As i was in test mode today I htought I’d share some actual performance data on how to maximise your CPU when using Cubase.
I’ve been running a Dawbench Mix benchmark which we put together to show that in a real world mix with lots of busses etc then ASIO guard can max out with as little as 20% cpu use . This isn’t single core overloading either as you can see in task manager no cores are above 50% when this happens.
Anyway I was sending some screen grabs to my friend of the basic DawBench mix test on my new 9950x and decided to use audio gridder to host some of the bus plugins.
So the scrren shots are of the regular test and ASIO guard is about 50% but system use is only 8%. I can load about 15 of the channel strip plugins across the busses and ASIO guard is at 100%
Using audio gridder to host the bus plugins I gave up at 168 plugins across the 8 busses. As you can see the ASIO guard didn’t move at all. Each Audio gridder instance on the bus contains the 3 plugins greyed out above hence 168 plugins.
So, if you’re running into the red with ASIO guad then host your plugins and VSTI’s in ASIO guard , it runs them outside the cubase process and measn you can utilise all the availble CPU you have.
Yes, Audiogridder is a regular feature here now. I wish someone would take it over and commercialise it. It could be better than it is already with further development.
(My problem on my 7950x is usually the real time peak, but that is partly an issue with the Virtuoso room simulation plugin on the control room which seems to massively increase that value… although it always seems ridiculous that the ASIOguard value can be at 50-60% and my CPU is doing practically nothing. I could’ve saved my money and just have bought a cheaper CPU with less cores.)
Never used Audiogridder. How does it solve the problem with session recall? Do I need to load a specific AG session in addition to the Cubase project?
Sorry i should have said how to use Audio Gridder.
You need to download and install the plugin and Server on the same machine. Let the server scan you plugins and then you just need to remember to run Audio gridder server when you start up and you’ll be able to load the plugin in cubase and load all your plugins via the audio gridder plugin.
You also have the choice of an Audio Gridder instrument plugin as well for offloading VSTI’s
More or less yes.
Basically Audio gridder hosts your plugins in a separate process out of the Cubase Process(es) so that means you ASIO guard is unafected by adding more and more plugins this way.
AG has it’s own buffering system so from 0 buffers up to 2x 4x 8x your project buffer etc So I’m sure the extra buffers help a lot too.
It also seems to spread the load very evenly across multi core/thread CPu’s which is also a plus . YOu can see the core loading from my screen grab in the earlier post showing very even distribution.
Anyway, it’s free so give it a go, youhave nothing to lose…Also when VST2 has gone completelt from Cubase you’ll still be able to host VST2 plugins via Audio gridder so a little future proof bonus.
Of course you can also run AG on a slave computer that runs windows,MacOS and Linux so if yo have a spare machine you can make a slave easily to run extra VST and VST’s
Can someone tell me please if I have the right idea here please?
In my house I’ve got several PCs, all connected by WiFi to the same network:
My audio “DAW computer”, that I run Cubase in
A portable computer (Microsoft Surface Pro 6), in which I’d be happy to let AudioGridder temporarily host VST2 and VST3 plugins and VSTi s that I would access with Cubase from my separate main DAW computer, and
Several other computers that need to be kept isolated from any DAW/ music work.
If I installed AudioGridder would I be able to run Cubase 12 Pro or 13/14 Pro on my DAW computer, and tell AudioGridder it can host VST2 and VST3 plugins and VSTi s on my Microsoft Surface Pro 6, but not any of the other computers on the network?
And if I did that it would be like my DAW computer were more powerful (it’s a custom built ADK, c.2014)?
Your surface pro would work as long as you can connect it to a hub wired.
However, my main point was to install audio gridder plugin and slave on the ‘same machine’ so you can utilise the full potential of a mult processor CPU.
Ah, sorry I missed that, thank you, @Norbury_Brook . I’ve got an old machine with only four processors, and lately it slows down a little too easily, but I’ll look at AudioGridder to see if it helps out anyway.
To make sure I understand … is the italicized from the above quote in the OP a typo, should it read “AudioGridder” instead?
