Slow SX

[MARKEG]

This is crazy. SX on the PC is OK, but on the MAC (OSX) it's WELL slow. I don't understand. I boot up SX and the process viewer in apps/utils shows 9% CPU. Yet the VST performance in Cubase is 0...

Then as soon as I import say 18 audio tracks into the arrangement, it slows up... the VST performance cpu is at maybe 5%. the process viewer is now showing CPU 30-40%!

the worst is when i repeat the tracks 28 times to make a 5 min arrangement and then it takes at least 20 seconds to do things (like move the arrows on the page to make the arrangement larger/smaller). NIGHTMARE!! As soon as I do anything with the mouse the process viewer shoots up to 90-100%!!!

Any ideas anyone???

[DJZeMig_L]

o much experience on mac... in cubase check in the prefs so that it doesn't use all the fancy wave redraw and stuff.... can't really think of anything else right now!! (weekend and all :P ).... Also make sure u have only the waves u need loaded... go on the Audio Pool page and clean up.... Check if u r only using a small chunk of a sample but the actuall samples is quite big... if so try and make the edits/ fades permanent... First backup everything .. export project 2 a new folde (file menu), and save a copy of yer *.cpr file there....

Not much I can think of right now.... bad crack maybe!?! ??

Z

[MARKEG]

fancy wave redraw? i can't see this... where is it exactly in prefs? yes, it defo seems like it's taking ages to redraw..

re: audio pool... it can't be anything in this cause my files are already made perfect before i import them...

[eyes without a face]

i find that when i import a large number of audio files (i.e wavs) into SX on my PC then it slows up also.

[Nomak]

I had the same problem yesterday on the pc where when I tried to do anything at all it took ages even just zoom in and out or move audio section around and the screen keeps refreshing too which takes ages. Do you have plugins loaded?

[Patrick]

There's this info on the Steinberg site which might be helpful/relevant.(http://service.steinberg.net:80/knowledge_pro.nsf/show/mac_strong_enough_for_sx)

Is my Mac strong enough to run Cubase SX?




Question: Is my Mac strong enough to run Cubase SX?

These are the official system requirements of Cubase SX Mac:

Processor: Power Mac G4
RAM: 256 MB (512 MB recommended)
Operating System: Mac OS X Version 10.2 or later

However, SX will also run properly on Power Macs with a G3 CPU (e.g. iMacs and iBooks).
Generally it can be said that a specific Power Mac is suitable for running SX when the global performance of OS X (10.2) is satisfying.

A very important factor for the performance of OS X (10.2) is the graphics card.
If OS X (10.2) behaves rather slow on your Mac check if the graphics card you're using supports Quartz Extreme, the "composite windowing system" of Mac OS X that has been introduced with Jaguar (10.2).
Quartz Extreme's functionality is supported by the following video GPUs: NVIDIA GeForce2 MX, GeForce3, GeForce4 MX, or GeForce4 Ti or any AGP-based ATI RADEON GPU. A minimum of 16MB VRAM is required.

The use of an according graphics card increases the global performance of OS X (10.2) considerably.

Further information: http://www.apple.com/macosx/jaguar/quartzextreme.html

[Patrick]

Mark, it might also be useful putting your post on the Steinberg Supprot forum :
http://www.steinberg.net/en/ps/support/forums/index.php?sid=0

[DJZeMig_L]

I think U might already b on the right track with these advises... As soon as I can get my hands on my Cubase I'll let ya know somethin' m8!

Z

[DJZeMig_L]

get ready 4 some heavy reading...

'damn I'm tired even b4 starting :(

Try the following...

Devices/ device Setup....

Number of disk buffers... play around with this figure and check if u get a better performance...

Disk buffer Size ... Not quite sure why but some1 in the back of my mind i tend 2 think that this figure should match the asio buffer u r using on yer soundcard... but then again I might just b say bollo***. So give it a go aswell...

Go to Expert...... this is were the "fun" starts...

Amount of preload ... leave this 4 last... try as a last resort 4 solving yer problem

Click Help ... 'cause it can really help ya understand what u need!

Audio priority - As u guys work mainly small clips, and a lot of audio, I would go 4 the High or max option!!

None Buffered Read/ one Buffered Write .... uncheck if u basically almost only work small clips, and lots of audio...

Lower latency... humm I don't really know if u'll need 2 fidle with this after all the rest... my guess is live checked untill u absolutly need 2 try and C if this will help solve the prob!!

If u guys use dual proc. Macs .. check Multiprocessing!


Got some more Tips into making wave displaying less fancy but quicker (and to my liking more practical)


File/ preferences...

VST
Uncheck
Preload Waves Plug-ins


Audio ...
Uncheck
Create Images During Recording

Check
Use Addicional level scan...
Snap to Zero Crossing

ON IMPORTING FILES ..... Convert if needed


Event Display.....
Check
Quick Zoom
Show event names (on personal flava)
Transparent events ( " " " )

Uncheck
Show data on small track heights
Colorize event backgound



Event Display..... Video
Uncheck
Show video thumbnails

Event Display..... Audio
Wave Image Style .... Solid
Check both boxes


REalllllllllllly hope this helpz phewwwww,

Z

[Jimfish]

weird....i was literally about to write asking for those exact tips on what to check and uncheck in the prefs....
probably as you were writing them i was looking through em going "what da ****"!

cheers again!

[DJZeMig_L]

:P

Great minds think alike.... !!

If only that was true 8)

Z

[Jimfish]

well, i think it could be true...when i used to have a normal job i used to go take a shit sometime in the afternoon and my mate scott would ALLWAYS be in there shitting too...it was spooky

and of course the temptation to chuck my shitty bog paper over the top at him allways got the better of me!

[MARKEG]

well i tried all of these tips m8 and nope, it's still bad.

can anyone out there tell me what their process viewer in apps/utils says in the following circumstances? (this is also the usual way i make a track and inever had any probs in cubase 5-1 like this.)

1) Totally empty project - no audio tracks no nothing. 5-15%CPU in process viewer. (0% in VST performance)
2) 24 tracks of 4 beat aiff loops and playing - 35-45% CPU in the process viewer (my VST performance in Cubase only says 10%???!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Oh my god, when I click on the sliders to change the manification of the view I get 80% on the process viewer!!!!!!
3) Repeat the aiffs (not shared copies) . First 7 times. Then Glue. Then repeat 30 times to get a nice 5-6 minute track. CPU in the process viewer is the same (35-40%), so is VST performance, but now when i click on the sliders to change the manification, I get between 80-100% (!!!!) on the process viewer. and it takes ages to make any changes whatsoever. in fact, it's impossible.

Why is the process viewer showing such radically different CPU usage to the VST performance meter? And why is the process viewer obviously right and the VST performance so wrong.

HEAD F*K!

i'm running a G4 titanium with 256 MB memory so surely this shouldn't be happening?

[Patrick]

Why is the process viewer showing such radically different CPU usage to the VST performance meter? And why is the process viewer obviously right and the VST performance so wrong.

i'm running a G4 titanium with 256 MB memory so surely this shouldn't be happening?

I'd guess that's because VST is probably only monitoring it's own dll's etc, and not checking things like your graphics card usage and disk write activity, or memory paging. Not certain, cos I don't know VST, but most software is ignorant of anything but itself. Process viewer on the other hand is giving you the full picture on what the OS is doing.

Which process is hammering the CPU when this happens ? In the process view, sort the list by CPU usage and let us know what EXE file is top of the list. Might give a clue as to what's going on.
Also sort the same list by memory usage and let us know which EXE's are top of the memory usage list.

[DJZeMig_L]

Ok not sure here but SX with 256 Mb... that's like the bare minimum.. In chance on trying with a "bigger machine"?

Sounds like yer video card is absolutly baffled with all the screening (thoug I'm going on a limb here 'cause I don't really know much about PC/ Macs).... maybe yer video card is sucking proc. from yer ram, leaving it under the water line!!

Just another though... try sending all yer files 2 *.wav format just out of curiousity 2 C how that matches up.... should make a difference... but there is no harm in trying!!

Z

[Patrick]

Ok not sure here but SX with 256 Mb... that's like the bare minimum.. In chance on trying with a "bigger machine"?


I'd always go for 500mb these days. Memory is cheap as chips at the moment, so it's probably worth dropping in another 256mb.

Following on from my earlier post, when the machine locks up is your hard drive light flashing like mad ? If you've got loads of disk read/writes it could well be that you're short on memory and it's having to swap in and out from disk all the time.

[MARKEG]

hey thanx you lot. took your advice and now i've got 1gb of memory on the way. i'm sure this is the problem.

[DJZeMig_L]

So now U got a fast SX???

NICE!!!! :P

Z

[MARKEG]

well not yet... i went down to the post office today and the memory was supposed to be there and it wasn't.

... they must've forgotten about it....

hahahahahhaha

:lol:

[MARKEG]

sorry, what was i talking about?

hahahahahaha

:wink:

[DJZeMig_L]

lamme.... :P :wink:

Z

[Patrick]

I think we just found who out who nicked Bob Monkhouses joke books ! :P :lol: :lol:

[MARKEG]

this is what it was:

i always had problems seeing the muted parts in SX so i'd clicked on one of the options that put the waveform in the part - which make it darker.

however, this meant the screen redraws were taking forever - which slowed it all down.

anyway hope this helps someone else in that same position.