Laptop Specs for Music Production
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Rayman25021995 Rayman25021995 https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=334443
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 17 Jul, 2014
I have been using FL Studio for a while now then switched to Ableton then back to FL and I noticed regardless of what DAW I use I get a lot of freezing and crackling from the audio as I get further into my project. My laptop has:
i7 2670qm @2.2ghz
8gb of ram
2gb graphics card
ASIO4ALL as my sound driver
I noticed in FL there is a lot of ram unused but the CPU spikes to 99% causing freezing once I really get into the production every few seconds but the task manager says only 30% of the CPU is being used. I tried deleting unused plugins and shedding all the weight I could but I just can't seem to get the CPU meter to go down. This happens in both FL AND Ableton Is there any way to fix this or is my laptop simply unable to keep up?
i7 2670qm @2.2ghz
8gb of ram
2gb graphics card
ASIO4ALL as my sound driver
I noticed in FL there is a lot of ram unused but the CPU spikes to 99% causing freezing once I really get into the production every few seconds but the task manager says only 30% of the CPU is being used. I tried deleting unused plugins and shedding all the weight I could but I just can't seem to get the CPU meter to go down. This happens in both FL AND Ableton Is there any way to fix this or is my laptop simply unable to keep up?
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- KVRAF
- 15135 posts since 7 Sep, 2008
I use a 7 year old Core2Duo laptop with 4GB and that is absolutely fine.
The problem therefore is not your PC.
Can you freeze/render channels?
The problem therefore is not your PC.
Can you freeze/render channels?
"I was wondering if you'd like to try Magic Mushrooms"
"Oooh I dont know. Sounds a bit scary"
"It's not scary. You just lose a sense of who you are and all that sh!t"
"Oooh I dont know. Sounds a bit scary"
"It's not scary. You just lose a sense of who you are and all that sh!t"
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Rayman25021995 Rayman25021995 https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=334443
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 17 Jul, 2014
I am able to bounce WAVs of each of my channels but for some reason the WAVs always feel a lot duller than my original sound. Even with the correct setting on the export window on FL :/ So I normally tried to stay away from the WAVs, Perhaps I'm bouncing incorrectly or forgetting something?
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- KVRAF
- 15135 posts since 7 Sep, 2008
They shouldn't.Rayman25021995 wrote:I am able to bounce WAVs of each of my channels but for some reason the WAVs always feel a lot duller than my original sound. Even with the correct setting on the export window on FL :/ So I normally tried to stay away from the WAVs, Perhaps I'm bouncing incorrectly or forgetting something?
Dare I ask if you've RTFM?
"I was wondering if you'd like to try Magic Mushrooms"
"Oooh I dont know. Sounds a bit scary"
"It's not scary. You just lose a sense of who you are and all that sh!t"
"Oooh I dont know. Sounds a bit scary"
"It's not scary. You just lose a sense of who you are and all that sh!t"
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Rayman25021995 Rayman25021995 https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=334443
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 17 Jul, 2014
I should have mentioned I am an pretty huge amateur :/ But yeah I'll go see what the manual says. Cheers
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- KVRAF
- 3071 posts since 29 Sep, 2005
It may also help you Rayman to take a look at your buffer settings of your audio card, within the DAW.
Incorrect settings will cause those pops, cracks, sizzles and high CPU usage (as well as other things of course).
You do not mention which sound card you use. Depending on which, it is my experience to use the ASIO settings of the card opposed to ASIO4ALL. YMMV.
Since you admit your amateur status it may be possible you don't have your laptop optimized for audio work.
One good source of optimization techniques can be found here:
http://www.presonus.com/community/Learn ... Production
From your specs I suspect it is not your laptop causing you problems. It is likely how you have things set-up.
HTH
Happy Musiking!
dsan
Incorrect settings will cause those pops, cracks, sizzles and high CPU usage (as well as other things of course).
You do not mention which sound card you use. Depending on which, it is my experience to use the ASIO settings of the card opposed to ASIO4ALL. YMMV.
Since you admit your amateur status it may be possible you don't have your laptop optimized for audio work.
One good source of optimization techniques can be found here:
http://www.presonus.com/community/Learn ... Production
From your specs I suspect it is not your laptop causing you problems. It is likely how you have things set-up.
HTH
Happy Musiking!
dsan
My DAW System:
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101
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- KVRAF
- 3071 posts since 29 Sep, 2005
This may be because of how you are monitoring and what you are rendering to WAV.Rayman25021995 wrote:I am able to bounce WAVs of each of my channels but for some reason the WAVs always feel a lot duller than my original sound. Even with the correct setting on the export window on FL :/ So I normally tried to stay away from the WAVs, Perhaps I'm bouncing incorrectly or forgetting something?
I mean, if you are listening to the master channel, with all the fx, etc., on it, but rendering a track without those fx, your render will not be what you are listening to.
Make sense?
HTH
Happy Musiking!
dsan
My DAW System:
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101
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Rayman25021995 Rayman25021995 https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=334443
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 17 Jul, 2014
dsan@mail.com wrote:It may also help you Rayman to take a look at your buffer settings of your audio card, within the DAW.
Incorrect settings will cause those pops, cracks, sizzles and high CPU usage (as well as other things of course).
You do not mention which sound card you use. Depending on which, it is my experience to use the ASIO settings of the card opposed to ASIO4ALL. YMMV.
Since you admit your amateur status it may be possible you don't have your laptop optimized for audio work.
One good source of optimization techniques can be found here:
http://www.presonus.com/community/Learn ... Production
From your specs I suspect it is not your laptop causing you problems. It is likely how you have things set-up.
HTH
Happy Musiking!
dsan
I am using a IDT High Definition Audio CODEC
Intel(R) Display Audio
according to Belarc advisor but Im not sure to be honest.
I tried setting the ASIO setting to 2048 samples and that helped with the crackling at first but it came back later for a while so i'm gonna work on the freezing and rendering tracks part too. I'll have a look at the computer set up link too thank you
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Rayman25021995 Rayman25021995 https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=334443
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 17 Jul, 2014
dsan@mail.com wrote:This may be because of how you are monitoring and what you are rendering to WAV.Rayman25021995 wrote:I am able to bounce WAVs of each of my channels but for some reason the WAVs always feel a lot duller than my original sound. Even with the correct setting on the export window on FL :/ So I normally tried to stay away from the WAVs, Perhaps I'm bouncing incorrectly or forgetting something?
I mean, if you are listening to the master channel, with all the fx, etc., on it, but rendering a track without those fx, your render will not be what you are listening to.
Make sense?
HTH
Happy Musiking!
dsan
I always make a point to make sure my master channel is empty before rendering to way but I still haven't had much luck and always note dull change to the sound albeit small :/
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- KVRAF
- 8414 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
Buy one of these.
http://www.boxxtech.com/products/mobile ... boxx-g2725
http://www.boxxtech.com/products/mobile ... boxx-g2725
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- KVRAF
- 3071 posts since 29 Sep, 2005
I don't think you follow my meaning Rayman.
Try this; sometimes you can be monitoring (listening) to the master track and think, WOW, that really sounds great. I think I'm gonna drop that to a WAV file.
Not realizing, you render your audio but not from the Master Track, rather, oh, let's say, a send track, and then you get a different sound when you listen to the render.
This is because when you monitor the Master Track you are hearing everything that is being sent to that track.
Normally, your DAW will default all tracks to go to the Master Track, depending of course on how you have set things up.
So, this Master Track represents all the audio from all the sources routed to it, combined.
If your render is not of the Master Track, but of any other track, that track becomes the source for your wave file.
Ultimately you may be hearing the results of just that track in your render.
Next time you render to a WAV file pay close attention to which track or tracks are being made into that WAV.
My bet is that you are not rendering the Master Track if when you listen to your wav file it doesn't sound like what you created and heard in your DAW.
Mushy Mushy is absolutely correct - "it shouldn't" sound different.
Sorry, I won't be able to help you with the sound devices you list. Know nothing about them, but it appears you do not have a dedicated sound card.
I recommend affording one as soon as you can. This will help move you forward in your musical endeavors.
HTH and Good Luck
Happy Musiking!
dsan
Try this; sometimes you can be monitoring (listening) to the master track and think, WOW, that really sounds great. I think I'm gonna drop that to a WAV file.
Not realizing, you render your audio but not from the Master Track, rather, oh, let's say, a send track, and then you get a different sound when you listen to the render.
This is because when you monitor the Master Track you are hearing everything that is being sent to that track.
Normally, your DAW will default all tracks to go to the Master Track, depending of course on how you have set things up.
So, this Master Track represents all the audio from all the sources routed to it, combined.
If your render is not of the Master Track, but of any other track, that track becomes the source for your wave file.
Ultimately you may be hearing the results of just that track in your render.
Next time you render to a WAV file pay close attention to which track or tracks are being made into that WAV.
My bet is that you are not rendering the Master Track if when you listen to your wav file it doesn't sound like what you created and heard in your DAW.
Mushy Mushy is absolutely correct - "it shouldn't" sound different.
Sorry, I won't be able to help you with the sound devices you list. Know nothing about them, but it appears you do not have a dedicated sound card.
I recommend affording one as soon as you can. This will help move you forward in your musical endeavors.
HTH and Good Luck
Happy Musiking!
dsan
My DAW System:
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101
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- KVRAF
- 3071 posts since 29 Sep, 2005
V0RT3X wrote:Buy one of these.
http://www.boxxtech.com/products/mobile ... boxx-g2725
Every newbie should get that - at least one!
Happy Musiking!
dsan
My DAW System:
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101
W7, i5, x64, 8Gb Ram, Edirol FA-101
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- KVRAF
- 8414 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
I'd want at least 2 so i could use them as VEP slavesdsan@mail.com wrote:V0RT3X wrote:Buy one of these.
http://www.boxxtech.com/products/mobile ... boxx-g2725
Every newbie should get that - at least one!
Happy Musiking!
dsan
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- KVRAF
- 2550 posts since 13 Mar, 2004
Let this run and report what it says.Rayman25021995 wrote: I noticed in FL there is a lot of ram unused but the CPU spikes to 99% causing freezing once I really get into the production every few seconds but the task manager says only 30% of the CPU is being used.
http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon
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Rayman25021995 Rayman25021995 https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=334443
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 17 Jul, 2014
Here's the results.No_Use wrote:Let this run and report what it says.Rayman25021995 wrote: I noticed in FL there is a lot of ram unused but the CPU spikes to 99% causing freezing once I really get into the production every few seconds but the task manager says only 30% of the CPU is being used.
http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon
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