Cherry Audio Forums

Hi there!
When using Plug-in Host or Mini Plug-in host I get audio crackles with every plugin I tried using the standalone and vst version (Hosts I tried: Akai VIP, Ableton and Cubase all latest Versions).
I use Win 10.

Regards!

Im no specialist by far, but maybe this is something to check out. There is some discussion going on about the Processor Scheduling setting in Windows (control panel/system/advanced system settings/settings/advanced), some say it has to be set to Background services, others say thats something from the past, but when I had mine set to Programs everything seemed to work fine, until I started using one specific plugin and I got a lot of crackling. Could it be that Processor Scheduling is set to Programs and the Plugin Host modules need the Background Services setting, while other modules or software youre using dont?
Another thing I could think of when I think of crackling sound, is buffer setting for the I/O. Ive been running at 128 and everything was working fine, until I started using one specific plugin and the crackling started. Normally this means Im asking too much from my system, so I lightened the load, but this didnt make any difference, not even when I had only that one plugin running after removing everything else. As it turned out, that one plugin needs a higher buffer setting, regardless the situation and system load. Maybe the Plugin Host modules have this same issue?

Hi Demious,
thanks for your suggestions!

My Processor Scheduling setting was set to Background services, I tried the setting to programs with no change.
When I set the the Buffer Size in my RME Soundcard settings to a very high value (>= 512 Samples) it's getting better (But does not dissapear). But usually I work with 64 to 128, sometimes up to 256 using large Orchestra Librarys (I really don't want to work with >= 512 Samples...).
I also use VCV-Rack with "Host", no crackling problems here with crackling, with no VST-Plugin I tried within (and i really have a lot...) even not with very complex patches.

Regards!

That indeed seems a buffer issue. What I normally do is make a difference between recording/playing settings and mixing settings. When playing I dont want any latency, the notes have to sound when I play them, so I use a low buffer size, but then your recourses/processing power are much more limted, so I use as little plugins and processing as possible. I dont have busses prepared for later mixing steps, I turn off plugins on other tracks that will be used later in the mixing stage, etc.
Stacking plugins, and thats what youre doing when building a synth in voltage, is pretty limited with low buffer settings. So if you want to record with low settings, but you want to monitor other instruments that are already in the project, I bounce the other instruments to audio and even make a proliminairy mix with those audio tracks and bounce this to one stereo track without any plugin on it and disable everything that is now playing from the stereo audio track, to free up the processing power all those instruments would normally be using. Or in worst cases, I take the stereo track to a new empty project window, so I only use that one stereo track without any processing, so I have all recourses free for that one synth Im building and playing.
Only when I start mixing, I set the buffers to 1024, or even 2048 for a large mix and instruments that dont specifically need automation in the mix, I bounce to audio tracks to free up processing power because an audio track takes up much less processing power than an instrument. In this stage theres no need to play allong in real time, so the latency from higher buffer settings doesnt matter anymore, because everything is on the same latency timing and will play back properly.
Hoop this helps

Cheers!

Hey thanks again for the detailed answer!
That's almost the way I work too.
But I have that crackling even in the standalone version only using one "Mini Plug-In Host"-Module and nothing else.
So the Plug-In Host Module is useless for me.
I would describe me as an advanced, keen to experiment and very patient user.
I never had such problems with any other software. And over the years I really tried a lot. (I already mentioned VCV-Rack - no crackling at low buffer size, also not in Gig Performer, Cantabile, Forte, Cubase, Ableton and AKAI VIP, which I use a lot as VST-Host in a VST Host [Cubase or Ableton], also here no crackling even with Diva in divine Mode).

So I'm hoping for a Plug-In Host Module update with better coding/performance because playing with latency is not what I want.

Regards!

Hey, at least VST Effect-Plugins are working fine!
(I kept on trying to get VST-Instruments running but gave it up, unfortunately for that purpose the Host is totally useless, crackling even with Buffer Size 1024 at my RME-Soundcard and in the Host-Module...)