What does out of memory or not enough memory mean?

[Urth]

I have actually had this problem for the first time with 8.1.3. Many things are working more smoothly for me in 8.1.3 but I am having tons of out of memory crashes. I'm using the exact same set template and config so nothing has changed other than the Live software version. (Using a Mac Pro 3.2 octo with 10Gb memory).

[Pasha]

I have actually had this problem for the first time with 8.1.3. Many things are working more smoothly for me in 8.1.3 but I am having tons of out of memory crashes. I'm using the exact same set template and config so nothing has changed other than the Live software version. (Using a Mac Pro 3.2 octo with 10Gb memory).

What's in your set? How much is big?

[Urth]

I have actually had this problem for the first time with 8.1.3. Many things are working more smoothly for me in 8.1.3 but I am having tons of out of memory crashes. I'm using the exact same set template and config so nothing has changed other than the Live software version. (Using a Mac Pro 3.2 octo with 10Gb memory).

What's in your set? How much is big?

Well, I am pushing the envelope a bit. I use 150+ tracks in my set template - however, none of these contain any audio in the saved set (I'm a multi-instrumentalist and do live looping - don't use any prerecorded loops or sequences at all). Most of those tracks (all but the first 32 which are dedicated to looping different instruments) are filled with dummy clips of one sort or another, mostly going out to other software & hardware (or looped back into Live) or they are used as routings for various things. The 150 tracks is actually scaled down to the bare minimum, BTW (use other applications such as Midi Translator to achieve everything that's possible outside of Live). I have tried splitting it into 2 sets and running 2 instances but that actually seemed to make things worse. I am not using Live to monitor the live instruments or as a sound module, though (for the most part). Everything I'm playing live except for the keyboard (which I do use plugs in Live for) & a couple of mics is split before the computer to also feed the FOH mixer (so Live is pretty much only actually sounding the loops it's playing back.. and the real-time keyboards but I'm primarily a guitar&bass/sax player so keyboard use is somewhat minimal). In general, I think the #1 performance problem that Live seems to have (in my situation) is just with the track count itself - once you get over a certain (small) number of tracks Live starts to bog down (even if the tracks are completely empty & have no plugs). Well, there are a couple of other main issues I've had - such as dealing with the delay when record enabling tracks... that's been a big pain... but those are problems I've been dealing with all along....

So, anyway... yeah, it's a big set & I have had many stability issues all along (been developing this for a couple of years.. using Live since version 6) but I haven't had these out of memory crashes before installing 8.1.3 (was using 8.1 previously - didn't do the betas). Granted, I've had many many other problems since moving to version 8... won't go into all that (version 7 was much much more stable, BTW) - just haven't seen this out of memory issue before in any previous version.

[Panoramica]

I've also been getting a ton of 'Out of Memory' errors in the past few weeks (I have been sending the bug reports off to bugs@ableton). The lack of stability in this version of live is really starting to hamper my workflow

I also have a big set but have been trying various things to optimise it.

It would nice if the devs good come up with some sort of system which identifies the amount of memory required to load each track in the set and results in some tracks not being loaded if there is not enough memory.

This would give a user more visibility about what exactly is causing the memory blowout. I've had 5+ crashes this afternoon and I'm none the wiser...

Dan

[AR]

going to confirm i have the same issues w/ "out of Memory" i'm on Vista Sp1, 4 gig of Ram, 75track project file. consistently is crashing

[danger]

Same happens with me too, high clip count, 6-7 synths and Live goes mad... Bring the 64bit version please!!!

[DJ Latino]

I have also the same problem with Live 8.1.3 on XP SP3 with 4GbRam
My set has around 700 Clips to load.
Memory run up to 0.99GB and then crash. So it has noting to do with out of memory on my machine.
The machine is optimiced for audio No network no virus no other services in background.
I also send a bug report to Ableton and have no response for 10 day's now just an automated "we are busy and will come back to you".
That is not the term for "Support"

[danger]

Got this answer from Ableton:

On Windows XP Professional, Live can now address 3GB of memory, if the /3GB flag is set according to:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/pl ... AEmem.mspx

Find the boot.ini here:

Start > control panel > system > advanced > startup & recovery settings > edit button

Paste (overwrite existing) this into the boot.ini file and save it:


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS [operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro with /3GB" /3GB


Now restart your machine.

[massenmedium]

It does seem that some clips or types of clip take up excessive amounts of storage in Live 8 (including 8.1.3 and current 8.1.4b2). This is evident in the size of the .als file as well. I recently had a set with a lot (but not an absurd amount) of small clips in the arrange on one track, they were generated by follow actions, and this was causing problems. Deleting the contents of that one track had the .als file size down from 110Mb to about 1Mb! That's just silly for what should really be small data structures, it's not like they're actual samples or anything.

So I think something funny is happening here with the way clip data is being stored.
I suspect there's a problem with the data structure, maybe something like the full analysis file being stored redundantly in each clip.

My original thread in the Support forum: http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=144239

[massenmedium]

Further thoughts -

Could some Live 8 memory use problems be related to the new warping scheme? Is it those little grey transient markers?

http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php? ... 8#p1146858

[Cej]

Bring the 64bit version please!!!

+1

Got this answer from Ableton:

On Windows XP Professional, Live can now address 3GB of memory, if the /3GB flag is set according to:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/pl ... AEmem.mspx

Find the boot.ini here:

Start > control panel > system > advanced > startup & recovery settings > edit button

Paste (overwrite existing) this into the boot.ini file and save it:


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS [operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro with /3GB" /3GB


Now restart your machine.

danger,
how did you go with this?
Would like to hear some details if this brought you some glory, e.g. what OS you use (XP pro i guess re:boot.ini), how much/if the PF usage changed

I can be working on a set and my cpu will only be at 16-23% (i7 processor ) but my PF usage will be at 1.73GB, if that PF usage goes up too much more I know i'll get dreaded 'out of memory' crash

[planet_b]

I had some little help with the XP /3GB switch in boot.ini. Previously, when the Live process reached around 1.4 - 1.5GB in size, all kinds of weirdness started to appear, eventually leading to crash. With /3GB I was able to reach around 2.4GB Live process and it was still "pretty ok". However, some misbehaviour from various plugins appear (like GUI not opening anymore) when you go above 2GB so it's certainly not the ultimate solution. But worth trying, if you think tinkering with the boot.ini isn't too scary for you. And afterall, you have the chance to boot in original configuration from the boot menu, if it's done like Ableton have suggested in above post.

[Sibanger]

Application Memory Tuning. This capability allows memory-intensive applications to utilize up to 50 percent more virtual memory on Intel-based computers. Application memory tuning provides more of the computer's virtual memory to applications by providing less virtual memory to the operating system.

I am guessing that this file will only work for intel processors, not for amd.
Anyone know if amd now support this application memory tuning with a bios/cmos flash update?

[ewistrand]

Application Memory Tuning. This capability allows memory-intensive applications to utilize up to 50 percent more virtual memory on Intel-based computers. Application memory tuning provides more of the computer's virtual memory to applications by providing less virtual memory to the operating system.

I am guessing that this file will only work for intel processors, not for amd.

Correct.

Anyone know if amd now support this application memory tuning with a bios/cmos flash update?

I couldn't say.

ew

[Sibanger]

Thanks for reply ew.

I have very recently updated my pc to an i7 intel 930 with windows 7 ultimate os and have 6gb of ram.
Just been reconfiguring my system this past week and loading everything back on.

Whew! Big job, but everything going pretty well.

Had a few issues with some older tracks not finding samples-
'Some of the media files used by this set (such as sample) used by this set could not be located'
... even though they have been collected and saved into projects.... but that is another issue.

I have had no memory issues.