Hello, is this normal for studio one on mac?

[ozmuso67]

I find Studio One runs just fine for me on Windows, but I have my Windows heavily optimized.

I do understand from both here and the Presonus forums that Studio One has had a lot more performance issues on macs (OS..) than on Windows, optimized or not.

If I had a mac I'd use either cubase or logic. Both of those are very good DAW's for the mac platform.

[Zexila]

Studio One: optimization, stability and performance

So just default Windows optimization guide that doesn't fix S1 problem for OS X.

Guys on Windows that have S1 issues, did this guide fixed your issues?

[chk071]

Which issues?

[ozmuso67]

Guys on Windows that have S1 issues, did this guide fixed your issues?

I've always optimized my DAW machines, so I can't comment. I optimize more so that I can squeeze more tracks and plugins out of my hardware, not to solve any particular problem.

The mac issues from what I've read occur at really high buffers and low track/plugin count, so it is an issue with the S1 implementation on the mac platform.

One of the "key" tweaks for any DAW-based computer is not to have things like WiFi, anti-virus etc running when working. They can heavily affect performance.

[Zexila]

Which issues?

Guys on Windows that have S1 issues, did this guide fixed your issues?

I've always optimized my DAW machines, so I can't comment. I optimize more so that I can squeeze more tracks and plugins out of my hardware, not to solve any particular problem.

The mac issues from what I've read occur at really high buffers and low track/plugin count, so it is an issue with the S1 implementation on the mac platform.

One of the "key" tweaks for any DAW-based computer is not to have things like WiFi, anti-virus etc running when working. They can heavily affect performance.

Sure, but it's eye opener when you throw other DAW in equation on the same optimized system, which proves how non efficiently one is coded against the other, easy as that.

[ontracktuts]

I've been using Studio One on a Mac for the last 4 years and it seems to perform fine. I know its a lot more CPU intensive then others DAWs, but it still handles fine on my 2.5Ghz Macbook Pro. How much RAM do they have on their Mac? And are they using SSDs? If you beef up the RAM and use SSDs you should have no issues. I really like Studio One. I find it has a super clean interface and is very easy to use and navigate. Plus has some cool features like ScratchPads. I find it to be the closest DAW that is similar to Logic.

[Zexila]

I've been using Studio One on a Mac for the last 4 years and it seems to perform fine. I know its a lot more CPU intensive then others DAWs, but it still handles fine on my 2.5Ghz Macbook Pro.

Exactly, it's a fact that it's not coded to work efficiently on OS X as some other DAW's and that's all that matters here in this thread, plain simple, it's normal for S1 to behave lousy on OS X, but one guy lousy is other guy fine, preferences and all that.

[ecdysis]

Studio One: optimization, stability and performance
DEREK JONES·MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2016
Please do not edit content, if you have anything to add there is a place at the end of the document.

Introduction

Here’s a quick guide on how to ensure your system is optimized for Studio One, what to change in Studio One itself to help optimize performance and how to troubleshoot performance issues with Studio One. Please read through this first before asking for optimization help in the group to see if your problem is addressed here. If you still have a question, please note the list of items at the end that you should include in your post to assist other Studio One users in helping you troubleshoot.
General system optimization help

PreSonus maintain several links on setting up systems for use with Studio One here. Start here, and check that you have worked through these steps first:
Studio One system requirements

While it is possible to sometimes run Studio One very effectively on systems with lower capacity or performance, particularly older systems, there are guidelines from PreSonus on recommended minima here:
http://www.presonus.com/products/st...
Some general guidelines

Choose a system that is as fast as you can afford. These days, typically a minimum of a dual Core i5 with 8GB memory and a 7200RPM hard disk (with enough capacity) is a rough starting point. Note: 5400RPM disks (common in notebooks) can cause a bottleneck.Less than 8GB of memory (e.g. 4GB) is workable but tight esp. if you use sample-based virtual instruments. SSDs are better still than hard drives, generally speaking, if you can afford them.
macOS

http://support.presonus.com/hc/en-u...
http://support.presonus.com/hc/en-u...
http://support.presonus.com/hc/en-u...
http://support.presonus.com/hc/en-u...
http://support.presonus.com/hc/en-u...
Windows

10
Although there is no specific PreSonus page for Windows 10 optimization, much of the information on the Vista/7/8 pages still applies. Also check the Non-Presonus links below for more information.
Vista/7/8
http://support.presonus.com/hc/en-u...
http://support.presonus.com/hc/en-u...
http://www.presonus.com/community/l...
Non-PreSonus system optimization links for audio

macOS

https://support.native-instruments.com/...
Sierra software compatibility list
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...
El Capitan
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...
Yosemite
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...
Mavericks
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...
Mountain Lion
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...
Windows

http://www.studio-one.expert/studio...
https://support.native-instruments.com/...
10
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...
https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en...

To prevent Windows 10 from installing downloads there is a workaround which involves setting your network connection - assuming your studio system is connected to a network in the first place, which is another matter of debate to be had elsewhere - to be “metered”. The reason for doing this is that it allows you to continue to choose the time that updates get installed, not Microsoft.

A stable studio system is usually better than an up-to-date one (up-to-date from someone else’s perspective that doesn’t do the critical work that you do with yours...) On that point it should be noted that in general it is a bad idea to update a working system until at the very least you have finished your current recording / mixing / mastering project, whether that be “minor” updates or complete OS revisions. The problem with Windows 10 is that those have been forced. The good news is they can be turned off still

http://www.howtogeek.com/224471/how...
My Windows 7 64 studio system is rock solid stable without any updates added since 2014. The last time I allowed a Windows update it wrecked the system entirely and I had to restore from a backup. In general, while most updates are safe, they can also be hazardous since they can alter functionality in critical ways. When you are in the middle of a project, it is best to avoid them, and then install them only after checking whether they benefit your studio setup.
8
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/art ... indows-8/7
7
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...
Specific system issues

BIOS (Windows systems)

Some more modern motherboard, chipset and BIOS combinations can cause problems for DAWs in general and Studio One in particular. This is often occasioned by BIOS settings for power management and/or CPU throttling or core usage (number of cores in use), speedstep or CPU C-states. Here are some links that demonstrate how to resolve some of those
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZ...
Note: Not all BIOS menus give you options to change these. Only make these changes if you are comfortable working at this level with your computer, or ask another qualified person to help.
Aero (Windows systems)

It has been noted that turning Aero off on Windows systems that support making that change to the window system (normally considered to be a slight optimization) can actually interfere with communications between Studio One and 3rd party VSTs. Some other DAWs mandate that Aero be turned on in order to run, so this is not an issue specific to Studio One. It is recommended therefore to run with Aero turned on.
Checking performance in Studio One

Here are some hints and tricks to get you started finding bottlenecks:
http://support.presonus.com/hc/en-u...
Optimizing Studio One itself

Setting buffer sizes (“Device Block Size”)

This is also known as the number of samples. It’s an internal buffer used for audio processing and is common to all DAWs and is typically set to something like 512 or 256 samples.
What you set this to will depend on your hardware capabilities and what you are trying to achieve.
Recording / tracking vs. mixing and mastering
If you are recording, you normally want your buffer size as low as you can comfortably achieve without getting pops and clicks in your recording.
Normally on most modern systems (produced in the past 5 years or so) start with a value of 512 and work down from there. You may get away with less than 128 depending on your audio interface, direct monitoring etc.
If you go higher than 512 and you are recording live performance - singing, guitar, keyboards, then you will likely begin to eventually notice latency that will be disconcerting to performers. E.g. the time taken between striking a key, plucking a string and hearing the response will be noticeable.
Direct monitoring in hardware can offset this to some extent, but you should aim for the lowest value that gives you a clean recording.
When you are mixing or mastering (i.e. there is no live performance going on), you can increase the buffer settings higher. This has the advantage that plugins that use higher amounts of CPU can do so comfortably without spiking.
The device block size is accessible from Preferences -> Audio Setup -> Device Block Size
Choosing sampling rates and bit depth

Likewise will depend on your hardware capabilities and what quality you are aiming to record with. Too high and your performance will suffer. Too low and you will sacrifice quality.
Bit depth
Bit depths of 24 or above give you enough recording with modern equipment to maintain a low noise floor. i.e. your recordings will have a higher signal/noise ratio. Using lower bit depths is not recommended since you will sacrifice quality. There is usually little gained however in bit depths above 24.
The bit depth of a song can be set via the New Song right hand panel when you create a new song, or later from the Song Setup tab under Preferences -> Song Setup -> Resolution
Sample rates
Sample rates are a hot topic of discussion. The generally accepted wisdom is that for recording, the physics of Nyquist’s sampling theorem holds and that using sample rates above 48kHz gains very little. Some will debate that and speak about ultra frequency components (especially with resonant cavities in wood-based instruments like guitars, cellos, etc.) that can’t be heard but felt, and therefore that it’s useful to preserve that in the recording by using higher sampling rates like 88.2kHz or 96kHz. Again, I’m talking here about recording, not whether there is value in preserving higher sample rates for intermediate processing. A topic for another discussion.

In any case, this isn’t the place to have that debate
Suffice it to say that whether you want to - and whether you can - will depend on your microphone response, your audio interface, your preamps and the rest of your signal chain.
The performance-related concern is that the higher your sample rate the more CPU and memory is required and there is a tradeoff that you may need to consider if you have for example set a sample rate of 192kHz with a bit depth of 32 bits and are wondering why your system is behaving slowly or is giving you lots of pops and clicks in the recording.
Many people do all their recording at 44.1kHz / 24 bits perfectly acceptably...
The net effect: getting to acceptable latency
Between buffer size, sample rate and bit depth, for recording situations, you want to aim at a latency of 15ms or less. The threshold of hearing latency issues is about 10ms. Anything under 10 is not normally going to affect a performer’s sense of lag. However, it might still cause an issue in audio alignment with other tracks. A topic for another discussion. Many people can actually handle latencies for live performance recording as much as 20ms without it being a problem however. We are an adaptable bunch
The critical thing here is that the lower you go with latency in ms by juggling buffer sizes, sampling rates and bit depths, the higher your CPU and memory usage will be typically. So, you often need to aim at a tradeoff for recording, especially if you want to throw some plugins on tracks while tracking vs. doing so later in mixing. Don’t forget you can transform tracks down too to save on realtime plugin processing.
The sample rate can again be set in the New Song dialog right hand pane, or again afterwards via the Preferences -> Song Setup-> Sample Rate setting.
Note that setting the bit depth and sample rate may (usually will) alter the underlying hardware’s selection of bit depth and sample rate as well, and, that choice you have in Studio One may not be reflected by the hardware. E.g. you may choose a bit depth of 16 but the hardware may only support a fixed bit depth of 24. Usually this disparity does not matter, but it may give rise to resampling issues and pops and clicks.
Running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Studio One - which is best?

You can run Studio One in either 32-bit or 64-bit mode depending on your base operating system. On Windows 64 or macOS you can run either 32-bit or 64-bit Studio One. On 32-bit Windows you can only run a 32-bit version of Studio One. The main advantage in using a 64-bit Studio One version is that you are not restricted to 4GB of memory. Most systems today are 64-bit and many come with more than 4GB of memory. Therefore in most circumstances you should run a 64-bit version of Studio One to optimize your memory use.
When you use a 64-bit version of Studio One it will only use 64-bit plugins however, unless you use a 32->64 bridge program like jBridge. (Works for both Windows and macOS). The advantage to using 64-bit plugins (esp. 3rd party ones) is that they can also use large amounts of memory if required, which is especially useful for large streaming sample plugins.
32-bit vs 64-bit processing engine (“Process precision”)

This is an entirely different thing than the previous item. This is an option you choose inside Studio One’s preferences to determine the internal processing depth - basically how it performs its calculations internally. (It’s also unrelated to the recording bit depth noise floor). Most people will be fine using the 32-bit processing engine which is the default setting. If you have it set to 64-bit and experience stuttering at all, try setting it back to 32-bit.
You access this via the Preferences -> Audio Setup -> Process Precision setting.
How many CPU cores?

Studio One can utilize multiple CPU cores for processing. It may do so differently than other DAWs but it does make use of multiple cores. By default, all cores are checked. Just occasionally, it is useful to uncheck a core to allow a plugin to operate more efficiently by allowing that core to be assigned to something other than Studio One itself if that plugin can take advantage of a freed up core separate from being loaded inside Studio One.
You access this via the Preferences -> Audio Setup -> Use CPU Cores setting.
Should I use Safe Mode?

Under the Preferences -> Advanced -> Audio tab, you have the option to choose to “Process audio in safe mode”. This may help in stuttering audio and is worth trying if you hit that problem. It will increase latency typically by a couple of ms however. That is acceptable in most cases, so if it helps your setup overall, check it and leave it checked.
Tips for optimizing signal processing flow

Bussing reverbs to a common bus
Apart from the acoustic reasons for maintaining a single reverb space for overall recording (offset against the effect reasons of adding specific delays and reverbs to individual instruments like guitars, voice, etc.) reverbs in particular, especially those modeling real acoustic spaces using impulse responses, can be CPU-intensive.
As a result, it is normally a good idea to send multiple tracks to a common reverb bus and not to add multiple reverb plugins. You will find that you will eat up CPU quickly if you use multiple versions.
Specific topics
http://www.studio-one.expert/studio...
Specific plugins
Yes - Mai Tai can be heavy on CPU
Still have a performance problem? How to help us help you!

Please give the following information when you are asking for help with a Studio One performance issue
1.) What were you doing at the time?
Starting up
Recording / tracking
Mixing
Mastering
Saving a file
Shutting down
Also - please specify what plugins were loaded and how many tracks you were working on.
2.) What is your version of Studio One?
E.g. 3.3.2 64-bit
3a.) What is the type of S1 installation?
E.g. Artist or Pro
3b.) If Artist, do you have any upgrades installed
E.g. VST/Rewire
4.) Platform specific items
Platform: Windows or macOS
OS version: e.g. Win 7 64, Win 10 64, Yosemite, Sierra etc.
Memory: e.g. 8GB
Disk type: e.g. SSD, HD 7200 rpm, Firewire, etc.
CPU type and speed: e.g. Intel Q9450 2.6GHz or Core i7 2.2GHz etc.
5.) Audio and / or MIDI interface manufacturer and model in use
E.g. PreSonus Studio 192 Mobile etc.
6.) If using an aggregate on macOS or on Windows using ASIO4ALL please mention that.
7.) Your Studio One recording settings
S1 buffer size
Bit depth
Sample rate
Safe mode on or off?
Number of CPU cores used out of a total of how many possible?
Resulting latency settings
8.) Are you using an external monitor?
If so, how is it connected? VGA? HDMI? DVI? Thunderbolt?
9.) Whether you have performed the optimizations mentioned at the beginning of the document specific to your system / OS?
If not, which ones have you left out - (there may be some legitimate reasons for doing so on occasion, so, do please indicate why - we won’t bite! - although we might recommend you still do those things first )
10.) PLEASE DESCRIBE THE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE PROBLEM ACCURATELY
i.e. NOT
"It's too slow"
but e.g.:
"The CPU meter spikes at 100% consistently when I use the ACME plugin with a modulation setting of 10.5. I’ve tried the following to fix it... etc. etc.”
or the like...

_____________________
If you have any additional optimization / performance / stability tips, please add them under this section. If you could include your name as well it would be helpful
Additional tips

Please! If you have anything to add do it below, do not edit any content above...
.....

If you can't understand and make it through this information, how the heck did you expect to do it yourself long time ago when you demoed it last?

There's been a lot updated, fixed and made aware of since then. It seems you only have the need to hold onto your personal experience due to inexperience.

[Zexila]

Studio One: optimization, stability and performance

If you can't understand and make it through this information, how the heck did you expect to do it yourself long time ago when you demoed it last?

There's been a lot updated, fixed and made aware of since then. It seems you only have the need to hold onto your personal experience due to inexperience.

What are you on about, OS X version is lousy performer right now, this whole topic is about that, get with the program for crying out loud, did you expect if you throw some default Windows optimization guide and few insults it will suddenly all disappear, lol

[ozmuso67]

What are you on about, OS X version is lousy performer right now, this whole topic is about that, get with the program for crying out loud, did you expect if you throw some default Windows optimization guide and few insults it will suddenly all disappear, lol

Agreed.

I had a re-read of your guide, and it doesn't cover a lot of things, plus I disagree with some of it, but anyway.. I digress.. and despite what your guide says, there is pretty much a standard list of things you can do on Windows 10 to optimize for audio recording.

But, like Zexila said, this is an issue of S1 performance on macs. Whilst some people might be able to get good performance on their mac, a lot of mac users have major issues with S1, particularly S1 V3, with CPU spikes even at low track/plugin count. I believe some of these issues were ironed out towards the end of S1 V2, but from what I have read, there are major issues with S1 V3 on macs that no amount of optimization can address currently.

[chk071]

I haven't applied ANY of those optimizations (only thing i do is set the energy profile to "high performance" in Windows), and S1 3 Pro still performs okay here. Admittedly i'm anything else but a power user, and harldy ever had a project with more than 8 tracks or so. But with those, i couldn't notice a difference to Cubase for example, and i do use virtual instruments. Maybe i'd run into issues with bigger projects, IDK.

[incubus]

Optimizations/shmopitizations.

Quit blaming paying customers for your idiot problem.

[Amelia70]

I am having some strange problems with automation, but I haven't had any other issues yet. It's just that the timing of automation is sometimes not right, and I can't for the life of me work out what is triggering it to work perfectly on some tracks and not on others. So i am just moving it by ear manually, however sometimes when I change or move a plugin that is not being automated on an affected track, the automation shifts time again. How on earth can replacing a random plugin change the automation timing of the other plugins being automated on the same track? I am confused about this and still haven't found an answer.

It's known bug, TheoM a.k.a ObsoleteAcc99 who is banned from here talked about it all the time, here's one of his threads, long story short, latent plugins cause that.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=453488

Here's more on that:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=464832

I don't mean to come across so uninformed, but as I stated in my noob topic a while back, I really am totally new to DAW's. I come from a strictly old school hardware background.

I have absolutely no idea what a "latent" plugin is, nor what obsolete was talking about.

I own 15 plugins total (3 instruments, 12 FX), plus whatever is in studio one, and now, Logic.

All I know is that I insert them into their slots, they are very easy to automate, but often that automation is out of time. There is one plug in in particular where I am using a gain automation, where it is so out of time it was even difficult to align it by ear. And sometimes, just inserting another plugin after it, will ruin my manual adjusted automation timing of the plugin before it.
I have absolutely no clue what is going on. What I do know, is that I have really good ears when it comes to picking something out of place in music, and that this definitely did not happen in Studio one.
If it wasn't for my writing partner, i'd still be on windows using studio one, and I probably will still do my solo work on it.

If anyone can explain to me what a latent plugin is or why it could cause automation timing problems, i'd appreciate you helping the DAW dummy out!

[Zexila]

If anyone can explain to me what a latent plugin is or why it could cause automation timing problems, i'd appreciate you helping the DAW dummy out!

This is the reason I left you those links, so you can read all about it in great detail.

[Amelia70]

Education, knowledge and skill are powerful things if you're willing to do the work.

Exactly, they should learn how to code for OS X efficiently, there's no other way, problem will not disappear denying it and shifting the blame towards the other side, but actually fixing it.

They should learn how to Code full stop - Studio One performs extremely poorly on Windows too - otherwise I fully agree with you.

Studio One on the windows machine my husband built for me, performs better than Logic on my new mac, as in, it feels faster and I seem to get more plugins on it. All my bought plugins are for both mac and windows, therefore I am able to directly compare.

I never had a single studio one performance issue, until I tried to play back the same project that worked perfectly on my windows computer, on my writing partner's top of the line mac pro, ence what spurred this topic.

It's bedtime In London, but I'll do more research on Logic and "latent plugins" tomorrow, and ask if I need any more help, if that's ok.