build mix time longer on i7 vs. P4

[Dave Labrecque]

The latest...

I continue to experience crazy slow UAD-1 performance in SAW, forcing me to do multi-stage renders to get projects output without drop-outs. Remember, any single render involving a UAD-1 plug takes twice as long on my i7 system as it did on my P4 system. Multiply that by the number of stages I'm now having to do for a single project (e.g., on my weekly podcast, I export each of two voice tracks first -- that's two passes or 'stages' -- then render the whole thing with master UAD-1 processing -- that's the third pass or 'stage'. 2x3=6 times longer than it used to take on my old system).

Here's the thing. It's apparently not my new system, but something unique to SAW in combination with my new system. When I try the same processes in Sound Forge or Reaper, no such UAD-1 slow down exists.

So, there's some new info. Any ideas on what I might do to get SAW renders in line with these other apps? I'm so fast in SAW with the editing, I'd hate to move to another app, especially for such long projects as this (my weekly podcast is usually around 45 minutes long -- with lots of cuts). I can't imagine another app could be as fast with the cutting, actually, so that would definitely be a drag.

Bob, any thoughts on what I can try to heal this problem? Anyone?

[DBenkert]

Did you change your Buildmix SRC quality setting?

[Dave Labrecque]

Did you change your Buildmix SRC quality setting?

Good question. But, no.

[Craig Allen]

Is memory usage in Windows set to programs?

[Sean McCoy]

Weird, my experience was opposite. In fact, there's absolutely nothing that isn't substantially faster on my Core i7 than my previous P4. But I rarely do any mix that doesn't include several UAD-2 plugs, so I don't have any "native-only" frame of reference.

[Bob L]

Make sure the Priority is set to Programs and try again... and yes... the multicore could be slowing things down as the UAD plugs go off and utilize the other cores, which in the end only serve to slow things down because now the rest of the engine parts will end up sitting idle and wait till the plugs return their data, since in reality... everything is a serial process to put that mix together.

Try forcing the machine to a single core for a test... you might find a much improved overall performance, even though you believe otherwise.

Bob L

[Dave Labrecque]

Is memory usage in Windows set to programs?

Yessir.

[Dave Labrecque]

Weird, my experience was opposite. In fact, there's absolutely nothing that isn't substantially faster on my Core i7 than my previous P4. But I rarely do any mix that doesn't include several UAD-2 plugs, so I don't have any "native-only" frame of reference.

Hmmm... Sean, are you forcing to a single CPU, or using all four (8 virtual) cores au naturel?

Also -- I'm still having drop-out issues when using several UAD plugs in a session. Usually where there's automation and/or region boundaries. You?

[Dave Labrecque]

Make sure the Priority is set to Programs and try again... and yes... the multicore could be slowing things down as the UAD plugs go off and utilize the other cores, which in the end only serve to slow things down because now the rest of the engine parts will end up sitting idle and wait till the plugs return their data, since in reality... everything is a serial process to put that mix together.

Try forcing the machine to a single core for a test... you might find a much improved overall performance, even though you believe otherwise.

Bob L

Bob, looks like Windows 7 doesn't use a boot.ini file like XP, et al., do. How would I institute the /onecpu switch for my Windows 7 system? Just create a boot.ini file and stick it in the C: root? Should it have the other ([boot loader]) stuff in there, too? It'd be cool to create two boot options, one with and one without the /onecpu setting.

[mr_es335]

Hello,

Just for interest, I just built a high-end system for someone who uses ProTools with WIN7 64-bit PRO, and overall this new system is really no better that his existing Pentium D system. I have done all of the normal tweaks and such and my client is not impressed at all.

Loading a large sample library (EWQL Platinum) does load a bit faster, but other than that, we are experiencing drop-outs and other such "anomilies".

We will running a few more tests in the next day or so, but so far, my client is not impressed at all. (I have built his exsiting systems for nearly 6 years now and have never yet experienced what we have been seeing thus far.)