Does Live take advantage of 8 cores?

[Daim]

Hmz shipping date 10. 04. 09 .. obviously based on those 3 weeks of waiting time. Hopefully it will be soooooooooner!

[LOFA]

I have spent the last week using 3 different computers for the same set. I can't go into the content, but let's just say that it is a demanding set without any virtual instruments turned on within it.

Second Generation core 2 duo Macbook, 2gb ram: 45-63% cpu
Brand new Aluminum macbook, 2gb ram: 25-26%
Mac Pro, 8 core, 8gb ram: 26-29% cpu

The reason I believe that the Mac Pro loses its competitive edge is because the set relies on sends.

So, for the same reason that I bought a macbook instead of a macbook pro, I don't believe I will be investing any money into a mac pro any time soon.

[Hardtoe]

I have to agree with Lofa - here is response I posted in a similar thread:

Well I have an 8-core 2.8 mac pro and the performance is not good at all - I use live mainly for tracking and mixing bands these days, which means I need to use a lot of sends - even with all tracks frozen and the returns running only a few plugs, I get dropouts and clicks to the point where some songs are near unlistenable by the time they are nearing the final mix - the most important time to hear things properly! This has been extremely frustrating for me, as I purchased the computer just to avoid this type of aggrevation - I am not trying to "max" out my processors, but just do some reasonable mixing - I am not even using many plugins - I think that the sends system on Live just sucks pr0gramming wise - I am hoping things improve with Live 8's group tracks, because right now I think live is FAR behind Logics use of the available resources - just be glad you dont have to listen to your songs stutter out as your processors only show 30% usage each....

[rbro]

I have to agree with Lofa - here is response I posted in a similar thread:

Well I have an 8-core 2.8 mac pro and the performance is not good at all - I use live mainly for tracking and mixing bands these days, which means I need to use a lot of sends - even with all tracks frozen and the returns running only a few plugs, I get dropouts and clicks to the point where some songs are near unlistenable by the time they are nearing the final mix - the most important time to hear things properly! This has been extremely frustrating for me, as I purchased the computer just to avoid this type of aggrevation - I am not trying to "max" out my processors, but just do some reasonable mixing - I am not even using many plugins - I think that the sends system on Live just sucks pr0gramming wise - I am hoping things improve with Live 8's group tracks, because right now I think live is FAR behind Logics use of the available resources - just be glad you dont have to listen to your songs stutter out as your processors only show 30% usage each....

Are you maxing out the CPU? Maybe it's your soundcard/interface.

[rbro]

Hmz shipping date 10. 04. 09 .. obviously based on those 3 weeks of waiting time. Hopefully it will be soooooooooner!

Mine's supposed to be here on Monday.

[LOFA]

Are you maxing out the CPU? Maybe it's your soundcard/interface.

I doubt this is the cause. I've used a variety and it makes little difference. The sends just eat up so much available CPU.

[Daim]

Multiple CPUs are definitely the future of the whole it market and just because Live can't take full advantage of them yet isn't a reason not buy them.

I think it would actually be a bug if 10 tracks were sending to one return track and all of them were using the same core. It's technicaly no problem to give another core to all returns which is waiting for data from the other cores or giving each return track its own core.

[rbro]

Are you maxing out the CPU? Maybe it's your soundcard/interface.

I doubt this is the cause. I've used a variety and it makes little difference. The sends just eat up so much available CPU.

Luckily for me I use no more than 2-4 sends generally. What I need is to be able to run 20-30 tracks with a buttload of cpu hungry 3rd party VSTs and fx.

[LOFA]

Luckily for me I use no more than 2-4 sends generally. What I need is to be able to run 20-30 tracks with a buttload of cpu hungry 3rd party VSTs and fx.

Luckily for Ableton, your way is more of the conventional way of using a DAW.
It's a pity that there are not more flexible ways of communicating to Live what the individual's priorites are.

For example, what if I was not using any vsts or plugins, but I was using 12 (the seemingly arbitrary maximumum number of) return tracks and some effects. It would be nice if there was an optional mode of processing that could be optimized for such tasks. It could be called "instrument mode" or something, as Live would be pushed to operate more as an "instrument" than a DAW.

Just a suggestion. I could see this being very helpful when Max for Live comes out.

[rbro]

Luckily for me I use no more than 2-4 sends generally. What I need is to be able to run 20-30 tracks with a buttload of cpu hungry 3rd party VSTs and fx.

Luckily for Ableton, your way is more of the conventional way of using a DAW.
It's a pity that there are not more flexible ways of communicating to Live what the individual's priorites are.

For example, what if I was not using any vsts or plugins, but I was using 12 (the seemingly arbitrary maximumum number of) return tracks and some effects. It would be nice if there was an optional mode of processing that could be optimized for such tasks. It could be called "instrument mode" or something, as Live would be pushed to operate more as an "instrument" than a DAW.

Just a suggestion. I could see this being very helpful when Max for Live comes out.

I think that's one of the inherent problems with Live. It's so many different things to different people. I'm sure they need to take into account all possible and likely scenarios and uses and design it and optimize accordingly.

[LOFA]

I think that's one of the inherent problems with Live. It's so many different things to different people. I'm sure they need to take into account all possible and likely scenarios and uses and design it and optimize accordingly.

Yes. I agree with you entirely. Though I suppose there is no way of avoiding this completely. Live is feature rich, versatile and reliable. However, because it is so many things I find myself sometimes making assumptions and being dissapointed and sometimes close to bitten.

Once the max for live thing happens, the software is going to bashed in new, difficult to imagine ways. If Ableton is able to generate an increase in revenue from max for live, they may be able to increase their staff.

What I see is a possibility of the situation we are describing improving. There will be more demands and more obvious room for improvement, and this may lead to a pragmatic revisioning of the code. The sort of revisioning that might include internal midi LFO's and surround sound.

I personally feel that if we have the option of different audio clip algorithms, then it is not hard to imagine a versatile set of different optimization modes, such as DJ, DAW, and Performance. This is of course quite a simplistic way of looking at it, and I am sure that with time Ableton could pull something together that was both more elegant and efficient.

[Hardtoe]

Does anyone know if "group" mode in Live 8 is any more effecient tan the send system on Live 7???? I could get by with a lot less send if groups are well implemented...

[Lux Libra]

yep, would be nice to hear some insights from the abes about routing
and the need for ressources.

[rbro]

Got my Octocore yesterday. Loving it so far. I haven't had much chance to play with Live yet, but I did launch it and load up a few CPU hungry VSTs just for fun. It's a beautiful thing. Hate the wireless Apple Mouse though, sending that back.

[Daim]

Mine left Apple yesterday.. got that wireless mouse already for my laptop and yes.. it's crap. The one with wire feels a bit better as far as I remember.