Why do instrument tracks take CPU when no notes are playing?

Cubase
21

You will have trouble at 256, its not a power but a clock, timing thing, its all been very well explained in this thread.

Hippo

22

I don’t think its related to the buffer; after your post I tried my Logic test with a buffer of 32 and it still uses 0% CPU. So I think its just that in Cubase having instrument tracks existing consumes some CPU whether or not they are playing.

23

I feel like maybe people don’t believe that I’m honest about Logic having always worked this way so this time I’ve made a 1080p video of me running Logic with 100 Kontakt 4s at a 32 sample buffer…no CPU load except I did have a WTF moment because I saw there was some CPU usage and then I realized it was the screen capture causing the CPU use.

24

Well just use logic as it works better for you, simple.
If you want to use cubase change the way you work , simple
What are we on this self help user forum supposed to do for you

Personally I would try and find out whether your cubase performance is nomal compared with other users on your type of rig

100 blank Kontakt 5 instrument traks here measure less that 10 percent on the aiso meter here

Hippo

25

Hippo my friend, I am just saying it would be nice if Cubase would match Logic on this performance feature. Are you saying in your opinion you would like Cubase to NOT be able to have many instrument tracks at 32 sample buffer?

Cubase works better for me than Logic. That’s why I’ve been using Cubase since version 5. But I’ve also had both Logic and Pro Tools since each apps version 5 as well as previously owning DP 2-4. I’m familiar with the pros and cons of each. Some things Cubase could do better on, and it wouldn’t be the first time Cubase has added a feature that started with another DAW. Think track freezing and delay compensation. Who isn’t glad they added those features?

So don’t take it personally. Even if you are a Steinberg engineer I wouldn’t expect you to read the users minds. That’s why I’m here on the forum saying I was not able to get the most use out of my CC121 because of this instrument track CPU “tax”. I was actually just surprised that Cubase had this issue at all, most things it is very advanced in.