fgagerrits
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Logic Pro X - System Overload

Hello,

 

I get the "System Overload. The audio engine was not able to process all required data in time." message quite a lot. I have a late 2012 iMac 27" with a 2,9 Ghz i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM. Will adding extra RAM solve my problem or will the "slow" CPU keep causing issues?


Thanks!


gr Frank

iMac (27-inch, Late 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Sep 26, 2015 2:07 AM

by Pancenter,Solvedanswer
Pancenter Pancenter
Level 6 (10,029 points)
Audio
A:

Most of those effects bundles are high CPU use, as are virtual instruments. RAM will help somewhat but generally speaking, I would say you're running out of CPU. Several of us here have stuck with Logic 9 on Snow Leopard as that system is far more efficient.

 

Even though it's for an older version of Logic, this article may help,

 

Logic Pro/Express: Tips for balancing multi-core performance - Apple Support

 

What I posted about selecting an empty external MIDI or audio track not in record mode holds true. The other possibility is to try freezing some tracks.

 

Are you using an external drive? OSX constantly updates the system drive, if you're using a single drive system that alone will contribute to system overloads. Do you have Logic's CPU/Hard Drive meters in view when the overloads happen, that can help pinpoint the cause. 

Posted on Sep 26, 2015 10:53 AM

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fgagerrits

Q: Logic Pro X - System Overload

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  • by Pancenter,

    Pancenter Pancenter Sep 26, 2015 2:28 AM in response to fgagerrits
    Level 6 (10,029 points)
    Audio
    Sep 26, 2015 2:28 AM in response to fgagerrits

    Really hard to say because no one knows how you use Logic.

    Logic can bring any mac to it's knees, as some plugins and virtual instruments use a lot of CPU. Do you know how to use effects efficiently? Using a reverb on a bus so that several instruments can use it rather than using reverbs as inserts...etc. Logic combined with recent operating systems aren't as efficient as they once were.


    Why don't you tell what you use most of. All effects and virtual instruments use CPU plus individual channel strips can only use a single core, so if one track has a lot of effects on a virtual instrument it's possible the overload is happening there.


    When you use playback, create an empty external MIDI or audio track, select this track before playback, make sure recording on that track Is Not engaged.

  • by fgagerrits,

    fgagerrits fgagerrits Sep 26, 2015 3:03 AM in response to Pancenter
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 26, 2015 3:03 AM in response to Pancenter

    Thanks for your reply Pancenter! And indeed, I should have been a little more specific.

     

    My prefered way of working is to bus all my tracks to what I call the dry mix bus. From there I send a prefader signal to a parallel compression bus. The individual instrument tracks will have sends to a separate delay, reverb and other fx buses. The only processing I do on the individual instrument tracks is EQ and some compression. Of course that's besides the processing that instrument requires to begin with, so for example on my guitars there's either BIAS or Amplitube or GTR. The dry mix and all buses are then send to a mix bus (which is actually a track stack) for that group of instruments.

     

    That's my basic setup. And you're right, the issue usually comes up when virtual instruments like synths come into play. As long as I am on EZ drummer and my guitar and bass tracks (which are real audio), the system is quite OK. But as soon as the project becomes bigger and more processing is being added (besides the virtual instruments) it tends to overload.

     

    I hope this gives you enough information to answer my question whether adding more RAM will solve my problem. Is it true to say virtual instruments eat CPU power and the processing (so adding compressors, eq's, tape machines etc) eats RAM? Because if that is true, I will definitely be helped with RAM. For processing I mostly use the Waves Gold bundle, Slate Digital's Mix Pack, Fabfilter bundle, Klanghelm bundle and Nomad bundle. If those bundles use more CPU than RAM, then I am probably something that starts with f... Right?

  • by Pancenter,Solvedanswer

    Pancenter Pancenter Sep 26, 2015 10:53 AM in response to fgagerrits
    Level 6 (10,029 points)
    Audio
    Sep 26, 2015 10:53 AM in response to fgagerrits

    Most of those effects bundles are high CPU use, as are virtual instruments. RAM will help somewhat but generally speaking, I would say you're running out of CPU. Several of us here have stuck with Logic 9 on Snow Leopard as that system is far more efficient.

     

    Even though it's for an older version of Logic, this article may help,

     

    Logic Pro/Express: Tips for balancing multi-core performance - Apple Support

     

    What I posted about selecting an empty external MIDI or audio track not in record mode holds true. The other possibility is to try freezing some tracks.

     

    Are you using an external drive? OSX constantly updates the system drive, if you're using a single drive system that alone will contribute to system overloads. Do you have Logic's CPU/Hard Drive meters in view when the overloads happen, that can help pinpoint the cause. 

  • by Authentic Identity,

    Authentic Identity Authentic Identity Sep 27, 2015 2:20 AM in response to fgagerrits
    Level 1 (65 points)
    Sep 27, 2015 2:20 AM in response to fgagerrits

    What is your audio buffer set to?

     

    In general, during tracking you want the buffer to be as low as possible to reduce latency. During mixing, you can raise the buffer to the max, which should help reduce that message.

     

    Your system should be able to handle a decent amount of plugins.

     

    Worst case, along with a high buffer, you may have to start Freezing tracks once you get them to a semi final state. ,

     

    One final thought: Are you running the Logic Project on the System Drive? That could be the primary culprit.

     

    If you have an external drive, try moving your project over to that drive, and run it off of there. It's always good to have the Logic project on a separate disk from the OS if you can swing it. It will drastically improve performance.

  • by fgagerrits,

    fgagerrits fgagerrits Sep 27, 2015 4:20 AM in response to Pancenter
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 27, 2015 4:20 AM in response to Pancenter

    Thanks Pancenter, that was what I wanted to know. I think I'll put in some extra RAM anyway, it won't hurt and doesn't cost that much.

     

    I do have my projects on a separate drive. I also moved all the Apple loops, EXS samples, Ultrabeat samples and impulse responses to that drive. It's a USB 2.0 drive by the way. Will it help to upgrade that to a Thunderbolt drive?

     

    The track selection thing is one I will keep in mind. I didn't know that, so thanks for that one! And I'll also try freezing the EZ-drummer tracks. Although I must say that in my rock projects, so where I play bass and guitar and only have the drummer as virtual instrument (and may be some synths, but not a lot), the problem doesn't occur that much. For obvious reasons the problem comes up when making trance, so with many different synth tracks. Specially pads seem to be very CPU hungry. The system can handle quite a lot, but as soon as the pads come in, it's over.

     

    Thanks again!