System Overload Nightmare

[Asimova]

Hi

I have been using LogicX  for two years ( and it always runs great)  but sometimes have a major problem, namely System Overloads just when a projected is really shaping up.  Logic will continue to work after the first Sys warning, but extremely sluggishly, with static level meters, slow responsive sliders/buttons etc; a total nightmare and it's kills any energy  I had for what are time consuming and complicated tracks (I'm not a professional).

 

The latest project to be affected is really not too large for what I imagine many of you are used to...: 16 midi channels running instruments that shipped with Logic, no audio channels at all, and only two Aux effect channels.

The instrument channel-strips have between 3-6 fx/ signal processors each, no more; same for the Aux channels. All the tracks don't even have activity at the same time. But in order to finish, I need to add a few more fx and tracks, not less.

My machine: 4-Core 2009 MacPro,  2.1Ghz,  12 Gb ram,  OsX 10.11- so it well exceeds minimum requirements. I'm lost for what to do, as I cannot finish any project this way.

 

So my question is: is there any way I can maximise my current setup's performance, or set some preference options in Logic or the project's settings to stop me from jumping off a bridge ? Please help

 

Anyone able to suggest anything ?

thanks in advance

[triplets]

My machine: 4-Core 2009 MacPro,  2.1Ghz,  12 Gb ram,  OsX 10.11- so it well exceeds minimum requirements

Maybe for audio, but not 16 software instruments with 3 or 6 plugins on each. I think your Mac Pro is underpowered for what you're trying to accomplish.

[DonRayment]

So does this need more RAM, outboard processing, faster processor?.... Where is it failing? What about having instruments on a different drive?

[triplets]

No, your CPU and system cannot keep up. More Ram won't help.

You cannot put instruments on another drive.

The computer's engine is old and weak.

[MikeRobinson]

... but there is "something you can do about it," and that "something" is: Bounce-In-Place (BIP).

 

The contents of a particular track are computed – "not in real time" – and replaced with an audio-track equivalent.  (It's placed just above the original track, which is muted.)  It takes very little system resources to play back an audio track.  When calculating the track's contents, Logic doesn't have to worry about other tracks, and it is now free to take "more than one second" to calculate "one second's worth of music."  (The "in real time" requirement is the actual cause of "system overload."  BIP can take all the time it wants.)

 

Once you've got a particular track "down pat," BIP it.  Do this for all the tracks as you become satisfied (for the moment) with how they sound.  It only takes a few seconds, and system resource usage will decline dramatically.  You can "re-BIP it" as often as you like.

 

It is very obvious that Logic's designers anticipated that this feature would be used a lot, and they made it very easy to do.

 

- - -

 

Another thing to watch out for is just how the signal routing is set up on the Mixer panel.  If you're using "library patches," then you should know that Logic is designed to make those patches easy to add, change, and remove without messing-up other patches.  A library patch is designed to sound good by itself.  This can lead to a lot of redundancy between them, which translates to more CPU and memory load.  For instance, an instrument might consist of two or three strips, with "sends" from one to another, and goodies like "rooms" on each one.  Look around, and you suddenly notice that you've got half-a-dozen copies of the same "room." (Instead of "six string-players sitting together in one room," it's like you've got "six isolated string-players each sitting in their own copy of the same room.")  Also, play with the knobs and switches.  You might discover that turning-off a particular effect makes no discernible difference to the sound.

 

With a little bit of creative "re-wiring," you can clean up the signal flows so that they make a lot more sense, and consume [much] less resources.  Of course, when you begin to do this, you effectively remove the ability to "add and remove library patches at will," so you should only consider doing this when you're beginning to zero-in on the final sound that you want.  However, I also think that it helps the sounds begin to sit-together better, and makes the whole thing easier to adjust.  Because, now you understand – and, are planning – just how and where the sounds are actually going to go, and what is being done to them at each stage.

Edited May 19, 2017 by MikeRobinson

[Asimova]

Thanks both of you

That's unfortunate about my redundant machine

I knew about BiP etc, just have never been willing to commit myself to a particular finish on a track. Looks like I'll have to change my work practices till I can afford a new mac.

 

Tnx again

[billbates]

Asimova I feel your pain (I am only an enthusiastic amateur too). But think how people made recordings in the 1950's & 60's  - 4 tracks  - NO computers - No plugins - and they managed to make decent recordings. Just because we have huge amounts of tracks etc it doesnt mean we have to use them all in one go. I thought MikeRobinson's answer was perfect.

[skijumptoes]

What's crucial here is what kind of Sample Rate you're running, 96khz for example takes double the processing power of 48khz.  You'll be amazed at the difference if you're currently set at 96khz.

 

Combined with that, what is your Audio Buffer set at?, smaller the buffer, the less amount of breathing room your CPU has to perform it's duties, which means it's always working harder than it may need to, and far more likely to crumble during intensive sections in the project.

 

I usually run at 44/48khz sample rate, and never push the buffer low unless it's critical.  I will never ever output to anything higher than CD Quality audio anyway, so 96khz for my application is just overkill.

 

One other thing to check, is that all 4 cores of your CPU are being utilized, check in the CPU monitor graph built in to Logic.

[paulcristo]

You also might consider creating a new user on your Mac and only use Logic with that user.  A lot of the background processes inherent to running one's personal computer can bog down Logic, and you can eliminate a lot of it by creating a new user.  

 

Also, when was the last time your installed a fresh copy of Mac OS, not just upgraded?

[Asimova]

Hi Cristo

That sounds like good advice, so I made a new account just for logic and it actually.made a difference ! BUT, now inexplicably lots of things have changed changed in the software, such as I dont get the option to BIP when I rightclick on a region, nor can I do it through the file menu.. I've looked very, very carefully. In Arrangement window, the Mute buttons suddenly have a speaker symbol on them. At the top I no longer get the "new track with duplicate settings" button, only normal duplicate. In all windows I no longer get the button to define what my rightclick tool will be, only one for the leftclick. and that's just what I have discovered so far...

I'm not online so there has been no software update when I made this new account. Both accounts run 10.0.7 and I know for sure I hadn't customised Logics' prefs in the former account. The lost BIP function is especially upsetting. ( the Help menu just states how it should be, ie: how it works in the former account.)

AM I missing something really simple ? (I can see I'm just gone get on everyones' nerves here, so sorry in adv)

[triplets]

Did you enable the Advanced Tools in Logic's preferences?

[Asimova]

Advanced Tools as in when I want to enable the edit function on the ESX24 sampler ?

[triplets]

If Advanced Tools is not enabled in Logic's preferences, certain features will be missing.

[paulcristo]

[see attachement]

[Asimova]

Ah yes, that's totally sorted it !

tnx guys!

[Asimova]

Just out of interest Triplets, what is the minimum specification Mac I would need to be able to run that many midi tracks with that many plugins per track ?

[triplets]

Since you already have a 2009 Mac Pro, you should look for a used 2009 or 2010 8-core. You can probably find them for 700 bucks or so on craigslist. Or even a 6-core from 2010. Makes a big difference to your 4-core.

Otherwise you have to shell out more for a new iMac. 1400 bucks or more.

 

What's your budget?

[diadempro]

For this situation, I would recommend “freeze tracks” rather than bounce-in-place. That way you don’t have to finalize any of your edit or effects, just tracks you think are in pretty good shape for now and you know you don’t need to touch for a while you can freeze, and then Unfreeze later when you want to work on it.

 

Note: this is on a per project basis....to enable freezing, select one track and “configure track header”, check freeze as one of the items to show in the track header. It will add a new “snowflake” icon. Then each track you want to freeze, click the snowflake icon. The first time you go to playback the timeline, it will pre-process and render temporary bounces of each of the frozen tracks, and then from then on it will playback the bounce for that track Until you unfreeze it.