How many instrument tracks with plugins does anyone get before having problems? After 3 I get playback hiccups and the the occasional "Lost communication with hardware device." I'm using an iMac 20", 2.2 GHz Intel, 4 GB RAM, 750 GB internal HD, 500 GB external FW 800 external HD for audio files. I've tried all sorts of settings changes with little success. I just upgraded to Pro Tools 8 LE, but it's the same as version 7.4.

Maybe the workflow should be to record a MIDI performance, bounce to audio track, then repeat. Awkward, that.

Set the Hardware Engine to use one processor. For some reason, PT 8 does not play well with two. You can increase the CPU usage to 99% as the other processor can handle all of the OS functions. From there increasing buffer sizes should be all you need to do. We are running many instances of virtual instruments without problems

My experience has been: How many plug ins ? What type of Plug Ins ? Can I bus the instruments to an Aux when the instruments are using the same plug in ? If you're using a lot of "time" adjusting plugins -- reverbs, echos, etc -- you may have problems at any CPU speed. Just look at what you're using, and see if you have any duplication going on -- if so, bus them to an Aux channel and share the plugin.

I can run Reason 4, Trilogy, RMX, Tassman, Albino seemlessly -- if I add Echoboy or a bunch reverbs into each of the tracks -- "baby comes down" --lol

Hope that helps !

Changing to one processor worked! I never would have thought of that.

Thanks a lot, and if you're ever in Detroit, I owe you a pint!



BTW, the plugins in question are Native Instruments Battery, Absynth, IK Multimedia Sonik Synth, Sample Tank, Reason, etc.

If I still lived in Mt. Pleasant, I'd take you up in that. Now that I'm in Singapore, it would have to be a half liter.

Regards

If that is the fix, then what is the purpose/advantage of switching PT8 to use 2 or more processors?