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  4. Synchron causing Logic to overload on new Mac Studio M1 Ultra

  • Synchron causing Logic to overload on new Mac Studio M1 Ultra

    B
    B

    (Re-posting in the correct forum -- sorry for duplicates)

    Hi -- all my Synchron libraries and projects were working perfectly on my 2019 macbook pro, but after installing everything on my new Mac Studio (M1 Ultra, 20 cores, 128 GB RAM), my projects all get a "system overload" error in Logic.  It happens whenever Logic is playing and it comes to a new MIDI region for any Synchron library.  It's happening with various Synchron strings libraries and with Dorado instruments.  If I back up the play head and start playing again, it plays fine.  It's only a problem the very first time Logic encounters a MIDI region it hasn't played yet in the current session.

    I'm guessing there's a problem with preloading samples, and that when Logic arrives at a new MIDI region that it hasn't played yet, it can't load the samples for the region fast enough to avoid a CPU overload.  I haven't changed any of Synchron's settings from their defaults.  But all my projects play fine on my old 2019 macbook pro (Intel CPU with 6 cores, 32 GB RAM), so it's inconceivable that M1 Ultra with 20 cores and 128 GB of RAM aren't enough.  

    I'm running Logic natively (no Rosetta).  Should I try Rosetta?  Also, all versions of all software and OS (Monterey) are the latest (all installed today).  I tried an older version of Logic (10.7.1) but to no avail.

    Any suggestions are very much appreciated!

    Thanks!
  • R
    R
    https://forum.vsl.co.at/topic/58271/Synchron Pianos And MacBook 2021?Find=Lastpost/312506
  • B
    B

    Thanks for the pointer.  I can confirm that it is only my Synchron libraries that are causing the problem.  All my Kontakt libraries work flawlessly.
  • B
    B

    I can further confirm that all my East West, Spitfire, and Native Instruments libraries work flawlessly.  It's only Synchron libraries that cause the system overload, and only the first time the playhead encounters a MIDI region on those tracks.  Once I've played through all regions, it works fine.  But the next time I open the project it has the same problem.
  • J
    J

    I've had embarrassing crashes lately during live performances and I think Vienna Synchron is the issue, which I am using inside MainStage. Very frustrating.

    Look at this stratospheric CPU spike. Just wild.
    https://imgur.com/a/4clwQCP

    Image
  • J
    J
    last edited
    last edited

    And here's the CPU spikes in action. Again, yikes.


  • B
    B

    I updated to the newest version of iLok and Synchron yesterday, but the problem persists.

    One workaround I found is to position the playhead in the middle of the first MIDI region, press play, and then click in the middle of the next MIDI region during playback so that playing skips to that region, then click in the next one, etc., going through all MIDI regions for Synchron instruments, but not allowing the playhead to start at the beginning of any MIDI region.  After that I can play the project from the beginning without any system overloads.  I'm guessing this forces Synchron to load the samples for each track?  Or is it forcing Logic to spawn Rosetta processes for each Synchron instance?

    I haven't tried running Logic in Rosetta mode yet.  I'm wondering if the overload is because Logic in native mode doesn't spawn subprocesses for each Rosetta instance until it reaches the first MIDI region on a Synchron track, and that that takes too long for smooth playback, causing the overload?  Maybe if Logic was running in Rosetta it wouldn't have to spawn subprocesses for non-native plugins?
  • B
    B

    I just tried running Logic in Rosetta, and it played my entire project with almost no system overloads -- just a few annoying sound glitches at the beginning of the first MIDI region on each track.  So I'm guessing the problem I'm having is due to Logic having to spawn Rosetta subprocesses for each Synchron track when Logic is running in native M1 mode, and that spawning Rosetta processes is too slow to do in real time during playback.

    I'm guessing a native M1 version of Synchron would fix this.  I'm at version 1.2.74, which I believe is the newest -- and it's still Intel only.
  • B
    B

    I spoke too soon.  It still overloads.

    Could it be that I have some setting wrong in the Synchron player?  I haven't changed anything since installing it.
  • M
    M
    I was suffering since months from this issue. Up to a point that I switched back to BBCSO and looked into other orchestral libraries. Only VSL Synchron had the 100% core load peaks and especially in Rosetta overload issues but I might have solved it. I noticed no relationship with the number of threads in the VSL settings. I tested 4-10. However the number of threads and other audio settings in Logic seem to be a key issue. On a Logic experts recommendation I used to the maximum for my M1Max 10 threads since some time. That gave reproducible overload points in Rosetta and other playback issues ( partial instrument articulation load) in native mode. So I switched back to processing threads on Automatic, I/O buffer size 256 samples and process buffer range Large in Logic audio preferences. With those settings I stil get 100% peaks of in general one core per instrument when it kicks in which VSL should really work on as this only happens with their Synchron instruments but playback continues without clicks nor overload. Even if as many as 5 new instruments to let us say 10 already playing kick in. I have also experimented with all sort of Synchron settings with between 4 and 10 threads and preload sizes but that had no effect on the overload issues. I now use the recommended preload for my SSD i.e. 3072 samples, 6 streaming and processing threads and force enable all slots. By the way I have an MBP with 10 cores M1 Max and 64 GB memory and 4T SSD. I hope this helps.
  • N
    N

    Same here, so i’m looking actually to buy Sine complete library instead of buying new vsl product. I honestly prefer vsl sound, workflow etc… but I can’t afford to loose time when i’m working on a feature, or commercial…

    so sad that The vsl staff doesn’t  give us a clear release date… it’s pushing me to look at other companies…
  • M
    M

    [Post removed by author due to configuration issue that caused the reported problems (= resolved) Apparently, settings that work on Mac Intel may not work / do not translate to Apple Silicon in the same way.]