Optimize project/system for VSTis w. ext. MIDI controller. Getting some scritchy scratchys

Although I've done a bit of external MIDI controller stuff (mostly for drum parts) I've never really gone full bore into using a keyboard controller to slap around proper synths.
 
I know how to handle problems with audio input problems and I rarely have those problems anymore. Today though I am poking at all the synths in Sonar (while watching the SWA Virtual Instruments tuts) and although everything is mostly going well I got some "scratchy" type sounds when goofing about with the pitch/mod wheels. Mostly with Lounge Lizard so far BUT this made me realize I have no knowledge of how to mitigate such problems when inputting data from a controller or dealing with synths in general.
 
So just looking for tips on how you guys optimize things in these scnearios when things start getting wacky. For audio I just simplify the project through various methods and adjust my buffers. I figure maybe there are similar techniques for MIDI/synth stuff.
 
My system...
 
i7 2600k
16GB DDR3 Corsair Vengeance RAM*
 
*Note (for some reason I am not seeing the RAM useage increase in the Perf Module when loading banks so perhaps that is a clue or maybe the banks are just too small to be noticeable in the graphic)
7200 RPM HDD (C 500GB and E 1TB... projects currently running from E, programs on C)
ASUS PZ series Pro III yadda yadda (It's a nice board... I can dig out the actual model number if necessary)
Focusrite Scarlett 18i6 which has never caused me any problems
 
Win7 Pro 64bit full fully up to date (with Important updates... not Optional)
Platinum Dorchester 64bit
Gigabyte 1GB vid card (NVIDEA)
 
Controller (in this instance) M-Audio Oxygen 25 which is plug and play (I have not installed anything special like drivers to use this thing... AFAIK it doesn't need drivers and I've never had a problem)
The project is a totally blank project (currently 44.1/24). I am inserting each synth one at a time just to mess around with them using my controller. I only really noticed the "scritchy scratchys" happening with Lounge Lizard and screwing around with the Pitch Wheel and/or mashing a whole bunch of notes at once.
 
Reducing the "voices" option in LL seemed to help a bit but the system should be able to handle the max. Increasing the Scarlett's ASIO buffers a little seemed to help but again I should not have to do that (it was set at 4ms which I record my guitar with no problem and I increased it to 5ms... which helped a bit).
 
As I said... looking at the Performance module with or without a synth loaded does not seems to make any difference (visually) in the graph (but I guess I should hover for more detail). Really though the RAM is not even close to being maxed... like the bar is maybe 3-5% full. CPU is barely touching the fist core. HDD's aren't turning red.
 
Anyway... just one synth out of many. Maybe Lounge Lizard is a bugger for no good reason but as I said I just want to learn about managing resources with synths and MIDI controllers without suffering from latnecy issues.
 
Cheers, thanks and I hope everyone is having a good day.

Hi, John. Thanks. I think this may have acually been a Lounge Lizard issue. As I plod on I'm not experiencing the same noise. I did however slightly increase my audio buffers but still... I never really noticed an issue before today (and now I'm recalling that maybe I had the same issue last time I messed with LL).
 
Good to know about the "MIDI Buffer" thing though I think I know where that is in prefs and I'll keep an eye out for it if I experience more problems. Obviously there are some very heavy duty synths in Sonar and I intend to hurt them very badly... 'cause I'm spazzy like that.
 
lol
 
Cheers.

brundlefly
 
You shouldn't have to do anything in particular too get good behavior from live performance of soft synths. So long as the latency is tolerable, and the project plays back existing MIDI smoothly at that buffer setting, live performance should work just as well.
 
If a particular synth responds badly to real-time controller input, it's likely that it will do the same with playback of recorded controllers, and that it's not anything that can be addressed by tweaking SONAR settings. I haven't checked how Lounge lizard responds to modulation, but it may be that whatever parameter is being controlled in that particular patch is meant to be set and left alone. Some synth architectures/parameters just don't lend themselves to continuous changes during playback.
 
Incidentally, the MIDI Prepare Using buffer is only relevant to buffering up audio for playback of existing MIDI. It doesn't affect real-time MIDI input.
 

Thanks. Something odd was indeed going on and really to test this (if anyone were to go down that path) I'd say poke around the patches because some seemed more wonked than others. Then play lots of notes at once and/or at high velocity and/or use the pitch wheel with notes being played.
 
This instrument does indeed seem to be designed to accept pitch wheel bends (it's right on the GUI) but maybe the patches aren't. Still doesn't explain why it was happening (but to a lesser extend) when larger chords were being played.
 
Also the Mod Wheel seemed to be registering movement (on the GUI) but was not actually altering the audio no matter what I did. I chalked it up to ineptitude but perhaps LL needs to be updated via the manu's site? Like maybe this is an initial release and a patch is available?
 
I'll look into it but if anyone knows then I'd be interested in hearing experiences. It's a pretty cool sounding Electrernix Pianner... better than the SI one (which is still pretty decent but very simple).
 
Cheers.
 
PS: There was something else that struck me as odd. The "default" patch that loads when first inserting the synth was "out of tune". Like the "Tine" and "Bar" were quite off and the tine part was overpowering (which was what I think was out of tune). Turning up the Bar volume made it sound nice and organic so I just figured that's how it was supposed to be but I've dealt with real electro pianos and I've never heard a tine so out of tune from the bar. They're the same piece of steel! lol
 
Just more info. Might lead to some answers. Of course I already have access to a ton of "Rhodes" sounds anyway by way of other synths but I kind of like the LL and it's simple but elegant design. I want to hurt it... and I was... it just din't like it too much.

Yeah, I did that and the Depth knob lit up/moved. No audible change though. I'm probably doing something wrong but it did strike me as odd. I'll have to check out the manual in depth I guess but it's not a huge deal anyway. Right now I'm just plowing through as many synths (and their functions/sounds) as I can.
 
Might be some issue with the Oxygen25 as well. No drivers is handy but I gotta wonder... is that actually a bad thing performance wise? MS have been kind of dillholes toward us audio nerds and M-Audio are kind of... meh.

Just tried again with the default patch. Denada (mod wheel and depth knob on GUI moving, Trem button click and lit up). Odd thing that. I'll have to figure it out later. Once I get into the other synths with Mod stuff I'll see if they engage but if I'm seeing visual activity I'm guessing that means there should be audible changes.
 
Maybe I just need to reinstall LL or something.
 
No bigs. Thanks for checking though.
 
Cheers.

scook
Make sure the audio track is set to stereo. There is no effect in mono.

hmm... I inserted "All Outputs = Mono" like I usually do and I would assume would create a stereo pair going to master anyway but mayhaps that will require another look. Good call.
 
Currently going apeballs with TTS1. That's actually a pretty crazy synth once you start screwing with it. I am making really bizarre and dark sounds and layering more normal stuff is pretty top shelf... like film quality sounds.
 
Learning how things work. Who knew it could be so useful? lulz
 
Cheers.
 
PS: I've been bashing the crap out of TTS1 with no audible issues. So far just LL is the only one throwing scratchys on me. I have not yet moved on to the crazier synths yet though so we'll see.