So, I googled this issue cause it started happening to me in my brand new laptop (I needed a laptop to record on studios and bla bla), my actual computer is an I5-9600K, 16GB RAM, M.2 SSD, good motherboard with power management and a good PSU, all the good juice, runs perfect with live 10.
Now... the laptop, it's an ASUS TUF 505 with a Ryzen 5 3550H and 8GB RAM, M.2 NVME SSD, good system as well, launched a project, very simple one, olny 4 tracks, one VST, just integrated ableton FX, running at 70% CPU usage....
I tried different things, which guided me to success.
- First, tried a different sound card (not the problem)
- Second: the laptop was not plugged into the AC, so, I plugged in, (Fixed number 1), suddenly now it was running at about 42%, still pretty high, but better.
- Third: entered the software-controled power management, switched from normal tu turbo, (fix number 2), now it was running at 30% CPU load.
Have in mind, I didn't close steam, dropbox, skype, bitdefender, etc etc, all the background apps still running.
- Fourth: BIOS CPU C-states, PHASES and CPU Load-Line calibration: now, here's were the thing gets a little bit more tricky, Ableton works in a way that it will perform according to what the CPU is capable to deliver, it's an all-auto software, that's why it doesn't have the "multicore" option anymore, it will select single to multi depending on the CPU state, so, in order to control this, we have to do some things, first, disable in the BIOS, the CPU C-state, this is an option that will force your CPU to run always at it's maximum clock speed (Not load), do not confuse, it won't make your CPU go at 100% all the time, just to have it's clock at top speed, this will prevent your cpu from going to low "rpms" and then having to rev up again.
Second, If you are in a laptop, set the power management properties to go always at 100% for CPU, even disconnected from the power.
Now, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you have a good motherboard with hardawer power management control and phase controls (Phase and load line calibration), and a good PSU with clean and reliable power, doesn't matter if you are running on an I9-9900K, if it's mounted on a crappy MB and cheap PSU, it'll run like crap, it's like having a lambo and using dirty low octane fuel.
Phase and load-line calibration are necessary to make your CPU respond faster and for the power to be delivered when the CPU needs it.
Last but not least, try dissabling you TURBO BOOST, turbo boost will peak your CPU, but only in 1 or 2 cores, not all of them, so the cpu usage, even if you're running at 4.6Ghz, it's gonna be higher if you have a lot of tracks, cause it'll have less cores, in live 9 this was prevented with the "multicore" option, forcing the CPU to go to it's maximum clock speed without hiting the turbo boost.
Nowadays all the computers will hit the turbo everytime, and this is the main reason we see this "bug" happen in Live 10, cause then the program will run in one core at 4.6 Ghz, but again... just one core, one out of 6.
So, go ahead and try these things, and the most important thing is to take care of the power delivery and power stability.