Constant ASIO overload with Cubase 6.5

Hello Cubase Community.

I’m experiencing strange thing recently. I have constant ASIO overload while using Cubase 6.5 when my song gets a bit more complicated. Thing is that after checking with the performance monitor everything seems fine: CPU usage at about 60% tops, almost no disk usage, but still it happens. Anyone can tell me what could be the problem?

Link to a video with my Cubase setup and monitor below (sorry for no sound, it’s like Camtasia Studio doesn’t want to cooperate with my sound drivers).

My computer setup is Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz, 6 GB RAM, 1 x 500 GB HDD 7200 RPM, 1 x 1 TB HDD 7200 RPM, Radeon HD 5450, some 500W power supply.

My audio interface is TC Electronic Konnekt 8 with latest TC Near ASIO driver.

Project record format is 48 kHz, 24 bit. ASIO buffer size is 256 samples to keep latency at 5.3 ms.

Help please, coz I cannot work on that.

Thank you in advance,
Tom

Run a few HDD diagnostics, chances are it’s corrupted somehow.

I have the same pb, I just installed cubase 6.5 because cubase 7 don’t work on my system. I hope this will be better but no.
Simple track with Kontakt piano → overload on ASIO perf.
On my cubase 5.5.3 it works perfect ! so it’s not an HDD problem.

Sorry my problem was only for kontakt in cubase 6.5 , I had the 32bit versions instead of 64bit , now it’s ok for me => no ASIO peaks ! :wink:

Ok guys, now it’s getting serious and seriously irritating.

I changed my whole computer. Now it is:

AMD Bulldozer 8-core processor @ 4,2 GHz, 16 GB of RAM (1333 MHz), 1 x 128 GB SSD (OCZ Vertex 4) for system, Cubase 6.5 and VSTs, and 2 x 1TB HDD connected into RAID 0 array for sound libraries and projects.

Audio interface is still TC Electronic Konnekt 8, connected with FireWire with compatible chipset (DPC is stable at 150 us tops).

CPU usage is stable at about 10-15%, RAM usage at about 8%.

System is Windows 7 64-bits, same as Cubase, and all VSTs. Updated cubase to latest 6.5.4 version. Latest drivers for my interface.

What is going on? I’m going crazy here… :cry:

Any luck with this post?

Thank you for your answer, anyway I have nothing like KVM switch connected to my computer. All plugs are connected directly to respective units of the computer, which includes monitor, onboard FireWire, so no switchs or hubs.

have you tried a different version of your audio driver or even asio4all just to see if it makes any difference ?

No other versions of my audio driver are available, tho I tried ASIO4ALL - no improvement, or improvement unnoticable. Unfortunately. I guess I tried everything, that’s why I posted to the forum. I always make sure to try and search as much as I can before asking for help.

Try to explain your setup and problem into detail and mail it to Steinberg support. When you have everything else, maybe this can help.

it’s a bit of a strange one ,so i take it you have tried the internal soundcard or used a completely different audio interface just to make sure as the spiking you are getting seems the be related to the asio and not disk and as it’s the only bit of equipment that hasn’t been replaced it’s pointing the the interface being the cause but im only guessing here , so your chipt set is texas instrument for the firewire ?

Thank you for your reply. I tried to switch off my interface, enabled my internal sound card in bios, and tried to use it with Asio4all, same thing happens.

Yes, my chipset is Texas Instruments. As I mentioned before I run DPC tests, and latency is stable at about 150 us, which means that the chipset and FireWire connection is fine.

One more thing - even if project is not played ASIO load is about 30% and spiking a bit to 35-40% or so.

I also tried to manipulate parameters such as Audio priority, Steinberg power scheme, and this kind of stuff in Cubase - no effect.

Obviously after changing ASIO buffer to 1024 samples the spikes went down not causing this distortion effect, remaining at hight values anyway.

I believe this is the moment I should say “goodbye” to Cubase… I come up with one last idea - I downloaded FL Studio DEMO, and connected same plugins and started testing stuff. Even if it does not support 8-core processors, and processor load was at about 60% it all handle without a single dropout at (watch me here) 64 samples buffer!

I spent last few days fighting with this thing - I was about to buy update to C7, but now I won’t let Steinberg earn another 149 € for such optimised software… A company which a customer cannot even contact directly, coz they say to contant local dealer for any questions…

So long Steinberg. Bravo - you just lost customer.

I had the same issues with the Connect. Switched to a MOTU 828 mk3 and all went away. That said I also firmly agree cubase is poorly optimized for real time audio. A direct comparison with the same project on Reaper yields no dropouts of any kind… I want to switch, I really do but just can’t afford the interruption to productivity of learning a new DAW. Definitely not upgrading from 6.5.4 to 7 though… Too many unresolved issues for me (eg the take comping on multiple grouped tracks), in fact group editing and routing are both very under-developed in Cubase when compared to Reaper or Pro Tools. Sorry to winge it just seems steinberg focus on new headline-grabbing features more than fixing existing but flawed ones. Perhaps their innovation team is bigger than their bug support team… Or perhaps they just don’t care enough to read these forums!

Sorry your hardware upgrade didnt help, that’s very frustrating (and expensive) but honestly try an RME or MOTU before learning a new DAW, there are literally loads of people who struggle with the TC ones…