KVR Audio

Lee / Cableguys · Post by **Lee / Cableguys** » Fri Dec 01, 2017 4:39 pm

e@rs wrote:Looks good, sounds good and the price is tempting. But why on Earth is this plugin so CPU intensive? I get 19% CPU usage in S1 v3, while VolumeShaper 4 is happy with 1%.

The interpolation/resampling used to repitch audio is naturally more CPU-intensive than the volume/level modulation used in VolumeShaper. And with certain settings (short Loop length and high Smooth settings, especially at higher tempos), that CPU usage can increase further. So it's natural to expect HalfTime to use more CPU than VolumeShaper. And in general, our plugins use more CPU while the UI is open.

However, the difference you are getting there between VolumeShaper and HalfTime CPU usage does seem unusual. We have tested it on a number of systems, and typically HalfTime takes only 3 or 4 times the CPU power of VolumeShaper.

So perhaps there's some other factor in your system setup that is causing this unexpected CPU increase. If you'd like to mail us directly on contact@cableguys.com with system details, we'll have our tech support team try and figure this one out with you.

e@rs · Post by **e@rs** » Fri Dec 01, 2017 6:28 pm

3-4% CPU usage would be very cool. I'll spend more time with it and will probably send a mail with the exact details and pictures. Thanx, Lee!

Russell Grand · Post by **Russell Grand** » Sat Dec 02, 2017 4:15 am

e@rs wrote:Looks good, sounds good and the price is tempting. But why on Earth is this plugin so CPU intensive? I get 19% CPU usage in S1 v3, while VolumeShaper 4 is happy with 1%.

19%? Wow, in FL Studio (Win 8.1 on an i5) the highest CPU I'm getting from HalfTIme is 9%.

BTW,
Great little plugin, Cableguys. A no-brainer purchase IMO. It's addictive!

tl · Post by tl » Sat Dec 02, 2017 4:20 pm

Russell Grand wrote:
e@rs wrote:Looks good, sounds good and the price is tempting. But why on Earth is this plugin so CPU intensive? I get 19% CPU usage in S1 v3, while VolumeShaper 4 is happy with 1%.
19%? Wow, in FL Studio (Win 8.1 on an i5) the highest CPU I'm getting from HalfTIme is 9%.

BTW,
Great little plugin, Cableguys. A no-brainer purchase IMO. It's addictive!

Isn't it relevant to refer to the used sample rate and buffer size while talking about the CPU usage of a plugin?

Cheers,
tl.

e@rs · Post by **e@rs** » Sat Dec 02, 2017 5:18 pm

For me it's 48kHz and 256 samples on RME Fireface UC. It's not like pushing it or something...

cbend · Post by **cbend** » Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:00 pm

Wow, I will need to get that shaper bundle, that looks seriously cool.

Russell Grand · Post by **Russell Grand** » Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:03 pm

44.1
256

pekbro · Post by **pekbro** » Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:20 pm

This plugin is actually a lot funkier than I am apparently. It can change a drumbeat in ways much cooler than I seem to be able to.

e@rs · Post by **e@rs** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:53 am

@Cableguys
Sent a mail with my CPU problem at the official address as suggested.
No confirmation or any answer yet.
Did you receive it?

Jakob / Cableguys · Post by **Jakob / Cableguys** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 9:50 am

e@rs wrote:@Cableguys
Sent a mail with my CPU problem at the official address as suggested.
No confirmation or any answer yet.
Did you receive it?

I am sorry for only answering now - and thank you for reminding me to do so! We're getting many mails these days, so everything which requires a more in-depth answer can take a few days.

I was under the assumption that the CPU usage should drop when the UI is closed - I just tested it again, but indeed, the savings are negligible (the oscilloscope only uses CPU cycles while the UI is open, but the oscilloscope is big in VolumeShaper and ShaperBox and small in HalfTime..).

Your settings with 48kHz and 256 samples buffer are all fine settings; a buffer of 512 samples would safe a bit on CPU, but it would not make a big difference.

I guess the root problem is that we all have so powerful machines for developing the plugins, so CPU usage looks all fine here. An ECO mode with less smooth interpolation could help - let's see if the CPU usage is problematic to more users.

MogwaiBoy · Post by **MogwaiBoy** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:00 am

At first I thought hmmm why couldn't I just play a synth an octave lower or a drum loop at halfspeed manually - I don't need a plugin to do that. But then there's cool stuff like blending with dry, fading between speeds etc and I can definitely see some creative uses in this.

How long is the intro price for?

Jakob / Cableguys · Post by **Jakob / Cableguys** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:09 am

MogwaiBoy wrote:At first I thought hmmm why couldn't I just play a synth an octave lower or a drum loop at halfspeed manually - I don't need a plugin to do that. But then there's cool stuff like blending with dry, fading between speeds etc and I can definitely see some creative uses in this.

How long is the intro price for?

The EUR 10 / USD 12 price on HalfTime is the regular price. It'll remain so at least until HalfTime 2 is out..

But only if you buy HalfTime now, you'll also receive a coupon EUR 10 / USD 12 discount on TimeShaper (that you can redeem at any later time). Also the offer to get HalfTime for free with TimeShaper or ShaperBox Bundle is time-limited. We haven't decided the end date for these offers.

U-o · Post by **U-o** » Sun Nov 11, 2018 9:53 am

Good plugin, but CPU intensive...

Lee / Cableguys · Post by **Lee / Cableguys** » Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:23 am

U-o wrote: Sun Nov 11, 2018 9:53 am Good plugin, but CPU intensive...

Hi! If you are experiencing excessive CPU usage with HalfTime, please see this earlier post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=495523&start=33

…And if that doesn't help, please mail us on contact@cableguys.com and we'll take a closer look at this with you.

Lee / Cableguys · Post by **Lee / Cableguys** » Fri Oct 23, 2020 12:28 pm

Hi everyone,

We updated HalfTime!

New for v1.1, the official “How To Use HalfTime” video and in-depth PDF manual give you the keys to unlock HalfTime’s full power. Get straight to these info-packed guides any time via the plugin’s Main Menu.

You can now blow HalfTime up from 75% to 200% with the new resizable interface. And with new Retina/HiDPI support, those iconic green-on-black graphics are now twice as sharp.

Under the hood, HalfTime has been levelled up with improved downpitching algorithms for 2x faster CPU performance.

Main changes

2x faster CPU performance due to improved interpolation algorithm
Scaling support for 75%-200%.
Retina/HiDPI graphics support.
PDF manual and 'How To Use HalfTime' video manual, both accessible via Main Menu.

HalfTime costs €10 / $12. Existing users can download the update from their Cableguys account at https://www.cableguys.com/login.html

MORE INFO:
https://www.cableguys.com/halftime.html

Cableguys HalfTime – instant creative half-speed effect – now AAX Silicon Native