When the creative juices start flowing, it’s best hold onto that inspiration for dear life. A riff or mix can take hold, and soon you’ve got software instruments and plugins everywhere!
But with so much commotion going on, your Mac might collapse under the strain of creativity.
Beachballs start spinning, and another System Overload message cramps your rhythm. Now what?
Since your Mac is running out of ways to manage your workflow, you’ve got to help your Mac out.
Conserving CPU
There’s 2 main options for reducing the weight of your Logic projects on your Mac. It all boils down to:
- Bounce
- Freeze
Bounce allows you to create brand new files with all your processing locked in. By bouncing, you can create a permanent and new file with your plugin processing and automation.
After Bounce, you can mute and bypass that original track. Thus reducing CPU hungry processors.
Or if you’re not ready to commit to anything permanent, you have Freeze. Freeze creates a temporary bounce of your track.
While Frozen, you can’t adjust the processing or make edits to your track. This is how Freeze conserves CPU for your Mac.
But if you decide later that you need to adjust a plugin – go ahead! All you need to do is turn Freeze off. From there edits and plugins are back on the table.
Sidenote: what the heck is the Power button all about, anyways?
This week’s video explains the difference between these 3 functions, and when the best time is to use them each.
Thanks Chris.
Great explanation
Thank you Ben!
Very well said. Another thing I actually do (don’t know if it pertains or not) is I do a good bit of my sessions on an external drive. It seems to keep me from taxing the system.
Thanks, as always, for great stuff, Chris!
Thanks Jonathan! I do as well 🙂 External drive, Thunderbolt interface, more RAM – it all helps!
I prefer to freeze than BIP, but… For someone collaborating with singer who doesn’t have the non plugins i’m using, probably running in non-advanced mode and with a smaller mac… is freezing still viable?
This tutorial was very helpful as ever Chris (I’m something of a Logic Rip Van Winkle – reconnecting after using back in the LUG days (AKA the nineties).