Tunning your System

Bitfiend · #1 08-15-2007, 07:23 PM

I'm running dual, dual core AMD opterons with hyper-transporting w/4 gigs of Corsair RAM, 10000RPM Raptor HD, Tyan Motherboard, NVidia 256 card, & still not getting the performance I want or thought I'd get.
Not knowing a whole lot about computers and DAW's I just built what I thought would be insanely fast. It's not as fast as I'd like it to be.
I still peg my CPU at 35-40 tracks with just an EQ(Waves) and Compression(Waves) on each track and the L2 and EQ(Waves) on the Master and running (usually) 1 FX track with Waves Rverb and sometimes a Group for sidechaining kick and bassline. That's why I bounce everything to audio as I write.
I still don't know enough to know if there's tricks I'm missing or if I'm just wanting to do the impossible.
I've done all the tweaks on musicxp.net and tweakheadz.com and they helped some but still no where near where I'd think a system with the components I have should be.

Thoughts, comments?:confused:

Rambunkcious · #2 08-16-2007, 10:50 AM

Bit,
Hi, what DAW are you using? also what latency do you have your hardware buffer set at, the higher it goes the more your computer can handle intensive processing, i.e. plug ins. This will however also cause a lag in anything you try to do live inside the DAW, which depending on the latency, can be something that you can live with or something that will hinder your creativity.

Also I understand that 10000 rpm drives are useful when you have a big project and you are actually multi-tracking (recording) audio on a number of tracks, while also playing them back to have your session run smoothly. This would be in the tracking stage so you would have hardly any if any plug ins at all on your tracks. thus allowing the session to run smoother

That being said, inside Pro Tools you can actually allocate which tracks are running of which drive, thus allocating the max number of tracks specified by the program to a single drive, for firewire 400 and 800 its 24 tracks @24/44.8, whereas on a SATA drive its 32 tracks @24/48. So you could run more than 24 tracks on a firewire drive you just need two of them, and they can be daisy chained.

I dont know how many programs allow that, I spent a lot of time inside cubase and dont recall seeing track allocation options.

Hope that helps.

Rambunkcious

Rambunkcious · #3 08-16-2007, 11:43 AM

Bit,
Also if you have any VSTi's on any of those 35 - 40 tracks, as you already know it will eat up alot of your RAM and CPU, samplers more on RAM and VSTi's more on CPU, depending on their code and and how intricate their functions are.

At this point you probably want to bounce everything to audio, so that when it comes time to your mixdown, you have all your computers resources dedicated to mixing the audio and processing any effects. This also alleviates any midi notes dropping out due to a high CPU load or a lack of voice polyphony inside your VSTi's during mixdown, if you still have any instruments/samplers running.

If you could supply us with what DAW, and plug ins (VSTi's) you are using, also your hardware latency, you have running I will look into it further.

Rambunkcious

Medway · #4 08-16-2007, 02:41 PM

Good point about the latency settings Rami. I always put mine at the highest SCOPE will go which is about 24ms either direction.

What sound card are you using?

I suggest we do a little comparison on each others machines at similar latency settings to get a feel for the differences in power and see if those match what you'd expect.

We could all run a certain amount of instances of say Roomworks on SX and compare how many each can get before topping out.

Rambunkcious · #5 08-16-2007, 03:04 PM

1024 ms
Cubase SX3
Processors
RAM
# of Roomworks instances

Does that sound good for criteria?

Rambunkcious

Medway · #6 08-17-2007, 02:47 AM

That'll work for me.

Rambunkcious · #7 08-17-2007, 11:00 AM

Mac 1.3Ghz PPC
2 GB Ram
1024 ms
SX3

@ 4 Instances of Roomworks all on different FX channels with the audio being sent at 6.02 (Max), the laptop is taking all it can with no drop outs or stuttering.

@ 5 Its dropping out, stuttering, etc...

Same goes for inserts, @ 4 it can cope, @ 5 its maxing out my CPU with drop outs.

Rambunkcious

Medway · #8 08-17-2007, 02:30 PM

Thanks for the info Rami. Not sure if inserts vs FX channels or level should make a difference but good to know anyhow.

Will post mine shortly.

Medway · #9 08-17-2007, 02:38 PM

Ok here it is:

P4 2.8 400mhz FSB
1 gig ram
1024 buffer
SX3

I could get 6 Roomworks which put me right about 95%. One more more
and of course I got stuttering.

Bitfiend · #10 08-21-2007, 09:37 PM

i'm running Cubase SX3, M-audio firewire 410, no on-board sound card. I leave the latency all the way up normally, i believe around 2812 (can't recall exact off the top of my head and i'm at work right now).
Also, i alwasy bounce everything down to audio as i write. i usually just end up with EQ's on the channels, maybe a few additional effects as well.

I'll run the test tonight and post my results. In my mind, with the system i have, i should be able to double your results......in reality i'm thinking i'll tie.......