Quick Computer Question

Author
Post
Essentials Only Full Version
Syrnix
Max Output Level: -88 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 147
  • Joined: 2005/08/15 01:26:08
  • Location: Mesa, AZ
  • Status: offline
2011/07/17 17:04:33 (permalink)

Quick Computer Question

My current setup is
 
Sonar 8.5
Win 7 Pro 64
AMD Phenom II X4 955
8GB Ram
 
 
                I run a lot of soft synths and effects such as Toontrack superior drums, East West Symphony, Dimension Pro and a bunch of effects.  when i get a lot of them going at once I get a lot of dropout of the Midi note.  for example drum hits may not play or note in symphony midi tracks will note play
 
                What will help with this the most increasing system memory or upgrading the  CPU.  I don't believe i can increase the CPU much without a new motherboard. Memory will be the easiest and cheapest solution if that will work.  I am thinking of upgrading to 16Gb of Ram.
 
Thanks for any info

Sonar Platinium
Windows 7 64 Pro
AMD 8350 
16GB DDR3 Ram
Focusrite Scarlett 18i8
Line 6 Pod HD500
Axe FX
#1

7 Replies Related Threads
    Kalle Rantaaho
    Max Output Level: -5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 7005
    • Joined: 2006/01/09 13:07:59
    • Location: Finland
    • Status: offline
    Re:Quick Computer Question 2011/07/17 17:11:42 (permalink)
    Try raising the buffers titled  "Midi buffers...prepare using". You can double it from the default which is 250 ms IIRC. That should help.

    SONAR PE 8.5.3, Asus P5B, 2,4 Ghz Dual Core, 4 Gb RAM, GF 7300, EMU 1820, Bluetube Pre  -  Kontakt4, Ozone, Addictive Drums, PSP Mixpack2, Melda Creative Pack, Melodyne Plugin etc.
    The benefit of being a middle aged amateur is the low number of years of frustration ahead of you.
    #2
    Syrnix
    Max Output Level: -88 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 147
    • Joined: 2005/08/15 01:26:08
    • Location: Mesa, AZ
    • Status: offline
    Re:Quick Computer Question 2011/07/18 17:45:08 (permalink)
    I will try raising the midi buffers but still want to know if more memory will help also.

    Sonar Platinium
    Windows 7 64 Pro
    AMD 8350 
    16GB DDR3 Ram
    Focusrite Scarlett 18i8
    Line 6 Pod HD500
    Axe FX
    #3
    Chappel
    Max Output Level: -52.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 2300
    • Joined: 2009/07/11 14:55:32
    • Location: California
    • Status: offline
    Re:Quick Computer Question 2011/07/18 17:46:14 (permalink)
    Do you ever freeze your soft synths?
    #4
    daveny5
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 16934
    • Joined: 2003/11/06 09:54:36
    • Location: North Carolina
    • Status: offline
    Re:Quick Computer Question 2011/07/18 17:54:14 (permalink)
    What soundcard are you using? 

    Dave
    Computer: Intel i7, ASROCK H170M, 16GB/5TB+, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Sonar Platinum, TASCAM US-16x08, Cakewalk UM-3G MIDI I/F
    Instruments: SL-880 Keyboard controller, Korg 05R/W, Korg N1R, KORG Wavestation EX
    Axes: Fender Stratocaster, Line6 Variax 300, Ovation Acoustic, Takamine Nylon Acoustic, Behringer GX212 amp, Shure SM-58 mic, Rode NT1 condenser mic.
    Outboard: Mackie 1402-VLZ mixer, TC Helicon VoiceLive 2, Digitech Vocalist WS EX, PODXTLive, various stompboxes and stuff. 
    Controllers: Korg nanoKONTROL, Wacom Bamboo Touchpad
    #5
    Syrnix
    Max Output Level: -88 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 147
    • Joined: 2005/08/15 01:26:08
    • Location: Mesa, AZ
    • Status: offline
    Re:Quick Computer Question 2011/07/18 18:36:50 (permalink)
    no i never freeze my soft synths.  my sound card is a m-audio fast track.

    Sonar Platinium
    Windows 7 64 Pro
    AMD 8350 
    16GB DDR3 Ram
    Focusrite Scarlett 18i8
    Line 6 Pod HD500
    Axe FX
    #6
    Cactus Music
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 8424
    • Joined: 2004/02/09 21:34:04
    • Status: offline
    Re:Quick Computer Question 2011/07/19 01:15:56 (permalink)
    To me 8 Gigs is a lot and adding more has normally been a good idea. But it was only a short while ago everybody got by with 2 gigs, so to me that seems disproportional to end up "needing" 16 Gigs. There's more to having a smooth running  DAW than just hot rod specs.
    Have you checked your system with the dpclat meter to see if somethings hogging the CPU cycles? Your interface will have nothing to do with dropouts, dropouts are CPU/Memory related. Freezing synths is a way around a wimpy computer system so give it a go. It's free!  
    post edited by Cactus Music - 2011/07/19 01:18:33

    Johnny V  
    Cakelab  
    Focusrite 6i61st - Tascam us1641. 
    3 Desktops and 3 Laptops W7 and W10
     http://www.cactusmusic.ca/
     
     
    #7
    Kalle Rantaaho
    Max Output Level: -5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 7005
    • Joined: 2006/01/09 13:07:59
    • Location: Finland
    • Status: offline
    Re:Quick Computer Question 2011/07/19 01:52:23 (permalink)
    I don't think adding RAM will have any effect on the randomly skipped MIDI-notes, but I'm not quite sure. I just figure that if the cause is a preparation buffer too small, then adding RAM will not fix that.


    SONAR PE 8.5.3, Asus P5B, 2,4 Ghz Dual Core, 4 Gb RAM, GF 7300, EMU 1820, Bluetube Pre  -  Kontakt4, Ozone, Addictive Drums, PSP Mixpack2, Melda Creative Pack, Melodyne Plugin etc.
    The benefit of being a middle aged amateur is the low number of years of frustration ahead of you.
    #8
    Jump to:
    © 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1