Windows 10 Code Change For DAWs
Here is a report on a Microsoft expansion of something called FLS slots, which have something to do with threads, in the Windows 10 kernel specifically in order to accommodate DAW users desire to load multiple plug-ins. Previously, there has been a limit of 128 FLS slots, which some DAW users exhausted, and at some point this year they plan to up that to '...just over 4,000' (4096?). Until now, when you ran up against the limit, the plug-in would just refuse to load. The update is supposed to happen to W10 automatically at some point and probably without announcement. There's a whole explanation of the issue and what the expansion means here:
https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7281357
It has been a serious enough issue for some people that someone has even written a utility to check the number of free FLS slots yet available in one's system in realtime:
http://planetnine.jp/wp/2018/03/25/fls-checker/
Haven't tried it myself since I still do not use W10. But, for those that do...
Re: Windows 10 Code Change For DAWs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John Ludlow
Here is a report on a Microsoft expansion of something called FLS slots, which have something to do with threads, in the Windows 10 kernel specifically in order to accommodate DAW users desire to load multiple plug-ins. Previously, there has been a limit of 128 FLS slots, which some DAW users exhausted, and at some point this year they plan to up that to '...just over 4,000' (4096?). Until now, when you ran up against the limit, the plug-in would just refuse to load. The update is supposed to happen to W10 automatically at some point and probably without announcement. There's a whole explanation of the issue and what the expansion means here:
https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7281357
It has been a serious enough issue for some people that someone has even written a utility to check the number of free FLS slots yet available in one's system in realtime:
http://planetnine.jp/wp/2018/03/25/fls-checker/
Haven't tried it myself since I still do not use W10. But, for those that do...
Thanks for this, but I only see a download link for 64-bit VST2 and VST3, if I'm understanding right. Do you know if there's a 32-bit version available? Many of us haven't yet made the move to a 64-bit host.
Re: Windows 10 Code Change For DAWs
Hello,
Dave, only 64-bit and will probably stay that way.
Here are the FLS Slots used by SAW and SAC...
Attachment 2941
Re: Windows 10 Code Change For DAWs
Dave - Sorry, this is all I know of.
Dell - Wow, that's less left, out of the available 256, than I expected. How many FLS slots are available after loading both SAW and SAC together? And the real test would be to have both open and then open a VSTi or two and several VST effects within several SAC and SAW channels. And then see how many are left.
Also, for future reference, I read in there somewhere that at least when testing a beta of that update using the utility, the readout of fls-checker just didn't change from "256" so - maybe save you a future freak-out. Although the utility creator might have fixed that bug by now.
At any rate, it's clear that the utility is working on your system and registers that you haven't gotten the update - which makes sense given the OS product that you're using (if they've even deployed it generally yet at all). So its good to know that it works. And it might even shine a light on something hidden that has been a problem for us. Maybe not too. But... worth a quick look.
Re: Windows 10 Code Change For DAWs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mr_es335
Hello,
Dave, only 64-bit and will probably stay that way.
Here are the FLS Slots used by SAW and SAC...
Attachment 2941
Oh, well.
Hey -- is that with both SAW and SAC open at the same time? I'd be interested to see how the available slots decreases with the loading of various plug-ins. Seems like there's potential here for a plug-in insantiation quantity ceiling we we've not been aware of heretofore!
Re: Windows 10 Code Change For DAWs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John Ludlow
Dave - Sorry, this is all I know of.
No worries. Thanks for the heads-up, just the same. I had the same reaction as you to Dell's results. Anxious to hear more...
Re: Windows 10 Code Change For DAWs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John Ludlow
Dell - Wow, that's less left, out of the available 256, than I expected. How many FLS slots are available after loading both SAW and SAC together? And the real test would be to have both open and then open a VSTi or two and several VST effects within several SAC and SAW channels. And then see how many are left.
Also, for future reference, I read in there somewhere that at least when testing a beta of that update using the utility, the readout of fls-checker just didn't change from "256" so - maybe save you a future freak-out. Although the utility creator might have fixed that bug by now.
At any rate, it's clear that the utility is working on your system and registers that you haven't gotten the update - which makes sense given the OS product that you're using (if they've even deployed it generally yet at all). So its good to know that it works. And it might even shine a light on something hidden that has been a problem for us. Maybe not too. But... worth a quick look.
Oh rats - I slipped a power of 2. That should have been "...out of the available 128...", not 256. And - it makes the usage of FLS slots used by SAC and SAW much more reasonable since they each have not used over half of those available. My bad.
