Tracktion Software

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 3:08 pm

So I just got a new 5k iMac Pro (big fancy one with Radeon Vega 64). Using macOS 10.13.6

Load up Waveform 9.2.6.

Try to load up a small project (30 tracks or so, which my machine can handle very, very easily). Everything is slow... the buttons, the help pops, switching tabs.

Hit play and EWW. The meters are at about 3fps. The playhead is even slower it seems.

Audio is totally fine.

Is this a known issue or what? It makes Waveform completely unusable.

dRowAudio · Post by **dRowAudio** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 3:35 pm

It's kind of a known issue. We've not had the chance to optimise for these ultra-high-DPI displays yet.
The work around at the moment is to right click the "Waveform.app", do a "Get info" and tick the "Open in Low Resolution" box.
The obvious downside of this is it won't look razor-sharp...

I need to see if I can get hold of a 5K monitor to develop on.

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 3:51 pm

dRowAudio wrote:It's kind of a known issue. We've not had the chance to optimise for these ultra-high-DPI displays yet.
The work around at the moment is to right click the "Waveform.app", do a "Get info" and tick the "Open in Low Resolution" box.
The obvious downside of this is it won't look razor-sharp...

I need to see if I can get hold of a 5K monitor to develop on.

If you need any assistance to test out ideas to fix it, you know where to get me.

But... this is very sad as is

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 3:57 pm

That's weird, you would think scaling wouldn't be a problem for a vector based gui

dRowAudio · Post by **dRowAudio** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 4:58 pm

It's not the scaling, it gets that correct. It's that it has 3 times the number of pixels than a retina display (11 times the number of a standard display) so there's 3 times the number of path points, gradient points, corners etc. to render. It's basically just a lot more number to crunch through and process before we hand them off to the OS to draw.

lastmessiah · Post by **lastmessiah** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:23 pm

I'm having the same performance issues on a 2016 MacBook Pro with 9.2.6.

Is this an issue on 9.2.1 as well?

dRowAudio · Post by **dRowAudio** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:08 pm

There shouldn't be much difference between 9.2.6 & 9.2.1.
Are you sure this is the same issue and not something else? I use a 2013 Retina MBP and don't see severe performance issues...

It could be some kind of hardware related issue? Are you sure the dedicated graphics card is getting correctly switched on when the app starts?

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:31 pm

dRowAudio wrote:There shouldn't be much difference between 9.2.6 & 9.2.1.

For me there's no difference between the 2 versions.

Every version of 9.x has the problem that I described.

Just to be clear for other readers.

lastmessiah · Post by **lastmessiah** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:28 pm

dRowAudio wrote:There shouldn't be much difference between 9.2.6 & 9.2.1.
Are you sure this is the same issue and not something else? I use a 2013 Retina MBP and don't see severe performance issues...

It could be some kind of hardware related issue? Are you sure the dedicated graphics card is getting correctly switched on when the app starts?

It’s possible, I’ll dig around

netsvetaev · Post by **netsvetaev** » Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:52 pm

No issues on macbook pro15 2017, except one: I can't get context menu in plugins panel by two-finger tap. It closes immediately. But works fine if I hold "control".

gesslr · Post by **gesslr** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:54 am

Robert Randolph wrote:So I just got a new 5k iMac Pro (big fancy one with Radeon Vega 64). Using macOS 10.13.6

Load up Waveform 9.2.6.

Try to load up a small project (30 tracks or so, which my machine can handle very, very easily). Everything is slow... the buttons, the help pops, switching tabs.

Hit play and EWW. The meters are at about 3fps. The playhead is even slower it seems.

Audio is totally fine.

Is this a known issue or what? It makes Waveform completely unusable.

OT, but at some point you gotta let us know what the performance boost for your other SW is like (maybe on AdmiralBumbleBee)...

lastmessiah · Post by **lastmessiah** » Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:28 am

FYI, I've gone through and tried to resolve the GUI performance issues but nothing is sticking. Made sure dedicated graphics is always switched on (MBP 2016).

The problems occur whenever I load up any sort of plugin or use the transport. One instance of Strobe 2 will have CPU at 100% and the interface extremely sluggish, as well as the transport. The audio comes in just fine with no distortion or anything. Not sure if this is only a problem for me.

lastmessiah · Post by **lastmessiah** » Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:34 am

Actually, I think I just discovered the problem. It's the Lightpad Block over Bluetooth. For some reason it brings Waveform to its knees. Once I disconnect it everything runs smoothly.

Peter Widdicombe · Post by **Peter Widdicombe** » Tue Aug 14, 2018 10:38 am

I think I'd seen similar before on an Xkey/Windows. Some devices with key pressure (particularly polyphonic aftertouch) will REALLY send out massive amounts of MIDI control messages.

Some devices allow you to make settings to reduce either frequency or sensitivity of control messages for aftertouch, to lessen the impact.

Tracktion Software

KVR Audio

TERRIBLE GUI performance on 5k mac