Pro Tools 2021 unstable on new Mac Pro

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Theo_Karon
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Pro Tools 2021 unstable on new Mac Pro

Post by Theo_Karon » Thu May 27, 2021 4:22 am

Hey all,
After years of getting by on a maxed-out 2008 mac pro, I finally bit the bullet and got a new studio computer this year. Catching up on a decade's worth of plugins has been exciting! And it's nuts to have basically unlimited plugins available without the system breaking a sweat. Imports and exports are lightning fast. Being able to freeze and commit tracks is revelatory. Making archive-ready multitrack masters including plugins is now a matter of clicking a button instead of the huge headache that it used to be fore more complicated sessions.

But...! I've noticed some strange things. Sessions have been slow to open from the beginning - not slow enough to be truly disruptive, but, like, noticeably slower than on the old computer. Some of these are sessions that I just migrated over, so I have some frame of reference - I would estimate that this takes twice as long on average as it did on the 2008 mac. Weird, right?

Weirder still, Pro Tools seems to hang while loading sessions waaaay more often. Once nice thing about the 2008 mac running PT10 was that it was solid as a rock. It would crash out of a session for no reason about once a month ish, otherwise no issues. While the new computer hasn't yet crashed out like that, more complicated / plugin - heavy sessions will often fail to load. Sometimes restarting PT will solve this, but more often the computer needs to be restarted. It seems that this may have something to do with UAD plugins (sessions with UA plugs definitely take longer to load) but I haven't been able to draw any solid conclusions there.

Wondering if anyone else has had similar issues, and if so, were you able to fix them?

Also worth noting that the new computer is a clean install of up-to-date mac OS with nothing on it other than work stuff.

Cheers

Theo
Everything is going to be OK.

https://www.theokaron.com/

kslight
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Re: Pro Tools 2021 unstable on new Mac Pro

Post by kslight » Thu May 27, 2021 7:16 am

I don’t have UAD plugins, I quit paying for Pro Tools about mid 2019 i think…and my (2012) Mac Pro is on Mojave, fwiw. I find some plugins are more likely to cause problems than others, i have been using pro tools for about 16 years, I would probably give the stability of this setup as a C+ grade at best. I can get things done but plenty of moments where I get errors, or have to restart pro tools, or restart the computer entirely. I have had some sessions over the years that refuse to open when using certain plugins, but not in recent history.

I’m assuming you’re on Big Sur or Catalina? It looks like Big Sur support from Pro Tools is pretty recent…maybe that’s an issue?

I had to upgrade to Catalina on an older computer at work and it was just a trash experience, ultimately just pushed us into buying a new computer (I have an m1 Mac that I just got setup this week).

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digitaldrummer
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Re: Pro Tools 2021 unstable on new Mac Pro

Post by digitaldrummer » Thu May 27, 2021 7:24 am

I'm running PT 2021 and UAD, but on Windows 10. however, I also notice that sometimes if I boot the computer and rush into opening PT too quickly nothing works correctly. so I let the UAD services come up and settle (30-60 seconds after the desktop comes up) and then usually its ok. The other problem I have is that PT will usually not start correctly if the UAD console is set to say 44.1 and the session is at 48Khz. It will open, but won't play or it will throw error messages. when I exit PT it will hang, or the UAD console will lose sync and flash red error messages about the clock losing sync... Also, I have to turn on the UAD unit (an Apollo 16) before I turn on the computer, and then always turn off the computer before turning the interface off.

anyway, not saying you are having the same experience, but it makes me realize how many workarounds I implement every single day just to keep the whole thing "stable'. I do it all so automatically now that it's no longer the PITA that it used to be (unless I forget or get in a hurry). pretty sad if you think about it (so I try not to).
Mike
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www.doubledogrecording.com

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Nick Sevilla
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Re: Pro Tools 2021 unstable on new Mac Pro

Post by Nick Sevilla » Thu May 27, 2021 1:38 pm

Hi Theo,

The issue you are most likely encountering is this:

The New Pro Tools and computer are trying to translate your old sessions.

Here is how to fix this:

1. Use a new audio only hard drive for new PT sessions going forward. Keep the old stuff as "read only". Those older drives may be part of your issues.

2. Open an old session, and "save copy in" and include the audio, plug in settings etc but not the crossfades.The OLD types of crossfades PT does are problematic with newer PT versios, so don't copy those over, Pt will create new ones.

3. Quit Pro Tools, EJECT the older audio drive, so PT cannot see it at all, and open the copied session on the new drive. It should work fine.

4. As to plug ins. I know this is too late to read this, but if you can, try to open a few sessions with NO 3rd party plug ins installed at all. Then, install one brand / set of plug ins at a time, and make SURE they work. Create a new empty test session, and instantiate those 3rd party plug ins, make sure they work. If one does not, TAKE IT OUT of the plug ins folder immediately, and then continue with the rest.

Make note as to which ones do not work, and when you can, go to their website for updates or workarounds.

PS, I still have my old 2008 Pto Tools 10.3.10 TDM, on standby, and a newer 2019 Pro Tools install on my laptop.

However, I moved over to Steinberg Nuendo, I got real tired of how Avid keeps making money, and keep the DAW buggy. And if you want to do anything not strictly Mono or Stereo, you gotta pay them for "options." Eff that. No other DAW does that piecemeal shit these days.

Cheers, and good luck.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

Theo_Karon
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Re: Pro Tools 2021 unstable on new Mac Pro

Post by Theo_Karon » Thu May 27, 2021 2:03 pm

Thanks all!

Good to have some stuff to try. Giving some time for the system to settle in after booting up does seem to help. Running a UAD satellite but not UAD converters, so that sample rate issue hasn't reared its head.

@digitaldrummer totally - and that's the thing, I remember the old computer having a rocky start too, and I think there are a ton of workarounds or practices likely to cause a crash that PT just subconsciously trained me to avoid!!

And yeah, Avid is a horrible company... but I really like pro tools. And it's everywhere. This might change in the coming years, but the way my life is arranged right now, I can't not use it - or at least the headaches that would entail would be all out of proportion to the benefits. And in any case, there are definitely things I like better about other platforms, especially when it comes to MIDI, sampling, creative chopping and screwing - but the PT tracking, editing & mixing workflow is great. More's the pity...
Everything is going to be OK.

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digitaldrummer
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Re: Pro Tools 2021 unstable on new Mac Pro

Post by digitaldrummer » Fri May 28, 2021 6:32 am

you could also try deleting the wavecache.wfm files from each old session - Pro Tools will re-create this when you re-open the session, so it may take a little longer the first time, but then subsequent opening should be quicker.
Mike
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www.doubledogrecording.com

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