CPU Spikes: Windows 10, Pro Tools 12

[ColinP]

Just to give some perspective on what CPU loads should be running VM as a VST on a Ryzen 7.

My laptop has a Ryzen 7 4800 and I built a moderate sized generative patch with 12 modules including MRB's Tiny Voice using the standalone Voltage Modular and the CPU load was about 2.4%.

I then added a Mini Plug-In Host running another copy of Voltage Modular as a VST plugin. The embedded patch is about 15 modules including four oscillators and two filters. The outer patch controls the gate and pitch CV of the embedded patch and then gets the audio back to produce a nice big phat six oscillator sound.

After adding VM as a VST the CPU load went up to about 3.8% while everything is playing.

So an extra 1.4% of load

Just to repeat - this is with two instances of VM running at the same time, one of them as a VST plugin inside the other.

So there's something badly wrong with your setup. You say that it's OK when running VM in standalone mode so it looks like it must be some strange conflict between ProTools and VM.

[rodincoil]

Do you have the option to test your patch in the VST version of VM?

Hi Martin,

Thank you for this suggestion. I did try loading it as a VST and the same problem happened.

It doesn't happen in standalone or in Reaper. There isn't anything particularly special about the settings I have in Pro Tools, either, so I'm at a loss and it has never been resolved. Currently running v2.3.4 and nothing has changed. It still crushes Pro Tools and I can't even use it where I need it.

[HowlingMod]

Do you have the option to test your patch in the VST version of VM?

Hi Martin,

Thank you for this suggestion. I did try loading it as a VST and the same problem happened.

It doesn't happen in standalone or in Reaper. There isn't anything particularly special about the settings I have in Pro Tools, either, so I'm at a loss and it has never been resolved. Currently running v2.3.4 and nothing has changed. It still crushes Pro Tools and I can't even use it where I need it.

i had the same problem in Cubase Pro 10, 10.5 and 11....
what helped:

1. turn off logging
2. turn cable visibility off.

also do hide the plugin (not behind another window), i.e. don't show..

this never was a real solution, i had an i7-6700k it was usuable, spikes eventually i could suppress, but they still happened, only less.. still, if i used it as a plugin, i used other DAW's...

but on my new system, the problem has gone.

also experiment with multi-thread settings for your CPU, set it 4. or off..

but again never solved the spikes. until, new system.... (in signature).

i always had this problem, only in Cubase, and i bought it for Cubase... well, i use it another way now, but i will also use it, for the reason i bought it initially...

still a mystery, there are more threads, from me, also from someone with Cubase, here, i think, the first time i saw that someone had the same problem.

it can be many factors... your CPU can, and my old CPU, could handle it well...

but, it is also the way of Soft Modulars, as VST plugin they are hungry, very hungry, but VM performance so 'silently' now..

[rodincoil]

I appreciate the feedback. It would be unrealistic for me to replace my current computer just in the hope that I could get VM working. I currently have an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core Processor 3.60GHz with 32 GB ram and have no problem loading it down with a ridiculous number of tracks/plugins. It has to be some sort of conflict/glitch. I wish it could be resolved, but I may have to throw in the towel as I don't know what else to do and buying a new computer is not an option.

i had the same problem in Cubase Pro 10, 10.5 and 11....
what helped:

1. turn off logging
2. turn cable visibility off.

also do hide the plugin (not behind another window), i.e. don't show..

this never was a real solution, i had an i7-6700k it was usuable, spikes eventually i could suppress, but they still happened, only less.. still, if i used it as a plugin, i used other DAW's...

but on my new system, the problem has gone.

also experiment with multi-thread settings for your CPU, set it 4. or off..

but again never solved the spikes. until, new system.... (in signature).

i always had this problem, only in Cubase, and i bought it for Cubase... well, i use it another way now, but i will also use it, for the reason i bought it initially...

still a mystery, there are more threads, from me, also from someone with Cubase, here, i think, the first time i saw that someone had the same problem.

it can be many factors... your CPU can, and my old CPU, could handle it well...

but, it is also the way of Soft Modulars, as VST plugin they are hungry, very hungry, but VM performance so 'silently' now..
[/quote]

[ColinP]

Your CPU has a similar spec to mine so should easily be able to handle VM.

There's some really odd conflict between VM and Pro Tools (or your specific setup) as you should not be suffering such problems.

[rodincoil]

Right? It's really frustrating after investing almost $200 in VM stuff and not being able to use it while tracking.

Your CPU has a similar spec to mine so should easily be able to handle VM.

There's some really odd conflict between VM and Pro Tools (or your specific setup) as you should not be suffering such problems.

[ColinP]

Your frustration is completely understandable.

Have you tried posting on the Avid' Pro Audio forum to see if anybody else has the same problem?

[srinaldi]

Has this Voltage Modular 2 CPU spike issue been solved?
I'm running Pro Tools 2023.2.0 on my desktop system:
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-10900KF CPU @ 3.70GHz 3.70 GHz
64.0 GB RAM / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060

Having the same issue with Voltage Modulator 2.7.0 as OP ---

I usually play with VM in standalone -- which works perfectly fine.
Today, however, I happened to open up VM in a new 48K Pro Tools session (for the first time) to test out the ANALOGy5 Demo.

Immediate CPU spikes into the red zone (without loading anything) -- and regardless of what module or preset is used. Get access violation errors and all the usual pops clicks and odd sounds from VM. Changing buffer size makes no difference. Changing CPU and graphics settings in VM also makes no difference. VM2 is the only thing open in the session.

All other Cherry Audio instruments work beautifully.

Anyone have any idea why Voltage Modular is causing CPU spikes in Pro Tools 12 on Windows 10?

The computer has AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6GHz Processor; NVIDIA RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6; 32GB DDR4-3200 RAM; 1TB SSD. The computer has been optimized for Pro Tools and essentially crushes everything I throw at it in audio and video with the exception here.

When running in standalone, this problem does not occur.

I've never had any problems with this system before and easily run over 100 tracks in a session with many plugins/vsts. If I create a new session and only the Voltage Modular plugin, the results are the same. Sitting idle, there are cpu spikes. When trying to play the simplest patches, I get distortion, pops, clicks, etc. I'm currently running version v2.2.5. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

voltage_modular_cpu_spikes.jpg

[UrbanCyborg]

Access Violation errors would seem to indicate either a problem in your protection setup (i.e., folder protections), or a path setup problem.

Reid

[srinaldi]

Thanks, Reid ~
I did try reinstalling VM2 as part of my troubleshooting -- to both confirm the path, and to make sure the newest AAX build was installed. No change there. VM2 is installed on the same path as many other AAX instruments that all work fine (including all other Cherry Audio instruments - I have quite a few). I wasn't seeing the access violation until trying to close VM2 -- and it would always end up crashing PT on exit, as well -- so something is strange for sure

I've never used Voltage Modular within a Pro Tools session (although it's a blast in standalone) -- so won't spend much time trying to sort this out.

Thanks again --

Access Violation errors would seem to indicate either a problem in your protection setup (i.e., folder protections), or a path setup problem.

Reid