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  • Sporadic CPU usage issues

    I've noticed the CPU usage meter in the bottom right varies greatly, but randomly. Sometimes it hangs around 10-15% which is great. Other times it's above 70%, even just idling. I can't figure out why it's doing this.

    I'm on a Mac Pro, 10.8.5, 8-core 2.66GHz, 32GB RAM, running VE Pro and DP8 on the same machine. (though this issue occurs w/ Cubase as well) I'm open to suggestions!


  • Buy a sata III card and put your lib on raid 0 of 2 x ssd 


    MacBook Pro M3 MAX 128 GB 8TB - 2 x 48" screen --- Logic Pro --- Mir Pro 3D --- Most of the VI libs, a few Synch... libs --- Quite a few Kontakt libs --- CS80 fanatic
  • I'm not entirely convinced that's the issue.


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    @MDesigner said:

    I'm not entirely convinced that's the issue.

    What disk do you have ?

    If you are not convince that ssd will fix you load problem, try to find a solution 


    MacBook Pro M3 MAX 128 GB 8TB - 2 x 48" screen --- Logic Pro --- Mir Pro 3D --- Most of the VI libs, a few Synch... libs --- Quite a few Kontakt libs --- CS80 fanatic
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    @MDesigner said:

    I'm not entirely convinced that's the issue.

    I'm not at all persuaded it would be the issue. Because I have a less powerful machine, no RAID, no special anything, and I run Cubase and quite some VE Pro on the one machine and do not experience anything like a 70% of CPU while idling. It could be a network bottleneck like dynamic IP. Don't know.


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    @civilization 3 said:

    . It could be a network bottleneck like dynamic IP. Don't know.

    He has only one computer ! you cannot have an network bottleneck !

    Hope this guy did the minimum check :

    - disable WIFI, Bluetooth

    - set his preload buffer to maximum

    - set its DAW with large buffers and it's I/O buffersize to maximum (1024)

    If not he should give us all the values he set !


    MacBook Pro M3 MAX 128 GB 8TB - 2 x 48" screen --- Logic Pro --- Mir Pro 3D --- Most of the VI libs, a few Synch... libs --- Quite a few Kontakt libs --- CS80 fanatic
  • Correct, no network.. single machine. And the CPU problem is sporadic like I said. Sometimes it's at 10%. Other times, I'll open the same project and it connects to VE Pro and then the CPU says 45-60%. Doesn't make any sense.

    I'm not using the VST3 version. Digital Performer doesn't currently support VST3.


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    @civilization 3 said:

    . It could be a network bottleneck like dynamic IP. Don't know.

    He has only one computer ! you cannot have an network bottleneck !

    All he said initially was he was running the DAW on the same computer as VEP. That in itself is not evidence there is not another computer. I am aware of your thing for RAID and SSD, but the lack of it is not likely the cause of this.

    Is there a performance issue that goes with this spike, or are you just troubled to see it?


  • Please report all settings


    MacBook Pro M3 MAX 128 GB 8TB - 2 x 48" screen --- Logic Pro --- Mir Pro 3D --- Most of the VI libs, a few Synch... libs --- Quite a few Kontakt libs --- CS80 fanatic
  • Hi Cyril,

    I am having similar issues ( see post yesterday about new mac pro) . Can you clarify for me

    DisbaleBluetooth : Does this make a diference ? ( I like to use the apple bluetooth mouse for horizontal scrolling 

    - set his preload buffer to maximum

    -- 

    Is that in Vienna instruments ? What about Kontakt ?

     set its DAW with large buffers and it's I/O buffersize to maximum (1024)

    For me  a 1024 buffer is too high latency wise 


  • Hi Charlie

    You disable all non needed (Wifi, Bluetooth, Flash ......)

    To see if you have enough CPU power and enough fast disk you should set all pre-load buffer size to maximum (in you DAW and in VSL)  

    Is there are no more problems, you can start to reduce them until you get problems ! and set it back to the values where there is no problem.

    Then if the latency is not acceptable, you should go with SSD and/or put memory to  32 or 48 GB, and/or change computer, and/or add slaves

    For Kontakt it is the same, also it is better to have Kontakt in the DAW, if you put it in VEP you will add another layer in the processing.

    Best

    Cyril


    MacBook Pro M3 MAX 128 GB 8TB - 2 x 48" screen --- Logic Pro --- Mir Pro 3D --- Most of the VI libs, a few Synch... libs --- Quite a few Kontakt libs --- CS80 fanatic
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    @civilization 3 said:

    Is there a performance issue that goes with this spike, or are you just troubled to see it?

    If VSL engine loads in memory a small chunk of the sample he has to play (depending of the size of the preload buffer size) if it does not have time to read the rest of the sample in time, you get problems.

    VSL engine, need fast CPU and fast disk access, all that depending of your template.


    MacBook Pro M3 MAX 128 GB 8TB - 2 x 48" screen --- Logic Pro --- Mir Pro 3D --- Most of the VI libs, a few Synch... libs --- Quite a few Kontakt libs --- CS80 fanatic
  • Thats why I bought the new mac pro 3.5ghz 6core with 64 gig of ram and 4 1gig ssds,

    Should have just bought a cheap pc 


  • If you want I can test one of the piece where you have problems

    My CPU is idle à 65 % on large and heavy score, and at 85 % on normal 

    Can you give more detail on how you have organize your orchestral template.


    MacBook Pro M3 MAX 128 GB 8TB - 2 x 48" screen --- Logic Pro --- Mir Pro 3D --- Most of the VI libs, a few Synch... libs --- Quite a few Kontakt libs --- CS80 fanatic
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    @civilization 3 said:

    Is there a performance issue that goes with this spike, or are you just troubled to see it?

    If VSL engine loads in memory a small chunk of the sample he has to play (depending of the size of the preload buffer size) if it does not have time to read the rest of the sample in time, you get problems.

    VSL engine, need fast CPU and fast disk access, all that depending of your template.

    I was asking the original poster. Your setup is performing poorly, or are you just looking at activity monitor and it's unsettling?

    That [Sam's] computer is very comparable to mine, and I get on pretty well. Without worrying about all of this theory, without SSD, without RAID. I actually do music all day with relatively few hiccups. I do not think the things Cyril is saying are it. For instance, the preload buffer for Vienna is by default high enough.

    So, first things first: are you having trouble with performance or just trouble with something you see in activity monitor? I have seen things that don't even add up in it, for instance.

    The symptoms of actual troubles will be more indicative of problems I think.


  • Not sure what settings I need to post. I've got 2 threads per instance. My buffer in Digital Performer is set to 256 which works fine for me.. 512 introduces a little too much latency for my tastes. But regardless, the CPU doesn't seem to be connected to buffer size at all. Like I said, it's totally random. Sometimes it's running at 9%, sometimes 90%. When it's that high, yes, I get lots of stuttering and skipping.


  • Can you give the figure in Activity monitor/memory after you had "stuttering and skipping."  

    Put 8 core in VEPRO setting and Pre-load buffer to normal  in Directory Manager

    Put DP with 1024 and test if it is playing ok, if not put pre-load buffer to bigger (you must re-launch VSL each time you change a parameter)

    see : You disable all non needed (Wifi, Bluetooth, Flash ......)

    Reboot, do not lauch any softare, only VSL and DAW

    To see if you have enough CPU power and enough fast disk you should set all pre-load buffer size to maximum (in you DAW and in VSL)  

    Is there are no more problems, you can start to reduce them until you get problems ! and set it back to the values where there is no problem.

    Then if the latency is not acceptable, you should go with SSD and/or put memory to  32 or 48 GB, and/or change computer, and/or add slaves

    For Kontakt it is the same, also it is better to have Kontakt in the DAW, if you put it in VEP you will add another layer in the processing.


    MacBook Pro M3 MAX 128 GB 8TB - 2 x 48" screen --- Logic Pro --- Mir Pro 3D --- Most of the VI libs, a few Synch... libs --- Quite a few Kontakt libs --- CS80 fanatic
  • Buffer settings make no difference.. again, sometimes VE Pro works fine, sometimes not. Directory Manager doesn't matter, since I'm not using any Vienna instruments. Kontakt only.

    It just spiked a while ago at around 60-70%. In Activity Monitor it said 450% CPU usage! The only thing that fixes it is restarting VE Pro and reloading my template. Now it's idling at around 25%. Activity Monitor reports around 170% CPU usage.


  • higher than 100% for an application just means that more than one core is being used.


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    @Cyril said:

    also it is better to have Kontakt in the DAW, if you put it in VEP you will add another layer in the processing.

    Where do you get this?? What is the meaning of 'another layer in the processing', and how does it vacate the whole notion of using VE Pro for plugins such as Kontakt? I think this is nonsense. I reckon it adds another layer in the processing for 'the DAW' as well, for instance.

    MY experience is that Kontakt|VE Pro is VASTLY more efficient than Kontakt as a plugin in Cubase. Because the plugin is not waiting in line for CPU, for one thing.