work, I know. If you bought any new ones lately maybe start with them.)

Just my 2 cents.

(Important: you must delete PT prefs after each time you pull out plugins to let the plugins load again. You'll notice it takes longer time to load at launch. Here's a a little app to make it easier: ProTools Prefs & Database Helper)

[albee1952]

This is why Avid has specific system requirements. Until you get a proper recording drive, you won't know if that is the problem. Basic troubleshooting dictates that your first steps are to make sure your system meets the requirements. The second step can't begin till the first step is complete

Next thing to consider is what version of OS you have(which you didn't mention) and what updates you have(if any) installed for LE8(as in 8.0.5?).

[timeey]

Many times I have found plugins to be the cause of problems. Maybe pull out all plugins except Avids, push a session with the most cpu hungry of them and if you get to 80-90%, start up PT with a section of other plugins and see if the session plays. If it's a plugin, you narrow it down this way. (Lot of work, I know. If you bought any new ones lately maybe start with them.)

That's what i thought. I guess there is no easy answer to this question, just trial and error like you say. But offcourse as Albee also says i should get an external hard-drive that's compatible with PT. but i have had alot of different experiences with plugins and their compatability with PT. For instance i can run several Xpand 2 plugins (10-12), but i can't do the same with Kontakt for example. I just think it's weird that above 40 or so percent, i get errors.

But then again regardless of what DAW you use, they are never 100% stable.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by timeey

That's what i thought. I guess there is no easy answer to this question, just trial and error like you say. But offcourse as Albee also says i should get an external hard-drive that's compatible with PT. but i have had alot of different experiences with plugins and their compatability with PT. For instance i can run several Xpand 2 plugins (10-12), but i can't do the same with Kontakt for example. I just think it's weird that above 40 or so percent, i get errors.

But then again regardless of what DAW you use, they are never 100% stable.

These errors are very common with misconfigured/under spec disk. Fixating on % CPU is meaningless.

Getting as table systems should really not be a random trial-and-error experiment, there are recommended and fairly stable configurations for Pro Tools. Follow all those and do all the recommended optimization step and you should have a stable system. You would not be here if you had just followed all those specs to start with.

Unfortunately Kontakt is fairly notorious for problems. You can search for other posts about that on DUC and elsewhere which may help.

Darryl

[timeey]

Okey, now i am very confused. I've been searching around to find what type of external hard-drive i should get to stabilize my PT-software.

In this forums troubleshooting it say's that USB-drives are not supported.
However in this article it says that you could use them:

http://therecordingrevolution.com/20...al-hard-drive/

These are the options they present:

Western Digital 500GB – $89
Lacie 1TB (i.e. 1000GB) – $109
Super portable Western Digital 320GB – $89

I actually have the first one of those (Western Digital 500GB) and i use it as my backup-drive for my sessions (since it say's in the troubleshooting that USB-drives are known to cause problems).

I don't understand, should i use my WD 500 GB, or am i better of with the internal hard-drive of my Imac?

I don't wanna buy a firewire either, because i need the one firewire-port on my Imac for the Mbox 3!

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by timeey

Okey, now i am very confused. I've been searching around to find what type of external hard-drive i should get to stabilize my PT-software.

In this forums troubleshooting it say's that USB-drives are not supported.
However in this article it says that you could use them:

http://therecordingrevolution.com/20...al-hard-drive/

These are the options they present:

Western Digital 500GB – $89
Lacie 1TB (i.e. 1000GB) – $109
Super portable Western Digital 320GB – $89

I actually have the first one of those (Western Digital 500GB) and i use it as my backup-drive for my sessions (since it say's in the troubleshooting that USB-drives are known to cause problems).

I don't understand, should i use my WD 500 GB, or am i better of with the internal hard-drive of my Imac?

I don't wanna buy a firewire either, because i need the one firewire-port on my Imac for the Mbox 3!

You should just look at the Avid requirements, this would all be clear, the confusion here is you fishing around elsewhere, including the clueless and miselading post on that recording blog.

And you are not going to get anywhere or get any useful help until you use exact model numbers and full product names. Western Digital 500GB, does not tell us what you have. And cheap Western Digital Caviar green or similar "green" drives (what may be inside what you are looking at) are notoriously bad for use with Pro Tools. Utter junk from a performance view point, useful maybe only as backup drives.

Forget USB2 drives, utter waste of time and utter failure of you to read the Pro Tools product/drive requirements for a Mac. You should be looking at a Firewire 800 drive with Oxford chipset and at least a 7200 rpm drive. Now there are also Thunderbolt drive options but they cost more and the low-end ones also use slow drives. If you really want a high performance disk there may be thunderbolt SSD options, but they will be expensive. You also might have the option of opening up the iMac and adding an internal SSD. However the easiest path will be to buy a know/trusted audio spec Firewire 800 external drive from companies like OWC, G-Tech or Glyph. Look for specific words that they are "qualified for Pro Tools" or "meet Pro Tools" specs etc.

Your iMac will have thunderbolt based on your description, you should plan on purchasing an Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire 800 adapter, that will allow the drive and the Mbox Pro interface to be on separate Firewire buses.

Darryl