70%CPU causing audio-crackle and heavy distortion

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vido
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70%CPU causing audio-crackle and heavy distortion

Post by vido » Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:55 pm

I'm experiencing a lot of problems with the audio (crackles and distortions, glitches etc) so bad that it first of all it's getting increasingly impossible to mix, second it's almost impossible to deal with projects in general. I'm working with appx 40 tracks with plug-in-chains etc. 75% of the cpu is being used according to Activity Monitor (50% when not playing).

I've set buffer-size to 2048, and dual processor is enabled. No other programs open (almost). I'd like to freeze more tracks but there is either some kind of compressor-problem or it's multi timbral - plus I'm trying to arrange so freezing isn't really an alternative right now (or is it? - see I almost havent done any automation yet..!).

Is it normal with audio-problems whhen the processor is working at +/-80%?

Any workarounds?


Macbook pro 2009 core 2 duo 2.66Ghz, 8gb ram,
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The Philosopher King
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Re: 70%CPU causing audio-crackle and heavy distortion

Post by The Philosopher King » Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:28 am

It's normal for me on a Laptop PC.

The one thing that made the biggest difference on my system was to turn off my wireless Internet connection.

I'm also learning how to produce better, so I don't need so many Tracks.

vido
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WORKAROUND for CPU-hogs..!

Post by vido » Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:33 am

Yeah thanks man - I mean it's not really that many tracks, several of them are doubled up and delayed/spread, and quite a few of them are percussion/drums. I think the biggest cpu-hog is Stylus RMX.

Anyway, for basic arrangement I actually found a solution myself..! :idea: For those, who like me just cant keep their fingers off from mixingf while composing here is the workaround:

1. Record-enable an empty audio-track
2. in turn solo and record each cpu-hog-instrument/track through the master
3. turn off the instruments you just recorded
4. create new audio-track and drag/drop audio-files recorded

This will make it much easier to put down the structure of the track, and actually has an added side-benefit: you won't be able to mix or automate before you're done laying out the song...! :D

Offcourse this is only necessary for tracks with instruments/plugins that you want to automate in the arrangement. If you don't need to automate, freezing the whole track and converting to an audio-file may be as good (but you may end up with audio-tail-clutter...
Collab with Jeremy Blake of Red Means Recording:

Blake and Axe; "All The Light I Do Not See"
Spotify: https://goo.gl/MR8Wjr
Tidal: https://goo.gl/s35W33
Google Play: https://goo.gl/HQ1g7E
Amazon: https://goo.gl/cx5dUL

Not the usual stuff.

dnbhallifax
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:13 pm

Re: 70%CPU causing audio-crackle and heavy distortion

Post by dnbhallifax » Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:35 am

I suspect part of the Problem with Live though is that it continues to Idle at 50% or so - it doesn't seem to handle CPU the same way other DAWS do. Logic doesn't idle with much, if any cpu drain and I can definitely use Many more tracks in Logic than in Live, especially instrument tracks...
logic also seems to free up more cpu with frozen tracks compared to Live...

I don't know why, but Live seems to be noticeably less CPU efficient than Logic.

vido
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 8:39 pm
Location: Oslo, Norway
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Re: 70%CPU causing audio-crackle and heavy distortion

Post by vido » Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:18 pm

dnbhallifax wrote:
I don't know why, but Live seems to be noticeably less CPU efficient than Logic.
Yeah - I've got the same experience. Hopefully Live will have done something with this in the next version - this issue is actually a good reason to NOT use live because for me at least it slows down workflow way too much.
Collab with Jeremy Blake of Red Means Recording:

Blake and Axe; "All The Light I Do Not See"
Spotify: https://goo.gl/MR8Wjr
Tidal: https://goo.gl/s35W33
Google Play: https://goo.gl/HQ1g7E
Amazon: https://goo.gl/cx5dUL

Not the usual stuff.

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