Locked2017.05 - poor performance when using VSTi in Sonar Platinum @ 96 kHz

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Rob[at]Sound-Rehab
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2017/06/11 09:13:04 (permalink)
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2017.05 - poor performance when using VSTi in Sonar Platinum @ 96 kHz

Recently I was fighting with unexplainable drop-outs when using certain combinations of VSTi (Kontakt, AD2) and certain audio FX plugins (WAVES AR Plates, WAVES IR, FF MB).  There was no logical reason for it. The system copes well with the load of the specific projects and it seemed relatively independent of the buffer size i.e. drop-outs / crackles etc. don't go away completely even if you increase the ASIO buffer to a maximum.
 
I usually do all my work at 96 kHz so it was more or less coincidence that by mistake I had started a project in 44.1 kHz and all was working so much better. I first blamed the audio driver (MOTU AVB), yet eventually switched to another audio interface for testing (Roland OctaCapture) and was able to reproduce the problems to the full extend. So that leaves the Sonar audio engine and its interaction with certain plug-ins to blame.
 
OK, now more specific:
  • The problem seems most severe with Kontakt Abbey Road drums (the intensity of the problem varies with every kit, it appears worst with the AR80s Black Kit Full). However, I do also get it with AD2 instead of K5 AR.
  • The VSTi by themselves work fine, but when used in combination with certain audio FX plugins like e.g. WAVES AR Plates, WAVES IR, FF MB) the system sounds like it's totally overloaded (drop-outs, crackles) but CPU meters don't show it (nowhere near extremes, generally below 50% even when showing "System Performance" on CPU meters).
  • Interestingly, described problems disappear once you freeze the VSTi. Even though system load was not an issue before, so all audio FX plugins work fine by themselves when being feed true audio tracks, but not when being fed something that is computed on the fly in the VSTi
  • As said, problems are gone @ 44.1 / 48 kHz. I see much better performance (independent of audio interface / audio drivers) and can use very small buffers, but @ 96 kHz you either need ridiculously large buffers or you do even get it to work
  • NI audio plugins do not seem to interfere with Kontakt; worst offenders actually are the new Cakewalk plugins LP EQ and LP MB which also create problems at 44.1 kHz (see also http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3617320)
 
So to me it looks like there is some buffering problem in the audio engine. Something works different for VSTi vs audio FX (VST3) and does not work properly when you have both active at the same time. Problem report http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3617325 (phasing issues at 96 kHz) may actually be related.
 
 
post edited by Rob[at]Sound-Rehab - 2017/06/11 09:38:35

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    Jon Sasor [Cakewalk]
    Cakewalk Staff
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    Re: 2017.05 - poor performance when using VSTi in Sonar Platinum @ 96 kHz 2017/06/12 18:18:56 (permalink)
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    Thanks for the report, PM sent.

    Jonathan Sasor
    Quality Assurance Engineer 
    BandLab
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