What the hell do I need to do to get my computer running smoothly?

[TPCalm]

I'm so fucking sick of this bullshit on my computer right now.
I'm using a 2.53 Ghz Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro with 8 gigs of RAM and my project files inside Studio One hardly playback at 256 samples.
I just went from 4 gigs to 8 gigs of DDR3 RAM today hoping it would solve my issues but it's not making much of a difference.

What the fuck do I need to buy in order to just make my music without all this unnecessary bullshit?

Why do I need to print my sampled drums in order to get my projects to run smoothly?
I just write my music as I go.
I can't print my drums every three seconds when I decide to change the velocity of a single kick sample.

AT MOST, 7 tracks are running at the same time.
6 of them audio, the last being my drums.
And probably about 38 plugs all together.

My CPU inside the DAW is constantly bouncing around 90-95% even in standby.

This is just absolutely ridiculous and I know that there is no way that this is "just one of those things" that you've got to deal with.

I've enabled the most memory efficient options inside of Studio One and Kontakt, I don't have a bunch of crap running in the background either.
64 bit process precision, using both cores, all plugs are oversampled at the lowest setting, ect.

I'm so fed up right now…
Where am I going wrong?

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Not to be a dick, but you really think a 2.53 Core 2 Duo laptop running a drum library program plus 38 plugins can actually handle audio at 256 samples? Increase the latency, get is as high as you need, when it is maxed out and still isn't working, its time for another computer.

Other than that, learn to deal with it, drum library programs eat up CPU resources, your going to have to learn to render drum tracks to audio (or freeze them if you have that luxury).

 

[fizzinbizzin]

im running a quad core amd 955 and i am around 70% with around the same amount of plugs/tracks and im in studio one aswell. You need to upgrade your cpu which means you would need to upgrade to a better laptop.

 

[updog]

Not to be a dick, but you really think a 2.53 Core 2 Duo laptop running a drum library program plus 38 plugins can actually handle audio at 256 samples?

I got a MacBook with Core 2 Duo 2,4GHz and half the RAM he's got and I don't have the problem. So yeah, he's right to think it should work IMO. I have little problem having an instance of Superior plus many other plugins and still running at the smallest latency setting.

Are you using your MacBook Pro's internal hard drive to stream all your samples and audio files? That might be the problem. I recommend buying an external. Firewire, 7200rpm and you're good to go.

 

[tempe]

I actually just did a huge cleanup of my i7 macbook pro. First things first,
REFORMAT; it made a huge difference.
Then update to the most recent version of the OS (10.6.8, NOT LION)
Try to keep a separate Audio / Sample drive to your OS drive, I used an external firewire drive.
Install DAW software, update to the most recent stable version (On system drive)
Install all Plug-ins (on system drive, and it really helps if you aren't using any questionable plug-ins)
Install all VI's, put all samples on your external drive.
Install Audio Drivers.

Have a play around, if it still sucks run disc utility see if any of your discs need repairing.

After doing this my Mac's back to running at full capacity.

 

[TPCalm]

I should have mentioned, those 38 plugs don't mean 38 virtual instruments. Most of them are miscellaneous items and/or effect sends. While I am streaming all of my audio from my internal disk, at most I'm streaming 6 files at once.

And while I'm not tossing the idea out the window, it's hard to imagine that my mid-2009 MBP is outdated. These computers are not consumer entry-level machines. High-performance is what these things are built for, right? Maybe I'm wrong.

Should I consider changing DAWs? I'm going to give these same projects a go with Reaper. The learning curve was a little steep, but, we'll see.

 

[-Noodles-]

My early '08 MBP (2.5GHz, 2GB RAM) can run drum samplers (multiout), orchestral packs (multiout) and synths alongside 20+ tracks of real time audio at 256 / 512 buffers.

I've also done mixes with 80+ tracks on this machine and never had a problem.

My main DAW is Logic and I don't use cracked plug-ins.

 

[drawnacrol]

Did you check if your Macbook is able to run 8GB of ram? Click on "About this Mac" and check if it has recognized the new ram.

You can nearly double the speed of your mac by deleting language packs/certain codes & apps/caches/slimming applications. Their are cleaning apps you can buy that do some of this stuff, the rest you can google since you have to do it manually.

 

[egan.]

I got a MacBook with Core 2 Duo 2,4GHz and half the RAM he's got and I don't have the problem. So yeah, he's right to think it should work IMO. I have little problem having an instance of Superior plus many other plugins and still running at the smallest latency setting.

Are you using your MacBook Pro's internal hard drive to stream all your samples and audio files? That might be the problem. I recommend buying an external. Firewire, 7200rpm and you're good to go.

I've got the same setup as sopulurn and similar trouble free results.
Two obvious things to look our for are using an external drive for audio (as mentioned) and a 7200rpm system drive.
If you are trying to run samples, audio and your system off an internal 5400 the thing is probably choking to death.

 

[The StabbinCabin]

I can't run more than 6 sims at once without my cpu spiking. I can't use SIR1 AT ALL without my cpu spiking. I can't use Roomworks with any sim without spiking- I'm an i7 with 6gigs ddr3... I didn't like having to render everything all the time either...

So the handful of clients I've had this year have to sometimes experience that and it's kind of embarrassing... But I'm just going to work around it now that I have a Triple XXX and DI I can just use impulses.

I need to find out more about overclocking with your DAW and seeing how that would improve performance in Cubase- but I do know how you feel... I dropped quite a bit on this new pc and those issues are major bummer town

 

[TPCalm]

I've got the same setup as sopulurn and similar trouble free results.
Two obvious things to look our for are using an external drive for audio (as mentioned) and a 7200rpm system drive.
If you are trying to run samples, audio and your system off an internal 5400 the thing is probably choking to death.

Egan, thanks. What you're saying is true. I've got everything running from a 5400RPM internal drive. I'm going to move my virtual instruments over to my external and see if that helps any. And any additional advice here would be welcomed. I'll try anything solve these issues...

 

[Djunn]

I'm using Logic with 2.4 Ghz Late 2008 Macbook, 4 gigs of ram and 7200 rpm Seagate Momentus XT. Everything works smooth even with 64 or 128 samples. Until I open several instances of any ampsim. This is a rare issue though. Other than that, it's cool. I suggest you to upgrade internal 5400rpm drive to a 7200 and perform a fresh install.

 

[DigitalMetal]

What drum program are you using and how have you set up its preferences in its control panel?

Eg, drum libraries are usually huge memory eating monsters and you can usually choose a level for it to operate that will satisfy lesser powered systems.
Such as loading less sample velocities for each kit piece you dont really need 128 different velociies loaded up if you are programming mostly hard hits, loose the soft hits from the memory, choose a 20 or 30 velocity layered kit,
Some programs allow a load on demand feature where it will only load the samples it needs into ram as opposed to loading up a huge great bit kit just so you can play a cowbell.
See what options you have to save some juice

 

[arv_foh]

Install an SSD in your MBP, do a fresh OS format, and put your sample libraries and projects on an external hard drive. I think those 3 things will cure your problem.

 

[darthjujuu]

Install an SSD in your MBP, do a fresh OS format, and put your sample libraries and projects on an external hard drive. I think those 3 things will cure your problem.

understatement, you'd be flyin...haha.

considered a desktop?? if it's an option, always go the desktop route. BIGGER IS BETTER.

 

[greyskull]

Man the fuck up and bounce some stuff