Thanks for the explanation. I appreciate it. I’m sure that Ardour can process any number of MIDI inst. tracks but my gripe is with the GUI getting so ‘low framerate’. My Mac Studio can handle the workload of course but from a display point of view it’s less than optimal.
Can you check that Preferences > Appearance > Quirks > Use macOS to determine GUI redraw areas is disabled?
On my macbook m3, ardour easily gets to 80 fps when needed, and settles down at around 50-60 fps.
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Ah, thanks. I’ll check tomorrow. That could be it.
Actually, probably not 
Ah.I won’t get my hopes up too much then!
Thanks. I saw that earlier when I was searching around on the subject.
Thing is the effect you’re seeing there in a plugin, I’m seeing on the whole Ardour GUI. I must have something set wrongly somewhere …
@paul O_____O
Thank you so much!
Ha, you just totally, inadvertently solved my own plugin GUI issues.
This one, as @jean-emmanuel also mentioned:
Voxengo Plugin GUIs Lagging Badly on macOS (Mojave)
→ I had Use macOS to determine GUI redraw areas turned ON, and once I turned it OFF, all the graphics lagging was fixed! 
So yeah, @PaulN, please do try the same.
Turn that setting off and try the DAW again.
…
It does sound like it might be a mixed-bag for you though.
Like, maybe the GUI lagging will be helped, but not the cpu usage?
-J
That sounds very promising, thanks. I’ll try it later today.
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Well, I tried switching off:
‘Use visibility information provided by your Window Manager/Desktop’ for kicks just in case,
and
Use macOS to determine GUI redraw areas’
and neither made any difference I’m afraid. Now I’m stumped.
To answer the question of what plugins I was using they are:
Korg M1
Korg Wavestation
(Arturia’s) Analog Lab V
Hybrid (Air)
Kontakt 8/Ethereal Earth
Kontakt 8/Ethereal Earth (different patch)
And H-Reverb (Waves)
I’ve since reinstated '‘Use visibility information provided by your Window Manager/Desktop’ as bits of windows were disappearing until I mouse-hovered on the elements that were missing.
I’ve now had to reinstate 'Use macOS to determine GUI redraw areas’ as it was that which was causing the disappearing window elements.
Now I’m really stumped.
What macOS version do you run? Is this a mac-mini with external display, or a macbook with Retina display? Intel or Apple Silicon?
tech-details:
Recent versions of macOS always ask Applications to redraw the complete GUI, even if nothing has changed. This slows things down.
When turning off “*Use visibility information provided by …”, Arodur keeps track of areas to be redrawn. However in some cases (mostly with external displays) that can lead to parts of the GUI disappearing (until you mouse-over). For unknown reasons parts of the GUI that didn’t change need to be redrawn anyway.
I’m using OS 15.5 on a Mac Studio with 32GB RAM & 4TB SSD into a HP ultrawide (32:9) curved monitor and an ultrawide LG monitor (16:9).
Audio i/f is a Behringer UMC 404HD, fed with USB Audio. Controllers are Arturia Keylab Essential 49 Mk. 3 and a Tascam DM-4800 (USB/Logic Control)
Well, I’ll give it one more go tomorrow and if it’s still slow I’ll go back to Logic until v9 rolls out.
Sadly, it is unlikely that the actual release of v9 will behave any differently. We have only seen this problem on specific (recent) versions of macOS when used with multiple monitors. Needless to say, that makes figuring out the cause rather challenging …
Bugger. That’s disappointing. I really love how Ardour works and seems more configurable and professional than Logic. It’s a pity that certain configs of Mac s/w & h/w hold back the development of a fine DAW on tha platform. I use an ultra-wide 32:9 and 21:9 monitors. Maybe they’re the culprit in some way.
Hi folks !
I also face the same issue since I moved from Ventura to Sequoia on my Macbook Pro retina from 2019 (no external screen here). Ardour 8.12. The meters lag like hell and some plugins behave funny (MLoudness analyser and MEqualizer from MeldaProductions).
I tried ‘Use visibility information provided by your Window Manager/Desktop’
and
Use macOS to determine GUI redraw areas’
The first one did nothing I could notice, the later solved the lag issue (not the plugin issue) but then Ardour became unusable like this (picture attached)
I love Ardour as I try to escape from proprietary software (Logic & Mac) but here it makes it very hard to use.
Any help would be appreciated.
Stephane
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