Any way to free up the cpu ?
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- KVRist
- 90 posts since 20 Jul, 2003
I don't have many tracks (3 audio and 4vsti) and my cpu is 70%. (I have a 1.8ghz Athlon XP). So you know any way how i can free some cpu ? Don't tell me to freeze because i get old before sx does it (i don't get it.. i render the whole song much much faster) I use eqs & compressors on audio channels and compressors on vstis plus some reverbs. May be the latency (8ms on sblive) the problem ? Should my new firewire audiophile decrease the cpu time ? What kind of effects eat more cpu ?
do the don't
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- Pick Me Pick me!
- 10242 posts since 12 Mar, 2002 from a state of confusion
instruments: pads/strings and things with long releases
effects: things with long tails (:P) or much modulation
basically anything where the processor is having to do a lot of math ..especially in places like higher sampling rates and using oversampling (try playing the 'nord tunes' preset from zeta+ on your little 1800+ as an example. It will take 50-60% cpu with just one key pressed)
I dont know what to tell you though.. you have an old processor (as do I 2000+) and havent really given a specific example of which synths and effects specifically you are using.. which is kind of important
effects: things with long tails (:P) or much modulation
basically anything where the processor is having to do a lot of math ..especially in places like higher sampling rates and using oversampling (try playing the 'nord tunes' preset from zeta+ on your little 1800+ as an example. It will take 50-60% cpu with just one key pressed)
I dont know what to tell you though.. you have an old processor (as do I 2000+) and havent really given a specific example of which synths and effects specifically you are using.. which is kind of important
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- KVRAF
- 7886 posts since 24 Feb, 2003 from Earth, USA
How? Pick up PC, move it, drop 3200+ AMD in its place. Best way. 
Devon
Devon
Simple music philosophy - Those who can, make music. Those who can't, make excuses.
Read my VST reviews at Traxmusic!
Read my VST reviews at Traxmusic!
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- KVRAF
- 2973 posts since 10 Sep, 2003 from Karlskoga, Stockholm, Sweden
You're not using convolution reverb are you?
Some guy had a similar problem, his cpu-fan was broken.
What samplerate do you use?
What synths/effects?
I think your firewire will decrease cpu-usage, but im not sure. It depends on the drivers, and i dont know how good the ones for sblive are.
Good luck
Some guy had a similar problem, his cpu-fan was broken.
What samplerate do you use?
What synths/effects?
I think your firewire will decrease cpu-usage, but im not sure. It depends on the drivers, and i dont know how good the ones for sblive are.
Good luck
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- KVRAF
- 8701 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
Sounds like alot of CPU for a smallish amount of processign to me.
Reverbs can be CPU intensive, so there is a potential culprit. Mix with a low quality reverb and use your good reverb only when the rest of the mix is good.
Render to audio more often. I do this alot and it is not a hassle if it frees up CPU (I use a 1.1 Athlon which is ancient by the 3+GHz standard now - but I get full mixes and masters done easily.) Audio is your friend. Do everything live on a PC and expect to have problems, simple as that.
Another way of reducing CPU hit. Why on earth do you need to mix with 8mS latency on Cubase SX which has complete delay compensation throughout?
Latency is pretty important when you're doing the playing in, and sketching out ideas, but it makes no difference whatever when mixing down apart from hogging up your CPU. I have my latency set at around 20mS normally - I can play stuff in mostly OK at that level - I'll need to pull back the midi notes sometimes, or if it's crucial, then I'll tweak the latency a little lower. And 20mS gives the PC a little breathing space. I quite often pull the latency way back at the mixing stage down to 50mS or more (more than that doesn't seem to give me any more grunt under the PC lid though).
Everybody seems to be so hung up on latency nowadays - ignore it when you're mixing. Believe me, you are wasting precious CPU by squeezing the last mS of latency from your machine, wehen you don't need it. This maybe is mostly where your CPU juice is going to.
Here's an example of a typical mix on my crustly old 1.1Ghz CPU.
ImpOSCar times 2 running live.
sfz live
sfz running drums or some drum machine VSTi
Generally 24 channels audio or close to it.
ALL channels apart from bassline & kick have lowcutEq
Minimum 2 aux sends delay.
Chorus send
probably 3 or 4 compressors (I will have rendered other compressed channels to audio).
Group enhancer insert
Group valve/limiter insert
Group delay insert
Master Comp
All you can manage is 4VSTi and 3 audio channels - something is wrong. Probably too low latency, probably too much reverb.
Comps - some seem to use alot of CPU. e.g I love Sascha's digitalfishphone ones, but they can be hungry. So check out Torben's GCO1 - it has a great sound and can be run live too - I was amazed at how little CPU it took, yet manages to sound one of the best s/w comps out there. Avoid look-ahead comps or anything multiband when mixing channels - they also hog CPU.
Reverbs - as mentioned before - can be monsters. I tend to render to audio for reverbed channels - easier in the long run if CPU is an issue (which it always is with my present system).
Little things - my copy of SX2 hasn't arrived yet
, but with 5.1 you can turn of audio busses that you don't use - e.g. if you have a 4-out soundcard but you only normally use two of them, turn off the second audio buss (it only saves a diddy bit of power) but it all helps.
Use subgroups more if you're running out of CPU - if you use lowcuts etc, then instead of lowcutting 24 channels, run them through subgroups and reduce it to maybe only 2 or 3 lowcuts for everything.
Never use inserts on a full mix - I generally always render to audio anything that makes me use inserts, whether that be FX or dynamics. Rendering to audio only takes a couple of mouse clicks, and if you keep the dry copy, you've lost nothing if you go wrong. To me that is the sole benefit of PC recording - I can multitrack endlessly with no loss.
I'm sure there are other things, but those will help. You should get more from a 1.8CPU. Unless of course all 4 of your VSTi are z3tas?
Reverbs can be CPU intensive, so there is a potential culprit. Mix with a low quality reverb and use your good reverb only when the rest of the mix is good.
Render to audio more often. I do this alot and it is not a hassle if it frees up CPU (I use a 1.1 Athlon which is ancient by the 3+GHz standard now - but I get full mixes and masters done easily.) Audio is your friend. Do everything live on a PC and expect to have problems, simple as that.
Another way of reducing CPU hit. Why on earth do you need to mix with 8mS latency on Cubase SX which has complete delay compensation throughout?
Latency is pretty important when you're doing the playing in, and sketching out ideas, but it makes no difference whatever when mixing down apart from hogging up your CPU. I have my latency set at around 20mS normally - I can play stuff in mostly OK at that level - I'll need to pull back the midi notes sometimes, or if it's crucial, then I'll tweak the latency a little lower. And 20mS gives the PC a little breathing space. I quite often pull the latency way back at the mixing stage down to 50mS or more (more than that doesn't seem to give me any more grunt under the PC lid though).
Everybody seems to be so hung up on latency nowadays - ignore it when you're mixing. Believe me, you are wasting precious CPU by squeezing the last mS of latency from your machine, wehen you don't need it. This maybe is mostly where your CPU juice is going to.
Here's an example of a typical mix on my crustly old 1.1Ghz CPU.
ImpOSCar times 2 running live.
sfz live
sfz running drums or some drum machine VSTi
Generally 24 channels audio or close to it.
ALL channels apart from bassline & kick have lowcutEq
Minimum 2 aux sends delay.
Chorus send
probably 3 or 4 compressors (I will have rendered other compressed channels to audio).
Group enhancer insert
Group valve/limiter insert
Group delay insert
Master Comp
All you can manage is 4VSTi and 3 audio channels - something is wrong. Probably too low latency, probably too much reverb.
Comps - some seem to use alot of CPU. e.g I love Sascha's digitalfishphone ones, but they can be hungry. So check out Torben's GCO1 - it has a great sound and can be run live too - I was amazed at how little CPU it took, yet manages to sound one of the best s/w comps out there. Avoid look-ahead comps or anything multiband when mixing channels - they also hog CPU.
Reverbs - as mentioned before - can be monsters. I tend to render to audio for reverbed channels - easier in the long run if CPU is an issue (which it always is with my present system).
Little things - my copy of SX2 hasn't arrived yet
, but with 5.1 you can turn of audio busses that you don't use - e.g. if you have a 4-out soundcard but you only normally use two of them, turn off the second audio buss (it only saves a diddy bit of power) but it all helps.Use subgroups more if you're running out of CPU - if you use lowcuts etc, then instead of lowcutting 24 channels, run them through subgroups and reduce it to maybe only 2 or 3 lowcuts for everything.
Never use inserts on a full mix - I generally always render to audio anything that makes me use inserts, whether that be FX or dynamics. Rendering to audio only takes a couple of mouse clicks, and if you keep the dry copy, you've lost nothing if you go wrong. To me that is the sole benefit of PC recording - I can multitrack endlessly with no loss.
I'm sure there are other things, but those will help. You should get more from a 1.8CPU. Unless of course all 4 of your VSTi are z3tas?