KVR Audio

simonmush · Post by **simonmush** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:02 pm

`ve a new pc with following system requirements:
processor - AMD Athlon 64 3000 (2,01 GHZ)
512 MB Ram
SOundcard- Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS

If I work now with cubase, with about 10 vsti`s and midi channels, its too much for the system the cpu is too weak. Especially Refx Vanguard needs very much cpu, even if i mute the other channels it needs about 70%!!
Is it real possible that this is too much for 2 Ghz or could there be another solution?I also tried to change the sound driver but theres no diffrence. Please help me I´m realy going crazy. Thanx a new pc with following

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:10 pm

I don't know Vanguard, but:

- Get yourself another 512 MB of RAM. Especially under XP this will make up for a SIGNIFICANT difference. RAM is cheap and there's NO reason to work with anything less than 1 GB under XP.
- The Audigy, while working well, isn't known to have the most efficient drivers, especially when running in low latency mode. Other cards are giving better performance. If you are serious about your work you should think about a dedicated audio card one day.

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:12 pm

Maybe raise the ASIO buffer size a bit... Setting that too low (especially on sampling freqs above 48kHz) drains your CPU power.

You might try the KX-Project drivers instead of the default Creative ones.

Oh, and a warm welcome to KvR, Simon!

ghost666 · Post by **ghost666** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:31 pm

simonmush wrote:`ve a new pc with following system requirements:
processor - AMD Athlon 64 3000 (2,01 GHZ)
512 MB Ram
SOundcard- Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS

If I work now with cubase, with about 10 vsti`s and midi channels, its too much for the system the cpu is too weak. Especially Refx Vanguard needs very much cpu, even if i mute the other channels it needs about 70%!!
Is it real possible that this is too much for 2 Ghz or could there be another solution?I also tried to change the sound driver but theres no diffrence. Please help me I´m realy going crazy. Thanx a new pc with following

Try upping the Audigy's latency?
Things should run more efficiently that way however,
obviously this will limit your ability to record with playback.

Are your C.P.U. & R.A.M. running at their optimal settings?

While not necessarily reflective in your case, do you have an adequate cooling solution for your components?

Are you running legitimate software?

Assumming that you're running XP... have you optimized your O.S. specifically for audio work?

ie; What process' & services do you have running in Windows' background that might be unnecessary, etc...?

The following links contain info that may be of use in this regard...

http://www.musicxp.net/

http://www.tweakheadz.com/troubleshooti ... _cards.htm

http://www.blackviper.com/index.html

Good luck!

ObsoleteAcc99 · Post by **ObsoleteAcc99** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:35 pm

[DELETED]

Churchy · Post by **Churchy** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:50 pm

the problem i have with the idea of freeze (not that i have used it) is that you seem to need the entire song's worth of the track ur gonna freeze. is that correct?

i usually max my cpu before i've even *started* sequencing!

JonathanDragonDJ · Post by **JonathanDragonDJ** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:05 pm

freeze--- you can just freeze a channel temporarily...so if you want to work on one channel freeze the others to free the cpu...thats what i recomend for your problem

but i have a similar setup and i can tell you that the other guys are right...up the latency to put more of the pressure on your CPU and less on your ram...and with your setup 512mb ram is totall inadequate...cubase is using up half of that easily without VSTs just loading up....i recomend at LEAST a gig....you can get a 512mb stick for under 100$ on ebay i'm sure..........

i have a similar setup with 1.25mb ram......no probs at all with 20 vsts

so i know that ram will solve ur prob if lowering latency doesn't

cheERs

Churchy · Post by **Churchy** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:13 pm

would getting more RAM (i also have 512) actually allow me to get better performance out of cubase?? it's just i don't see how getting more RAM will do that .. i don't use samples much, just VSTi + effects... but then again i'm not that clued up on computers

Sascha Franck · Post by **Sascha Franck** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:22 pm

Churchy wrote:would getting more RAM (i also have 512) actually allow me to get better performance out of cubase?? it's just i don't see how getting more RAM will do that .. i don't use samples much, just VSTi + effects... but then again i'm not that clued up on computers

All timebased effects, such as reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, phaser and so on are making massive use of RAM. So, depending on the situation, the differences can be more or less drastic.

C00kie · Post by **C00kie** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:23 pm

Weather you need more RAM depends on how much you actually use. You can have a look at how much you've used up while you're in a Cubase session:
* Press the Windows-button + R (opens a "execute" window, same as Startmenu & Run)
* open taskmgr.exe
* view the tab Performance

It shows how much RAM you have in use at the bottom.

Churchy · Post by **Churchy** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:25 pm

yeah i use timebased effects quite often!

and cookie i will have a look at that when i get home

i dunno how i lived without this forum for so long

thanx guys!

ghost666 · Post by **ghost666** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:37 pm

Churchy wrote:...the problem i have with the idea of freeze (not that i have used it) is that you seem to need the entire song's worth of the track ur gonna freeze. is that correct?...

Yeah Churchy, although I think SX3 gives extended freeze functionality in comparison with what is achievable within SX2...
Freezing is no longer limited to use with Instrument channels ie; you can use it on FX & FX channels!
Also, the time it takes to render a track frozen has apparently been 'significantly' reduced!

Hellbilly · Post by **Hellbilly** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:38 pm

C00kie wrote: * Press the Windows-button + R (opens a "execute" window, same as Startmenu & Run)
* open taskmgr.exe
* view the tab Performance

It shows how much RAM you have in use at the bottom.

Ctrl+Alt+Delete does the same thing in case you didn't know (and is quicker to do)

I also seem to have massive CPU usage in Cubase with my AMD64 3000+. I have 1024mb Ram which is plenty since i have never seen Cubase go over 150mb memory usage. But in some projects, which are not complex or use alot of VSTi+FX, i get sometimes up to 70-80% CPU.

I have a decent soundcard, DMX 6Fire 24/96 and run at 4-10ms latency depending on what i am playing (i need lower latency when playing the Octapad to get more accuracy). I never get any clicks or pops or performance issues even though the latency is as low as 4ms, unless CPU hits 80%+ usage. I usually run projects in 24bit 44.1k.

What am i doing to cause this massive CPU usage? Badly optimized synths? Latency too low? Bit depth too high? Does my PC just hate making music?

ghost666 · Post by **ghost666** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 2:00 pm

Hellbilly wrote: ...What am i doing to cause this massive CPU usage? Badly optimized synths? Latency too low? Bit depth too high? Does my PC just hate making music?...

Which FX & synths are you running, generally speaking?

ghost666 · Post by **ghost666** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 2:01 pm

Oops..double post.

Cubase sx cpu problem