How to get the most out of MachFive in DP

[magicd]

Here's a tip for getting the most out of MachFive 3 running in DP8.

Because DP8 uses 64 bit addressing and can access all the available RAM in your computer, it is possible to load large amounts of sample based virtual instruments into a DP session.

DP can take advantage of multiple CPU cores. To get maximum efficiency with virtual instruments, it's a good idea to spread the processing load of those instruments among the available cores. Each fader strip in DP can be seen as a separate processing thread by the OS. That means that a single multi-timbral instrument plug-in on an instrument track in DP will be limited to a single CPU core. However, if multiple instantiations of the instrument plug-ins are made over several instrument tracks, this will allow the OS to use multiple cores to handle those separate instruments.

So instead of running many instruments inside a single MachFive 3 instrument, try spreading those instruments out over three or four instantiations of MachFive 3. You may see a significant increase in CPU efficiency.

Dave

[MIDI Life Crisis]

[kgdrum]

Interesting info Dave,am I understanding correctly this approach would be beneficial to Kontakt users as well?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Interesting info Dave,am I understanding correctly this approach would be beneficial to Kontakt users as well?

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 26&t=53498

[kgdrum]

As they say in LaLa land : Cool beans!
Good info to know.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Is that what they say in LalaLand? I thought it was: who had the beans?

[williemyers]

hey guys, I'd like to drag this one back up again for a moment...

Dave's tip is very useful (and always welcome) but, in ways, opens even more questions that sort of hang out there.
KGDrum had asked specifically if Dave's tips applied to Kontakt, as well as to MachFive. Mike responded with a link that answered the question but, again, only as it applied to MachFive. As I'm starting to get frequent DP8/K5 crashes, I'd be one of those who (somewhat desperatly) needs to know more about the multi-core relationship between DP & Kontakt5.
I've found that going in to the settings of a Kontakt instance in DP8, and attempting to turn on, or raise, the multi-core setting in Kontakt5 will cause K5 to throw up a warning msg., something to the effect "Using multicore support in K5, when K5 is being used in a DAW that supports multicore, can cause problems..." or words to that effect. So, the question still hangs out there....when using K5 instances in DP8, is it a good idea to have K5 multicore support on or off? Or does it make any difference?

many thanks

[kgdrum]

Willi,the reason I've asked these questions primarily is because I keep getting told different answers depending on if I talk to people at MOTU tech support,NI tech support or by other users on forums,I can tell you I really don't have a clue what's the best approach,
lol
NI told me use multicore support,leave on KMS and designate 3 cores on a Quad,5 cores on a Sixer,7 cores on a Octo,etc.....
I think I was told to ignore the message & if I wasn't told that I ignore the message anyway.
I only see it when I change the setting in DP.
I've never seen an actual problem,so unless my Mac starts crashing I leave it as it is.
I think the worst that can happen is a crash or higher CPU demands but you can just change back if it doesn't work as well with the setting changes.
I have KMS off and 3 core setting for my Quad.
NI told me to leave KMS on,I don't because I expect DP 64bit operation to make KMS unnecessary.
Will I see better performance or stability if I change to 4 core setting or turn on KMS?
I really don't know if I've ever really noticed a big enough difference,either way with these different settings.
Many people say leave KMS off,forget the core stuff because DP does it.
I have KMS off & I have 3 core multicore setting for my Quad.
I'm not a "heavy" user,my demands as they are ,I rarely notice a difference.
I don't do massive tracks ,film scores,Orchestral or have slave PC's running farms of samples with VEP etc...
It would be great to get a definitive answer but I expect to continue getting different answers depending on who we pose the question to.
Maybe call NI tech support would give you an answer,I'm curious to hear what they tell you......

[twistedtom]

DP can take advantage of multiple CPU cores. To get maximum efficiency with virtual instruments, it's a good idea to spread the processing load of those instruments among the available cores. Each fader strip in DP can be seen as a separate processing thread by the OS. That means that a single multi-timbral instrument plug-in on an instrument track in DP will be limited to a single CPU core. However, if multiple instantiations of the instrument plug-ins are made over several instrument tracks, this will allow the OS to use multiple cores to handle those separate instruments.

So instead of running many instruments inside a single MachFive 3 instrument, try spreading those instruments out over three or four instantiations of MachFive 3. You may see a significant increase in CPU efficiency.

Dave

If I read this right, making a VI out put to multible channels should do the same thing. I have on some of my set ups M5-3 putting out each instrument to a different fader strip, so this should do the same thing; right? I think I will try a test to see, I will report back.
If this is the case and it is DP8's fader strips that are using multiple CPU's, then it should work for every VI, or so the logic goes.

[Michael Canavan]

Here's the new confusing part, there has been work in recent years on an OS level to allow a software to use multiple CPUs on the same task. In the case of a DAW that would essentially mean that eventually a DAW could use multiple CPU's on one instance of MachFive 3 or Kontakt etc. This isn't fully developed and only some oddball PC DAWs are trying it now.
As it stands mature pro DAWs use one CPU core per track, so if you want to have DP bog out on a powerful machine quickly load multiple reverbs, stacked oscillators, IRCAM stretching etc. into the 16 tracks of one instance of Machfive 3, then add a heavy CPU FX or two for fun. Routing audio to other audio tracks for adding FX helps etc.

[twistedtom]

I use Menu Meters to see what my CPU is doing, some programs will run all the CPU's doing some tasks, and others will run only one to do something. I never understood why they don't do some kind of multitasking on certain tasks, I still do not see why some do and some don't.