CPU Processing Power

[westlake79]

Hi All,

I'm curious about DP8's ability to get full use out of the CPU. When doing demanding tasks, such as bounce to disk, playing a heavy session with lots of plugs, or recording lots of audio, I notice the processing bar in DP is about 3/4 full, spiking up to about 90%.

Yet the CPU under Activity Monitor is being shown as only using 30%. It shows 70% idle. No single core gets above 50%, with several empty. A program like Adobe Resolve meanwhile, will use every core/thread you throw at it, all the way up to 100%.

I'm trying to figure out what the bottle neck is.

I'm using a 2408 and a 1224, with all inputs/outputs disabled except for two. PCI use is Aprx. 1.37 MB Per Sec.

I'm using a nMP, 3.5 Ghz 6 core. Project is on native SSD storage, about 800MB per sec read/write so no bottleneck there.

Any ideas on why DP gives out before using all available CPU?

[bayswater]

Many have noticed the discrepancy between Activity Monitor and the DP performance meter. Most have decided to ignore the DP meter. You can get third party CPU load meters that reside in the menu bar that will tell you load by processor. I find these more useful.

[BKK-OZ]

This thread: http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... ad#p451075 worth reading, esp. the post from Magic Dave.

[NeilBlack]

I have exactly the same situation. I've never been able to use more than about 30% of my available CPU power before DP's meter starts peaking. When DP's meter starts clipping I get all sorts of artefacts, drop outs etc so the DP meter is relevant for me. 70% idle power seems a lot but I've never been able to get any useful feedback on what could be happening, These days I just live with it.

OS X Mavericks and the last 2 DP8 revisions helped me a lot though, so if you're still on DP7 I would make the move.

[Marc7777]

From what i've been told by MOTU is that the CPU performance meter in DP is the COMBINATION of both CPU power and Audio processing..

So it isn't fair to compare it directly to the Activity Monitor.. but when some people say to ignore it.. well for me, when it spikes, it causes pops and stutters.. so I have to mind it.

But I agree, my Activity monitor is also telling me that my Mac Pro is barely breaking a sweat (70%+ idle) and DP freaks out.. So it is a mystery indeed..

~M

[bayswater]

From what i've been told by MOTU is that the CPU performance meter in DP is the COMBINATION of both CPU power and Audio processing..

Marc, I can't figure out what that is suppose to mean. How do you add "CPU power" to "Audio processing"? One seems to be a measure of capacity, and one a measure of usage.

If "audio processing" means disk activity to stream audio, it would make sense to me because I see the performance meter spiking when Activity Monitor shows high levels of disk read/writes.

[Marc7777]

How do you add "CPU power" to "Audio processing"? One seems to be a measure of capacity, and one a measure of usage.

hmm good point.. I'm not sure of the technical measuring of this, but that's just what I was told by MOTU HQ.. they said it's not only the CPU usage, it's also measuring DP's audio processing (plugins/streaming VEP/latency comp/etc?)

My point is that it's not apples to apples basically...

[bayswater]

they said it's not only the CPU usage, it's also measuring DP's audio processing (plugins/streaming VEP/latency comp/etc?)

That's where I lose the thread. These are the things that consume CPU.

[Marc7777]

Maybe i'm just not articulating it right, or using the right terms.. Sorry to have caused confusion.. Again, whatever the case is, my point is that they are not one in the same. DP's meter is encompassing other "things".. whatever they may be..

I think though, the original post was more about the fact that the Activity monitor will say that 70% of the computer is Idle while DP is maxing out in the CPU meter.. I experience this too. and it seems others do as well.. I don't have an answer to that. Just an observer. And this has been the case since DP7, if not before..

[bayswater]

Maybe i'm just not articulating it right, or using the right terms.. Sorry to have caused confusion.. Again, whatever the case is, my point is that they are not one in the same. DP's meter is encompassing other "things".. whatever they may be..

I think though, the original post was more about the fact that the Activity monitor will say that 70% of the computer is Idle while DP is maxing out in the CPU meter.. I experience this too. and it seems others do as well.. I don't have an answer to that. Just an observer. And this has been the case since DP7, if not before..

Agree that it's happening since DP 7 -- the Mac is not being taxed, but the DP monitor says it is. Usually this hasn't led to any glitches, and when it has, on my system is always an overtaxed hard drive, or once or twice, clocking/sync problems.

[stevenew]

Hi,

Good to find this thread, I have been wondering about this. This week I have finally started using DP 8.07 in Yosemite on my 8 core 2009 Mac Pro I bought at the beginning of the year, having now upgraded to Sampletank 3 everything is ready to go.

I load my basic DP template, I load BFD 2 with a kit and Sampletank 3 with just one piano loaded, no audio tracks, nothing else, idle the DP Processor meter shoots to about a third, yet iStats CPU meter in the menu bar says 96% CPU not used!

In DP7/Mountain Lion on my old Core 2 iMac using the same basic template with BFD 2 & Sampletank 2 the DP Processor meter would hardly register.

Now I worked out part of this increase seems to Sampletank 3, switching off some of the effects on the loaded patch does reduce the DP meter somewhat, but it still seems really high, compared with my old setup. Sampletank 2 was always my goto for writing as it was less of a CPU hit than Kontakt but now it seems Kontakt is less of a CPU hit than Sampletank 3 - anyway it is worrying that just loading BFD 2 & Sampletank 3 and sitting idle is causing the DP meter to jump to a third.

BTW this is using AU plugins, I will try the VST versions see if there is any difference.

Steve

[ccrane]

I wonder how other DAWS compare in regards to Activity Monitor and CPU usage.