Reaper and CPU stress tests

[machinesworking]

OK here's the deal. Reaper kills the other DAW on my system with instances of plug ins, unless tracks are record enabled.

System - Mac Pro 3.33Ghz 12 core, 24GB RAM, fast SSD drives. Fireface 800

Test - Diva playing a single four bar note run 120bpm with default Initialize patch, multiprocessing off.

Results-

Digital Performer 10- 9 instances without any crackling,
8 with record enabled on the tracks.

Logic X - 9 instances with record enabled or not.

Reaper- 14 instances, great right? but here's the clincher and why I'm posting, only three instances with record enabled on the tracks.

Reaper has an ungodly hit to audio performance with record enabled here. The Performance Meter is not showing it. Literally showing a reading of 5% CPU while adio just dies crackling badly. No faders are peaking, including the Master fader.

Any thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

[Regisfofo]

You need to show real time cpu in the performance meter window, it's optional but will go over 20% when crackling.

You may try to tweak live multithreading options in preferences. I had to experiment quite a bit before getting the best of reaper with my laptop.

[machinesworking]

Originally Posted by Regisfofo

You need to show real time cpu in the performance meter window, it's optional but will go over 20% when crackling.

OK but even not real time, it should show, we're not talking pops and cracks every half second, more like a motorcycle engine.

You may try to tweak live multithreading options in preferences. I had to experiment quite a bit before getting the best of reaper with my laptop.

So far no tweaking has done a thing. What's perplexing is how good it is non real time; without tracks armed for recording Reaper skunks every other DAW out there. With tracks armed it's the lowest of the low. This is why I think it must be able to be tweaked.

[Thonex]

Originally Posted by Regisfofo

You need to show real time cpu in the performance meter window, it's optional but will go over 20% when crackling.

You may try to tweak live multithreading options in preferences. I had to experiment quite a bit before getting the best of reaper with my laptop.

Very interesting. Can you share your tweaks and conclusions?

[Regisfofo]

Well I was going for lowest latency with my I5-8250U laptop. Searching for the safest setting for with kazrog ampsim vst.

I Ended having Auto detect number of threads "on", thread priority set to highest behavior set to relaxed.

Anticipative FX turned on (50ms)
And allow live input multiprocessing to 8 cores...

[machinesworking]

What I'm curious about is mostly why and how do you get it to behave better with record enabled on tracks.

In my test I'm using Diva in it's most processor heavy setting, but even then three live or record enabled tracks VS 8-9 for Logic and DP is just, weird? Especially since it over performs with the sheer amount of processor heavy tracks it can run without record on.

[Regisfofo]

I think record on tracks are the live inputs. Multithreading live input will affect performance with those ones in a bad or good way depending on buffer size, cpu, plugins etc...
We Could help better if you could be more precise on your system, settings and plugin younre using

[machinesworking]

Originally Posted by Regisfofo

I think record on tracks are the live inputs. Multithreading live input will affect performance with those ones in a bad or good way depending on buffer size, cpu, plugins etc...
We Could help better if you could be more precise on your system, settings and plugin younre using

To be clear here, there aren't any "issues" in terms of bad performance per say.
Not at least with normal non record armed playback of tracks. Read the original post of mine here if you're unclear. Reaper can play back massive amounts of heavy CPU Diva tracks compared to the other two CPU friendly DAWs on my system. What it does that's odd is it stutters badly if tracks are armed for recording into.

I think I've unlocked why though, Logic only arms a track for recording into in multi input mode if there is a signal. So an armed track will not boost CPU until you hit a MIDI keyboard. Reaper on the other hand seems to treat all tracks that are armed as MIDI input sources that must be recognized.

So hitting a note that triggers the three armed tracks in Logic overloads the CPU just like it does in Reaper. Logic essentially unarms tracks without signal going to them.

DP works the same as Reaper, if a track is armed it's busting up the signal.

Again Reapers performance is off the charts. coming in at 12-14 tracks VS 9 for Logic and 10 for DP10. I was just momentarily confused at to why Reaper is so touchy with armed tracks but they all are really.

Settings wise I get the best performacence out of Reaper with the defaults, let Reaper adjust for processors, Adaptive FX at 200ms etc.