Sanderxpander
If I'm reading your list correctly you only have three plugs actually running? What happens if you bypass them?

bypassing the plugs gives me better performance, but the plugs quantity and I am using should not give me any grief.

Are any of those plugs 32 bit?

all plugins are VST3 and 64-bit - good point!

Your issue was never X3D I promise...

Anyways..
 
Edit -> Preferences -> MIDI -> Playback and Recording -> Prepare Using X Millisecond Buffers.

What is X? Because I got caught out on this recently.
 
Cheers..

Guitarmech111

Sanderxpander
If I'm reading your list correctly you only have three plugs actually running? What happens if you bypass them?

bypassing the plugs gives me better performance, but the plugs quantity and I am using should not give me any grief.

I agree, I'm just wondering if it's a specific one that's misbehaving. I don't have IRLive (why use the live version btw?) but I use GTR3 sometimes and don't notice particularly high CPU spikes. It's relatively old by now too.

I have to set my ASIO buffer at 1024 to ensure I don't get clicks and pops, even though Task Manager never shows a significant CPU load.  (Sometimes 512 is OK.)
 
I only do that during mixing, however.  I have to set it a lot lower during tracking to avoid latency.

I just put X3D back on and will troubleshoot with that maintenance.

Alex, I do not see that option in the Playback and Recording preferences. I am in ASIO mode of that would make a difference in what you are seeing.

IRLive, I like that plug. :) that is the only reason.

I can see 1024 on mixing, but that is way too much. I have always used 256-512. At 512, I thought I was using too much.
 
I am not really doing a 'mix' per se, but playing back tracks that will be used for playback while recording. I have to have the lower latency. These RME units can get real low. I had zero issues with 8.5 and latency. The major differences I see are VST3 and X3. I hope, I can get around the differences.
 

That shouldn't make any difference (I should have stated MIDI)...
 
 

 
 

yes, I know you are an explicit guy.  ;)
 
Mine says 1000. I don't know if that is right or wrong. I usually don't set anything midi playback related. I have set it to 250 like you posted. I think that may have helped a bit.