Pro tools “audio processing deadline was not met” while using kontakt 8 drums

[n_vegas]

Hi all, please forgive my lack of understanding with all this while I try and learn!

I am currently using the most updated version of pro tools studio and contact 8 on a Mac Studio M2 Max 64 RAM OS Sonoma. My interface is an Apollo twin X.

I created a little Rhodes piano loop and wanted to drum along to it on my native instruments S88 mkiii keyboard. I keep receiving the error message “audio processing deadline was not met” along with clicks and pops with an eventual crash. It could possibly be my routing, but I have each output of the drum kit assigned to a stereo instrument track (best practices according to the kontakt manual). The first instrument track has the instance of kontakt 8 and the next stereo instrument tracks 1-10 are assigned to the different outputs of the mixer within studio drummer. I could be naive but I was under the impression that my Mac Studio would be powerful enough to run at 64 buffer when playing along but it instantly crashes. I pulled up system usage within pro tools to confirm that it did indeed hit 100% right away. I pulled up my activity monitor on my Mac and it showed only about 9% usage with the other 91% idle.

It also crashes at 128 when I pick up the tempo anywhere faster than an eighth note. I can drum along with a slow basic patter using 70% usage but as soon as anything more complex in real time it shoots up to 100% and crashes.

Am I doing something wrong? Have I over estimated the capabilities of the tools I am using or am I just using something wrong?

Thanks!