PT10.3.7 on OSX10.8.5 - Very strange problems!

Heabow

More cowbell!
Aug 24, 2011
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France
I'm facing weird issues on my new system and maybe someone has experienced the same problems and could help me...

When I received my new iMac, I firstly used Migration Assistant. It didn't work well so I did a clean install. I installed the Digi003 drivers first, then PT, then all the plugins. Everything is up to date. Interface and computer are connected with a Firewire 400/800 cable and a brand new Thunderbolt/Firewire adapter. The computer is used for music production only and the hard drive is almost empty (not much data).

I know the Digi003 works fine as I used it with my former iMac which was a Core2Duo 3gHz with 4Go RAM running OSX 10.6.8 and PT 10.0.0. I used to set the buffer size on 128 to record audio. It worked well.

THE PROBLEMS ARE:
1- DigiAudioCore does not auto-launch anymore. If want to play a song with VLC, I have to manually launch DigiAudioCore.
2- PT stops (-6086) if I record with the buffer size set on 128. Buffer size on 256 is the minimum and PT still bugs sometimes even if there is only one track and no plugins in a 44.1kHz / 24bits session.
3- CPU spikes too if I have just a couple of plugins engaged.
4- I did some tests with an RME Fireface 800 and a Motu 828 MKII and I got the same issues (-6101). I still have to do a test with an USB interface.
5- Sometimes the iMac bugs when I open the System Prefs but it works normally after a few seconds.

I don't know what are the causes but it seems that there is a bandwidth problem caused by Thunderbolt/Firewire connection. I tried a brand new FW800 cable between the Fireface 800 and the computer but I got the same issues. Maybe the hard drive? Maybe a firmware (or sort of) to update on the iMac? Or Hyperthreading settings?

So now I really need some help to solve once for all these problems. I hope I don't have a do a clean install again!!!

Thanks in advance.

COMPUTER SPECS
iMac 27" bought october 2013
Processor: i7 3.5gHz (Turbo boost 3.9gHz)
Memory: 32Go RAM DDR3
Hard drive: Fusion Drive 1To
OSX: Mountain Lion 10.8.5

INTERFACE & DAW
Digi003 Rack+ (drivers up to date)
Pro Tools 10.3.7
 
Have you tried running some sessions with just Pro Tools and the built in playback engine? No interface?