V4, MOTU ASIO, Windows XP, HIGH CPU load

zemlin wrote on 2/21/2003, 10:07 PM

Between the discovery that I'm not getting 24 bit data from Vegas2, XP, and MOTU, plus the fact that I'm having track sync issues since moving to XP, I'm eyeing the V4 upgrade.

I've been messing with the demo, and the first tests I did with 9 tracks ASIO worked great. Not a dropped bit from any of the tracks - perfect sync and true, 24 bit data. The monitoring with effects is kewl too.

Tonight I decided to see what would happen with 24 tracks. I create 24 audio tracks, and delete all the default effects on all tracks. I arm all 24 audio tracks and without actually recording CPU load is running quite high (maybe 80%). As I start assigning tracks to input, CPU load continues to rise. When I get about 18 tracks assigned to discrete input VEGAS steals 100% of the CPU and the computer slows to an absolute crawl. It is a long drawn-out process just to kill Vegas. Everything is running - even Vegas - but it is s....o....o....o....o s....l....o....w.

asus p4b266
P4 1.8 256k L2
512MB PC2100 DDR RAM
Matrox G450 16MB Dual Head
Windows XP Home - many default services disabled
Motu 24i / PCI324 with PCI424 Drivers. (V4 would not launch with 324 ASIO drivers).
V4 Build 115 running in DEMO mode.

Comments

PipelineAudio wrote on 2/21/2003, 10:16 PM

weird the older builds were doing exactly this, but I thought they fixed it

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=19&MessageID=149364

stakeoutstudios wrote on 2/22/2003, 6:22 AM

try increasing the latency of your soundcard. The lower the latency, the higher the CPU load will be!

zemlin wrote on 2/22/2003, 9:10 AM

I maxxed out the buffers at 2048 - CPU load was reduced as I was adding tracks, but it still zoned out when reassigning Track #16. Also had it lock up with CLASSIC WINDOWS drivers (or whatever) with only 7 track rerouted to unique inputs - I hit the scroll bar and WANGO - Hang time.

zemlin wrote on 2/22/2003, 12:49 PM

It was the PCI324 device, not the Classic Windows that locked up. Classic Windows did not hang, but CPU load was still WAY up there with NO effects anywhere.

Geoff_Wood wrote on 2/22/2003, 7:24 PM

In VV3 with my PCI324/2408/2 I can only run successfully with the *smallest* buffer setting. I can run 28+ '24 bit' tracks no problem, with basic plugs, on a 1G1 Celery.

I guess they still qualify as 24 bit tracks, because that's the work that is be handled.

geoff

zemlin wrote on 2/22/2003, 8:27 PM

What OS are you running. I'm thinking about dropping back to W2K. I assume you're running XP from your bit depth comment. W2K and MOTU works fine (true 24 bits) with Vegas. With ASIO if V4, I assume I would have access to all 24 channels.

stakeoutstudios wrote on 2/23/2003, 10:33 AM

strange though... if you're not running many (or any FX) then it sounds like a hard drive issue. Your CPU load should be very low. Check that DMA is enabled in the computer BIOS as well as in windows drivers.

Funny - this caught me out for a bit. I flashed my BIOS to update it, and suddenly the system seemed very slow. It had disabled DMA and slowed the CPU. All I had to do was set them back and all was fine with the world.

Jason