My Cubase performance issues

Cubase
1

I have an i9 Windows 10 machine with 64g of RAM, SSD drives, Scarlett 18i20 audio interface. Background processes are the minimum possible. Nothing but Cubase running on this machine. Latest versions of everything.

Also, I was involved in a startup that died, and they just gave me a Dual Xeon server with 128g of ram, SSD drives – whose computer name is BEAST. So I have all my VSTs on BEAST in Vienna Ensemble Pro. Megabit network switch.

I have 500 MIDI tracks, maybe 20 of them with data at the moment. I have 30 VST connections in my instrument rack via Vienna Ensemble Pro to the VSTs on BEAST.

You would think with only 20 or so active MIDI tracks I’d have zero performance issues, but I do. Buffer size is set to 512 (ouch that’s big) and yet on playback I get stuttering and crackling. And Cubase will completely halt for a few seconds then jump ahead.

I’ve deactivated swaths of tracks that I know I’m not going to need on this project, and still the problem persists. Do I need to get maniacal about deactivating absolutely everything I’m not using?

Also, FWIW, when Cubase is halted/idle, on the performance meter ASIO-Guard is at about 50% (why?)

Thoughts? Switch to Reaper? (Only half-joking!)

2

Hi,

Could you test your system by using LatencyMon utility, please?

3

What a fabulous tool! I was on the C++ team at Microsoft, but don’t know anything about deep internals so I don’t know what to make of much of this. I presume I run it without Cubase running:

latency
latency1343×614 43.3 KB

CONCLUSION

Your system appears to be suitable for handling real-time audio and other tasks without dropouts.
LatencyMon has been analyzing your system for 0:01:30 (h:mm:ss) on all processors.

SYSTEM INFORMATION

Computer name: WIN10A
OS version: Windows 10, 10.0, version 2009, build: 19045 (x64)
Hardware: B560M AORUS ELITE, Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
BIOS: F9
CPU: GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core™ i9-10900F CPU @ 2.80GHz
Logical processors: 20
Processor groups: 1
Processor group size: 20
RAM: 65405 MB total

CPU SPEED

Reported CPU speed (WMI): 2808 MHz
Reported CPU speed (registry): 2808 MHz

Note: reported execution times may be calculated based on a fixed reported CPU speed. Disable variable speed settings like Intel Speed Step and AMD Cool N Quiet in the BIOS setup for more accurate results.

MEASURED INTERRUPT TO USER PROCESS LATENCIES

The interrupt to process latency reflects the measured interval that a usermode process needed to respond to a hardware request from the moment the interrupt service routine started execution. This includes the scheduling and execution of a DPC routine, the signaling of an event and the waking up of a usermode thread from an idle wait state in response to that event.

Highest measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 217.40
Average measured interrupt to process latency (µs): 10.387442

Highest measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 209.50
Average measured interrupt to DPC latency (µs): 3.115367

REPORTED ISRs

Interrupt service routines are routines installed by the OS and device drivers that execute in response to a hardware interrupt signal.

Highest ISR routine execution time (µs): 66.227920
Driver with highest ISR routine execution time: Wdf01000.sys - Kernel Mode Driver Framework Runtime, Microsoft Corporation

Highest reported total ISR routine time (%): 0.000380
Driver with highest ISR total time: Wdf01000.sys - Kernel Mode Driver Framework Runtime, Microsoft Corporation

Total time spent in ISRs (%) 0.000518

ISR count (execution time <250 µs): 2854
ISR count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 500-1000 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 1000-2000 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time 2000-4000 µs): 0
ISR count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0

REPORTED DPCs

DPC routines are part of the interrupt servicing dispatch mechanism and disable the possibility for a process to utilize the CPU while it is interrupted until the DPC has finished execution.

Highest DPC routine execution time (µs): 318.888889
Driver with highest DPC routine execution time: Wdf01000.sys - Kernel Mode Driver Framework Runtime, Microsoft Corporation

Highest reported total DPC routine time (%): 0.018048
Driver with highest DPC total execution time: Wdf01000.sys - Kernel Mode Driver Framework Runtime, Microsoft Corporation

Total time spent in DPCs (%) 0.031069

DPC count (execution time <250 µs): 21710
DPC count (execution time 250-500 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 500-10000 µs): 42
DPC count (execution time 1000-2000 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time 2000-4000 µs): 0
DPC count (execution time >=4000 µs): 0

REPORTED HARD PAGEFAULTS

Hard pagefaults are events that get triggered by making use of virtual memory that is not resident in RAM but backed by a memory mapped file on disk. The process of resolving the hard pagefault requires reading in the memory from disk while the process is interrupted and blocked from execution.

NOTE: some processes were hit by hard pagefaults. If these were programs producing audio, they are likely to interrupt the audio stream resulting in dropouts, clicks and pops. Check the Processes tab to see which programs were hit.

Process with highest pagefault count: msmpeng.exe

Total number of hard pagefaults 25
Hard pagefault count of hardest hit process: 22
Number of processes hit: 3

PER CPU DATA

CPU 0 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.313532
CPU 0 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 0 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 0 ISR count: 0
CPU 0 DPC highest execution time (µs): 83.313390
CPU 0 DPC total execution time (s): 0.045280
CPU 0 DPC count: 6652

CPU 1 Interrupt cycle time (s): 0.923406
CPU 1 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 1 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 1 ISR count: 0
CPU 1 DPC highest execution time (µs): 46.053775
CPU 1 DPC total execution time (s): 0.001250
CPU 1 DPC count: 193

CPU 2 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.373545
CPU 2 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 2 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 2 ISR count: 0
CPU 2 DPC highest execution time (µs): 203.788105
CPU 2 DPC total execution time (s): 0.013307
CPU 2 DPC count: 1284

CPU 3 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.196297
CPU 3 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 3 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 3 ISR count: 0
CPU 3 DPC highest execution time (µs): 102.834758
CPU 3 DPC total execution time (s): 0.001324
CPU 3 DPC count: 114

CPU 4 Interrupt cycle time (s): 2.242207
CPU 4 ISR highest execution time (µs): 12.096154
CPU 4 ISR total execution time (s): 0.000057
CPU 4 ISR count: 5
CPU 4 DPC highest execution time (µs): 108.925926
CPU 4 DPC total execution time (s): 0.001495
CPU 4 DPC count: 98

CPU 5 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.282768
CPU 5 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 5 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 5 ISR count: 0
CPU 5 DPC highest execution time (µs): 85.935185
CPU 5 DPC total execution time (s): 0.000560
CPU 5 DPC count: 71

CPU 6 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.992846
CPU 6 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 6 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 6 ISR count: 0
CPU 6 DPC highest execution time (µs): 83.859330
CPU 6 DPC total execution time (s): 0.000734
CPU 6 DPC count: 66

CPU 7 Interrupt cycle time (s): 3.400017
CPU 7 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 7 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 7 ISR count: 0
CPU 7 DPC highest execution time (µs): 118.302707
CPU 7 DPC total execution time (s): 0.032382
CPU 7 DPC count: 1714

CPU 8 Interrupt cycle time (s): 0.796470
CPU 8 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 8 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 8 ISR count: 0
CPU 8 DPC highest execution time (µs): 76.145655
CPU 8 DPC total execution time (s): 0.004913
CPU 8 DPC count: 505

CPU 9 Interrupt cycle time (s): 0.748366
CPU 9 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 9 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 9 ISR count: 0
CPU 9 DPC highest execution time (µs): 53.018519
CPU 9 DPC total execution time (s): 0.000705
CPU 9 DPC count: 103

CPU 10 Interrupt cycle time (s): 0.887388
CPU 10 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 10 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 10 ISR count: 0
CPU 10 DPC highest execution time (µs): 47.882123
CPU 10 DPC total execution time (s): 0.001530
CPU 10 DPC count: 176

CPU 11 Interrupt cycle time (s): 0.858163
CPU 11 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 11 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 11 ISR count: 0
CPU 11 DPC highest execution time (µs): 19.206197
CPU 11 DPC total execution time (s): 0.000229
CPU 11 DPC count: 34

CPU 12 Interrupt cycle time (s): 2.327014
CPU 12 ISR highest execution time (µs): 26.436254
CPU 12 ISR total execution time (s): 0.002426
CPU 12 ISR count: 201
CPU 12 DPC highest execution time (µs): 288.276353
CPU 12 DPC total execution time (s): 0.097536
CPU 12 DPC count: 5212

CPU 13 Interrupt cycle time (s): 0.863926
CPU 13 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 13 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 13 ISR count: 0
CPU 13 DPC highest execution time (µs): 58.815883
CPU 13 DPC total execution time (s): 0.000425
CPU 13 DPC count: 55

CPU 14 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.075563
CPU 14 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 14 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 14 ISR count: 0
CPU 14 DPC highest execution time (µs): 25.011040
CPU 14 DPC total execution time (s): 0.000777
CPU 14 DPC count: 114

CPU 15 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.068292
CPU 15 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 15 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 15 ISR count: 0
CPU 15 DPC highest execution time (µs): 53.349359
CPU 15 DPC total execution time (s): 0.000901
CPU 15 DPC count: 124

CPU 16 Interrupt cycle time (s): 2.588250
CPU 16 ISR highest execution time (µs): 66.227920
CPU 16 ISR total execution time (s): 0.006873
CPU 16 ISR count: 2648
CPU 16 DPC highest execution time (µs): 318.888889
CPU 16 DPC total execution time (s): 0.334622
CPU 16 DPC count: 3373

CPU 17 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.018055
CPU 17 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 17 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 17 ISR count: 0
CPU 17 DPC highest execution time (µs): 98.473647
CPU 17 DPC total execution time (s): 0.005344
CPU 17 DPC count: 470

CPU 18 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.158335
CPU 18 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 18 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 18 ISR count: 0
CPU 18 DPC highest execution time (µs): 113.188034
CPU 18 DPC total execution time (s): 0.011649
CPU 18 DPC count: 833

CPU 19 Interrupt cycle time (s): 1.147441
CPU 19 ISR highest execution time (µs): 0.0
CPU 19 ISR total execution time (s): 0.0
CPU 19 ISR count: 0
CPU 19 DPC highest execution time (µs): 91.480769
CPU 19 DPC total execution time (s): 0.006618
CPU 19 DPC count: 561

4

BTW, I’m using the ASIO driver that came with the FocusRite Scarlett 18i20 interface.

Also, routing is minimal. It’s a very acoustic score (using only acoustic/sampled instruments), so every track is routed to one Reverb (Lexicon). No effects other than that.

Studio Setup | Activate MultiProcessing is enabled.
Studio Setup | Activate ASIO-Guard is enabled, and level = High.

5

Hi,

Some users experience ASIO issues after some longer time (1 or 2 hours). You can try to keep it running (while Cubase running and in the best case, playing back a project). But so far it looks good.

6

Then what could be the problem?

7

Hi,

Let it rum for longer time (2 hours), witch Cubase playing back a project, please.

8

I’ll have it loop overnight this evening.

1 Like
9

I think I may have found the culprit. One of the VSTs I use is ‘Engine’ from Best Service (running some of my favorite libraries, like "Forest Kingdom’). When I had it installed on BEAST, I was getting weird echo-ey distortion and found that went away if I just installed the VST inside of Cubase. Now that I think about it, that’s when my Cubase problems began. I just deleted those VSTs and restarted Cubase, and everything seems much better. Deactivating them wasn’t enough, I had to delete them. Before, ASIO-Guard sat at 50%. Now it’s idling at maybe 10%, which is reasonable. More testing is in my future, but the whiff on this one smelleth mightily
.

2 Likes