Cubase 6 - Slow GUI.. and its getting slower...

Hi guys,

Im very new here, but have used Cubase for years… what I would really like to know is this…

I had a core2duo machine built in 2009, with 2GB ram, and a hitachi 7,200 rpm hard drive (120GB) running windows XP (32-bit) and Cubase SX3, and Cubase 5… meager specs compared to my newer system… but running Cubase SX3, it ran smooth as silk, no matter how big the project…

So, when Cubase 6.5 came out, I watched with excitement the new Padshop and Retrologue VSTi’s that were bundled with it, and loved the new GUI… it all looked so swish, and modern… compared to SX3/5!! so I decided that my old system was getting old(!) and I needed a new system… so I built this…

Gigabyte X58A-OC Mobo,
Intel i7 960 (8-cores)
Corsair 16GB (1033Mhz) DDR3 Memory
8TB storage ( SATA II/III)
GeForce GT440 1GB DDR3 (PXI-Express x16 2.0)

for me, this system should bloody well fly to the moon and back! lol… anyway, i installed a fresh windows 7 ultimate 64-bit on it, and bought Cubase 6.5… everything got tweaked, i followed all the advice about disabling things/services, etc… im a bit of a geek with computers ( aren’t we all ? ) and noticed something really odd…

Maybe Steinberg could answer this question directly ?

Why is it that on every so called “newer” DAW release the GUI gets slower, and slower ?! If i load in a project from SX3 with 100+ audio tracks, and tons of plugins, I can move windows fast around the screen without it glitching and locking up (audio is still fine though ) whereas on a supposedly “newer, better” DAW like cubase 6.5, it completely freezes up if i move the mixer on larger projects… ? Why !!!

come on steinberg, fix these GUI issues… its annoying when mixing on projects when the fader levels are all lagging… !!

rant over, and out.

P.S. oh, and just so you know, pro tools 10 ( yuk ) is EVEN worse… :smiley: like were expected to “put up” with it as its the “latest” and greatest version. now i sound like a moaning old nag. lol

I don’t work with projects that big, but I don’t see the GUI going sluggish as the project expands. Updated videodrivers?

Good stuff: https://www.steinberg.net/en/support/knowledgebase_new/show_details/kb_show/optimizing-windows-for-daws/kb_back/2025.html?tx_p77sbknowledgebase_pi1[keyword_search]=Optimizing

hey guys,

many thanks for posting replies so quickly, :slight_smile:

yes, i looked at that article that Steinberg posted. only thing i haven’t done is disable hyper-threading.

will see if my i7 960 CPU can do this.

:blush:

Keep an open mind about hyperthreading - if you look at results for the 2nd generation i7s, hyperthreading definitely works and works beautifully.

Steve.

Plenty of benchmarks that show 2nd generation HT improves performance with Cubase regardless of what Chris B says.

As it’s Cubase and Pro Tools. Should tell you something. I have a similar i7 spec to your and all works just fine.
Can’t say about PTools but I’d look at your BIOS settings first and then investigate any rogue plugs that are either New plugs that don’t get on with the old ones settings or old plugs not compatible with C6.
Could be a big job but on any new rig I set two weeks to a month to iron out all the settings and getting the gubbins to talk to each other and get used to it myself.

hey guys,

let me be more specific as to the “problem”

say i load in a large project 100+ tracks, lots going on… my PC handles it fine. but if i bring up the mixer, the levels on the faders move in a much less - smooth way …

how come ? i mean, I have 16GB of memory, i7 with 8-cores… it does it in pro tools 10 too… kind of lags… no drop outs, DPC latency checker shows latencies of 9 to 11 uS… which is great. Ive even recorded projects at 192Khz @ 32-bit… despite me still recording at 44.1 / 16 (or 24 ) … so come on Steinberg ? why not just release un update to lock down the stability of the graphics drivers to stop them looking shabby… you already have the BEST DAW out there ( fanboi! alert :smiley: ) i should know ive used them all, so tell me, Karl, whats that all about ??? :smiley:

oh and on the Gigabyte X58A-OC in its BIOS, there is no way to disable hyperthreading… the motherboard is a beast of a machine… dont know where i disable it in win7. should I ?

On your board it’s called “CPU Multi-Threading”

You have a first generation i7 chip (the ones that the hyper-threading article was based on). Play with it.
If you get better response with it off, leave it off.

Also: the i7 960 only has 4 cores.

cheers, yes the i7 has 4 cores, yet in pro tools and cubase 6.5 halion sonic SE, there are 8 threads.

ok guys, found it. disabled it. runs slightly worse. win 7 only sees 4-cores. putting it back on. lol. sorry to moan about things, but well, having come from 2GB core2Duo to 16GB i7 64-bit, my projects use just the same amount if not more than when i had the XP 32-bit dual core setup… it seems we all want machines faster, more powerful… to then add yet more channels and plugins… to keep things upbeat here… i mean, the Beatles did it on 4-track! :laughing: but, anyway, i guess ill try to keep out of the way on here… thanks guys

It sounds like you’re describing a very powerful machine with a very specific issue regarding video/screen redraw. I would say it’s definitely worth ensuring your video card driver is up to date (and also swapping out your card if you have another one, just to check for better compatibility).

I remember as well there used to be a lot of threads describing graphics issues that were connected with mouse drivers. If you have a fancy mouse with fancy proprietary drivers, try removing the drivers and letting Windows load basic mouse drivers, just on the off chance this may be causing you problems.

Steve.

I hear ya plectrumboy.

I use a KVM switch to switch between my studio tower (cubase 6 - win7 64-bit and on other partition - xp pro SP2 for SX3/ CB5 ) and my internet tower. keeping the studio offline as much as possible.

if the GUI becomes laggy, i look at task manager and cubase is using ( bear in mind 100+ tracks are running ) 6% CPU with 570MB of memory.

ive just ordered another 8GB DDR3 ram taking my total up to 24GB, which, is INSANE.

its just poor programming on Steinbergs’ part. why dont have a video card option in preferences that allows for Graphics Drivers ?

Yep, especially since it isn’t the fix.

i load up XP pro sp2, and cubase SX3, and this system cuts through it like a hot knife through butter…

load up windows 7 ultimate, stripped down, with the latest cubase 6.5, and its slower. no question. so how come ? what gives there…

its like we are expected to put up with it, in order to be “trendy” and have the latest DAW version.

we take it for granted that when a new piece of software comes out, it will be bulkier, and heftier on the CPU. but theres a limit! lol.

oh well, i doubt my system will last another year at this rate. here was I thinking id overkill the specs and then it would last years.

i should have stayed on my core2duo 2GB machine with one 7,200 rpm hitachi HDD. that thing could handle the SAME thing as my new system. plus it cost £300 to build from pc world.

i would just LOVE to know. WHY ?

its just poor programming on Steinbergs’ part. why dont have a video card option in preferences that allows for Graphics Drivers ?

No. If thousands of users are using i7 machines with no slowdown then the poor programming is usually at the user end.
How long did you take setting up your new machine? I usually soak mine for a couple of weeks with minimal tweaks just making sure there’s no hardware or driver issues.
Get something like Sisandra to check out your computer components and also a latency checker for good measure.
To me sounds like something is slowing your system down and I don’t mean Cubase.
Check your BIOS first to see nothing daft has happened like you’re underclocking the CPU inadvertently.

Try borrowing something else to stretch the system like a fast game, see how slow it goes.
If by chance something is slowing down Cubase it will likely be a corrupt VST.
With proper management you should also not need to utilise hundreds of tracks.

100+ tracks plus 100s+ VST / VSTi spells trubble. When you do this you need to log them. On PAPER so you can track any troubles instead of guessing. Remember you don’t need to give every violin in the orchestra it’s own track because you wouldn’t with a real orchestra anyway. :mrgreen:

ive built stacks of machines. i spent hours “bedding” them in before doing anything music based with them.

im also aware that i dont need a sep. track for every violin (sighs).

enabling / disabling hyperthreading in BIOS makes no difference, nothing is overclocked.

what i have tried is, on a large project,… and i mean LARGE :open_mouth: the ASIO meter will be at 30% and stay there no matter what i do, or add, ive tried throwing everything at this cubase 6.5, and its not once crashed on me. ive deliberately tried to by overloading it with tons of plugs/VSTs… nothing. adding in ozone however on the master bus ( at say i7/i8 ) pushes things somewhat, but i still have bags…

so like i say, ill minimise that massive project, and look in task manager. hmm… CPU use 6% !!! wtf? im aware that ASIO / CPU use arent strictly related…

i can watch dvd’s whilst a project is bouncing along, and surf the net. trust me, this motherboard has it in spades. but, close it all off, just go back to the DAW, and look at the levels on the mixer… the way they behave… noticeably less “fluid”…

is it worth me adding, that my sound card is a PCI EMU 0404 ?! (luckily, the gigabyte has just ONE in it !) despite lowering the latency to say 4ms, ( at 3ms, it will crackle ) i can still use it no problem… i generally keep the latency at 10ms all the time.

perhaps its the old PCI sound card, “bottlenecking” the rest of the system ? maybe an RME UFX would be better ?

one things for sure, its nice to get some feedback and help from you guys, thanks!

on a slightly different note…

ive just installed cubase 32-bit alongside the 64-bit version, both in their respective folders…

the remaining plugins that didnt work , now alll behave themselves when i launch 32-bit version.

I have JBridge, but in my infinite wisdom decided it was far too complicated for my brain!

nice to know that Steinberg still cater for the 32-bit market still. :smiley:

Wait…

These large projects that you had the slowdown on.
Were you using a lot of 32 bit plugins?