cron wrote:I think Madrona Labs have such a poor reputation on CPU hit because people see that an empty, silent patch causes notable CPU consumption by itself and they run a mile. Thing is, the CPU hit when you first open the synth is almost always the highest you'll ever see it go. All available voices are constantly running in (all?) ML plugs due to the architecture, where the concept of MIDI 'note-on/off' doesn't really exist outside of the envelope section. Doesn't matter how hard you're pushing things, CPU hit rarely changes. They're very predictable. Changing max available voices is just about the only thing that changes CPU hit in Madrona synths. They're on the heavy side, for sure, but there are plenty of synths out there which get heavier with a comparable number of voices playing.
exactly! and he explained on the forum some years ago. i can't recall if this info is in the manual somewhere though...
https://madronalabs.com/topics/3565-get ... t-of-kaivo
Always on
Like Aalto, and unlike most plugins, when you make an instance of Kaivo in a VST or AU host it is always running: all the algorithms are computing along at full tilt even though no sounds may be coming out. This feature lets you bring up the gate level manually or use Kaivo’s sequencer live without running the host, to play with sounds right in the plugin like you would on an analog modular system. This feature can be confusing if you’re not aware of it. I've had some feedback like “Kaivo had my CPU at 50% before I even played a note!” --- which sounds pretty scary, unless you realize that this is also the maximum it can use with the number of voices you have chosen.
