Latency during playback in Cubase 5

[jack259]

Long time no post here, so hello to all

 

Okay I've not been posting here as I'm working very hard to get assignments in. However, I'm having some trouble with Cubase 5.

 

Basically, I've been working on some songs in Cubase, both recordings and MIDI realisation type things, and as the project has more work done to it, the ASIO time usage gets higher and higher, until it constantly peaks, making the project very difficult to listen to as it makes the sound go very weird, almost a distorted, static like sound. I think it's latency.

 

I'm running a Windows 7 Laptop with 3GB of ram, 15GB+ free hard disk space with a dual core processor.

 

I found when I used the computer in the recording studio at my school, I get none of this horrible sound or lagging, I think this is because it's got a quad core processor.

 

What I want to know is, how do I optimise my laptop for Cubase 5, or performance in general?

I've seen some things where it makes your computer look a bit fugly and changes it to look like Windows 98 etc, but if that's going to give me better results, then so be it

 

Thanks.

[tomrulez]

Are you using ASIO4ALL?

[jack259]

Are you using ASIO4ALL?

 

No, what's that?

[tomrulez]

http://www.asio4all.com/ install it and then select it as your asio driver. Problem solved.

[jack259]

http://www.asio4all.com/ install it and then select it as your asio driver. Problem solved.

 

Thanka Will let you know how it gets on...

[jack259]

http://www.asio4all.com/ install it and then select it as your asio driver. Problem solved.

 

It's helped, but it has not solved the problem by any stretch.

[cheddatom]

How does the VST performance monitor look on CPU and disk usage?

 

What are you using in the project? Has your set up acted like this with other less complicated projects?

 

What soundcard/interface are you using?

[jack259]

How does the VST performance monitor look on CPU and disk usage?

 

What are you using in the project? Has your set up acted like this with other less complicated projects?

 

What soundcard/interface are you using?

 

On the biggest project, it's constantly full. The ASIO4ALL helps this but it hasn't solved it.

 

It's all VST instruments, some have a lot of inserts. The smaller projects are fine.

 

I'm just using the stock soundcard in my laptop.

[cheddatom]

if the CPU bar is constantly full (what's the disk like?) then your problem is a total lack of CPU power. Either use less plug-ins, less CPU-intensive plug-ins, or get a better PC.

[jack259]

if the CPU bar is constantly full (what's the disk like?) then your problem is a total lack of CPU power. Either use less plug-ins, less CPU-intensive plug-ins, or get a better PC.

 

The cause of the lack is an overload, I think I've got it as good as possible really.

 

I'm thinking of getting a (fairly basic) MacBook Pro, but that won't be until I've finished school. This may be a silly question, but how powerful are they?

[haze015]

A separate sound card will make a difference.

 

A full hard drive will slow everything down.

 

Power is everything.

 

Buying a Mac won't necessarily solve anything.

[jack259]

A separate sound card will make a difference.

 

A full hard drive will slow everything down.

 

Power is everything.

 

Buying a Mac won't necessarily solve anything.

 

This is true, although probably unnecessary expense. I can't afford anything right now. I might stick some files I don't need onto my external drive.

 

Buying a Mac for uni/music college - should have stated. Won't be until August/September though...

[Don'tPostThePear]

deal with it and render the more cpu power consuming tracks into wav stems.

[tomrulez]

deal with it and render the more cpu power consuming tracks into wav stems.

 

That's what I used to do when I had a rubbish computer.

[milkybar=]]

freeze the tracks!!!!!!!!!!!

basically means that any inserts and eq's and tails and stuff you put on get saved and mixed down and put all onto the audio file, so the inserts can be turned off, freeing up the CPU. The button looks like a snowflake and is on the right hand side of the bar where the volume/pan is on the left hand side.

If you then want to edit any of the inserts, you can click the freeze button again and it unfreezes the tracks, meaning you can change your inserts and there is no loss of quality or anything. can freeze/unfreeze as many times as you want!

 

i've had this problem working on big projects where you've got a whole band recorded using multiple mics per instrument...works a treat!

[cheddatom]

I might stick some files I don't need onto my external drive.

 

You have 15GB free on your hard drive. There's no issue there.

 

What's the disc usage like on the VST Performance meter?

 

Freezing/bouncing tracks is a great idea. There's one DAW where you can do this, but still retain the ability to "un freeze". It might be Reaper?

[milkybar=]]

cubase 4 you can definately freeze and unfreeze, it would be silly if cubase 5 has gotten rid of it

[jack259]

;9076058']freeze the tracks!!!!!!!!!!!

basically means that any inserts and eq's and tails and stuff you put on get saved and mixed down and put all onto the audio file, so the inserts can be turned off, freeing up the CPU. The button looks like a snowflake and is on the right hand side of the bar where the volume/pan is on the left hand side.

If you then want to edit any of the inserts, you can click the freeze button again and it unfreezes the tracks, meaning you can change your inserts and there is no loss of quality or anything. can freeze/unfreeze as many times as you want!

 

i've had this problem working on big projects where you've got a whole band recorded using multiple mics per instrument...works a treat!

 

So Cubase is then effectively playing a WAV of the Frozen Track? Interesting. This may help. If I freeze EVERYTHING, will I then be able to listen to the project properly?

 

I may just wait until I'm back at school to fuck with this project, I have other stuff to do XD

[cheddatom]

;9077125']cubase 4 you can definately freeze and unfreeze' date=' it would be silly if cubase 5 has gotten rid of it[/quote']

 

ooops, I didn't read milkybar's full post.

 

I'm still on SX3 but hope to set up a new PC soon for Cubase 6.

[jack259]

You have 15GB free on your hard drive. There's no issue there.

 

What's the disc usage like on the VST Performance meter?

 

Freezing/bouncing tracks is a great idea. There's one DAW where you can do this, but still retain the ability to "un freeze". It might be Reaper?

 

Didn't know if 15GB was good or bad

 

I don't really understand, I'm a DAW noob. But on the big projects, it's constantly peaking.

 

;9077125']cubase 4 you can definately freeze and unfreeze' date=' it would be silly if cubase 5 has gotten rid of it[/quote']

 

Yeah you can on Cubase 5, just found out how.

 

ooops, I didn't read milkybar's full post.

 

I'm still on SX3 but hope to set up a new PC soon for Cubase 6.

 

5 is good, although people tell me Cubase is a long way behind Logic etc. SX3 up to 6 will probably feel like heaven though.

 

Not sure about the VST's in 6, but 5 certainly gets better when you download some off of the internet. Same with inserts.

[cheddatom]

There are two meters on the VST performance bar (or there is in SX3). One is for disc usage, the other is for CPU usage. If the disc usage is constantly full but your project contains almost no audio, then you have serious issues.

 

For your computer to run nicely, you need to leave some space on your hard drive for the OS to use a virtual RAM. If you leave the same amount as you have RAM you should be safe. I always leave double. Obviously you can specify the size of that "page file" (or whatever you call it). Basically any computer with 10Gb free on the main hard disc is not suffering as a result of a hard disc. The amount of people who say "do you think i've filled up the memory" or "I must have clogged it up with all my downloads"... ARRRGH

 

SX3 comes with some nice plug-ins. In particular "quadrafuzz" is ace, and it's missing on the new versions of Cubase (deffinitely not there on C5). I've used C5 breifly. It does look nice, but I can't see many extra features. Apparently side chaining is easier. Obviously this freeze track feature is good. Cubase 6 has grouped editing, which I desperately want.

[jack259]

There are two meters on the VST performance bar (or there is in SX3). One is for disc usage, the other is for CPU usage. If the disc usage is constantly full but your project contains almost no audio, then you have serious issues.

 

For your computer to run nicely, you need to leave some space on your hard drive for the OS to use a virtual RAM. If you leave the same amount as you have RAM you should be safe. I always leave double. Obviously you can specify the size of that "page file" (or whatever you call it). Basically any computer with 10Gb free on the main hard disc is not suffering as a result of a hard disc. The amount of people who say "do you think i've filled up the memory" or "I must have clogged it up with all my downloads"... ARRRGH

 

SX3 comes with some nice plug-ins. In particular "quadrafuzz" is ace, and it's missing on the new versions of Cubase (deffinitely not there on C5). I've used C5 breifly. It does look nice, but I can't see many extra features. Apparently side chaining is easier. Obviously this freeze track feature is good. Cubase 6 has grouped editing, which I desperately want.

 

Ah no, the ASIO is constantly full (on the big projects), the disk is empty.

 

Ah yes I see

 

Would using a USB stick on ReadyBoost help at all?

[cheddatom]

Would using a USB stick on ReadyBoost help at all?

 

?? No.

[jack259]

?? No.

 

It claims to act as RAM to speed up your system. Wasn't sure if it would affect my severe lag

[cheddatom]

I'd not heard of that before! That's very cool. It might help a bit yeh, i'm not sure how it works. Normally you'd need a 64bit cpu to handle any more than 3.5Gb of RAM. If you have a 64bit cpu and OS why not get some more internal RAM put in? Either way I think your project is just too intensive for your current cpu.