OSX Push2DisplayProcess CPU usage

[rob99]

Hello everyone,

I have a Macbookpro, running OS X 10.9, 2.7GHz Intel Core I7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, with APPLE SSD SD512E drive. I am running Ableton Live 9.6.2 64bit and a Push 2. I have disconnected all other peripherals apart from a Magic Mouse and quit all other applications and disabled the WiFi.

On even a simple Live set, Activity Monitor tells me that Push2DisplayProcess is using 34% CPU. Live uses 56.2%. When I play my track it sounds fine, but every few seconds I hear a little glitch or stutter or distortion. The Live CPU monitor will bump up but sometimes hardly registers it.

On the same track, if I change the view on Push 2 from Device to Mix, Activity Monitor tells me Live CU is now ~100%, Push2DisplayProcessis now ~50%. The audio glitches become slightly more frequent. If I switch back to Device, the CPU and glitches revert to as before.

If I change the Buffer from 256 sample to 2048 samples, the CPU stays the same (i.e. ~60% for live and ~30% for Push2DisplayProcess). Of course at this level, I cannot use Live as I would like. Anyway the audio problems remain, though perhaps a little less frequent.

If I turn off Push 2 at it's power switch, Push2DisplayProcess disappears from Activity Monitor. The audio glitches remain. I'm sure this has made the problem go away in the past, but tonight as I retest and type, the problem remains.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I can't tell if this is a CPU problem of a SSD contention issue. It makes my machine unusable.

Thanks,

[Stromkraft]

Does anyone have any suggestions? I can't tell if this is a CPU problem of a SSD contention issue. It makes my machine unusable.

Totally unacceptable. Contact support. Meanwhile try and find what's causing the issue by isolating further with other sets, use the factory template, upgrade any plug-ins and see if it is always like this or just sometimes. What about background processes? Checked those? I had great issues with rogue sync processes for quite a while on OS X 10.9. Nothing like that in 10.11.

[swishniak]

have you done disc maintenance recently? (repair permissions etc)

[rob99]

I did a Disc Maintenance Repair. No improvement.

I think it's a problem with sample heavy sets. E.g. if I load a Mad Zach 64 pad Drum Rack (https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/64-pad-lab/) and then lay in a simple beat and a couple of textures, the problem is quite bad, even at max samples/latency.

The problem I described above occurred with a track loaded with Omar Hakim Drums drums by Loop Loft (http://www.thelooploft.com/products/oma ... drum-loops) which is of course multi-sampled drums.

It seems the Push 2 exacerbates the problem by using so much CPU, but on the other hand this feels like a disk I/O issue.

[jomtones]

I can confirm the same problem here, using a 2015 Macbook Pro, 2.9Ghz i5, 16GB RAM. 20% CPU used by push2displayprocess.

What a joke! I can't run most of the sets I'm working on with Push 2 turned on. Really? 20% of a CPU to run a display? There's got to be some major problem going on with this software. Has anyone found a fix?

[outofocus]

Is this still a Problem?

[jomtones]

YUP.

Quote from other thread:

"It's really not good. Thinking if I want to take this set live, I'll need to find a Push 1 to use on stage. No way I'd get a decent latency with this setup. Hoping Ableton will fix it in an update, but I'm not holding my breath.

I don't understand why there's not more fuss about this! Is no-one else bothered they're losing 20% of their CPU to drive a 6 inch screen?"

[benjaminxxx]

Hey guys, what audio interfaces are you using?

I observed a very similar issue, but only when I use my RME Fireface UC.
It does NOT happen with the internal audio device, which makes me think that there is something bad happening on the USB-channel.

I am curious, please let me know!

[nori.lam]

You can easily max out a cpu with the Push2DisplayProcess by browsing on Push 2. You can test it yourself by just scroll really fast through the library of instruments/samples, etc with the 'browse' function.

It will hit over 70% cpu on my maxed out rMBP 2015 15" and the sad thing is that I submitted a bug report during the L10 beta testing and I was told this is normal CPU usage and what I was doing was not normal It looks like they are just going the Apple route...'User error not design error'

In general, I find that L10 has caused more glitchy graphics on my Push 2 with higher CPU usage although YMMV.

Maybe if enough people make noise, they may fix it.

[jestermgee]

You can easily max out a cpu with the Push2DisplayProcess by browsing on Push 2. You can test it yourself by just scroll really fast through the library of instruments/samples, etc with the 'browse' function.

It will hit over 70% cpu on my maxed out rMBP 2015 15" and the sad thing is that I submitted a bug report during the L10 beta testing and I was told this is normal CPU usage and what I was doing was not normal It looks like they are just going the Apple route...'User error not design error'

In general, I find that L10 has caused more glitchy graphics on my Push 2 with higher CPU usage although YMMV.

Maybe if enough people make noise, they may fix it.

What are your computer specs so we have some comparison?

I have tested on Windows (4GHz i7, GTX 1080) and doing a fast scroll up and down through the library I get between 6-12% at most

Push isn't running off magic. It places some load on the CPU and of course this will affect lower spec machines more than higher spec machines.

[jomtones]

I had issues using internal soundcard or M-Audio Fastrack Pro, on a high-spec 2015 13" Macbook.

Ableton support said it was because it was a duo-core not quad core machine! WTF - quad core required to run a 6" screen.

Now on maxed out 2016 15" MBP and the problems are not evident, though I haven't really been pushing this machine. Just checked system monitor, and yes, Push display process is still taking up 20% of a core (I guess that's what it means) ... idling.

Really, WTF, Ableton.

[nori.lam]

Here is a pic of the Push2Display process on my 2012 imac hitting 93.2%. Definitely not magic.

Empty L10 set. Process idles at 1-2%.

Click 'Add Track', scroll to 'Instruments' and scrolling fast up and down in the 'Instruments' category.

[jomtones]

It's really such a shame. I was getting glitches on my setup last night when running at low latency. Turn off Push and it's all fine again.

Ableton staff! Are you reading this thread? Do you have any comment? Do you have any plans to fix this?

[jomtones]

As a device, I really love Push. But this issue relegates it to a studio novelty, not a serious bit of kit I can take out on the road. I feel totally miss-sold.

Is this issue only affecting Mac users? Can any other PC users confirm?

I went through the support route already on my last MBP, and was told basically it's my CPU's fault, not Ableton's. I've now upgraded to the recommended spec, and still have the same problem.

[Stromkraft]

As a device, I really love Push. But this issue…

The Push does indeed not have this issue with excessive CPU usage. It's the Push 2 that occasionally have performance issues. Please don't give the original Push a bad reputation by conflating these two closely related but different enough Ableton products. Yes, I know the subject limits your statement and this is indeed the context. But as a proud original Push owner, I want to kindly request for that "2" part. It's just one digit.