CPU use & visible outputs

[typewriter]

I realized that Reaper's CPU use rises significantly with the number of in the GUI visible VSTi outputs even when nothing is happening on most of the channels.

I first thought the cause is the sheer number of connected outs but meanwhile I think it depends on the number of visible channels in TCP and Mixer.

In some projects switching of the mixer decreases the cpu load up to 16%.

Not sure if this is a OSX only problem but I am wondering if sonething can be done about that. I am using the actual prerelease on leopard.

[piperboy]

I get that on windows as well.

[musicbynumbers]

Could be certain graphics cards or just meters take up a lot of cpu, you can lower their refresh rate in prefs.

[typewriter]

Originally Posted by musicbynumbers

Could be certain graphics cards or just meters take up a lot of cpu, you can lower their refresh rate in prefs.

Can't be the meters. This happens even if you do not hit play and no meters are moving.

If I fold several channels in the mixer to one single visible channel (Reaper is not playing anything at all) I have an clear reduction of CPU use in Reaper.

[schwa]

It probably is the meters. Even if the project is processing silence, REAPER needs to look at every sample that passes to know whether to show anything on the track meter.

(REAPER's meter calculation/drawing is highly optimized, but any time you need to look at every sample, it costs something. In a heavy benchmark/profiling project with several hundred tracks, the meters typically account for about 1/8 of the total CPU cost.)

If you are near the limit on CPU, hiding tracks in the TCP and mixer should get you some CPU back.

[typewriter]

I see. Thanks Schwa!

[Mercado_Negro]

Originally Posted by schwa

If you are near the limit on CPU, hiding tracks in the TCP and mixer should get you some CPU back.

Interesting. I've mixed 80+ tracks projects where 50% or more of them are hidden and REAPER is not that fast when it comes to drawing elements. Only by moving these hidden tracks out of the project I can go back to Speedy REAPER Gonzalez.