The multi processing option in the preferences (audio page) sometimes gets deselected here

It actually reduces glitches a lot, at least on my machine!

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It very much depends on the situation. Yes, it can be counter-productive, but useful for many Stacks/Layers with loads of plugins etc. Just try what works best for you.

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Multiprocessing off

Multiprocessing on

Yes, the graph shows that the addition of VST somehow distributes the load across the cores, but even at this minimal load with multithreading enabled, slightly noticeable clicking begins, even though the indicator is still quite a ways from the red zone.

So when this works without clicking, then it might be worth using. For now, it’s definitely unusable, and this is on 16 cores and 32 threads. I can imagine someone with 4-6 cores. It’s like the performance of Studio One and Cubase; the latter’s performance is several times worse under the same conditions (if you take absolutely two identical projects).

There is often a misconception about how MP works.

Audio processing runs on a graph. Every audio process has input(s), except ā€œgeneratorsā€ such as instruments which produce sound. And every audio process has output(s).

Except for said generators, no audio process can start its work until all of its inputs have data available, which depends on audio processes connected to their inputs. This means that such chains cannot be processed in parallel, which is what MP is all about.

As an example, if your run a Stack loaded with heavy working insert plugins, run 8 inserts in its mixer channel, and another chain of heavy inserts on the master channel - none of this can be improved when activating MP, because each stage has to wait for its input stage to finish in the first place.

If your band has 2 guitars, keys, 3 vocals, and some backing tracks, all of the Stacks, Layers, and tracks can be processed in parallel. Thus, in such a case, MP will be massively benefitial. The same applies to multiple tracks, those can run concurrently as well. Note however that any mixer channel has to wait for its input(s) to finish, and that also counts for Sends: the target channel of any other channels’ send signal needs to wait for the sending channel to finish, and thus cannot run concurrently.

Activating MP requires some scheduling mechanism which assures that processing is kept in order while running on multiple cores in parallel, and protect active processes from crashing others. That itself does cause some CPU consumption on its own, so if you run just a Layer and some backing track, it may well have negative impact.

Just try what works best for your project.

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I only understand one thing: there shouldn’t be any artifacts in the sound (like clicks) when Multiprocessing is enabled! Especially when the processor load is 1-3%. As a user, I simply shouldn’t care how the audio is distributed across cores or threads.

For me, the main indicator is sound without artifacts.

Therefore, the multiprocessor function is not suitable for me.

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You are perfectly right, however we don’t experience such artifacts.

One possibility is that you are running other ā€œcore-demandingā€ apps/services at the same time. Try w/o any other apps open, still? Disable so called ā€œAnti-malwareā€ or ā€œVirus protectionā€ apps, we generally recommend to not use any as the OS does a good enough job to keep you safe unless you frequently enter darknet :slight_smile:

There are also numerous recommendations how to optimize your system for audio performance, e.g. https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/360008589880-Windows-How-to-set-up-and-optimize-a-Digital-Audio-Workstation

You won’t believe it, but I don’t have any open programs at this time, all the settings are set, and the power level is set to maximum.
And I even removed all that unnecessary junk during a clean Windows installation.

with the help of such a wonderful site Generate autounattend.xml files for Windows 10/11

and there are still clicks even at 128 samples, yes, they are almost barely audible, but they are there!

and this is despite the fact that this indicator is very far from the red sector

Multiprocessing on

My system configuration is visible in the signature

I have no problems without enabling multiprocessing in the VST Life menu!
And also in more than one program, including Studio One Cubase 12-14 Pro.

I’m not used to unfounded statements, so I already sent you a test in my private messages, which includes these clicks.
Try it yourself.

I experience a similar thing with audio multithread on (I ended up disabling audio and video multithread because I have lots of fx and sends so it was not useful).

Had crackles even at low cpu load. I discovered that adding an audio track with monitor enabled, solved all crackle issues (it’s like it needed a live audio stream active in tracks).

Was happening only on my system, devs were not able to replicate it. Maybe you can try and see if it changes.

Cheers, Ciro.

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Hi ciro1983811! Yes, I sent the project files to the developers, they’re already looking into it.
Let’s wait.

No, your method didn’t solve my problem, there is still a crackling sound, that’s why I turned off multithreading

We’re looking into it. But projects don’t contain local preference settings, so thanks ciro for hinting to video/multithreading, it should certainly be disabled if you want to use audio MP. Also we had multiple cases where users said to not have other applications active (or hevy services), even though they did - one tends to forget about that easily.

Anyway, we try to catch all fishes creating crackles.

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Are you sure you watched everything I sent? The Test 3 file and the three videos?

VST Live 2.2.81 did not solve this problem

Here it’s still not working… I all the time need to reactivate the function…

There are two different issues here. As for MP setting not remembered, we can not reproduce that, pls provide step-by-step repro. Also note that local settings (preferences) are saved when you exit VST Live, if it crashes or is forced to end otherwise, changed preferences will not get saved.

I don’t know - I always activate it - VST Live crashes sometimes, that is true. But I think if I once had activated it it should remain activated. Shouldn’t it?

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but if it crashes before saving and quiting, the preference won’t be saved.

But in any other situation it should remain, yes (I mean you set it, save it, closing VL… and reopening next day).

Sure, and if it doesn’t we need to know how to reproduce.

When you restart? Yes, and here it always does.

I don’t know. I often closed it without crashing when it was activated. It still gets deactivated here. Don’t know what else I still could describe about it besides that it’s getting deseltected still…

Pls try again with the next version. We found a possible cause (did you import a project maybe?), could be that was the culprit.

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