DP6 better VI handling?

haydnwalker · Post by **haydnwalker** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 8:26 am

Was just wondering before i install DP6. i 've just bought a Macbook 2.4ghz core2duo and am starting to get a few pops and crackles with audio. especially Goliath PLAY. Does DP6 give better VI performance as the assured? i'm looking for all the right reasons whether to go with DP6 before the first update or not...?

haydnwalker · Post by **haydnwalker** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:02 pm

anyone?

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:18 pm

It's currently unclear. The VI pre-rendering has gotten mixed results. This was the feature that was to enable users to load more instances of their VIs. We're still waiting for more info from other users and from MOTU.

However, if you are using a MacBook (and not a MacBook Pro), keep in mind that there is no dedicated VRAM. Ram for the display and for general system memory is shared. That alone places the MacBook at somewhat of a disadvantage.

One thing that helps VI performance on laptops is the use of a card slot bus, which the MacBook also lacks. If you are using Goliath, make sure that you make the most of its Settings menu-- the streaming engine level, the VI bus size itself, etc.

Run a test by adding one instrument at a time and take note of when the pops and clicks begin. If there are more than 3GB loaded into PLAY at once, you may want to disable streaming altogether. If you are using large VIs on any laptop, you'll want as much RAM as the machine will hold, but there will be limits based on other factors than the CPU speed. A diversity of data buses remain a challenge to monitor even on the largest desktops where PLAY users are also working hard to keep tabs on the effectiveness of EW's updates as they continue to fine tune their audio engine.

Hopefully, you are not running Goliath samples from your system drive. You will have to run Goliath and PLAY from your system drive, but not the instruments and samples.

mhschmieder · Post by **mhschmieder** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:49 pm

Well, as I reported in another thread, I am personally getting better VI performance with DP6 than in DP5.13. But things are so marginal on my computer it's hard to say for sure why that is.

All I know is that I'm not even coming close to hanging DP with single instances of "greedy" VI's like Arturia and PLAY anymore, but have the same limitations with multiple instances of resource-hungry effects plug-ins (such as IK Multimedia's CSR, which I use in every non-acoustic project now).

AFAIK, I am not taking advantage of pre-rendering -- but I haven't had time yet to dig in to see where those settings get imposed (I didn't find it in the preferences, which I modified as usual, so likely am inheriting whatever MOTU's default decision was for pre-rendering).

haydnwalker · Post by **haydnwalker** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:51 pm

Hmmm. i'm using all samples on a ext. Firewire 400 drive.
its funny you know, i got the macbook cause it was only to use at home for songwriting, (i use my Mac Pro w/5GB Ram in my studio for the big orchestral stuff) but now i got it home and am loving having a set up at home i want it to be faster and am now wondering if i should've got a spent a few more bucks on a MacBookPro instead and had FW800 and more expandability. Would it make a maaaajor difference or am i suffering from grass is greener syndrome? (i get this sometimes)???

twistedtom · Post by **twistedtom** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:07 pm

It is may be a small improvement for me. The over all program is using less CPU. But I have a old tierd computer.

haydnwalker · Post by **haydnwalker** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 5:30 am

Twisted Tom... i love your set up. 25 cores rules!

daniel.sneed · Post by **daniel.sneed** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:30 am

Twisted Tom, your setup is lightening fast for sure and... snappier than my DP 2008 setup, I guess.

twistedtom · Post by **twistedtom** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:09 pm

It may not be all that long until this is real.