Macbook Pro i7 2011 vs Macbook Pro i7 2015 - insight needed

[marvingain]

Hey everyone! I just set up my two Macbook Pros against each other for a performance comparison.

YOU'LL NEVER IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!

Computer 1: Macbook Pro 2011 i7 Quad Core 2.0 GHz - 8 GB RAM - Samsung 840 SSD - Mavericks 10.9.5
Computer 2: Macbook Pro mid 2015 i7 Quad Core 2.5 GHz - 16 GB RAM - Apple SSD - Sierra 10.12.2
Sound card: Core audio (256 buffer size), RME Babyface (latest drivers, 512 buffer size)

TEST RESULTS - Aalto Sweat Lodge

Macbook Pro 2011
Core audio - 256 buffer size - Mavericks 10.9.5 - Live 9.7 - Same project and Aalto patch
49 tracks of Aalto before crackling occurs
Crackling occurs @ 92% CPU Ableton, OSX Activity monitor shows 695% CPU

Macbook Pro 2015
Core audio - 256 buffer size - Sierra 10.12.2 - Live 9.7 - Same project and Aalto patch
Only 47 tracks of Aalto before crackling, and massive CPU spikeing occurs
Crackling occurs @ 72% CPU Ableton, OSX Activity monitor shows only 530% CPU at start of crackle

Anyone know what the hell is happening? The 2015 Macbook Pro would probably be faster if the audio didn't start to break up like hell at 72%.

I re-did the test with an RME Babyface at 512 buffer size to rule out any Core Audio weaknesses due to OS differences, but the result was the same.
I also did the Live 9 Performance test with similar results, actually the difference was even bigger here. 2011 crushed the 2015.

Can anyone share insight on the differences that makes Ableton Live crap out on a new powerful Macbook Pro? I'm guessing Sierra CPU spikes would be a culprit, but quite frankly I'm at a loss here and any insights would be greatly appreciated. I think I've gone through all the Ableton guides to get rid of crackle and pops, they're pretty basic. I'm missing out on some power user knowledge here

[fishmonkey]

you are comparing 10.9 with 10.12, so there are a lot of differences under the OS X hood, or other stuff you have installed, that could be causing this discrepancy.

essentially what the results are telling you is that there is something running on your 2015 machine that is stealing too many CPU cycles.

[marvingain]

Hi! It's the install of Sierra that came installed with the computer. And i just got it two weeks ago. Not much installed except for Live so far. Nothing showing up in the activity monitor that gives any clues... Maybe should try to do a complete fresh reinstall of Sierra?

[fishmonkey]

unfortunately the Activity Monitor won't necessarily help you with that kind of issue.

all it takes to cause a glitch is for a piece of code to cause a tiny delay in processing. on Windows this is the kind of thing you use a DPC latency checker to track down.

maybe try some of the prep tips on this page:

https://figure53.com/docs/qlab/v3/gener ... -your-mac/

[marvingain]

This is some very useful info, will try out the tips and post the results! Thank you very much!

[yur2die4]

Made me curious. Do visible mixer meters and display resolution affect CPU by very much?

[Stromkraft]

Hey everyone! I just set up my two Macbook Pros against each other for a performance comparison.

YOU'LL NEVER IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!

Computer 1: Macbook Pro 2011 i7 Quad Core 2.0 GHz - 8 GB RAM - Samsung 840 SSD - Mavericks 10.9.5
Computer 2: Macbook Pro mid 2015 i7 Quad Core 2.5 GHz - 16 GB RAM - Apple SSD - Sierra 10.12.2
Sound card: Core audio (256 buffer size), RME Babyface (latest drivers, 512 buffer size)

TEST RESULTS - Aalto Sweat Lodge

Macbook Pro 2011
Core audio - 256 buffer size - Mavericks 10.9.5 - Live 9.7 - Same project and Aalto patch
49 tracks of Aalto before crackling occurs
Crackling occurs @ 92% CPU Ableton, OSX Activity monitor shows 695% CPU

Macbook Pro 2015
Core audio - 256 buffer size - Sierra 10.12.2 - Live 9.7 - Same project and Aalto patch
Only 47 tracks of Aalto before crackling, and massive CPU spikeing occurs
Crackling occurs @ 72% CPU Ableton, OSX Activity monitor shows only 530% CPU at start of crackle

Anyone know what the hell is happening? The 2015 Macbook Pro would probably be faster if the audio didn't start to break up like hell at 72%.

I re-did the test with an RME Babyface at 512 buffer size to rule out any Core Audio weaknesses due to OS differences, but the result was the same.
I also did the Live 9 Performance test with similar results, actually the difference was even bigger here. 2011 crushed the 2015.

Can anyone share insight on the differences that makes Ableton Live crap out on a new powerful Macbook Pro? I'm guessing Sierra CPU spikes would be a culprit, but quite frankly I'm at a loss here and any insights would be greatly appreciated. I think I've gone through all the Ableton guides to get rid of crackle and pops, they're pretty basic. I'm missing out on some power user knowledge here :)

Have you done the obvious and turned off app nap and checked that indexing or other processes you don't need aren't running? May I ask why you aren't running macOS 10.12 Sierra on the 2011 MBP? Without the same OS the results are somewhat academical.

The similar performances aren't very surprising as the 2015 MBP is really 2013 technology. I think it should be very possible to cram a few additional Aaltos into the 2015 machine though.

[marvingain]

Yes, app nap is turned off, both in Power settings, and specific for Live.app. And the reason that the 2011 MBP isn't running Sierra is that I'm afraid to death of fucking up a perfectly working system

I think maybe the indexing processes can be a part of the problem, as when I completely shut down the Spotlight indexing as in fishmonkeys tips, I get slighly better performance. However still not good enough for a computer that Geekbenches 65% higher than the 2011 model. And in the Mavericks machine, I got both indexing and Time Machine on in the background without problems.

And to yur2die, it's no noticable difference when switching between the different resolution modes in System Preferences, or when going between arrangement and mixer mode in Live.

[Stromkraft]

Yes, app nap is turned off, both in Power settings, and specific for Live.app. And the reason that the 2011 MBP isn't running Sierra is that I'm afraid to death of fucking up a perfectly working system :)

That's what full disk backups and alternatively external boot disks are for.

[marvingain]

Sure I can try installing Sierra on the 2011 as well, but i'm not sure what purpose it will serve except for maybe fucking things up, as i'm pretty sure the problem is with Sierra. Then i just TM back to Mavericks again. I'm not really that interested in the comparison test results, even though my post might indicate it, I just want a fast new computer to create music on
It would be nice to test to install the great Mavericks on the 2015 MBP, however i don't think this is possible on a computer that shipped with Sierra?

[Stromkraft]

Sure I can try installing Sierra on the 2011 as well, but i'm not sure what purpose it will serve except for maybe fucking things up, as i'm pretty sure the problem is with Sierra.

That's what you assume. IMHO for no good reason. I have the RME Babyface and a 2011 MBP myself.

…I just want a fast new computer to create music on

Obviously we all share this sentiment.

It would be nice to test to install the great Mavericks on the 2015 MBP, however i don't think this is possible on a computer that shipped with Sierra?

If it's a 2015 it is compatible with 10.10 Yosemite.

[marvingain]

Sure I can try installing Sierra on the 2011 as well, but i'm not sure what purpose it will serve except for maybe fucking things up, as i'm pretty sure the problem is with Sierra.

That's what you assume. IMHO for no good reason. I have the RME Babyface and a 2011 MBP myself.

Cool, and it's running Sierra without any dropouts when pushed to 90% or so? Then i stand corrected.

[marvingain]

Made me curious. Do visible mixer meters and display resolution affect CPU by very much?

I think you hit the spot here! I tried changing resolution again, and this time it had a big effect on performance. When i tried this last time, it made no difference. Then Live might have been disturbed by another process simultaneously (Sierra indexing possibly)? Turned of indexing and setting the resolution to default, I'm able to hit 64 tracks Aalto at 80-85% before crackling occurs. A big difference!

Future is looking bright, thanks for helping out here everyone!

[fishmonkey]

what resolution were you using?

[yur2die4]

Resolution is like the one thing they never fail to upgrade bahaha