Logic with Big Sur now painfully slow - what else can I try to fix? (PLEASE HELP)

[D.D. Jackson]

I had some downtime so bit the bullet and recently upgraded my system from Catalina to the latest Big Sur. I had also been holding back on upgrading Logic (from the Oct/19 version) but went ahead and finally installed 10.6.1. I also made sure to update all apps and check for Big Sur compatibility, etc. At first there were some slowdown issues, but I seemed to get around this by re-importing all session info into a fresh Logic Project. I just tried this trick with another session started before I made the upgrade, however, and I'm STILL finding Logic/Big Sur to be almost unusably slow and wanted to ask if there's anything else I can try that I haven't tried. Unfortunately, after I THOUGHT things were working I deleted my bootable backup that still had Catalina on it (so that option isn't easily available). Here's what I've already tried:

- running Onyx (including repairing permissions, etc.) and other fine-tuning

- updating all plug-ins

- audio buffer set to max (1024)

- loading Logic with lo-res graphics to save on CPU

- re-importing previous Logic session back into a fresh Logic Project

- re-setting Audio/Midi - Audio Devices (from 48khz to 44.1 then back to reset system while in Logic)

- making sure Process Buffer Range was set to "Large"

- turning Multithreading to "Playback Tracks" only

When I get overloads, I see that all or most of my 16 multithreads are at/above 100% so it's seemingly balancing the load - it just can't seem to keep up for some reason, compared to before.

 

I'm running a 2019 16" MacBook Pro with 64 gigs of RAM; my samples are on a SSD external drive with plenty of room; my Logic Project is on another SSD drive also with plenty of room; and Logic is installed on the internal MacHD also with plenty of room.

 

I'm using Ivory 2.5 piano, Trilian bass, Superior 3 drummer; Lexicon PCM Native Reverb bundle; Waves plugins (CL2A, L3, etc.) with the most recent V.12 updates; and a bunch of audio files.

 

What else can I try? (resetting some sort of permissions/files, etc.???)

 

Please help with thanks for any further thoughts.

- rj

[Atlas007]

Make sure that Logic is the only currently running app.

[fisherking]

make sure the mic is enabled in security in system preferences. try resetting the nvram, and the smc.

 

no disrespect, but the fixes you've tried are unlikely to change anything. you're on a 2019 mac, you should not have to run 'lo-res graphics'.... etc. it's something else. try what i suggested, let us know if anything changes. good luck!

[D.D. Jackson]

It's starting to work again. Not sure what I've exactly changed since nothing in the above I suggested I tried yielded any difference initially. At one point I opened another "clean" project to do something else, then later went back to the original problem session and muted the Lexicon PCM Reverb bundle plug-ins (in case they were somehow the culprit), and things seemed to work acceptably (albeit while still opening Logic in Low-Res mode - haven't gone back yet). Then, I tried unmuting the Lexicon and it STILLED worked (so fingers crossed)...

- rj

[D.D. Jackson]

I realize I never reported back about this: It turned out my system was slow due to a tremendous amount of dust in my 2019 Macbook Pro (despite the fact I only had owned it for just over a year). Once it was cleaned out by Apple all was well again :-)...

D.D.

[David Nahmani]

12 minutes ago, D.D. Jackson said:

my system was slow due to a tremendous amount of dust in my 2019 Macbook Pro

Happy to hear it was such a simple issue to fix. Thank you for letting us know! I remember back when I had a Mac Pro I used to regularly use my vacuum cleaner to clean out the vents next to the fans. 

[D.D. Jackson]

Bizarre that this happened after only 14 months but at least I know it for next time…

- D.D. 

[simon.a.billington]

Damn, that's something worth keeping in mind. It seems it pays to perioadcallym clean the dust out of our electronics.  Makes sense really.