9 MINUTE Boot Time!

[MelonCollie]

I've run Reaper on two separate systems and both take anywhere between eight and a half to NINE solid minutes to boot up, is this normal?!

When running Pro Tools and it starts to bog down I know I can simply trash the preferences and it speeds things back up. If it was only doing this to me on one system I could understand and chalk it up to a software bug or something, but it's done it to me on my old computer, and now again with a fresh install on my new computer.

System Specs:

AMD FX-8300 Eight-Core Processor
32GB RAM
Windows 7 (64bit)
500GB Samsung SSD interal OS drive
4TB WD MyBook Recording Drive

Any and all help would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Bob
http://www.meloncollieproductions.com

[cfillion]

Not normal. It takes about 3 seconds here. What does it say on the splash screen that takes so much time? Scanning for plugins?

[DarkStar]

Hello MelonCollie and welcome to these forums. You'll find many helpful people here and a lot of useful information. Make sure that you:

• get the excellent User Guide by Nicholas too: http://www.cockos.com/reaper/userguide.php,
• check out Kenny Gioia's great video series: http://www.reaper.fm/videos.php,
• and the Groove 3 video series: https://www.groove3.com/reaper-training-video-tutorials.

As cfillion said, it should be seconds, not minutes. A couple of things to check:
(a) how many files are in your plug-ins folder(s)?
(b) what paths are listed in Reaper's Preferences / Plug-ins / VST path-list?
(c) any sample libraries in there?
(d) any real-time virus scanning going on?

[MelonCollie]

Hey fellas,

Thanks for the prompt response, you'll have to forgive me as I'm fairly new to Reaper. I believe you're right cfillion, a lot of the time is spent on "loading effect...".

To give a little context, I strictly use Reaper for 360 / AR sound design (first order ambisonics). Each track (about 30 - 40 tracks) has two plugins instantiated, both from the Ambisonic Toolkit (http://www.ambisonictoolkit.net/documentation/reaper/).

I guess I didn't notice it before because I never really sat and watched it, but it slowly goes back and forth between "loading effect... (plugin 1)" and "loading effect (plugin 2)", for 8 and a half minutes.

In regards to your message, DarkStar:

(a) how many files are in your plug-ins folder(s)?
To be honest, each has maybe a total of 20 - 30, about 15 individual, and 4 separate folders with individual plugins within them.

(b) what paths are listed in Reaper's Preferences / Plug-ins / VST path-list?
C:\Program Files (x86)\VSTPlugIns
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

(c) any sample libraries in there?
No, no sample libraries, all plugins.

(d) any real-time virus scanning going on?
AVG

[EvilDragon]

Originally Posted by MelonCollie

(d) any real-time virus scanning going on?
AVG

Kill it with fire.


At least for testing purposes: do a cold boot, disable AVG temporarily, then run Reaper. Does it load any faster?

[DarkStar]

Originally Posted by MelonCollie

Each track (about 30 - 40 tracks) has two plugins instantiated, both from the Ambisonic Toolkit (http://www.ambisonictoolkit.net/documentation/reaper/).

I guess I didn't notice it before because I never really sat and watched it, but it slowly goes back and forth between "loading effect... (plugin 1)" and "loading effect (plugin 2)", for 8 and a half minutes.

Maybe loading 60-80 instances of this plug-in is causing some hiccoughs?
What happens if you start Reaper with a 40-track project with, say, 2 instances of ReaEq on each track?

Originally Posted by MelonCollie

(a) how many files are in your plug-ins folder(s)?
To be honest, each has maybe a total of 20 - 30, about 15 individual, and 4 separate folders with individual plugins within them.

(b) what paths are listed in Reaper's Preferences / Plug-ins / VST path-list?
C:\Program Files (x86)\VSTPlugIns
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

(c) any sample libraries in there?
No, no sample libraries, all plugins.

(d) any real-time virus scanning going on?
AVG

The number of plug-ins should be fine.

One question, though, the first path is typically used for 32-bit VST plug-ins and the second for 64-bit VST3 plug-ins. Are you using 64-bit or 32-bit Reaper? And where are the Ambisonic plug-ins located?

And, as ED said, try disabling AVG temporarily (or exclude the plug-in paths form its scanning, once you are happy that they are 'safe').

[MelonCollie]

Originally Posted by DarkStar

Maybe loading 60-80 instances of this plug-in is causing some hiccoughs?
What happens if you start Reaper with a 40-track project with, say, 2 instances of ReaEq on each track?

I haven't had time to instantiate a new session with just ReaEQ plugins just yet, I'm currently juggling about 4 projects at the moment, which is also reason for my delayed response, my apologies!

Originally Posted by DarkStar

One question, though, the first path is typically used for 32-bit VST plug-ins and the second for 64-bit VST3 plug-ins. Are you using 64-bit or 32-bit Reaper? And where are the Ambisonic plug-ins located?

First off, that's TWO questions haha sorry didn't mean to be an ass. I'm using a 64-bit version of Reaper. Apart from the Ambisonic the only plugins I'm using are 64-bit, I'm using a Waves L2 and TC Electronics LM1n (both found in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3).

I'll be completely honest with you, the only place I'm finding the Ambisonic plugins are in the Application Data folder (specifically: G:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\REAPER\Effects\ATK\li braries\atk), am I the only one who finds that weird?

Originally Posted by DarkStar

And, as ED said, try disabling AVG temporarily (or exclude the plug-in paths form its scanning, once you are happy that they are 'safe').

Tried disabling, didn't see much difference, unfortunately.

[EpicSounds]

Originally Posted by MelonCollie

I'll be completely honest with you, the only place I'm finding the Ambisonic plugins are in the Application Data folder (specifically: G:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\REAPER\Effects\ATK\li braries\atk), am I the only one who finds that weird?

they are JS plugins so that is the right place.

[MelonCollie]

Originally Posted by EpicSounds

they are JS plugins so that is the right place.

Interesting... thanks!

[DarkStar]

Originally Posted by MelonCollie

Apart from the Ambisonic the only plugins I'm using are 64-bit, I'm using a Waves L2 and TC Electronics LM1n (both found in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3).

OK, I did not know that the Ambisonic Toolkit plug-ins were JS FX but as the only others you are using are 64-bit plug-ins, I would drop C:\Program Files (x86)\VSTPlugIns from the VST path-list.

[Meo-Ada Mespotine]

Did you try disabling all plugins temporarily and see if the problem still persists?
Cause it sounds like either a hanging plugin or some kind of a problem with initialization of an audio-driver...

[Sinner]

No not normal. I have weaker specs on my computer and even a song with 40 tracks and 70 vsts takes a 30 seconds at most.

[MelonCollie]

That seemed to be it, DarkStar, I created a new session with just ReaEQ plugins and it booted right up in next to no time.

Those Ambisonic Toolkit plugins are load hogs!!!

Thanks for your help everyone! It's not very often I use Reaper, as I mentioned, I strictly use it for 360 AR sound designs...