I have a powerbook G4 with 1.5ghz processor, 1.25 gig of Ram & OSX 10.3.9 with Ableton Live 5.2.2 & I was playing live the other day & not using my Firwire Interface as an output (instead opting for the "built in audio" option with a 1/8" adapter to RCA outs into a mixer) & on one song I started getting serious CPU overload at 62% & by that I mean audio cutout/stutter/slowdown....very ugly. This hadn't happened earlier in my home studio with the FW interface hooked up & it didn't happen when I got back home either (with the FW hooked up once again). Does using the built in audio really tax the CPU that much? Anyone else ever experience this? What was the solution?

The internal audio card should not within itself tax the CPU excessively. There are several factors that you may want to peak at. Start by looking at your free ram space, sample rates, clock speed, and of course, your buffer settings (lower buffer settings, the more CPU consumption). May not be able to run low buffer setting on the internal card (dependent on track count). Unless I am wrong, remember most laptop processers HD's only spin at 5400 rpm's. I know I am probably preaching to the chior, and probably not telling you anything you do not already know and/or have tried. Make sure there are no other CPU hog consuming applications buried and running in the background. I know these are simple, and, no doubt, areas you've already investigated, but these simple things have caused me much grief during live performances.

I am not for sure what all you are pushing through your laptop, but if you are midiing or running plug-ins (i.e, vst's, UA,) and using the keyboard as midi controller, these can casue major over-loads. Especially if you are running heavy hog-sucking applications (i.e., volume pedals, sustain pedals, or polyphony chordal structures). These components many times will crash my Mac laptop, but will minimally hit my Mac desktop CPU. Keep in mind, essentially, when when you use the FW interface, it is mainly responsible and dedicated only for converting the audio/digital signal. That's it. The Mother Board, PCI, PCIe, and RAM handles the rest of the processes. I hope you find the solution to your problem. Our band routinely uses sequencing with live performances, so I know exactly how frustrating it can be when you have these glitches in performance.

Good Luck!

Merry Christmas!!!

Allen

Try a couple of things -- update to 10.4.8 -- Live 5.2, i believe, to have been optimized for panther. An even easier solution is keep track count low, and check your plug ins-- especially reverbs -- as they eat CPU. Lots of things can happen in a live performance -- hope this helps. Streamlining the locations of your samples, etc, or even the need to get a peripheral firewire interface for travel maybe one of many solutions. Contact Apple rather than Ableton, as this would seem more of a hardware than software issue. Good Luck !!

Thanks guys I will try all of the above...BTW as far as apps running in the background what would you suggest turning off? Obviously turning off OSX is out of the question & I occasionally forget to turn off Airport, so that may be a problem that is easy to solve. What about disabling Finder? Also....how much of a pain is it to upgrade to 10.4 from 10.3...I got about a gajillion apps & files that I am afraid of losing in the transition. Any suggestions? The last time I upgraded an OS (98SE to XP), it was quite painful.

Updating to 10.4 should be painless.

Having your most important files backed up is always recommended.

So that means that the transition from 10.3 to 10.4 doesn't necessarily wipe out the old hard drive info...it merely updates the OS?

im not a rocket scientist, I wouldnt up grade cause many of my apps wont perform on 10.4......keep trying
so like you im stuck on 10.3.9 and Im a ok

yes. updating just updates. It won't erase anything.

Here's an interesting footnote to all of this. What I didn't understand is why I was able to do some of the operations relatively trouble free in the past that were suddenly a problem. Then I just had an accident that wiped out a bunch of stuff on my desktop ( some photo file folders and a collection of mp3's, & some pdf's that I liked to keep handy for quick reference). I was mad about this at first but what do you know, all of a sudden, my trouble spots in Ableton all but disappeared. I really had no idea that a cluttered desktop had that much effect on CPU efficiency.....Or does it?

I am personally sick and tired of forced up-grades with many of the music software manufacturers. I know this is probably not the proper platform for this kind of complaint, but lately I have had multiple issues where right in the middle of a project, software companies will pop-up indicating the need for an upgrade, supposedly due to problems and/or fixes that you need. After these so-called urgent and needed upgrades, suffer crash after crash. I think if we were to look deeper, and since most of us are connected 24/7, and have too registered our software via the virtual route. Could it be that developers are tracking and monitor all of our activities including the current versions we are working with, therefore, can monopalize, forcing so-called upgrades down our literal throats. Is it that devlopers can create glitches or problems down the virtural cable into our home systems, disrrupt (or antiquate) our the current version(s) we own and operate, so you will b estanding in line for the "new" and "improved" upgraded version of music software. Do you think that Apple really is so nice that every time your computer crashes they want you to feel out the little reporting box and send it to them, They simply want to find out what type of software you were using using, so they can build a better up-grade for your (that will probably cost). I know it is my perogative to accept or reject upgrades (free or purchase), but I think we as engineers, producers, and musicians are constantly being bombarded, thinking that we cannot survive unless we have the latest and greatest. But I will have to totally disagree.

I am still doing major projects, running 36 to 42 tracks using a G4 1gig Mac, with 1.5 gig of ram, and with 450 gig of HD. I use UAD's plug-ins, which does use external cards. This is almost a laughable and hilarious set-up when compared to todays whooper machines, but you know what, it is rock solid when I just leave things alone. Only when I start upgrading to the new/improved versions is when I start pulling my hair out. So please be content if your system is stable and working fine.

Cannot you tell that I have been burned lately with upgrades, both free and puchased. So, the long story short if it aint broke, leave it alone. If you feel it not necessary to upgrade, then please do not! By leaving things alone, you will spare your self many many many headaches.

Sorry if it is the wrong platform to state my feelings about upgrades.

Allen

I am personally sick and tired of forced up-grades with many of the music software manufacturers. I know this is probably not the proper platform for this kind of complaint, but lately I have had multiple issues where right in the middle of a project, software companies will pop-up indicating the need for an upgrade, supposedly due to problems and/or fixes that you need. After these so-called urgent and needed upgrades, suffer crash after crash. I think if we were to look deeper, and since most of us are connected 24/7, and have too registered our software via the virtual route. Could it be that developers are tracking and monitor all of our activities including the current versions we are working with, therefore, can monopalize, forcing so-called upgrades down our literal throats. Is it that devlopers can create glitches or problems down the virtural cable into our home systems, disrrupt (or antiquate) our the current version(s) we own and operate, so you will b estanding in line for the "new" and "improved" upgraded version of music software. Do you think that Apple really is so nice that every time your computer crashes they want you to feel out the little reporting box and send it to them, They simply want to find out what type of software you were using using, so they can build a better up-grade for your (that will probably cost). I know it is my perogative to accept or reject upgrades (free or purchase), but I think we as engineers, producers, and musicians are constantly being bombarded, thinking that we cannot survive unless we have the latest and greatest. But I will have to totally disagree.

I am still doing major projects, running 36 to 42 tracks using a G4 1gig Mac, with 1.5 gig of ram, and with 450 gig of HD. I use UAD's plug-ins, which does use external cards. This is almost a laughable and hilarious set-up when compared to todays whooper machines, but you know what, it is rock solid when I just leave things alone. Only when I start upgrading to the new/improved versions is when I start pulling my hair out. So please be content if your system is stable and working fine.

Cannot you tell that I have been burned lately with upgrades, both free and puchased. So, the long story short if it aint broke, leave it alone. If you feel it not necessary to upgrade, then please do not! By leaving things alone, you will spare your self many many many headaches.

Sorry if it is the wrong platform to state my feelings about upgrades.

Allen

I am personally sick and tired of forced up-grades with many of the music software manufacturers. I know this is probably not the proper platform for this kind of complaint, but lately I have had multiple issues where right in the middle of a project, software companies will pop-up indicating the need for an upgrade, supposedly due to problems and/or fixes that you need. After these so-called urgent and needed upgrades, suffer crash after crash. I think if we were to look deeper, and since most of us are connected 24/7, and have too registered our software via the virtual route. Could it be that developers are tracking and monitor all of our activities including the current versions we are working with, therefore, can monopalize, forcing so-called upgrades down our literal throats. Is it that devlopers can create glitches or problems down the virtural cable into our home systems, disrrupt (or antiquate) our the current version(s) we own and operate, so you will b estanding in line for the "new" and "improved" upgraded version of music software. Do you think that Apple really is so nice that every time your computer crashes they want you to feel out the little reporting box and send it to them, They simply want to find out what type of software you were using using, so they can build a better up-grade for your (that will probably cost). I know it is my perogative to accept or reject upgrades (free or purchase), but I think we as engineers, producers, and musicians are constantly being bombarded, thinking that we cannot survive unless we have the latest and greatest. But I will have to totally disagree.

I am still doing major projects, running 36 to 42 tracks using a G4 1gig Mac, with 1.5 gig of ram, and with 450 gig of HD. I use UAD's plug-ins, which does use external cards. This is almost a laughable and hilarious set-up when compared to todays whooper machines, but you know what, it is rock solid when I just leave things alone. Only when I start upgrading to the new/improved versions is when I start pulling my hair out. So please be content if your system is stable and working fine.

Cannot you tell that I have been burned lately with upgrades, both free and puchased. So, the long story short if it aint broke, leave it alone. If you feel it not necessary to upgrade, then please do not! By leaving things alone, you will spare your self many many many headaches.

Sorry if it is the wrong platform to state my feelings about upgrades.

Allen