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CPU-spikes in logic pro 9 driving me insane.

I know other people have had similar problems, but whats the latest on CPU-spikes in logic pro 9?

I'm running OS 10.6.8 and latest logic: 9.1.6 (32 bit)

I get system overload messages, seemingly at random. I've run repair disc permissions, increased buffers etc. Tried with and without CPU-hungry plugins.

Often I get error messages without the CPU-display even spiking, just running at like 30%, and boom.

I'm running a relatively small amount of tracks, with a modest amount of plugins. And previously I could run infinately more of everything with the CPU-meter barely budging.

I've also noticed that sometimes only one of the cores (I have a macbook pro 2 duo core, 2.53GH) seem to be pulling all the weight. Other times they are in perfect balance - and it doesn't seem to be happening consistently at the same song positions.

This is beginning to remind of windows (something wrong, solution impossible to find)User uploaded file

macbook pro

Posted on Mar 25, 2012 11:47 AM

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5 replies

Jan 21, 2017 10:25 AM in response to axs

I have discovered another massive contributor to this problem that even Apple hasn't mentioned, probably because they don't actually test in "real-world" conditions, using external music gear: inserting Apple's I/O plugin and assigning it to an output/input will often cause a single thread to spike dramatically.


Routing signal to an external device imposes intense Automatic Delay Compensation (ADC) processing on the ENTIRE mix.


WORKAROUND: Bounce/print all tracks that rely on an I/O plugin and import them as audio tracks. After doing so, REMOVE the I/O plugin, because even if it's disabled, ADC processing occurs. This is a problem Apple should correct.

Mar 26, 2012 2:05 AM in response to axs

TIPS FROM ANOTHER THREAD:


1. Having an SI track selected during playback. Puts the SI in "Live mode" which is much more CPU intensive. Have an audio or aux track selected instead.

2. Any flexing or other realtime pitch alteration to audio is CPU-intensive. Use Freeze, or Bounce-in-place when done

3. Some synths use a LOT of CPU, very much depending on the patch. Reverbs (Space designer) are CPU hungry, as are multiband compressors. Don't forget many 3rd party synths/samplers have their own effect section, using the synths built-in effects can make a synth patch much heavier on the CPU too.

Also, a system disk that is too full (less than ± 25 % of its' capacity free) can tax the CPU, as the "dumping to disk & retrieving from disk" of RAM content becomes harder for the system.

4. Also, if you use the system disk as audio file/recording disk, you're doubly taxing it (RAM writes and reads to that same disk - that is why a separate disk for recording is recommended, to avoid "traffic" on the system disk). You should Freeze Instrument tracks that need lots of CPU, that makes a difference too.

5. And don't forget the buffer settings: set it to 512 or 1024 when playing back, and set the process buffer range to Large.

6. Also, when audio recoring is done, set all audiotracks to No Input.


Freezing:

http://documentation.apple.com/en/logicpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=9%26sec tion=16%26tasks=true

May 25, 2012 6:06 PM in response to axs

I was having CPU spikes followed by the "disk is too slow"error even on very small projects, and I tried many suggested solutions.


In the end I ran the Apple Hardware test (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509) and it came up with a SATA error. All my drives checked out fine in Disk Utility, and running the project from one of the other drives didn't change the problem. Booting from a different drive didn't work either.


Despite all that, removing the drive with hardware test SATA error fixed the problem. I replaced that drive and have not seen a CPU spike/disk too slow error since.


So run AHT if you are having this problem.

CPU-spikes in logic pro 9 driving me insane.

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