Hi am new to VST Live (long time cubase user), but have noticed 3 instruments that are fine on the same device under Cubase Pro 15 , but under VST Live 3.0.10.88 each just hit 100% CPU as soon as loaded, without even playing anything
Just updated to the pre-release 3.0.18, same results.
as for cubase yes asio guard is on the default of on/normal, if i switch this off i do see some cpu usage while idle, but not 100% maxxed out, and the song still plays with the 3 instruments.
in VL playback of any one of them fails, and any single instance of the VSTi’s idle = 100% cpu
Hmm, just one additional idea: try Multi Processing audio in Preferences (afaik Cubase does it automatically, but in VL the lot’s of off different scenarios and experiences made necesarry to be able toggle Enable/Disable multi-proc-audio)
Hi thanks I had already tested in VL / Preferences / Audio / Multi Processing (was off by default) and does seem better with it On, but still not in relation to these 3 VSTi.
after exporting numerous songs from Cubase most appears perfect, unless any use these specific 3 instruments.
I’ll try again in future (if plugins get an update or VL etc) for now ill have to stick with CB, thanks!
Hi, I tried the same instruments from Usual Suspects just a second ago. They run absolutely fine here, no anomalies at all (recent VST Live 3, Multi proc off, MBP with M1 Max, 64 GB). What’s your setup?
Hey thanks for testing.. Maybe a windows related thing as said is perfectly fine on cubase on the same device.. So I don’t suspect the hardware or the plugins.
Dell latitude 3450..
12th Gen. Intel Core i5-1235U (12 MB cache, 10 cores, 12 threads, up to 4.40 GHz Turbo
2 high-performance cores and 8 energy-efficient ones—and you want to play live on this?
Your laptop is designed for studying, not for live performances. Maybe it’s time for developers to write real hardware requirements instead of the vague ones on your website. Then clients won’t have questions like, “Why is my CPU overloaded 100%?”
Hi yeh it is a spare laptop I’m testing with and don’t mind leaving at our jam space, but as cubase for example (after export/transfer from main DAW) can manage to play all parts without breaking a sweat, my question was more why through live it cannot even play one of the 3 specific instruments. (All others are fine)
Or even idle with 1 of the 3 instruments mentioned.
I know it’s no powerhouse and not expecting much else out of it, but playback close to cubase should be expected?
All other instruments & multiples of are fine..
I think as was mentioned earlier asio guard must be doing something to help cubase here.
So yep the laptop is no beast, but if I use cubase it works perfect and is what I’ll use for now and just load songs in between jams.
If it works out I’ll look into a dedicated laptop for it.
First Its not true second its not that simple. All depends on demands. E.g.: with my retired Core2Duo intel (2010 MacBook pro) I played backing tracks and FullHD videos synced via LTC….
In cubase when you playback a midi track to a VST instrument, ASIO guard buffer take care of preloading it with a very high latency buffer and compensate for added latency to play it in sync with rest of tracks. In VST Live, as the live word suggest, there is no such thing as. ASIO Guard, and all the VST instruments are managed as if they are played live , track or no track. This put a very different load on real time cpu processing.
If you are not going to play live, I suggest you bounce to audio and import audio in VSTLive.
Hi Yeh this is what it seems as cubase is fine (either idle or playing all 3 of the plugins)..
I am more highlighting 3 specific instruments that cannot even be loaded/idle in VST Live, its not a case of Live doesnt work, as i can load many others just fine.
VSTLive is also fine with 10+ vsti loaded and playing midi (aswel as playing) as long as its not one of the 3 mentioned plugins.
E.g in vst live i can have halion with multiple preset’s as a layer, and UAD Ravel piano, UAD 88 vintage keys, UAD B3, Arturia Pigments, Arturia Analogue, (usual suspects Virus TI) all playing midi and playing keys live, no hiccups….
but just loading and idle the 3 mentioned vst3 instruments = 100% cpu
So VST live is fine for use if I change the instruments and not use those 3, OR I just use cubase if I need them, is working ok for now.
Again this is only a test and not gigging this, but will be taking it to next few jams, and if works out ill look at a better more powerful laptop for live use.
Anthem and also B3 (mentioned elsewhere) run just fine here, workstation and Laptop, at 64 samples. Those are demanding plugins though, but unless you have a lot more processing going on in your project, should run fine.
Usual Suspects we cannot test as we’re not allowed to use installers w/o signature, sorry.
There are thousands of obstacles when using audio software in general. A plugin is a blackbox, which has a “do your processing now” call, which is where all the CPU power is consumed. Cubase or any other DAW will call this just like VST Live does, so it is very unlikely that the problem lies with VST Live, more likely, other circumstances are to be examined.
ASIO Guard can help in tight situations, you didn’t mention your buffersize (or even OS, assuming Windows); try to double it to “simulate” ASIO Guard, better?
Hi, many thanks for the reply, ive tested as 64/128/256 all teh way up to 2048 and no difference with those 3 plugins (vst3) the second any are are loaded in live 3, 100% cpu (with no instrument gui’s even open, nor playing any midi) just idle
in cubase, i can load all 3 of them and while idle cpu is negligible, and with all 3 playing back midi, cubase is hovering around 40-50%, and yep this is on windows 11 pro.
I have gone through the guide posted and i didn’t have “hyper threading” disabled…. I have gone ahead and disabled that and no change.
for whatever the issue is here im just going to use cubase for these instruments and try to use live 3 for all others.
If I do end up making use of it in live jams, ill look into a more capable laptop and give them a go again in Live 3 in future.
many thanks for all the help and tips, much appreciated.
