Quantifying CPU / RAM optimization

[Brian McCully]

I’m using a Mac G5 dual core 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM,...

I’m using a Mac G5 dual core 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM, OSX 10.4.9, hammerfall card for MIDI and lightpipe. TTSolo operating S2.1 only, with a small MAX app booted to combine the MIDI inputs from a TD-10 and a TD-3, since TTSolo doesn’t support merged inputs. Nothing else booted. It’s a dedicated to drums only computer.
I load up a full S2.1 kit (~950 Mb), playing off my E-Drums (~30 possible trigger notes total), and experience intermittent clicks and pops.
Latency is set to 64. Noticeable sluggish response if latency is 128.
I’ve read the manual many times through – especially on the CPU and RAM topics of Resource Management, and I conclude that all that is presented is general suggestions, with nothing quantified. Fine. The manual suggests that I can go to 16 bit mode, or try caching, or turn off all of the bleeding channels, or perform voice limiting (on individual articulations…that should be fun typing in all those 0 0 0’s), or turn off a few cymbals that I hit every so often, or turn off the meters, etc etc…
I opened the Mac application Activity Monitor to check out CPU usage, RAM allocation, etc. while TTSolo is booted. Seems to be plenty of RAM available (2 Gigs free) and playing a lot of notes (lots of long decay cymbal rolls, etc) gets the CPU % user up to about 65% max (idling is about 25%). Some clicks.
Is there an actual visual and quantifiable method of determining how much is too much, before the clicks and pops start?
Secondly, what is the exact suggested order to turning things off – to stop the clicks? Bleed, first? Less Articulations? thanks, -Brian

I’m using a Mac G5 dual core 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM, OSX 10.4.9, hammerfall card for MIDI and lightpipe. TTSolo operating S2.1 only, with a small MAX app booted to combine the MIDI inputs from a TD-10 and a TD-3, since TTSolo doesn’t support merged inputs. Nothing else booted. It’s a dedicated to drums only computer.
I load up a full S2.1 kit (~950 Mb), playing off my E-Drums (~30 possible trigger notes total), and experience intermittent clicks and pops.
Latency is set to 64. Noticeable sluggish response if latency is 128.
I’ve read the manual many times through – especially on the CPU and RAM topics of Resource Management, and I conclude that all that is presented is general suggestions, with nothing quantified. Fine. The manual suggests that I can go to 16 bit mode, or try caching, or turn off all of the bleeding channels, or perform voice limiting (on individual articulations…that should be fun typing in all those 0 0 0’s), or turn off a few cymbals that I hit every so often, or turn off the meters, etc etc…
I opened the Mac application Activity Monitor to check out CPU usage, RAM allocation, etc. while TTSolo is booted. Seems to be plenty of RAM available (2 Gigs free) and playing a lot of notes (lots of long decay cymbal rolls, etc) gets the CPU % user up to about 65% max (idling is about 25%). Some clicks.
Is there an actual visual and quantifiable method of determining how much is too much, before the clicks and pops start?
Secondly, what is the exact suggested order to turning things off – to stop the clicks? Bleed, first? Less Articulations? thanks, -Brian

Topic

[Scott]

This probably won’t help much as I’m a PC user and not a Mac user. But, I run a single core P4 3gHz with 2GB of RAM and run S2 and EZD in TTSolo at 64 sample buffer through my Digiface sound card with no pops or clicks. Kit size range from 200MB (EZD) to 1400MB (S2). I don’t use any of the built in effects (in S2) as they will cause pops for me.

Scott Sibley - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

[Brian McCully]

ORIGINAL: grandaddy

I’m not a mac user but a couple of questions –

Do you have may effects enabled in the mixer?…that can increase CPU hit

Have you tried running the MIDI out on your TD-3 into the MIDI in on your TD-10? (make sure you have soft thru selected) I’m sure this wouldn’t have a huge impact but it would mean something else not running and maybe worth a try

Finally got to re-hook things up today, so that TD-3 was running soft thru. The TD-10 manual states:
“If this setting is not used, leave it “OFF” as the trigger response
of the pads will be faster.”
I was testing out my MacBook to compare to my G5 and didn’t have my MAX merger patch on the MacBook, so I figured I’d try this out regardless of Roland’s suggestion. The TD-10 output seemed to work ok, no added delay. I’m still feeling out the general overall quality of the response through the MacBook, but the latency issue seems to be better than with the G5. I tried a 256 setting and it even seemed somewhat snappy in response (unlike the G5). Need to try out some more things before figuring out whether the G5 needs a different or reduced role as something other than ‘the dedicated Toontrack machine’.

(also) Using TTS v1.1.2, S2.1, Jazz, Latin Percussion, Twisted
MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo OS 10.4.11, 2.16 GHz, 2GB RAM
TD-10 and TD-3 E-Drum triggering

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