Core*, 100% and VST flashing red

[Jonathon Stevens]

Try temporarily removing the flux plugins and see if the problem goes away.

I've had a bunch of problems with Flux VST's causing DSP overs, I think if you search for "denormaling" on this forum you might find it. It was fixed a while back but a few weeks (months??) ago i installed the latest flux VST's and the problem had returned. I've been working on Pro Tools systems for the last few months so haven't really been keeping up with Pyramix enough.

[Graemme]

Goofy workaround for Flux plug-ins VST over issue:

Assign a VS3 generator plug-in (on a strip) to the same bus where the Flux limiter is installed, such that the generator's output feeds the plug-in. Set the gen to pink noise and an amplitude of -143.8 dBfs. Now, the plug-in will not go into overload as it happily munches on the 'noisy numbers' fed from the generator.

Apparently, Flux cannot reproduce this, either, but it looks like we all can, even easily...

Graemme

[fl]

just to follow up, in a session with no effects on the mixer the VST flux limiter II sends core usage up to %84 with no playback, but down to %4 when playing back. VST Solera II does something similar, but only up to %30 during playback, VST alchemist also 4% when playing back, 32% when stopped. No other VST plugins that i've tried show a similar behavior. Perhaps i need a new flux capacitor? Bus or strip, behavior is the same.

I've seen this with SIR2 (Impulse Response Reverb VSTPlug-in) in my Native Music system - but it's intermittent. Same deal, high CPU usage when transport is stopped or the cursor is over an area in the timeline with no clips, but as soon as actual audio is encountered, the CPU usage drops to normal.

Like I said, this behaviour is intermittent - somehow, Pyramix 6.2.4 "healed" itself, and I can't get this to occur again in the affected session.

[Graemme]

I'd like to add that these issues with Flux plug-ins do not occur with WaveLab or Sequoia, so it's not entirely a Flux issue.

Graemme

[Jonathon Stevens]

I've been using Solera, Limiter2 and Epure in Pro Tools for the last couple of months without any problem either. It's starting to make me feel like i wasted my money on the VST's, since i only use them with Pyramix. At least it works with Pro Tools.

Whoever's fault it is I just wish they'd just fix it, it's annoying, and it's been going on for too long.

[Bernhard Guettler]

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[Bernhard Guettler]

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[Graemme]

Latest version of Flux plug-ins (2.1.11.6197) has specifically solved the 'denormal' problem. I've been running this new build for three days without issue. For the time being, at least, no more goofy workarounds...

As far as general VST behaviour in Pyramix Masscore goes, I saw an improvement (VST spikes gone) when I switched my video card from a nVidia Quattro NVS-290 to the Sapphire 4350. The lush GUI of something like the Flux Alchemist would bring my MassCore system to it's knees. With the newer Sapphire card, I don't see these issues. The NVS290 is/was an absolutely fine and stable video card; it seems like it just didn't have enough 'juice' to handle both MassCore and some of the fluffier VST plug-in GUIs at the same time.

Graemme

[Bernhard Guettler]

Hi Graemme, did you see the spike issues with any other VST plugin other than the Flux ones? Do you still have spikes with the Sapphire, just under the 100% threshold now?
Thanks
B.

[Graemme]

Hi Bernhard,

I also saw similar VST spikes with an older version of PSP's 'Old-Timer' dynamics plug-in. I don't see any spikes at all now, including the use of the Flux Pure Limiter and four instances of the Algorithmix Orange LP EQ in a DXD project, where the VST core usage is a stable 63%. I'll have to check Alchemist at 192K; that could still be a problem. My other comments are all based on 96K / 88K2 projects.

Which motherboard are you using? I also recall major improvements going from the recommended Intel DP35DP to a Gigabyte EP45 UD3R some time ago.

Best,

Graemme

[paulicox]

With a GIGABYTE GA-EG45M-UD2H motherboard, the saphire HD4350, Pmx 6.2.3 build 6936 and a version of flux plugins that are a week old I am still getting VST spikes intermittently, in the same way project scenario I described earlier.

Once it spikes and flashes a red VST and I click on it. My core reads out around 14%....

I can not shake this problem and wish I could figure it out... I'm getting noises when it spikes and am burning CDs realtime.

I also have my wireless card (Realtek RTL8185) and Avira antivirus disabled.

Don't know what to do.

[Graemme]

How big is your Pyramix VST buffer?

[paulicox]

256.

Thanks

[Graemme]

Set it to the max. (8192K) and let us know if you see any differences...

gb

[paulicox]

Graemme,

Thank you very much for your help with this. Although I had tried this before to no avail, with all the updates and suggested cards installed raising the VST buffer level has quelled the overages. Only problem now is that with the buffer set to a higher level and delay compensation set to full I have too much latency from the source signal to what I'm monitoring...

Thanks again,
Paul