Really strange cpu-problem...

Tomster · Post by **Tomster** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:35 pm

Hello folks,

I'm a newbie on this board and after searching about 15 minutes about my problem on the forum, I didn't found this strange thing that happend to me.

I'm using Ableton for about 2 years, first 5.2, then updated to 6. All worked fine but since 1 month the cpu-load made problems, like it never did before.

For example, i load an arrangement and listen to the loop playing (CPU around 40%, with for example one Absynth 4, 3x Battery 3, one PRO-53, two Audio-Lines a return-reverb and a Reaktor5-compressor [Flat-Blaster]). I'm doing nothing else and after 2 or 3 minutes the CPU pulses and goes up over 80%, it stocks, it sounds terrible and I even have problems to click on the stop button, because even my mouse stocks.

Then I make a break from 10 minutes. Play the loop again and after about 2 minutes the shit beginns again...

Even if I freeze or delete some MIDI-instruments, this has practically no effect on the CPU-Load.

If I load an arrangement from earlier, i can't even play it because it beginns to stock immediately, while 1 month ago, this would have been no problem.

I have 2GB Ram, AMD 2600
and using Komplete 4 and Ableton Live

Might it be to less drive space (12 GB), Hardware Problems (because it came suddenly, I changed nothing in any ableton or system settings).

Hope for solutions
Thanks already for reading it...
Greets Tom

Tomster · Post by **Tomster** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:36 pm

What is really strange about it, that when I load the same or more plugins in cubase sx 3, the cpu-load don't rises.

Are there any backup or saving files that ableton produces and so the whole process is slower than in cubase. I hate cubase! I want my ableton back!!

I'm really helpless -> buying a new computer???

Are there any programs who could help me seeing where the CPU-load goes?

Reinstalling doesn't help, what can I do else?

Please, I'm longing for your help
Greets

Ross Kemp · Post by **Ross Kemp** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:35 am

i get the same sort of problems, and this only exists in my live 7 , but not in cubais or sonar 7.

Tomster · Post by **Tomster** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:29 pm

Finally someone who resond to my question!

I'm not alone, so please just one hint....

If it would just be in Ableton 7, it wouldn't destroy me so much

kipling · Post by **kipling** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:27 pm

it would help figure out your problem if you told us more about your setup. there are many variables besides version and ram. given that, i personally wouldn't know the answer, since it seems like you are using a pc; but you might get more answers.

1. what windows system are you using? xp, vista, 2000?

2. what kind of digital interface are you using?

3. exactly what version of live are you using? it appears from your first post that it is live 6, but there were a number of interations of it...lastly it was up to 6.0.10, but maybe you are using an older version?

4. what is the max amount of ram your computer can take? if 1gb is a minimum, then perhaps you need more ram.

best,
kipling

Ross Kemp · Post by **Ross Kemp** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:00 pm

My point is , not that it is my system or devices that is fualt here, all works fine with cubase and sonar 7, my system which happens to be windows xp pentium 4 3ghz and 1500gb ram and my hardware/usb ports soundcard etc is all set up fine all checked for conflicts and sample rate and latency settings etc are fine.
this particular problem never exsisted in version 6, allthough i do find ableton glitch/bug city as in all versions also on another pc in the past and
my pro music laptop i still use,has also proven this, but ableton being what it is i have learnt to back up and save as much as possible, as i can not do without live, so you come to accept that half of these problems will never be solved via support,
i have contacted ableton about two weeks back with log, but i still wait.
and i have also posted here my own indepth thread about this and my pc spec, if that helps kipling.
just thought i would agree with Tomster, is right! .

it is an irregular and odd situation with me as it always seems to be with lives bugs, they appear they dissapear, may be a one off, may go on for days etc etc, then nothing until it descided it wants to play again .

first off i also check and rule out any other possibility, so 99% sure that it is a bug.
i will add my post link here tomorrow when i have time to find.

Tomster · Post by **Tomster** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:09 pm

To Kipling:

Thank you
1) Windows xp
2) Audio Interface: NI KORE
3) Version 6.0.7 and then 7 (updated to 7.0.1)
4) 2gb RAM

But: It came out of nothing (I was then working with 6.0.7.)!! All worked fine a year and more and now it has this strange problem. Perhaps hardware destruction... (but in Cubase3 my NI-Instruments work fine and the CPU-Load is normal - like it was in ableton).

What can I do? Setup windows again? Is there a program, who could show where my cpu-power "really goes"?

Thanks for your reply

Ross Kemp · Post by **Ross Kemp** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:50 pm

Tomster wrote:To Kipling:

Thank you
1) Windows xp
2) Audio Interface: NI KORE
3) Version 6.0.7 and then 7 (updated to 7.0.1)
4) 2gb RAM

But: It came out of nothing (I was then working with 6.0.7.)!! All worked fine a year and more and now it has this strange problem. Perhaps hardware destruction... (but in Cubase3 my NI-Instruments work fine and the CPU-Load is normal - like it was in ableton).

What can I do? Setup windows again? Is there a program, who could show where my cpu-power "really goes"?

Thanks for your reply

i dont think it will make any difference, i scrapped my whole system cleaned as new, only installed hardware devices i needed checked for conflicts etc etc i did everything, and as i say it does this on two seperated pc's, the only thing is that live has bugs, that are effected by certain other aspects that both you and i must have in common.

it always helps to rule out things, and a clean slate can be good, allthough a long drawn out affair, go for it m8.

forge · Post by **forge** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:17 pm

I would first check that the Kore has the latest drivers, then I would download Asio4All and try using the onboard sound card using those drivers and see if it is any different

also, have you got the latest version of Live - 6.0.10?

they are the first things to check

is it happening in all sets? or just in some in particular, in which case is there something different about them?

Tomster · Post by **Tomster** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:59 pm

Oh Ross, you're shocking me...

I wait some days and then I check other alternatives...

Buy a new PC or MAC....

or clean it all up

Ok, I load KORE drivers and Asio4All.

It's happening in all sets, so this is non specific to any plugin I load; even if I just load ableton plugins like Tension and so...

Thanks

ambien · Post by **ambien** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:58 pm

I just noticed the following. Playing (JUST!) the testtone will increase Live and Windows CPU usage to 50%. Tested in 7.0.2b3. Anyone else?

pj_player · Post by **pj_player** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:45 pm

ambien wrote:I just noticed the following. Playing (JUST!) the testtone will increase Live and Windows CPU usage to 50%. Tested in 7.0.2b3. Anyone else?

erm, that's what it's meant to do. it tests the audio at a given cpu load. if you get pops and clicks in the test tone at 50% cpu usage you know that under an actual cpu usage of 50%, you will also get pops and clicks.

it's a tone, for testing. a test tone.

ambien · Post by **ambien** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:41 pm

Okay, I thought that the intention is to test if I can hear anything. Anyway, now I know also from the test that I get pops and clicks.

violetpow1 · Post by **violetpow1** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:08 pm

im a newbe as well, but i doesn`t have that problem not so extrem, but it is there on WinXP PCs.
But a other strange thing is happen. I have a Intel core Duo PC and if i make a CPU Test with this sine tone in Live 7 and i open the task manager, i see only one CPU is working.
I thought Live supported Multicore CPUs ?

pj_player · Post by **pj_player** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:09 pm

violetpow1 wrote:im a newbe as well, but i doesn`t have that problem not so extrem, but it is there on WinXP PCs.
But a other strange thing is happen. I have a Intel core Duo PC and if i make a CPU Test with this sine tone in Live 7 and i open the task manager, i see only one CPU is working.
I thought Live supported Multicore CPUs ?

that's fairly interesting, unless you haven't turned on multi-processor support in preferences. have you?

Really strange cpu-problem...

Really strange cpu-problem...

computertype etc