Logic Pro X CPU Spikes?

Question

Logic Pro X CPU Spikes?

Hey all,

So I've been working on Logic Pro 9 for about a year and just upgraded to Logic Pro X. When I open a project, it works fine for about 30 - 45 minutes, then all of a sudden one of my CPU cores maxes out and will not come down. I get choppy and delayed audio, and eventually the "System Overload" message. It only seems to spike when I have any sort of software instrument open (including the Drummer tracks). I've already tinkered with my buffer size and process buffer range (tried all kinds of combinations, none of which solves my problem). The only fix is to close Logic and restart my machine. My interface is a Presonus Firestudio Project. It worked like a dream in LP9 and I don't have any problems as far as recording straight audio tracks with no software tracks present, so I don't think that the interface is the issue. Has anybody else experienced this? It's really making the program un-useable. System specs are below the screen shot:

21.5" mid-2010 iMac - 3.2GHz Intel Core i3 - 12 GB DDR3 RAM - OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.5

Logic Pro X, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Oct 17, 2013 9:14 AM

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Answer 1

Organism

Level 2

185 points

Oct 19, 2013 5:50 AM in response to thewalkingdraper

You can freeze tracks. This essentially bounces-down the track in the background. Your software instruments and plug-ins no longer have to use up your CPU power, because the resulting audio file is merely being read from your hard disc.

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12937

This isn't so great when you're arranging, though. Each time a track has to be changed, it needs to be unfrozen. You can re-freeze again after your changes are made.

If you're still in the composition and arrangement phase of your project, try bypassing plug-ins that are particularly processor-intesive. Space Designer can be a hog, for example.

Speaking of which, if you use busses to add reverb and delay effects, instead of using them on each channel strip, then you can be more economical with your CPU. Many of Logic's preset patches will include these types of effects.

So a single instance of the Space Designer can provide reverb to many tracks, for example. And, it'll probably sound better too.

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Answer 2

Oct 19, 2013 12:05 PM in response to Organism

Thanks for the reply. I actually forgot to mention that I actually have been freezing my tracks, but it seems to make no difference, and that it also occurs when there are no plug-ins at all. I did check to see if my Presonus driver was out of date, and as far as I know, it isn't. This seems to be some sort of bug in Logic X itself, because Logic 9 worked perfectly. I could record 20 tracks with plug-ins easily.

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Answer 3

Oct 19, 2013 6:17 PM in response to thewalkingdraper

Are you running the latest v1.7.1 version of the UC software/Drivers for your Presonus?

When this issue begins.. what does OS X's Activity Montior show as occuring? (Not Logic's CPU metering but OS X's own Activity Monitor)

It sounds like you have a 'runaway' application/routine/plugin causing the issue... Much like a feedback loop using more and more CPU cycles until everything grinds to a halt... The last time i came across something like this it was caused by two things.. Out of date Audio Device driver.. and a runaway mdworker routine in OS X... corrected by resetting Spotlight's index...

One last thing.. Does this happen only when you use Kontakt? If so, check you have turned off Kontakt's built in memory Server feature as it is no longer needed with LPX... and causes werid issues if left on. If this is not the case, given you said it only happens when you use SI's.. does it happen if you only use Logics own builtin plugins? If not, maybe its one of your 3rd party SI or FX plugins that is causing the issue......

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Answer 4

Nov 11, 2013 7:09 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

After some investigation, it only happens when I have the actual software instrument selected in the window and try to playback or record anything. As soon as I click on an audio track, the spike goes away. And it is with Logic's plugins. All my drivers are up to date as well.

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