System overload message in Logic X Pro, but only 60% CPU usage?

Question

Level 1

8 points

System overload message in Logic X Pro, but only 60% CPU usage?

I keep getting the 'System Overload' message during both playback and recording in Logic X Pro, despite my activity monitor reporting only 60% CPU usage.

I'm running OS X El Capitan on my Macbook Pro (mid-2009), 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M Graphics 256 MB Storage. So it's not the newest Macbook in the galaxy, but with plenty of CPU capacity left I'm not sure why I'm getting the overload message. I've already implemented most of the efficiency suggestions from the Logic X Pro guide.

Has anyone else experienced the same problem? How did you solve it?

Are there other ways of identifying the root issue?

Is this a lost cause and time to upgrade?

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 8GB RAM,

Posted on May 14, 2016 1:44 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Pancenter

Level 6

14,782 points

May 14, 2016 3:49 PM in response to Nick's Apple

An older operating system would be much more efficient.

You can try increasing Logic's Preferences/Audio System I/O Buffer.

You have plenty of free disk space? 30-40GB?

When you say, "my Activity Monitor", do you meant the one in Logic that monitors CPU and hard disk usage?

Reply

Answer 2

Nick's Apple Author

Level 1

8 points

May 15, 2016 12:37 AM in response to Pancenter

Thanks Pencenter.

I have 88GB of free disk space, and store all my projects on an external drive. I've monitored CPU and disk usage using both the logic monitor window and the Activity Monitor app in Utilities.

Reply

Answer 3

Jul 28, 2016 12:16 PM in response to Nick's Apple

I'm wondering about the same thing, though my MacBook Pro 13" retina is mid 2013 with 500GB flash drive. Last night I did the newest El Capitan update then opened a typical template I have saved for playing involving one audio input set up for guitar and two synth voices. I run the synths using Midiguitar II which has been absolutely fabulous. Love it. Now suddenly I'm getting a constant crackling, typical cpu overload sort of sound, on top of everything I play. Now I was just playing a similar template at a rehearsal two days previous and no problem. Is it the El Cap update? Who knows. But it caused me to open up the Activity Monitor as well I wanted to compare it to what I was seeing on the cpu meter within Logic.

Activity monitor shows Logic idling around 15% and jumping up to 56%+ when I hit a chord. MidiGuitar idles at 19% and only jumps up to 23% with signal passing through. This does roughly correlate with the CPU meter in Logic where the grey bar ( cpu 1 as I understand it) sits around 25% and the Yellow line ( cpu 2 ) just barely above zero. The Activity Monitor is showing other back ground activity like the wifi, etc. But even with wifi off and all EQ eliminated, no extra effects other than some reverb, the total load seems to be no more than 80%. Is that enough to cause this sort of noise?

The CPU meter shows the grey bar at 100% and the yellow line at about 30% in side Logic. Why does Logic eat up so much cpu when actively processing audio input? Help me understand this.

Reply