[CAN-10813] Project Performance regressions from 6.5 to 9 with identical project load

Cubase
,
#1

Test this in both Cubase 6.5 and 9:

  1. Add 512 audio tracks
  2. At a random track, draw an event
  3. Move the view around
    -> Performance in Cubase 9 is vastly lower than Cubase 6.5 with an identical project / graphical load. Please fix these kind of optimization problems.

Findings:

  • The slowdown is worse when the playhead cursor is within view, even when it’s static.
  • Using the scrollbars, I found mostly the vertical scrolling is slow. The horizontal scrolling is smooth but only if the playhead isn’t in view.
  • Resizing the track width of a lot of tracks is clearly slower in 9 than in 6.

Test with 512 audio tracks
Cubase 9 - about 20 fps and stuttery:

Cubase 6.5 - 60 fps and smooth (but GIF is a lower framerate):

Extreme test with 2048 folder tracks
Cubase 9 - Low performance, note the slow resizing:

Cubase 6.5 - Near full performance:

#2

Meant to post this in Issues…

#3

I loaded up C6 last week on my old mac and the GUI was like lightening! So frustrating!

#4

Moved to Issues.

#5

Seems indeed more sloppy, How did you measure the framerate?

#6

I can tell by eye what is 60 fps / monitor refresh rate. For lower rates it’s my estimate.

#7

You could validate with fraps (www.fraps.com) ?

#8

That would be convenient, but Fraps doesn’t work with software rendered applications. I just confirmed that this doesn’t work with Cubase.

#9

Ah didn’t know, that’s to bad, regarding this observation together with your other observations on high track counts, is there a nbr of tracks where this gradually starts to happen on your system? If so about what amount where this becomes noticable and what’s your CPU utilization while hovering your mouse, as per windows task manager?
Are you running windows WHQL videodrivers, or most recent AMD ones?

#10

CPU usage while moving the view is 20%, and I have 6 cores.

It also happens with 512 folder tracks, so it seems unrelated to audio processing. But the impact with folder tracks seems lower.

512 folder tracks seems to have the performance of 256 audio tracks.
1024 folder tracks seems to have the performance of 512 audio tracks.

I updated the original post with an additional test.

#11

Great, ThnX I appreciate the difference between v6 and v9, but it’s always good to get some perspective.
With <100 tracks it isn’t that noticeable?
When idle (not hovering the mouse) how much does the CPU load drop then?
Also when you do the same, but for example in a pianoroll window, do you experience the same slowdown? Or is it only in the mixer or arrangement window?

I currently don’t have access to my DAW, but will try to test somewhere during the weekend as well

#12

With 100 tracks and no track events the noticeable slowdown is only when resizing the track listing.

Both Cubase 6.5 and 9 when idle in an empty project (aside from the audio tracks) consume 0~1% CPU.

#13

So it’s fair to say that fast hovering is very demanding on the CPU? 20% in task manager is a condiderable load?
Question still is why v6 feels snappier on your system.
Is the load when hovering the same on v6 as v9? Or does V6 have a lower load when fast hovering?

#14

We’re not talking about fast hovering, but scrolling the view. “Hovering” gives me 1-3% cpu usage with 100 audio tracks. Most of those hover performance issues should be gone (on Windows). I reported the one in the Key Editor one and it was solved in .20

#15

I hope it can be improved, the snappier the better

#16

Dear Raphie, I am sure you want to help, but none of your last 40 posts did help anyone, did they? You mention this and that, assume one thing or the other, and most of the time doubt what others write or explain why you don’t care about their problems or findings. But there’s simply no idea, no support for anyone coming out of the lines you write. Just a bad mood that I get when I read your comments most of the time. Destructive statements leading to nothing but time killing conversation, shouting ‘no!’ to the world.

Could it be that… well… are you simply bored and sad? Make some music. Be creative. That helps me when I feel that way.

No offense meant. I don’t judge you as a person because I don’t know you at all, just the things you wrote in this web forum in the last days.

best wishes
Timo

#17

Let’s keep it calm here guys. ^-^;

Updated the original post with some new findings relating to the playhead.

#18

nice research djw!
what i can add, you dont need add 500+ audio tracks, just Open heavy project in 6.5 and 9. you will see same resoults

also if you change size in project windows where no Buttons/text etc. there no lags, if you change size at buttons area you can see lags, probably its Redraw again.

here you can see in C9 problems
at empty space

_at space with text/button_s




and yes, framerate is tooooo low

#19

Thanks djgraver, and yeah it’s the same behavior here.