u-he

minimaltom · Post by **minimaltom** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 12:31 pm

Hi,

I recently upgraded to an i7-4790k processor with a fireface UCX on 128 samples buffer size and expected to be able to run diva in divine mode with multicore enabled with no problems since I thought it was a fairly top of the line processor. On the whole it performs fine except with 1 or 2 presets or until the polyphony is rediculously high then it starts to crackle. Not only that but I also have the same problem with Hive using certain presets, eg. Bright Stack or Drones in polyleads. This suprised me especially since I thought that Hive was designed to be easy on the cpu.

Am I expecting to much of this processor or is there something I haven't done to optimise it. What is the ranking of this processor and how well can I expect it to perform?

ps, I use ableton Live and maschine

Chapelle · Post by **Chapelle** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 12:53 pm

minimaltom · Post by **minimaltom** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 2:03 pm

Thanks Chapelle but I just tried this and played a repeating 3 note chord pattern onhives Bright Stack preset alone with just one midi track and it still breaks up and crackles badly. That seems totally wrong with an i7-4790 no?

I tried changing the buffer size and it would only work ok at 2048 samples! even then it occasionally crackles.

edit: I'm on windows 10 by the way.

With the buffer set to 48samples and cpu usage simulation set right up to 80% the test tone in ableton doesn't crackle at all

BDeep · Post by **BDeep** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 2:40 pm

That's plain weird. The release of that Hive patch is rather long, so the number of voices will add up pretty quick, but it really shouldn't crackle. I have an underpowered MBA (1,8 GHz i5) and that patch with similar chords doesn't come anywhere near maxing out the CPU.

I'm not of much help in regards to optimising Windows, but just wanted to chime in to say that something definitely seems off.

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 3:24 pm

Does Live have a Multi-Core option on/off ? Do you have another DAW to test DIVA with ? Are you using the Fireface's Firewire or USB ports ? What do your Windows Task Manager CPU meters show when playing DIVA ? Do other VSTi's have this issue ? There are a million question that could be asked. Tracing an issue is just a matter of narrowing it down step by step to whatever is causing the issue.

With your setup (knowing what we do) you shouldn't be having such issues except in extreme settings. It could just be something that needs to be adjusted either in your Fireface (drivers?) or your System/DAW

Here's your CPU ranking:

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup ... Hz&id=2275

Krezie · Post by **Krezie** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 3:48 pm

I had this problem too with Hive. Some presets crackled a bit too when used in FL Studio. Solution here was changing the buffer setting in the plugin wrapper to fixed buffer size. Somehow FL Studio's use of dynamic buffer size didn't work well with Hive.

I don't know if Ableton uses a dynamic buffer size too, so it's a bit of a longshot. Maybe worth checking.

rod_zero · Post by **rod_zero** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 4:12 pm

I have the same processor and I don't experiment this at all, once instance of Diva on divine with 8 voices (5 with 2 stack) get to 35-45% CPU use.

I use u-he plug ins inside Ableton Live, at 128 samples buffer, my interface is an RME Fireface UC.

Elektronisch · Post by **Elektronisch** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:27 pm

I have the same 4790K CPU and it runs Diva and Hive very well on Windows 10. What you do need to do is to optimise your system for the maximum performance. That means you need to go to BIOS and turn off all the Power saving features, EIST, Intel Speed Step and so on. Only leave Intel Turbo Boost. In Windows turn on maximum performance power plan. There are more things you can do to but these are the most common that casual users are not aware of.

minimaltom · Post by **minimaltom** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:59 pm

Thanks for your replies, something is definately wrong here then. I wonder if its the fireface UCX, it actually has a breakdown sometimes and plays everything like its through a bit crusher on 2 bit but that may be unrelated.

Does Live have a Multi-Core option on/off ?

Yes, its on.

Do you have another DAW to test DIVA with ?

Yes, Maschine strandalone doesn't have the same problem! I can have multiple instances in divine mode at max polyphony or hive and it doesn't breakup. I can have 12 instances of hive playing the Bright Stack preset before it breaks up, but not even one in ableton!

Are you using the Fireface's Firewire or USB ports ?

USB

What do your Windows Task Manager CPU meters show when playing DIVA ?

pretty much the same

Do other VSTi's have this issue ?

Yes, Serum is having the same problem but neither diva or serum are as bad as hive at the mo.

Aerithos · Post by **Aerithos** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 6:33 pm

minimaltom wrote:
Does Live have a Multi-Core option on/off ?
Yes, its on.

Per the Diva User Guide, it's recommended to turn off the Host's Multi-Core option for the plugin. Diva has it's own multi-threading implementation and the host's attempt at multiple threads interferes.

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 6:55 pm

minimaltom wrote: Yes, Maschine strandalone doesn't have the same problem! I can have multiple instances in divine mode at max polyphony or hive and it doesn't breakup. I can have 12 instances of hive playing the Bright Stack preset before it breaks up, but not even one in ableton!

AhHa ! That's a pretty big clue. If you don't get the same results in another DAW or Host then it points to Live as being a possible cause. I don't own Live other than some older LE version and don't use it so maybe someone who is an expert at using Live will have some suggestions.........

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:04 pm

Aerithos wrote: Per the Diva User Guide, it's recommended to turn off the Host's Multi-Core option for the plugin. Diva has it's own multi-threading implementation and the host's attempt at multiple threads interferes.

Can you point me to the part in the User Guide where it's recommended to turn off the Host Multi-Threading ?
I see this:
"If a project consists of many instances of Diva, please make sure that as many as possible are not-multi threaded. In certain combinations of hosts, drivers etc., multi-threaded can cause drop outs and stalls".

Urs himself has said that having multiple instances of DIVA all with it's MT option turned ON can cause problems in some hosts....I keep forgetting this so maybe that comes into play in this case as well.

When using a single instance of DIVA I always have both DIVA's and the Host's MT enabled and have not had a problem across several DAWs.........

BDeep · Post by **BDeep** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:50 pm

Add to that that Hive doesn't have a multi processor option and also gives problems to the OP. So the chances of Live's multi threading making a difference seem pretty slim. Still, it's one button, can't hurt to try.

Krezie · Post by **Krezie** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:58 pm

It might have to do with the base latency setting in Hive in combination with Ableton.

Check the info from Urs (u-he) in this topic:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6314478

Cyoon · Post by **Cyoon** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:03 pm

BDeep wrote:Add to that that Hive doesn't have a multi processor option and also gives problems to the OP. So the chances of Live's multi threading making a difference seem pretty slim. Still, it's one button, can't hurt to try.

Hive doesn't need that really, it's so low on CPU that the CPU meter hardly ever shows anything.

u-he

KVR Audio

i7 processor