UAD DSP Optimization

MRMJP · 10-17-2016, 06:22 AM

I notice that with UAD plugins, if I have them inserted on items, the UAD DSP is taxed no matter if the item is being played or not, and bypassing the UAD plugin doesn't release the DSP either as it should. Only taking the item FX offline frees up the UAD DSP.

I use the AU versions and there is a setting in the UAD control panel to free up DSP on bypassed plugins in Logic Pro, but I guess this feature doesn't apply to REAPER.

Also, WaveLab recently added a feature where UAD DSP for audio clips (equal to items in REAPER) only tax the UAD DSP if that audio clip is being played or rendered. This allows for more UAD instances to be used in a project.

Without support like this, it is easy to eat up all your UAD DSP in a REAPER project even if you only need one UAD plugin at a given time. For example, if you have 20 items spaced out on one track and the items never overlap, if you insert a DSP hungry UAD plugin on each item, it will easily max out the UAD DSP even though at any given time, only one instance is needed.

It would be great if REAPER could be like WaveLab and more intelligently call for UAD DSP based on when it's actually needed. Also, it would be good if REAPER could honor the setting in the UAD control panel that frees up UAD DSP on plugin bypass for the AU version.

MRMJP · 10-17-2016, 09:30 AM

To add to this is something that I just came across today. I was mastering a song from the music and vocal stem with item FX inserted on both. Before wrapping things up, I decided to clean up the vocal stem because there were some nosies and things between the vocal phrases that did not need to be there.

By trimming the vocal stem item from 1 item to roughly 10 items dramatically increased the UAD DSP usage because of a few UAD plugs on the original vocal item stem.

This is why it would be good if REAPER only called for UAD DSP if that item is being played or rendered but not if the item is not being played or rendered.

esosotericmetal · 10-17-2016, 09:48 AM

This would be great. Would love to see some improvements to UAD stuff. Especially when doing offline renders...

MRMJP · 10-17-2016, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esosotericmetal

This would be great. Would love to see some improvements to UAD stuff. Especially when doing offline renders...

If you are referring to the slow offline renders when UAD is involved, I think this is a bottleneck with the UAD SHARC processing chips.

Offline renders when UAD plugins are involved is slow in every DAW I've used. I've done some tests with the UAD version and the native version of Vertigo VSM-3 for example and the results are pretty telling.

The same plugin running natively on my iMac renders much faster than the UAD version of the same plugin.

That is up to UAD to address IMO.

grinder · 10-18-2016, 01:49 AM

Have UAD they work very well not much drain on their card or Reaper at all.
I am on PC Windows 7 pro
Have very low usage
SSD OS drive

Grinder

MRMJP · 10-18-2016, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grinder

Have UAD they work very well not much drain on their card or Reaper at all.
I am on PC Windows 7 pro
Have very low usage
SSD OS drive

Grinder

Again, not really what I'm talking about. UAD is very up front and clear about how many instances you can run on any given PCIe Card or interface (DUO, QUAD, OCTO etc.). I have no issues with that. I don't expect to be able to run more simultaneous instances than they say will be allowed on a certain card/interface.

My point here is that REAPER is not allowing the UAD DSP to be freed up if UAD is inserted on an item and that item isn't being played or rendered, or if an AU instance of UAD is bypassed.

I'm not sure how to make it more clear about what I'm asking about here.

grinder · 10-18-2016, 10:54 AM

All I am saying is I have no problem on the
interaction between Reaper and the UAD as such my CPU hit is so low as to be laughable and the system as a whole runs fine...
Just letting you know there is a place where there is no problem at all it will give you a control point..,.
A point that say's UAD and Reaper and computer can get on...
Grinder

MRMJP · 10-18-2016, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grinder

All I am saying is I have no problem on the
interaction between Reaper and the UAD as such my CPU hit is so low as to be laughable and the system as a whole runs fine...
Just letting you know there is a place where there is no problem at all it will give you a control point..,.
A point that say's UAD and Reaper and computer can get on...
Grinder

Here's a question. If you bypass a UAD plugin, does it still tax the UAD DSP usage? That's one thing I'm trying to resolve.

The other thing being how WaveLab can tell UAD plugins to dynamically call for UAD as needed for playback or rendering instead of calling for UAD DSP regardless if it's actually needed.

nightscope · 10-18-2016, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRMJP

If you bypass a UAD plugin, does it still tax the UAD DSP usage?

Bypassing a UAD plug in Reaper removes it's instance from the card. Well, it does on my system.

ns

MRMJP · 10-18-2016, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightscope

Bypassing a UAD plug in Reaper removes it's instance from the card. Well, it does on my system.

ns

Interesting. On my system, bypassing doesn't offload the UAD DSP on the card. I have to take the UAD FX fully offline. I use nearly all plugins as item FX though, I'll see if there is a difference for track FX.

The main point of the request is also that when item FX are used, if the item is not playing or being rendered that UAD DSP be released. I'm not sure if these things are 100% related or not but I'll do a little testing.

Maybe there is some difference between the AU and VST versions as well.

Thanks for your input.

nightscope · 10-18-2016, 12:17 PM

I just popped a UAD plug on an item and it is unloaded after the item has ended. It is a VST plug.

ns

MRMJP · 10-18-2016, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightscope

I just popped a UAD plug on an item and it is unloaded after the item has ended. It is a VST plug.

ns

Thanks. Tomorrow I have some time set aside to compare AU to VST and do some other misc plugin tests I've been meaning to do.

grinder · 10-18-2016, 09:45 PM

Mine unloads as it should as well, I run the VST side as well

Grinder

MRMJP · 10-19-2016, 08:13 AM

Sure enough, the VST version of UAD does release the UAD DSP on bypass or if the item doesn't need the UAD plugin at that point in the session.

It's the AU version that holds the DSP no matter what. What's interesting is that there is a setting in the UAD control panel to release UAD DSP resources on AU bypass but this has no affect in REAPER and I don't use any other DAWs that host AU as another means to test.

I've been meaning to switch to VST from AU anyway, so this might be a good reason to do it. It's just a matter of redoing my presets and FX chains etc to the VST versions.

MRMJP · 01-29-2017, 12:43 PM

Any update on this? With the mix of plugins I use, I find AU be most stable though others might argue VST is more stable.

It would be great to see AU DSP unloaded from the UAD DSP when that item is not in use for render or playback.

MRMJP · 02-19-2017, 01:10 PM

Bump for REAPER and UAD to come together on this issue. AU instances of UAD plugins always tax the DSP, even if the plugin is bypassed. Taking the plugin offline is the only way to free up the UAD DSP.

It would be nice if AU instances only taxed the DSP when an item using the UAD plugin is being played or rendered, just like the VST version.

MRMJP · 02-19-2017, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvilDragon

I think the same behaviour is happening in Logic, so... it might be an AU thing.

It's been awhile since I used Logic and I don't have it installed on my machine currently, but there is a UAD setting that is supposed to free up UAD DSP on bypass as you may know. I assume it works. (see screen shot)

What's different is that Logic doesn't have the equivalent of item FX so there is no way to compare that.

Anyway, it would be nice if a plugin bypass freed up the UAD DSP, and it would be extra nice if the UAD DSP was freed up if the item FX aren't in use for playback or rendering.

jbrewer · 12-12-2018, 03:11 PM

I have been trying to figure this out myself for a while now. It seems the best way to do it is to put the plugin on the channel and then automate the power button for whatever plugin you are using.

When the UAD system sees the power disengaged it seems to release the DSP.

MRMJP · 12-12-2018, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbrewer

I have been trying to figure this out myself for a while now. It seems the best way to do it is to put the plugin on the channel and then automate the power button for whatever plugin you are using.

When the UAD system sees the power disengaged it seems to release the DSP.

My solution has been to just use the VST versions instead of AU versions.

When using the VST version, if you insert UAD as an item FX, and that item isn't playing or rendering, the UAD DSP is released.

Not sure if it's a bug or lack of support regarding the AU version in REAPER.