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Ok, the other night for whatever reason I double click the CPU indicator in the transport area to take a look at the cores that logic 9 was using. I noticed that only 6 cores were being used. I could have sworn that at one time logic 9, used all 8 cores. I have a 27" iMac i7 quad core 4gig ram 1tb hd. Has anyone else noticed this? Can this be fixed?
Logic Pro 9 Logic not using all cores??..
- Thread starter Rodney D
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FUBARd
Logician
me too
i have a nehalem 8 core w 14 gigs ram and despite my core/thread settings it almost always fills up the most part of one processing core before using any bit of another. then when what ever is being handeled by the first spikes, it all goes to red jumpies and the whole thing goes kaput. im peaking out and getting warnings w just one instance of sculpture. its quite frustrating indeed.
i have a nehalem 8 core w 14 gigs ram and despite my core/thread settings it almost always fills up the most part of one processing core before using any bit of another. then when what ever is being handeled by the first spikes, it all goes to red jumpies and the whole thing goes kaput. im peaking out and getting warnings w just one instance of sculpture. its quite frustrating indeed.
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georgelegeriii
Logician
One instance of sculpture bringing your computer to it's knees, eh... well, due to the nature of the beast, and the fact that it is among the most CPU intensive plug-ins around, I'm not surprised.
How many notes are you holding, and how long is the release time? Pick a pad the has lots of decay, and play a 5 or 6 voice chord and watch the meltdown. I suggest you look at ES2 or any of the other VU's before you use sculpture. I think they designed the "freeze" function for that specific reason: so people could actually use the thing 8)
What is the cpu speed of your 8 core Mac Pro?
And the "8" cores in the iMac is a 4 core machine with 4 "hyper threaded" cores. Hyper threading is a way a computer can make 4 extra virtual cores, a method that allows more of the cpu to actually be used. So really, you have a 4 core system.
As for why only 6 cores seem to be going, I have no idea... BUT have you taken a look at the meters in the "activity monitor" utility? that is a much more accurate representation of what is really going on in your system regarding most anything: cores and use, ram available, when you are going too close to the edge with Logic in 32 bit mode (about 2 GB and the thing starts to act drunk), and the best secret in the Mac world: If you app freezes, open Activity monitor, and wait a few minutes. I have seen what I thought were completely lost songs on a frozen Logic become alive after a bit of waiting. An apple store tech told me that one, and it's saved my bacon a few times over the years.
Anyways, blabbing on, hope something I said or suggested helps...
How many notes are you holding, and how long is the release time? Pick a pad the has lots of decay, and play a 5 or 6 voice chord and watch the meltdown. I suggest you look at ES2 or any of the other VU's before you use sculpture. I think they designed the "freeze" function for that specific reason: so people could actually use the thing 8)
What is the cpu speed of your 8 core Mac Pro?
And the "8" cores in the iMac is a 4 core machine with 4 "hyper threaded" cores. Hyper threading is a way a computer can make 4 extra virtual cores, a method that allows more of the cpu to actually be used. So really, you have a 4 core system.
As for why only 6 cores seem to be going, I have no idea... BUT have you taken a look at the meters in the "activity monitor" utility? that is a much more accurate representation of what is really going on in your system regarding most anything: cores and use, ram available, when you are going too close to the edge with Logic in 32 bit mode (about 2 GB and the thing starts to act drunk), and the best secret in the Mac world: If you app freezes, open Activity monitor, and wait a few minutes. I have seen what I thought were completely lost songs on a frozen Logic become alive after a bit of waiting. An apple store tech told me that one, and it's saved my bacon a few times over the years.
Anyways, blabbing on, hope something I said or suggested helps...
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FUBARd
Logician
Right, not virtual cores here, I have two separate 2.3(ish) quad core processors. Ive seen them! They look like something from Terminator. A true 8 core power Mac. Bought just a few months ago. While it amazes me w it's plug in count w most plug types in comparison to any other computer I've used, it seems entirely inefficient w the way it's distributing the load. For example, I know the processing will spike at start and stop, and also atthe middle w the highest volumes and automation but when I open plugins they all just stack up on the same individual core rather than equally distributing throughout BEFORE a load is put through them. Seems pretty silly. Like loading you're cargo plane w as many water bags as will fit before knowing how much they hold. W the great appreciation I've always had for Apples deeper thinking in such areas, this lopsided processing distribution is surprising and upsetting. Especially considering the price I paid. Which makes me wonder... Has anyone else had this issue? I sure hope it's something I'm doing!🙁
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FUBARd
Logician
Oh forgot to say, in sculpture, w most patches, I play one note and skirrrr!!!! SMASH! (kaboom) funny part is that i remember using sculpture w a great deal of ease w my G5 dual with some caution. But it was possible and usable! Now w the intel, I can greatly exploit the heavy taxing NI Maschine but can't run a single instance of sculpture. Odd.
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georgelegeriii
Logician
As for the 8 core 2.3 GHZ Mac Pro, the CPU speed is the issue.
a 3.2 GHZ computer will play a sculpture patch no problem (well, some anyways, and again, depends on the patch and the amount of voices), and a 2.3 GHZ quad core won't. It's the speed of the cpu that makes the difference, due to the fact that Logic can only use 1 core at a time per channel at any time, and in your case you are picking a very CPU draining plugin and possibly effects as well on a single channel.
One of the delightful things Apple don't talk about: how a 4 core at 3.2 GHZ can, in this example, be a better computer to use for music than a 8 core 2.3 GHZ machine. I am hoping that Logic will do something about this in Logic X, whenever it comes out.
a 3.2 GHZ computer will play a sculpture patch no problem (well, some anyways, and again, depends on the patch and the amount of voices), and a 2.3 GHZ quad core won't. It's the speed of the cpu that makes the difference, due to the fact that Logic can only use 1 core at a time per channel at any time, and in your case you are picking a very CPU draining plugin and possibly effects as well on a single channel.
One of the delightful things Apple don't talk about: how a 4 core at 3.2 GHZ can, in this example, be a better computer to use for music than a 8 core 2.3 GHZ machine. I am hoping that Logic will do something about this in Logic X, whenever it comes out.
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georgelegeriii
Logician
Seems that you have a selective reading issue... I said "take a look at the "activity monitor" utility app for a real example of what is going on with your computer, not the Logic CPU meter".
Also, if you feel that you have a Mac Pro lemon, take it to an apple repair depot and get them to check it. Sometimes they come from the factory with bad system software, or a bad drive, or bad ram, or ...
It will give you peace of mind IF you think there is an issue with it.
Do you have anyone who also uses Logic that you could ask to check this "power" issue out for you? That is also a good thing one could do.
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FUBARd
Logician
Yes I will check the system monitor just as soon as I'm I front of that system. thays an excellent suggestion and an interesting point about less cores being more appropriate in some cases. Kind of makes me wish I'd kept the G5 since it was so good w that particular application. Glad I'm not a sound designer! Sorry to hijack the thread, id assume that if anyone else still has questions regarding this matter, they'd ask! Thanks again for the good advice, I'll have you an answer this afternoon. 
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FUBARd
Logician
... Okaaaay.... Well I just tried to recreate the issue at 24/96 running four instances of sculpture mashing as many keys as possible, but never got them to overdrive the CPU. Odd. Maybe that had something to do w the few recent updates. Theyd try n stack up on the first processor as mentioned, but once I hit play they'd spread out across the available cores. They took up just about half the respective processor core, each, so I suppose if I ran nine instances, I could get her to crash but I'll not be doing so. Additionally, This was done w the processor monitor in logic up as well as system monitor running as well. Perhaps that's the key. I'll be keeping system monitor on for superstitions sake from now on, lol! Thanks for the sys mon idea and all the helpful suggestions 🙂 sorry if that doesn't help the OP... Wait... Hey try updating!!!
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lesterbeat
Logician
I've been having similar problems with my dual quad core. Mine is a few years old but it used to work fine. I think the problem may lie in what other plug-ins are open. I have a new film scoring template with over 100 tracks. They are mostly Kontakt instances. Everything is running fine but when I switch to a Logic instrument ( whether it's a piano, bass, drum, etc) The meters spike and the sound is crackly and unplayable. I'm only guessing but I think it has more to do with Kontakt than Logic.
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FUBARd
Logician
I had the same issue w my G5. It seemed like NI plugs were just not really designed for Mac but sort of translated to work. I remember trying to get Maschine to work on it and it was just a nightmare. The switch from PPC to Intel made an overwhelming impact even though the speed wasn't all that much higher but even still I can't run maschine but in stand alone patching the midi and audio into logic. It really is quite frusterating. I actually stay away from NI stuff after hearing form a tech rep that they don't design software to work best on Mac but best on PC and well enough to sell to Mac. In so many words. You'd not ever have a problem w NI running cubase in windows 7! Have you tried running in stand alone mode? Use IAC to patch midi internally and something like sound flour to get the audio into logic. Thays what NI told me to do w maschine because of the (insert blaming someone else for your product not fully integrating, here)
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Atlas
Logician
I use a MacBookPro 2.3GHz 8G RAM, Dual core. I instantiate Sculpture (6 voices each) twice with some other plugins (NI among others) with no problem.
I think that it is possible that if you run Logic in 32Bit mode, you get the limit of this system. 64bit mode expands greatly the usable RAM of your system...😉
I think that it is possible that if you run Logic in 32Bit mode, you get the limit of this system. 64bit mode expands greatly the usable RAM of your system...😉
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FUBARd
Logician
Find where you select to show track freeze button, probably a right click on a track. Then sequence one instance of heavy plug, then hit freeze to basically bounce in place. Positives are freeing ram and CPU, neg is no midi or automation. Sorry I can't remember off hand where track freeze hides. I bet YouTube has it spelled out a little better.
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Logic is not able to split load over multiple processors within the same channel, also there are some other limitations if you start using some busses and auxes causing more channels to be processed in the same cpu.
The difference between the logic meter and the activity monitor/istat menu meters are because osx kernel continuously switches the loads between processors so it looks it's different but the reality is that is the same load that jumps from a processor to another.
if you want to max out a cpu just load a single channel with heavy plug-ins and you'll reach that in a bit 🙂
Logic has always acted like this, since the beginning of multi core macs on PPC.
The difference between the logic meter and the activity monitor/istat menu meters are because osx kernel continuously switches the loads between processors so it looks it's different but the reality is that is the same load that jumps from a processor to another.
if you want to max out a cpu just load a single channel with heavy plug-ins and you'll reach that in a bit 🙂
Logic has always acted like this, since the beginning of multi core macs on PPC.
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