Mainstage CPU usage not consistent with overall CPU usage (activity monitor)
I spent days figuring this out! A Kontakt AU-instrument in Mainstage was showing constantly over 100% load in the Mainstage CPU-meter with the result that many notes were cut off. I tried almost everything by using different AU hosts like VSL, Gigperformer 4 and Logic Pro. Except of Logic Pro all showed the same problem. Then I found out that Mainstage is (probably) using the CPU-% of the Mainstage application within the Mac activity monitor, not the overall CPU load (to be seen in the lower left corner of the AM). Overall my CPUs (Intel Mac) were at 9% out of 100%. So in fact my Mac CPU was totally easy with this load. Here is an official explanation of the activity monitor by an Apple developer: Apple Developerforums/thread/710931
However there is a setting in Mainstage (Preferences -> Audio -> voice limiter active). If I turn that off, Mainstage is not cutting off voices anymore even though it shows high CPU peaks. Somehow, Logic Pro handles this differently and I do not see these high CPU spikes.
My question to Apple: Is there a way to re-factor this behavior and show the overall CPU-usage in the CPU monitor?
I hope that these findings help some of you out there...
MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)