ASIO Guard and Vienna Ensemble

Ok, now I hear something.
ASIO Guard has always been set to normal. With this setting when I select different tracks I actually hear kind a “click” between the selections. Not a real pause.
But it’s only when I set AG to High that I have 0.5s mute on every change, that’s true.

Apparently it also depends on the complexity of the project, as I read in another post.

Besides, I always work with one instance of VEP for the entire orchestra. I don’t see the necessity to load multiple instances. That’s why I haven’t been affected by this problem.

It will also depend on your buffer size. I can work on low at 256, but when I A/B’d the performance was actually significantly worse than with AG2 set to off, which isn’t much of a feature, is it? Only on the higher AG settings do you get improved performance, and that seems to require higher buffer sizes than most of us can work with.

Yes, mine is set to 384 (8ms), quite comfortable to work. With this setting I hardly hear a noise (click), even with my old computer. (I run Cubase and VEP on the same machine)
But when I set the buffer size to 256 (6ms) there is a huge difference : almost half a second mute on track selection change.

Still a problem here with latest VEP update (256 samples). Asio guard off for now. :confused:

Strange that I don’t have this problem - at least I don’t think so.

I’m using the Updated VEP5 but still on CB 85.
Haven’t updated to 851 yet.
For testing I put ASIO Guard on for VEP 5 and set it on High (it was on “Normal” with no issues).
126 on my RME.

I can use VEP on my local computer and/or a slave and switch track selection all I want.

Now - if I enable Record on a VEP5 Track while rolling I do get a quick pause.
Is that it? Cubase is recalculating the latency for live playing.
I think I read that Logic waits for the next stop/play cycle to recalculate avoiding this - but it seems to me this would result in extreme latency for any live playing prior to stopping.

If that’s the issue it’s not a problem for me because I simply record enable in stop.
I can do all the punching in and out I want with no glitches.

Or maybe I’m not understanding the issue.

Hugh

This issue affects ANY navigation around the Project Window - if you’re affected then every time you change track, select a clip on a different track etc. the audio engine pauses for (in my case) over a second. It makes working with current versions of Cubase/Nuendo and VE Pro pretty much impossible, because audio is dropping out perpetually, and disrupting workflow.

To make things worse, in my case, my template would not run reliably with ASIO Guard disabled for VE Pro - I was getting much higher CPU loads and frequent overloads. I had to revert to earlier versions of Cubase/Nuendo to work at all (I’m currently still using Nuendo 6.5).

The latest build of VE Pro has made no difference (and wasn’t supposed to) and both developers have now gone silent on the issue, suggesting they’ve either given up, no longer care, or are just ignoring it. There is a lengthy thread over on the VSL forum about it, but no meaningful developer input or guidance for a long time.

I’m now starting to look at alternatives to both VE Pro and Cubendo, in case the issue is never resolved. Real shame, because when it worked, this combination was killer. Unfortunately, technology doesn’t stand still, so Nuendo 6.5 (and earlier Cubase versions) will only be supported and viable for so long, and then I (and others) will have to find other ways to work.

Unless of course Steinberg and VSL start talking again, and manage to get this solved… [fingers crossed]

Jules

I totally agree…this is by far the number one issue that needs to be resolved for me and many other composers that I know. FIX THIS!

I’ve disabled asio guard for ensemble and don’t experience any problems. Perhaps you just need to up your buffer one notch?

I think that’s long been known. Turn AG2 off, and work at a higher buffer than C7. Not really terrific progress though, is it?

actually, it is already at increased buffers which is what ASIO Guard does, so it isn’t that different.

Does this problem exist in 7.5 as well?

i.e. with regards to VE Pro, which is better - 8 or 7.5? I’m trying to decide which one to pick.

No, the issue is new to ASIO Guard 2 versions of Steinberg software which, if memory serves correctly, is just Nuendo 7+ and Cubase 8+.

As mentioned above, you can (partially) avoid the issue by disabling ASIO Guard for the VE Pro plugin, but in my tests, this meant that the current generation of software used slightly more CPU overhead than the older versions when running the same template.

All just my personal experience, which may or may not be replicated by other users. Also, I haven’t run further tests since I tried to use Cubase 8 (and then Nuendo 7) shortly after release, so I can’t say if for example Cubase 8.5 is an improvement.

What trailerman said. It might be true that it was also problematic with ASIOguard 1 in C7, but let’s be honest no-one used it anyway. The issue is that general CPU use increased in C8, AG2 has compensated for most people but not for VE Pro users for these much discussed reasons. So if VE Pro efficiency is your only consideration, then C7.5 is the better bet.

If Steinberg / VSL really have given up on AG2 and VE Pro ever working (and yes, the stony-faced silence isn’t encouraging, is it?) then one might conclude that the only hope is to make Cubase more efficient in general, regardless of AG2. Since they seem to be ignoring all the public clamour for such things these days, I wouldn’t bet the farm on that happening either.

I would like definitive proof of this statement, as I plan to purchase VE5.

I did the same. Asio guard on, but disabled it for all VSL plugins in plugin manager.
Works fine

Here’s to hoping Cubase 9 fixes this because it’s annoying. I have got round this problem (for now) by turning off AG2 completely and bought a Slave Computer haha. Drastic but necessary Measures. :wink:

Having the record enabled track at a lower buffer isn’t that different, it’s completely different.

Of course it’s a convenience thing, but you can change the buffers on the VEP instance. It’s far from a show stopper.

By the way there is a VEP update that says it addresses ASIO Guard 2 issues. I have just updated all of my remotes but have yet to test it by turning ASIO Guard on. Keep your fingers crossed.

Sadly not - that just fixes some issue with mixdown that I don’t have. Same behaviour for the problems we’re discussing.

Aren’t there any sync issues? So with cubase 8 you can disable ag per plugin? Can you please confirm this - I’d take 8 vs 7.5 but ve pro is the main factor.

Also 7.5 without ag and 8 without ag - which is better? For the worst case scenario…