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Can't start XP4L

xp4l
#1

I’m on Mac M1, Sequoia 15.7.7, Live 12.4, inbuilt Max 9.1.4, Spat 5.3.8

When I pull xp.engine into a Live set, it seems to hang on Loading…

I can see Spat in Live’s Max, and if I open XP.app, it’s stopped complaining it can’t find Spat, and now starts up in demo mode (and then says it shouldn’t be opened standalone). I can’t see any debug output in it’s Max window.

Edit: I was trying it with the spat5 folder symlinked from both the Max8 and Max9 packages folder. I’ve now got one copy of spat in Max8 (for XP.app) and another copy in Max 9 (for Live/Max) in case the symlinks were an issue. It hasn’t helped, though.

Also - it’s burning CPU in the Max side of things - Live’s CPU meter is 0 or 2%, but activity monitor shows a lot of activity from the Live process (140% CPU)

Any ideas what to try next?

#2

answered from support desk:

The Max 8 / Max 9 duplication is unfortunately related to Ableton compatibility constraints. Ableton Live 11 only supports Max 8, while Live 12 can use both Max 8 and Max 9. Since some Xp users are still on Live 11, the current version still relies partly on the local Max 8 package location. This will improve with the upcoming Xp update, which will move to a Live 12 + Max 9 only environment.

For now, please be sure that the SPAT library is installed in BOTH:

~/Documents/Max 8/Packages
~/Documents/Max 9/Packages

Also, a few important things to check:

1) In macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
make sure BOTH:

  • Ableton Live
  • Xp.app

are enabled.

2) In macOS System Settings → Network → Firewall
if the firewall is enabled, temporarily disable it and restart your computer.

Regarding the loading issue itself:
Xp.engine alone is not intended to initialize the system by itself.

Please try the following very simple test project:

  • create an empty Live set
  • add xp.visual on one audio track
  • add xp.engine on another audio track
  • add xp.source.simply on another audio track

Then:

  • save the project
  • do Command + N
  • wait for Live and Xp to fully close
  • reopen the saved project

Also, very important at the moment:

Xp works as an external application connected to Ableton Live via OSC.
When finishing work on a project, and especially before opening another Xp project (or reopening the same one), it is important to properly close the Xp application first.

The recommended method is simply:

  • Command + N on macOS

This ensures that the Live project closes correctly and that the linked Xp application also shuts down properly.

Current known limitations:

  • do not use Collect All and Save with Xp projects
  • do not create Ableton Macros containing Xp devices

The high CPU usage you describe suggests that something may be continuously waiting or looping in the communication between Live and Xp.app, so the test above should help determine where the initialization is failing.