Logic Pro 9 System overload message. What do I do?

[blogan]

On certain tunes I keep getting the system overload message: unable to process all the information.

I have all other apps turned off. Logic is the only thing running, and I have muted tracks that I don't need at the time. I have optimized everything. I don't know what else to do.

Can you help?

 

[georgelegeriii]

Freeze tracks is your friend in this case. You music be using one of the heavy duty dsp plug-ins like Sculpture... that or an older computer...

What plug-ins do you have going.?

 

[blogan]

The only things I am using are the logic instruments. Just drums and bass via the XS24 and I'm playing gtr in via the fastrack pro. I have a Macbook, one year old with a 2.26 processor and 2 gigs of memory. I don't think I have any plug-ins per se, I just use what is in logic.

What it does is usually stop about a bar into the tune and does it a couple of times, and I click continue and keep going. Then it stops doing it.

Thanks for your help.

 

[georgelegeriii]

Happens all the time.. first playback or 2 you'll get this, then all is fine. Seems like one of those bugs that Emagic/Apple have never been able to get rid of, for what ever reason.

BTW, your computer is about as little power wise as one might want to use. The drive is 5400 rpm (slow) the Cpu is 2.26 GHz (pretty slow) and 2 gigs of memory is now even close to being enough to run Logic without having issues.

I'd get more ram asap (if your computer takes 4 then upgrade to 4, if it can use 8, they go to 8), make sure you use a 7200 rpm fw 800 drive for recording on to (your internal drive shouldn't be used for recording on too, once had a system blow up on a Mac Book Pro from doing this), and finally increase your I/O buffer to 256, and make sure your process buffer is set to medium, not large.

 

[blogan]

Hi George, and thank you so much for the info. So you are suggesting that I use an external drive for all of my logic work? And you are suggesting a 7200, and the fw means firewire? If is does mean firewire, I don't think I have a firewire input. Matter of fact I know I don't. Could you suggest a brand? And would a regular not firewire drive work? I guess I will have to get all of this pretty soon within a week or so. I play guitar on a ship and will be leaving for 4 months and will not have access to much.

Thanks again.

 

[georgelegeriii]

Yes, use an external HD. USB 2 is all you have (didn't notice it was a Mac Book) make sure it is a 7200 RMP. OWC makes a portable drive that is 7200 rpm, very cool thing, a client of mine has one, we use it for recording and samples on his Mac Air.

Upgrade to the 4 gig ram for sure, 2 is not enough, really.

Finally, freeze your tracks as soon as you can, that frees up CPU and will help when you are using more power hungry plug-ins.

Enjoy the cruise life... one of my friends did it for years and really loved it.

 

[blogan]

OMG George, I'm a guitar player. So this means that I have to transfer my logic express to the external drive? How in hell do I do that? You have to understand that way back when I got my first imac, I threw the system in the trash. Still don't have any idea as to how I did that. Thank god for a good friend who helped me get it together again.

Computer savvy I'm not. And I completely understand if you want to wash your hands of all of this. Say the word and I will stop this incessant questioning. But how do I get logic onto the external drive?

And yeah cruising is a pretty good gig.

Thanks and sorry if I'm bugging you.

 

[georgelegeriii]

OK... calm down.

You don't move anything.. you use an external drive when you record... your song files, newly recorded audio, go onto the external drive, nothing else.

I suggest you sign up for a month of "all you can watch" tutorials for $25 at Mac Pro Video. They can really help you get a handle of what you need to know, mr "no tech dude" ;-)

Trying to do this stuff without knowing the basics is not really such a good idea, though it can (and in fact often is) done. The manual is huge and doesn't really tell you what to do, rather it describes what this are. The smaller intro to Logic manual is better.

Either way, try and get the month long tutorial from Mac Pro Video (I have no affiliation with these guys, just so you know). I guarantee you that if you spend an hour every couple of days at it (watching a tutorial and trying out some of the things you learn), you can get pretty comfortable on Logic.

BUT I can tell from your answers that you really need to invest some time into learning and understanding the basics... really, you should (and I don't often use the word "should")...

Apple and Peachpit press make some great books as well. David Nahmini's Logic 9 beginner book is awesome (I do know David, and I have been lucky enough to have taught people from it through him in the past)... It does assume you know the basic's first.

Have you ever looked into the "help" menu from the desktop menu? You can really learn allot from that as well...

So, breath, relax, spend some time and learn this stuff... it's not that hard BUT it does take a small investment in time to learn it, and a while working with it before you will understand it.

 

[blogan]

Hey George, thanks. I will take everything you said under consideration. Hey I noticed on your site that you worked with Barry Manilow in some capacity. I have an old friend by the name of David Benson who worked pretty closely with Manilow for about the last ten years and was just wondering if your paths had crossed at all?

And yes I have been utilizing the help menu. I just get caught in the terminology sometimes. I am way old school and took time for me to refer to something recorded as a file or region. But I'll tell you, I can change a set of strings like a bitch on the guitar. How's that for technical know how?

Thanks again for your help.

 

[georgelegeriii]

I worked with Barry through Michael Lloyd, who I tech for. No I didn't meet David...

Hey, changing a set of strings properly can be a very major achievement ;-) I mean, think: if you don't do it right they will go out of tune during a show, break, or buzz like crazy. And then to PLAY guitar. I play and also play keyboards. Let me tell you, a guitar is a far more difficult instrument to just pick up and made a good noise with than a piano is...

 

[blogan]

Yeah guitar!! What a pain in the #@%. And try reading on the damned thing. I used to play clarinet as a kid and reading on that was a breeze. But alas, I love the instrument.

Hey may I bother you one last time? I promise I will go away and do some reading and learning. I only have a few days left if I am to purchase anything before I go out again.

Will an external drive of 5400 suffice? And........could you just explain quickly, if I open up logic and have the external drive plugged into the usb, can you tell me what to do then? If it's not to long and entailed? Sorry I'm just not sure how that works. And I promise I will do some research and learning and leave yous guys alone.

Thanks ever so much. And if you don't have the time or just don't want to, I completely understand and would still love you. You know, in a universal kind of way.