CPU Intensive Ableton Effects

[JEB]

I have a large, effect heavy live set I'm trying to make more CPU efficient, what are the most CPU intensive native ableton effects? if there a post here i'm missing feel free to point it out. I'm also using multiple routs to gates from a send channel, and that is pretty resource intensive, but it's something i'd like to keep if at all possible (so much fun for dynamic changes and stuff while routed to the drums).

I'm my experience reverb was the most CPU intentive, and probably grain delay (when tweaking it in realtime).

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[JuanSOLO]

I have been narrowing down my set trying to figure out what really kills CPU. However I use a lot of racks with shit tons chained up inside them.

One thing I noticed for sure because I use it a lot. The autoPan used to gating, when I change it's parameters in realtime, Live takes a big hit. Changing 2 of these in realtime, or one of these and other effects, really F's Live up for me.

I was using tarekith's Fade to Grey delay on a lot of tracks. I love them, but I ended up taking them out completely. First I tied making them smaller, but the more I did, the less cool it got.

Latley I have come to this conclusion, I will use a mix between dummy clips and FX to get what I want. Dummy clips seem to be a hassle to make all the time, but they are effective on CPU for sure! I will look for other ways to do things too. Instead of say the "AutoPan" maybe a sidechained gate? or DummyClip?

I used to run a shit ton of Filters too. I have really narrowd it down and have better control over a few filters as opposed to many with different settings.

Also, I use one reverb. If something in my set needs reverb it gets bounced to it. I can change my reverb settings with a M4L preset device.

Compressors can be CPU hard if you use a lot, Anything granular. I suggest Making a Live set with 1 track and one piece of audio. Drop in an effect and twist all the knobs etc, switch out that effect for a different one and repeat. You will find out what is doing what to the CPU.

[JEB]

Thanks, never thought of the Auto-Pan to be processor intensive, I can definitely lose some of those. Yeah, I love Terakith's racks too, but have had to use more stripped down effects live.

I use live's external effects to route to a couple of guitar pedals, I'll check if manually routing it be more CPU efficient. Once I go through and do tests I'll post what I find here.

[JuanSOLO]

AWESOME,

DO post your findings!

[Sage]

I use live's external effects to route to a couple of guitar pedals, I'll check if manually routing it be more CPU efficient. Once I go through and do tests I'll post what I find here.

It should be, Live is only having to monitor the audio rather than process it.

Maybe bounce stuff down where you aren't manipulating settings, or the point before you plan to manipulate anything, should save CPU and tidies up sets a bit, though it does feel a bit of a cop out.

[JEB]

OK, i ran some quick tests on my not-new MacBook and here is my list right now. This was by no means an accurate scientific test. My CPU was at 4% CPU playing a complex warped loop and would spike from little to none with multiple copies of the lowest group, but spiked up to 7% with a single copy of High Quality reverb. It was interesting to notice that sidechained compressors or gates affected performance even when off.

Very High:
Multiband Dynamics, Reverb (mid or high Q), Vocoder

High:
Reverb on Economy, Gate W/ Sidechain, Compressor with Side Chain
(Sidechaining affects performance even when the effect is off)

Mid Range:
Gate, Compressor, Dynamic Tube, All Delays

Low:
Phaser, Auto Filter, Vinyl Distortion, Resonator, Looper

Very Low:
EQ 8, Auto Pan, Saturator, Redux, Utility, Erosion, Beat Repeat

[JuanSOLO]

My results are a bit different than some of these.

For example.

Looper can be intensive, depending on what it's doing. It spikes.
Auto Pan tends to spike.
Vocoder is not always a hog for me either.

I think some of the ones you have rated as very low, seem to result as very high, when using them combined in racks such as some tarekith's racks. One of his that is my favorite is the Fade to Grey. That rack is composed mainly of low CPU effects. But one Macro knob turns a lot of mapped parameters resulting in a CPU jump for me. Also this particular rack is always recieveing/processing audio through some of the effects even though they sound normal or off/un effected. Not that big a deal in one track. However I was trying to use like 4 of them on 4 different tracks.

These kinds of things make me try to figure out ways to optimize.