Performance of Receptor? / Colossus

[bregys]

Hi

I don't own I receptor, but im very interested in this product: I probably would buy receptor 160Hd / 2Gb ram and install Colossus. Or a big library like Colossus. My question is about the CPU Performance of the receptor:

-how long does it take to load the boesendorfer 290 plug in?
-What is possible? I mean: can you really load a 2gb piano, some big strings, a hammondclone like charlie or b4 ii, rhodes simulation (scarbee/NI elektrik piano) ? Can u really run all this plug ins at the same time? simultaneously? like a traditional Workstation (like the fantom xr???)
-Try to make a comparison between the power of receptor (2gb ram) and a computer with an RME soundcard.

I dont have the possibility to test a receptor.
Sorry for my bad english

thanx for your answers
steve

[jstaczek]

Hi Steve,

I just bought a Receptor and am still working out how to configure it for live use, but here's what I'm doing:

- Ivory listening on channel 1 with one of their big Steinway patches.

- Kompakt on channel 2 with Scarbee WEP and Scarbee FX on FX A

- Kompakt on channel 3 with Scarbee Rhodes and Scarbee FX on FX A

Since I only play one sound at a time (live), I set up my MIDI controller to be able to send a channel bypass to the instruments I'm NOT using. This completely frees the Receptor CPU from processing the unused channels. The results have been promising, so far.

I'm also looking at trying to use the multiple audio outs of Kompakt to be able to run one instance of Kompakt instead of two. Just haven't gotten around to trying it yet.

In any case, Receptor seems like it has plenty of horsepower to run Ivory and couple of electric pianos for live use. And if you use the channel bypass trick, you can run as many things as you like.

As far as load time, it takes the Receptor a couple minutes to boot up in this configuration. I don't do any program switching on the fly, so I don't know how that performs.

Jason
www.chromasound.net

[PhilAiken]

Jason,
I'm a long time user with a similar approach - though I don't have Ivory yet - but anyway, if you are having success with the Scarbee stuff in this manner, I'd love to hear what your buffer settings and DFD settings in Kompakt are.
I have never been able to play these using disc streaming in a glitch free manner at 128 sample buffer. I use them now by squeezing slightly smaller versions into RAM, and pretty much choosing between one or the other on a per gig basis, since they both can't be run in this manner at the same time.

Also, I keep hearing about people running Ivory, but haven't seen anything about the installer being released!!

[bregys]

@jason

so what is your CPU usage (how many % are occupied) when you run Ivory? (by playing alot of notes and using the sustainpedal....like a big pianoballad) have you enabled all the simulations or have you activated some sort of economy button?

best regards

[jstaczek]

Ivory CPU use at 48k 128 buffer is about 15%-20%. I did notice that if I do big glisses with the sustain pedal on I get CPU spikes to 100% and pops and clicks. Haven't tried it 256 buffer yet, and I haven't tried optimizing the Ivory patch, etc. What I have noticed that is a little troublesome is that performance seems to degrade the longer the machine is on and being played. Seems fine right after a reboot, but after a day or so, I start noticing more pops and clicks and dropouts. I haven't been able to put my finger on this yet.

Jason
www.chromasound.net

[bregys]

hello

how many ram do u have installed?

Im very disappointed: that the cpu usage is overload when u make a big glissando with the sustain pedal. I think Receptor isnt the thing im searching for... The concept is very good, but if receptor can not handle a big vsti like ivory, i think the receptor isnt powerfull enough to be a real workstation! ? !

@ the others who use receptor and big sample libraries: what is your impression?

thanx for your answers
steve

[PhilAiken]

Ivory CPU use at 48k 128 buffer is about 15%-20%. I did notice that if I do big glisses with the sustain pedal on I get CPU spikes to 100% and pops and clicks. Haven't tried it 256 buffer yet, and I haven't tried optimizing the Ivory patch, etc. What I have noticed that is a little troublesome is that performance seems to degrade the longer the machine is on and being played. Seems fine right after a reboot, but after a day or so, I start noticing more pops and clicks and dropouts. I haven't been able to put my finger on this yet.

Jason
www.chromasound.net

Jason, make sure you don't have Z-Load enabled - this eats RAM.

Also, I've heard reports at being able to play Ivory glitch free on Receptor, so please do mess with the polyphony and disc streaming settings and report back!!!!

[jstaczek]

I have 2G of RAM installed and Zload is disabled. I will continue to monkey with it to see what I can come up with.

I will say this: Receptor is not a straightforward, plug-and-play, out-of-the-box solution. You need to spend a good deal of time getting it set up for your particular needs. I'm still working on getting it to work for me.

Jason
www.chromasound.net

PS - Who is reporting glitch-free Ivory on Receptor?!

[jstaczek]

Some new information. Using the following setup:

CH1 = Ivory Concert D 6 Level w/reverb
CH2 = Kompakt (Scarbee WEP on multi 1, Scarbee RSP on multi 2) + Scarbee FX
CH3 = Scarbee RSP out of Kompakt channels 3+4 + Scarbee FX
CH4 = MTron

I've tried to set Kompakt for normal DFD, but it doesn't stick and never seems to use DFD no matter what. So, here's what I end up with: On a 2G machine, this still leaves 30% RAM available, and CPU idles at about 28%. All programs play glitch-free.

Caveats.

1. Ivory seems very delicate. If you switch presets more than a couple of times, it will start giving "out of memory" errors even though Setup says there's plenty left. And if you leave the Receptor on overnight, in the morning Ivory will be glitchy and the CPU will spike all over the place. Things are fine after a reboot, which takes about two minutes.

2. It took a while to figure out how to get Ivory to load the saved patch after a reboot. Seems like I had to go the main, fx and velocity screens and resave the Receptor patch on each screen before everything took. I'm sure it was something I was doing wrong, but this stuff seems much more complicated than usual.

3. On reboot, Kompakt doesn't always load the program in multi slot 2. Sometimes I lose the RSP....

4. The more you monkey around with loading and unloading patches, the more unstable it gets. I reboot often. Fine for stage use, but a real pain in the studio.

I still don't trust the whole thing enough to use it as the only machine on a live gig. It seems pretty temperamental. Anyone having rock-solid experience with it day-to-day?

Jason
www.chromasound.net

[PhilAiken]

I was. But I'm not now...I think my RAM is wonky. Anyway...here's my formerly and hopefully future stable setup:
Track 1: Either Mr. Ray or Scarbee Rhodes through Scarbee VKFX
Track 2: NI B4 (drawbars controlled by Voce V5)
Track 3: Either Scarbee Wurly or Mr. Tramp through Scarbee VKFX
Track 4: Minimogue
Track 5: Blank....
Track 6: Kontakt with 8 chamberlain and mellotron sounds, in groups of 2 split on the keyboard, chooseable via modwheel.

For any given gig I pick a multi with either the Scarbee Rhodes or Wurly and use the virtual VST for the other one. I have versions of both that are 16 bit, slightly smaller than the full versions, and fit completely into RAM. I do not use DFD live. Period. I need to know that I can hit the sustain pedal, slam both forearms on the keyboard, and otherwise do whatever I want and not glitch ever. I just don't want to have to worry about that.

Each of the above responds to only one midi channel. I use a Yamaha P250 as my main controller, sometimes with a Hammond XK-3 on top. If Receptor ever did crash, I could still play piano/organ. The eight performance buttons
in the bottom row of the P250 simply transmit on different channels, so I can switch sounds from there. Channel 5 makes the piano the lower manual of the XK-3.
The key thing for me, besides not using disc streaming, is that the Receptor never changes patches, never loads, just plays back what is thrown at it.
I pick my one multi per gig, load it up, and keep it exactly the same for the duration of the gig.
I use a midi solutions event processor and a MOTU AV to do remapping, merging, etc. I have it set so the bottom few keys on the Rhodes/Wurly tracks turn on and off components of VKFX, and change the function of the modwheel.

I think that if I didn't use large samples, I could get away with alot more in terms of patch changes and the like. Every problem I've ever had, period, without exception has been related to large sample libraries. You really need
to get your MO down and stick with it.

Stuff you may not have tried yet.
Load a blank multi inbetween two large multis, and before you shut the machine down.
Boot while holding the multi button down. This clears cache/buffers, etc.
Always use Receptors patch storing, not the plugs.

Would love to hear detailed descriptions of other user's setups!!!!

[jstaczek]

Very similar setups. I'm using a Doepfer LMK4+ controller with a Korg CX-3 on top into a Leslie. I think the B4 sounds fantastic, but since I gotta have waterfall keys and drawbars anyway, the CX-3 does the whole job. I'm also just using the one multi, no program changes on the fly. Preset keys on the Doepfer just change the MIDI transmit channel, as you describe. The only extra thing I did was map a second footswitch to do channel bypass so I can take channels out of processing altogether. It would actually be great if Receptor built this in somehow, say a mode where program change was actually just switching to one channel of a multi and channel bypassing all others.

This stuff is replacing a B3, Wurli and a Clavinet. I've been lugging that crap around for too long and breaking too many Wurli reeds. Now that they're $15 apiece, it's not worth taking the Wurli out of the studio.

I do have to ask, though, what's the deal with loading a blank multi before shutdown. Isn't shutdown shutdown? How could that possibly do anything? Is this just voodoo?

And I am using Receptor patch storing, but I swear it's acting weird with Ivory. I just don't get it....

Jason
www.chromasound.net

[PhilAiken]

Blank patch before shutdown=blank patch at bootup!!
So if you don't hold the multi button down at bootup the machine doesn't have to load a multi when it fires up.
For the bypass thing....check out the "snapshots" feature in 1.5. It does exactly that. I haven't messed with it myself....

[flattop]

I'm using a Yamaha ES 76 as my main controller and an Evolution MK-461C as my top keyboard that handles solos and B4. Thinking about replacing it with the Doepfer Waterfall keyboard they sell. Anyway, I have both keyboards controlling the ES and the Receptor through a JLCooper MSB+. That way I can have the sounds of either where I want them.

I do not tax my Receptor like I used to prior to owning the ES. Instesd of using the Receptor like a do it all, I am now much more selective with it, which has made me love it all the more. I own quite a few plugs, like MiniMonsta, MTron, B4, Kontakt 2, etc..., but I find myself using the free plugs more often than the paid for plugs. I use Mr. Tramp and Mr. Ray all the time. I love them. The only paid plugs that I can really say that about are MiniMonsta and B4, which is probably my favorite plug of all. The Receptor does impress all those that see and hear it, and I have had good luck with it. That said, it does not run perfectly 100% of the time. I do agree that samples are hard on an instrument. Out of range memory or bad memory will be a nightmare for any computer based products. You should see what it does to an OB-8.

Wes Taggart
http://www.analogics.org/

[jstaczek]

Wes, now you've got me worried. You say you're not taxing it hard and yet still it doesn't run perfectly 100% of the time? What kind of problems are you having? I've been on the fence with mine since getting it two weeks ago and this doesn't bode well. I might as well go back to a Yamaha S90. That did run perfectly 100% of the time...

Jason
www.chromasound.net

[pianodano]

Mine runs just fine about 50% of the time. The other 50% it spends rebooting. You will definitely need 2 gb ram for Colossus. I bought it for Colossus only. What a waste. I'm tired of trying to keep Receptor going.

I have spent time on the phone with Muse, they are good about that. But It's like this - I have been told to install the lastest greatest update because of the reboot problem. Now why would I have to do that? Is it now normal proceedure for companies to ship products that won't work reliably and tell the customer they maybe can fix it by installing updates? Must be. From the day I got it last October or November, life has taken a turn for the worse. You can go back an see my threads- The last straw for me - uniwire finally came out but - Sonar ain't supported or wasn't.

Danny