DP and CPU Usage

[DMac]

...another quick and basic question. I just restarted my comp after my usual five minute window of opportunity that I have with DP before it crashes, opened a project (all of 15 seconds using five VIs), opened Activity Monitor and DP, sitting completely idle, is consuming 85.6% of my 8-core intel processor. Is that a normal level (without opening a file it sits at, say 5%, which seems entirely reasonable)?

Here are my tracks (I don't even try Kontakt3 now based on previous comments that DP hangs when it's loaded).
-- Three tracks using EWQLSO
-- One track using BFD
-- One track using B4-II
-- One track using Bassline

And one more question on trashing preferences (I've done that, but it hasn't changed anything so maybe I'm doing it wrong).

Under my user name/library/preferences I actually have two folders named Digital Performer.

One of these has only one folder within, 'Document Templates' so I'm thinking that may be left from the original 6.0 install when I I trashed that icon (the second folder also has a document template folder).

The second DP folder has lots of stuff (all normal I assume) and near the bottom is a file called 'Preferences'. Is this what I should trash or do I need to trash the entire 'Digital Performer' folder?

I've also trashed the file com.motu.digitalperformer.plist.

Thanks

I have three tracks in EWQLSO, one

[DMac]

...well, at least I have this one figured out. I had a master fader track with Leveler on it. As soon as I got rid of the Leveler, cpu usage dropped to 25.

Sorry about that though it hasn't solved my crashing problem (is that not the way to control the final mix of a project though, with a master fader channel and applied leveler if necessary)?

Thanks,

[Timeline]

Increasing buffers will also drop it dramatically.

[DMac]

...hey timeline, thanks for the suggestion. That is the one setting I've played with and have the hardware buffer set to three (I use the MOTU Ultralite) and latency to 128. I think DP only lists settings up to four, but I haven't seen any difference in changing it between 1 and 3, so I just assumed it didn't really affect much

[monkey man]

I think it's the latter setting that Timeline is referring to, DMac. If you can get away with it, 256 or 512 will doubtlessly revolutionise the look of your CPU meter.

[DMac]

...hey mm, 256 is the highest I can live with, so I'm gonna set it there for now. But a couple of threads over, mongoose gave me a tip to eliminate pre-filling of buffers and running all plug-ins in real time and I'm hoping that that might have helped a bit.

Thanks

[monkey man]

Well, that setting should help a lot IMHO. The fact that you're on DP6 now also means that you should experience less real-world latency for any given setting, FWIW, as DP seems slicker now in that department.

And one more question on trashing preferences (I've done that, but it hasn't changed anything so maybe I'm doing it wrong).

Under my user name/library/preferences I actually have two folders named Digital Performer.

One of these has only one folder within, 'Document Templates' so I'm thinking that may be left from the original 6.0 install when I I trashed that icon (the second folder also has a document template folder).

The second DP folder has lots of stuff (all normal I assume) and near the bottom is a file called 'Preferences'. Is this what I should trash or do I need to trash the entire 'Digital Performer' folder?

I've also trashed the file com.motu.digitalperformer.plist.

You're correct, AFAICT, about that older folder. To be safe, I'd trash the entire prefs folder, but copy the document templates folder, your command bindings, window sets and colour schemes back into the new folder from wherever your last backup was. You could make a note of those files that you've sacrificed without replacement, making it easier to immediately reset them to your liking in DP.

Fingers crossed that this helps...