Logic 9 Unresponsive With 2 Dual Monitor Setup

In Logic 9.1.8 on my Mac Pro with dual monitors, Logic will freeze up and become non-responsive after I do anything in the secondary monitor. This has been happening since the first release of Logic 9. At first I thought it was because of a large project or a plug-in open or when Rewired in to Reason. Recently I found out that I can consistently reproduce this with a project with one track in the Arrange window.

 

Example.

 

SETUP

1) Monitor 1 has the main Logic window with the transport. Monitor 2 has a Mixer window.

2) The song can have as many as 24, 36, 48 (whatever) audio, MIDI or Software instrument tracks, or as few as 1 audio track.

 

SCENARIO 1

3) Start the song.

4) Adjust the fader on any track in the Mixer on screen 2.

5) Press the space bar to stop the song. The song doesn't stop.

6) Press the space bar again. The song doesn't stop.

7) Wait several seconds. the song will stop and start again.

8) Click on stop in the transport in the primary monitor. The song will stop.

 

SCENARIO 2

3) Start the song

4) Adjust the fader on any track in the Mixer on screen 2.

5) Click on Mixer in the main Logic window In the primary monitor. The mixer is not displayed.

6) Click on Scorein the main Logic window In the primary monitor. The score is not displayed.

7) Click on stop in the transport in the primary monitor. The song will not stop.

8) Wait several seconds. the Mixer will display, the Score will display and the song will stop.

 

The second monitor could have anything there. I typically have Reason, a Mixer and Plug-ins in the secondary monitor. I could even have a Finder over there, and as long as I touch it with the cursor and go back to the primary monitor Logic will become unresponsive.

 

Has anyone seen this behavior and know how to fix? I have been searching the boards forever and haven't seen anyone report anything similar. I have been using Logic since 5 and 9 is the only version I've seen this happen.

 

Configuration:

Early 2009 Mac Pro 2x 2.26 Quad Xeon

24 GB RAM

Logic 9.1.8

Songs on dedicated drive for projects and audio.

OSX 10.8.5 (also happened in 10.7.x)

MOTU 896HD

 

(added OS & Audio interface)

Edited July 22, 2014 by sasebastian

That is strange behavior, could be a hardware issue.

 

What version OSX?

 

Have you tested with other apps on your machine?

 

I've used logic and other timeline apps, on various dual monitor setups with no issues.

 

Yeah, it is weird. I work in FCP and Motion across the 2 monitors with no problem. Also Photoshop and Illustrator… all good. Just Logic that's a pain.

 

updated original post with this...

OSX 10.8.5 (also happened in 10.7.x)

MOTU 896HD

Thanks for updating your post with your specs.

 

Click this link to your signature and add that system info there instead so that we are able to view it, first thing.

 

10.9 introduced several improvements in the multiple monitor department. I'm not sure but it may improve what you are experiencing.

There is a bug in 9.1.8 in conjunction with many revisions of OS X that will make it behave somewhat unresponsive when using graphics intensive plug-ins, like meters.

Do you have any graphics intensive activity on one of the monitors?

@Eric, on the second screen I typically have a mixer plus Reason or a couple plug-in windows. For plug-in instruments s I use a lot of Logic ones plus Kontakt, Reaktor, Massive, Absynth, BFD, Ethno, For FX on the inserts I use a lot of the Logic ones plus Amplitube and other IK stuff, Drumagog, DUY… Like I said above, I could have only Logic open on screen 1 with Safari on screen 2 and have this problem.

Like I said: "There is a bug in 9.1.8 in conjunction with many revisions of OS X that will make it behave somewhat unresponsive when using graphics intensive plug-ins, like meters."

 

Does this sound familiar:

Unresponsive Logic 9.1.x+10.7.x & 10.8.x [sOLVED in 10.8.3?]

 

This was introduced in 10.7. 10.6.8 worked fine and if I remember correctly 10.8.4 did too but it broke again in 10.8.5.

Hi, Incidentally...and forgive me if I've missed it being mentioned in this thread previously, Does the unresponsiveness also happen when you open any plug in that displays a moving graphic display...of any kind (ie: obviously large GDisplays such as channel EQ etc...but also for instance, the VUs in kontakt etc )

 

THank you in advance for letting me know.

BEst

M

This was a huge problem for lots of people when Lion was released. Apple's OS X team made some graphical changes that the old Logic code didn't deal well with. The frame rates would drop and it would also go unresponsive.

 

Nowadays, I can't think of a single reason not to upgrade to Logic X. 32-bit plugins are even covered with a 3rd party program called 32 lives.

 

I'm pretty sure upgrading would solve all of your problems, with an emergency way-back of course, time machine, image whatever. The new Logic is fully "compliant" with all the new OS X graphical changes. While the fix they implemented for 9 will always be a workaround hack.

 

lol