G5 dual with 2GB Crashing

lumisuto · Post by **lumisuto** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:50 am

I am using a G5 dual with 2GB RAM with a PCI-424 with a 2408mkII. While doing some step recording an occasional window appear reporting an overload of the CPU and advices to increase the buffer size. The buffer size is in it maximum and the window still comes up. Sometimes the computer completely freezes with the multicolor spinning circle cursor. Do you have any idea of what could the problem been? I have already formatted my hard drives and I'm still having the issue.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:12 am

Which G5 CPU do you have?

Which OS version are you running? There might be some issues with 10.4.9 many are reporting in other threads.

Which version of DP is installed?

Which version of the audio drivers?

Which version of the MIDI drivers?

What effects or virtual instruments are running when this happens? There are some known incompatibilities floating around with some instruments and plugins. Native Instruments and MOTU just confirmed that certain newer protocols of MIDI communication with some VIs is not supported in DP.

Are you recording live tracks, or just MIDI?

Does it seem that one particular instrument or plugin might be causing this?

Which windows are open when you are recording? Some windows such as QuickScribe can steal CPU cycles for keeping the graphics working properly. Check your DP5 PDFs for hardware settings called Work Quanta, Max Work Percent, and Prime Seconds. These three allow the user in some ways to allocated more or less CPU power either to the audio processing or to the graphics.

How many firewire devices do you have connected and running? Firewire bus clog is still an issue. Even on the MacPros, the bandwidth of the single bus for both 400 and 800 ports is shared. An audio interface plus some streaming instruments can choke the firewire pipeline. Sometimes it results in pops and clicks. Other times it results in audio dropouts. Worst case: crashes. Make more of SATA, eSATA or even a USB2 drive bus can ease the load. Better than running hard drives from USB, a firewire host card would make for big improvements.

Have you considered adding more RAM? That might help a lot! DP is capable of seeing 4GB and just may be looking for more room to grow with what you're project demands of it. The spinning beachball often goes away if you wait a while. If virtual memory can recalculate and rewrite its data, the beachball will sometimes go away after 2-3 minutes. Feels like forever, though.

How often do you repair permissions or run a third-party disc utility? Sometimes files get corrupted.

Just some things to consider.

Phil Jeffers · Post by **Phil Jeffers** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:15 am

What he said!

monkey man · Post by **monkey man** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:00 am

Phil Jeffers wrote:What he said!

Hobbits, Phil.

Easy to have a conversation with one; just nod your head.

waxman · Post by **waxman** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:42 am

wow Frodo you are the hobbit... I love it that is just like the boiler plate questions I get from tech support on every piece of gear I own. Even my cars, insurance policy and mortgage companies...

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:14 am

waxman wrote: wow Frodo you are the hobbit...

Yeah! 'obbits sure ask a lot o' questions, but they're always there to 'elp when ya need 'em (as long as ya keep 'em fed or at least promise to do so.)

'e's a 'elpful fella, this For-o-do, e' is!

What was we talkin' bout?? Pass the pipe like a good troll, will ya? and don't spare the matches!

monkey man · Post by **monkey man** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:32 am

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:...Pass the pipe like a good troll, will ya? and don't spare the matches!

Dang. What pipe?

How come I'm always last in line?

lumisuto · Post by **lumisuto** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 11:23 am

Its a G5 Dual 1ghz 2GB Ram
OSX 10.4.6
The first version of DP5, no updates installed.
Latest audio drivers downloaded from MOTU last week.
No MIDI drivers or devices installed.
No effects or virtual instruments were used when it freezed.
Im just recording live tracks.
No quickscribe window opened.
No firewire devices connected, extra SATA drive for audio backup.
Previously had formatted the hard drives and the same problem ocurred.

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 12:50 pm

First off, I don't think there was ever a Dual 1 gHz, G5 (maybe a G4?) so it must be a 1.8 or 2.0. But I might be mistaken.

What I am NOT mistaken about is that you need to upgrade to the latest version (5.12) of DP. While you're at it, you may also want to update your OS to OS X.4.9. This is a pretty damn stable system (I'm on a Dual 2.0 G5 with 4GB of RAM.)

You have the power and the memory to do this and the updates should be free, so why not?

And Nicky, you don't expect us to advertise when we're gonna get wasted, do you?

monkey man · Post by **monkey man** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 1:02 pm

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:And Nicky, you don't expect us to advertise when we're gonna get wasted, do you?

No. If you don't however, everything's gone by the time I climb through the window.
I know you guys don't mean it, but... aaarrrggghhh.

Yeah, I know, I'm just a punk, wet behind the ears and mean as custard, er, keen as mustard.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 1:31 pm

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:First off, I don't think there was ever a Dual 1 gHz, G5 (maybe a G4?) so it must be a 1.8 or 2.0. But I might be mistaken.

What I am NOT mistaken about is that you need to upgrade to the latest version (5.12) of DP. While you're at it, you may also want to update your OS to OS X.4.9. This is a pretty damn stable system (I'm on a Dual 2.0 G5 with 4GB of RAM.)

You have the power and the memory to do this and the updates should be free, so why not?

And Nicky, you don't expect us to advertise when we're gonna get wasted, do you?

LOL-- you guys!

Too funny.

Yes-- the G5's started at 1.6 Ghz with a single processor, so we must be looking at a either G4 1Ghz Dual or a G5 1.8 Dual.

I agree that upping the OS to at least 10.4.8 or later is a wise decision. Getting away from DP 5.0 is mission critical. At least updating to 5.01 would be recommended, especially if one were not in a position to tackle the Universal Binary labrynth.

Since lumisuto is doing audio only, then I'd say there would be a lot less to worry about with 10.4.9 and 5.12.

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 1:34 pm

Frodo wrote: LOL-- you guys! Too funny.

The sad part is that we are being 200% serious!

lumisuto · Post by **lumisuto** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 7:02 pm

yeah sorry it is a G4 dual at 1GHZ

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 7:15 pm

I'd say that very quick edit moves have to done carefully. The G4 can do a great deal, but be careful of those edits.

I would even say that 4.6x might better suited for that CPU. DP5 was coded with much faster computer hardware, and in the case of UB, different CPUs in mind.

Yet, I would think and hope that 5.11and 5.12 on the PPC would work better than it sounds ont he G4 1Ghz with just audio and no virtual instruments.

Try trashing your DP Preferences:

User Library> Preferences> Digital Performer> *preferences*.

This file will rebuild itself the next time you boot DP.

If you have a lot of soundbites with lots of fades, try merging the soundbites.

I'm sort of at a loss for what else may be going on to cause the problem.

lumisuto · Post by **lumisuto** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 11:03 pm

just upgraded to DP 5.11 and OSX 1.4.9, tomorrow Ill erase my DP preferences and test the results. Thanks for your help!