Killing my quad-core - help?

jalan · 02-15-2012, 02:58 PM

Hi, all. My latest project is killing my machine (PC details in my sig) -- performance meter has me up in the mid 80% to 90%. My PC is a few years old now, but that still just doesn't seem right to me. I'm at about 40 tracks, but all basic stuff -- only one VST (Slate drums), guitars, bass and vox (looks like the TSE X50 on my guitars is what's doing the most damage).

Just wondering if there's anything in the RPR preferences, etc. that I may have setup wrong or might need to change to maximize my machine. Any input welcome. Thanks!

rictheobscene · 02-15-2012, 04:11 PM

What kind of and how many reverbs are you running?

chucky5p · 02-15-2012, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jalan

Hi, all. My latest project is killing my machine (PC details in my sig) -- performance meter has me up in the mid 80% to 90%. My PC is a few years old now, but that still just doesn't seem right to me. I'm at about 40 tracks, but all basic stuff -- only one VST (Slate drums), guitars, bass and vox (looks like the TSE X50 on my guitars is what's doing the most damage).

Just wondering if there's anything in the RPR preferences, etc. that I may have setup wrong or might need to change to maximize my machine. Any input welcome. Thanks!

From what I've read, it seems that the TSE X50 is known to use a lot of CPU. Maybe you could replace it with the TSE X30 which uses a lot less CPU, or optimize the settings of the TSE X50 to use less CPU while playing live (tracking, practicing, etc) but still give full quality when rendering.

Check this review of the TSE X30 vs. the TSE X50:
http://audiobestplugins.blogspot.com...-freeware.html

chrisharbin · 02-15-2012, 04:57 PM

Are those made with SE/SM? If so they are most likely going to crush a project.

You can always demo a couple of other amp sims. There is another thread where the TH1 seems to be working well in efficiency. You can also try amplitube free and it has economy settings which can bring down CPU use.

jalan · 02-15-2012, 05:50 PM

Thanks for the tips. Yeah, the X50 is a CPU killer, and I have it on several tracks, but I haven't found anything I like as much, tone-wise -- the X30 is a very different sounding sim to my ears.

@chucky5p -- what kind of settings are you talking about? Are they in RPR or the X50? *Nevermind, just saw it in the vid you linked

@rictheobscene -- no reverbs yet, which makes this all the more disappointing

And I should clarify that I'm only running one VST *instrument*. Obviously, I've got several VST ampsims going (but very little else at this point).

chrisharbin · 02-15-2012, 05:58 PM

Sounds like a chore for freeze

brainwreck · 02-15-2012, 09:03 PM

Put it in the input fx section, and save yourself some cpu. I'm seeing around 1.6% for an i7, but that is an unnecessary 1.6%, the way that I see it.

jalan · 02-16-2012, 08:52 AM

Thanks for the tips, all. I ended up figuring out a way to put the X50 in my guitar folder track, which saved me a few pre-track instances. Still seems like my PC should be performing better than it is, but I've found a workaround for now.

@chrisharbin -- I haven't tried the SWS Freeze feature yet. Is it more like a traditional freeze than the rendering in RPR? Or have they added true frees to RPR 4? I'm still on 3.76(ish)

mikeroephonics · 02-16-2012, 09:04 AM

What ASIO buffer size are you running at? ~64 samples is going to eat a bunch of CPU, even on your Q6600. 128 samples can take it's toll as well.

I got an i7 2600K, overclocked from 3.4 to 4.3GHz and ASIO 64 samples/44.1KHz. I still push this system to the max with 4 VSTi's, 2 IR reverbs, about 30 ReaEQs & ~150 tracks.

When I say "pushed to the max", I mean 50% CPU, because that's when I start to hear the dreaded Rice Krispies. I can knock that usage way down when mixing (ASIO: 4096 samples/44.1KHz.)

PS: I'm typing this from my Q6600 box (former DAW, now Internet box.)

- Mike

jalan · 02-16-2012, 12:03 PM

I'd have to check when I'm on my studio machine, but I think I'm running 128. Needed at least that much when I was tracking to get a usable feel out of the X50. I suppose I could raise the buffer when I'm mixing though, eh?

chrisharbin · 02-16-2012, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jalan

Thanks for the tips, all. I ended up figuring out a way to put the X50 in my guitar folder track, which saved me a few pre-track instances. Still seems like my PC should be performing better than it is, but I've found a workaround for now.

@chrisharbin -- I haven't tried the SWS Freeze feature yet. Is it more like a traditional freeze than the rendering in RPR? Or have they added true frees to RPR 4? I'm still on 3.76(ish)

Ah, I assumed you were on 4, my bad. Yeah, in 4 it's just right there now but I'm pretty sure the sws freeze worked pretty well (took me a while to jump)

chrisharbin · 02-16-2012, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jalan

I'd have to check when I'm on my studio machine, but I think I'm running 128. Needed at least that much when I was tracking to get a usable feel out of the X50. I suppose I could raise the buffer when I'm mixing though, eh?

Yeah, that's what I used to do. For tracking though, yeah, you are not going to want to go over that.......get's messy sounding.