You’re showing the APM, not CPU usage - they are not the same thing
Reviewing this article would probably help identify what the APM metrics mean:
Regarding meter activity on a blank project, have a look at your Control Room and see if you’ve got inserts activated for your cues, monitors, etc. and/or in your MixConsole channels (particularly if you’re using a template with inserts/effects).
Since you didn’t confirm “Control Room,” please also ensure that you’ve explicitly verified CR as well - inserts are retained in CR even with new blank projects.
That said, you’ll want to ensure your audio interface settings are where you need them to be (e.g. your sample buffers are not too low for your use case). By way of example, this is my RME UFX at 128 samples:
That’s also on an empty project, but with a bass-management insert I created inserted on my main monitors in CR. This is a Mac Studio M3 Ultra 32-core SoC unit.
For me, I basically ignore the APM altogether unless I have actual performance issues which manifest themselves in dropouts or audio artifacts. On this system I’ve never been able to make that happen even when I made “reasonable” attempts to do so.
If you’re not actually having issues, then I wouldn’t spend too much time stressing on what the wee meters in the APM do. Of course, stress-testing your system based on real-world use may be a good thing, which would also let you see what kind of results you get in the APM and if its reporting aligns with your project.
Ok, attached, Mixer 1 (C14 mixscreen 01), just to show you,
that only 1 guitarplug, ex. Plini X is loaded, rec armed, and monitor on, everything else is bypassed, on my “Record default” project
My interface is SSL 12, at 128 samples,
NO probs before,
even playback lets say 6 - 8 tracks, or more, with plugs, plus VSTi’s galore, drums, Omnisphere,BFD, RMX etc.
But now, only ex Plini, Amplitube… loaded and monitored (C14 mixscreen 02) on one track
and actually occasionally, overload (cracks in sound),
never happened before!
Make sense?
/Steen
Hi Shortstop, thanks for your reply!
Just to clarify, you haven’t had any probs
SSL12 and Windows “digital handshake”,
for some reason not recognizing the usb c “card”,
on Windows boot?
I can’t tell from the screenshot if you’ve got your inserts bypassed or actually disabled. You’re probably aware, but while a “bypassed” plugin won’t add to CPU processing it can indeed contribute other ASIO spikes. I’d make sure those are actually disabled (option+click the disable) as a first step.
SSL has been rock solid for me for more than a year.
Reason I asked you for ASIO Guard settings is that it can actually degrade performance in recording sessions as it increase latency and with higher settings there’s even more latency.
Hi Thor!
Sorry, maybe i’m not familiar with that term,
but all the different Fx’s, loaded into separate FX tracks,
ready to use , but all bypassed!
By “disabled” to you mean removed completly from a track or what, that wouldn’t make sense making a “record ready template” then, or what?
Trash is fully enabled, Pro-Q4 is only bypassed, Audio effect is not processed in signal, but the plug-in itself is still part of the chain and (potentially) contributing to latency and ASIO usage, and VerbSuite is actually DISABLED - it’s fully off and out of the chain.
If you have all those plugins “bypassed,” they are still part of the audio chain and calculated as part of overall system audio processing.
Also note that Cubase (just like all DAWs in general) has one “real-time priority audio processing thread” which is given top priority to other threads. When you record-enable OR monitor a track, you’re putting the entire signal chain on that single thread. Just something to remember if you happen to leave a bunch of tracks armed/monitored even if they are not “in use” at the time. That can actually make a non-trivial difference depending on your project.
Ok Thor, i’ll have to look into that,
nevertheless it has never (since C14) been an issue with that peticular project, in bypassed mode!
Sorry , but i’m of time today,
maybe i can contact you another time !
Thanks a lot for the effort !
Cheers!
,
