• Welcome to the General Discussion forum for UAD users!

    Please note that this forum is user-run, although we're thrilled to have so much contribution from Drew, Will, and other UA folks!

    Feel free to discuss both UAD and non-UAD related subjects!

    1) Please do not post technical issues here. Please use our UAD Support Forums instead.

    2) Please do not post complaints here. Use the Unrest Forum instead. They have no place in the the General Discussion forum.

    Threads posted in the wrong forum will be moved, so if you don't see your thread here anymore, please look in the correct forum.

    Lastly, please be respectful.

Ocean Way Studios, load balancing and PGM usage

cheerful hamster

cheerful hamster

Hamsterdamus
This subject has come up a few times on the forum regarding the Ocean Way plugin failing to load when it appears that there are plenty of DSP resources available.

In the past, I have pointed out that each instance of Ocean Way takes 75.3% of PGM resources per SHARC, which limits the number of instances to just one per SHARC. My tests have now shown this to be incorrect. Here is a single Quad running eight instances of OWS:



One instance of OWS on a SHARC does indeed use 75.3% of the PGM, but when a second instance is loaded, the PGM usage only rises by another 12.9% to 88.2%. So contrary to what I've stated in the past, the UAD Instance Chart on their website is not wrong. You can run two instances of OWS per SHARC.

So what is happening when OWS instances fail to load? It appears to be the load balancer. According to the UAD Instance Chart, PGM increases are not linear, so there is no easy way to predict when an OWS will fail. Case in point, an instance of the Manley MP (25.5% PGM) can share a SHARC with the OWS (75.3% PGM) and combined they will use 96.7% PGM, when you'd expect it to be 100.8% and so one of them would fail to load. Seemingly some PGM resources are being shared even between different types (EQ and reverb in this example), but compiling a list of plugins that do this and in what circumstances would be tedious, and probably fruitless.

So suffice it to say, if it loads, great! If it doesn't, well...consult the Ouija board...
 
L

LGK_Dude

Active Member
Thank you for this helpful post! I've run into this PGM Memory error when loading 3 ocean ways into a session. It seems I was able to load them just fine when I added them, but now when I try to reload the project I keep getting the PGM Memory Error!

Is there anyway way to manually rebalance plugins, or is it up to the UAD gods? I dont understand how I can add and use a plugin in a session fine one day, but it doesn't work the next!

I Just did a test and removed all the ocean way plugins from my session, saved the project and reopened it, and I didn't get any PGM Memory errors. I then proceeded to re-load the 3 ocean way plugins and again, no PGM memory errors. I then saved the project, quit the session and reopened it and BAM - PGM memory error!! How can it error on something that it had working 5 seconds ago?! Something seems to be wrong with the way UAD plugins are loaded!!

I guess a work around is to remove the ocean way plugins before saving the for the night, and reload them manually when I open the project, but you can imagine how annoying this will get!
 
Last edited:
Arionas

Arionas

Established Member
I've got in the same trouble in the past.
Try to test again your session with the 3 Ocean Ways instances but let checked first the dsp loadlock function on uad's control panel(if is not already checked).
This may solve the problem.
 
Toneranger

Toneranger

Active Member
I have this problem in a Pro Tools session right now too. I have an Apollo Quad and an Octo card. Only one instance of OWS, about 70% of my total UAD processing power used in this session with all the other plug ins. If I load the session I'll get this message and the OWS will be disabled. However, if I make the first 20 tracks or so in the session inactive then close and open the session, the OWS will load. I then make the 20 tracks active again and all is well/no inactive plug ins or message.

I guess the load handler doesn't manage things very effectively!
 
yettibrad

yettibrad

Active Member
Having similar problems with OWS. I'll open a session in Studio One and get the PGM Memory Error (which almost always disables the OWS or sometimes other UAD reverb plugins). I have to disable the OWS, followed by other UAD plugs, re-enable OWS, then the others to have it all working again. I guess it's all in the order things load up. Certainly a pain in the arse at times.
 
D

DonkeyShot

Active Member
Strange things happens sometimes with the way UAD load the plugs.

Yesterday i reopened a session that was using 70% of my quad where i had an automated MXR.
I noticed that the MXR wasn't going on and off as it should have so i opened the plug and clicked on the power button and get the famous message...
That was strange as there was no way the MXR could use 30% of the DSP power.

So i loaded an OWS (as it is one of the hungrier plug i own) and it worked fine. I unloaded it and then the MXR was working again !

I guess the MXR was loaded at opening on a near 100% used DSP so that it wouldn't power up (i have DSP loadlock unclicked) and then loading the OWS somehow forced the UAD manager to rebalance things.
 
S

steff3

Active Member
Well, it is not UAD loading the plugs, it is the plugin host - the DAW (well, expect for Apollo console I guess)

a shame that the host cannot instantiate the plugins in the same order they were added to the project. Or that UAD cannot save the location on the sharcs with the plugin-information in the host (then it might be more difficult to load projects on other computers).
this way the DAW does not know anything about the resource needs of the plugin, and UAD does not know which plugins the project will load.

best
 
L

LGK_Dude

Active Member
My work around stopped working today!! This is all with DSP Load Lock checked (going to try with it unchecked and pray it works - as I cannot continue with my mix until I can load these plugins!!) Attached is a picture of my UAD control panel if it helps. How can PGM memory be at 37% yet I cannot load an ocean way due to "not enough PGM/MEM"!!!!!

edit: Turning off DSP load lock allowed me to get the ocean way plugins back in my session. of course I cannot save the project with them active or I will not be able to open it again, but at least I can get back to work! Still confused though with this whole situation. Have a case in with Tech support - we will see how it goes.
 

Attachments

Last edited:
D

DonkeyShot

Active Member
LGK_Dude said:
My work around stopped working today!! This is all with DSP Load Lock checked (going to try with it unchecked and pray it works - as I cannot continue with my mix until I can load these plugins!!) Attached is a picture of my UAD control panel if it helps. How can PGM memory be at 37% yet I cannot load an ocean way due to "not enough PGM/MEM"!!!!!

edit: Turning off DSP load lock allowed me to get the ocean way plugins back in my session. of course I cannot save the project with them active or I will not be able to open it again, but at least I can get back to work! Still confused though with this whole situation. Have a case in with Tech support - we will see how it goes.
Click to expand...
As i wrote in the post #8 sometimes loading another DSP hungry plug can help. Thinks it helps the UAD software to rebalance things and free up resource on one DSP. But that's really strange and certainly shouldn't be like that...
 
UniversalAudio

UniversalAudio

Official UA Representative
DonkeyShot said:
As i wrote in the post #8 sometimes loading another DSP hungry plug can help. Thinks it helps the UAD software to rebalance things and free up resource on one DSP. But that's really strange and certainly shouldn't be like that...
Click to expand...
Hi all,

Sorry for the slow reply, I was at AES and then out for a couple of days last week - will take a look at this.

LGKDude - did the workaround of loading another plug-in help push it into the right place or do you still have a session you can't reopen?

Thanks!

-GK
Gannon Kashiwa
 
L

LGK_Dude

Active Member
UniversalAudio said:
Hi all,

Sorry for the slow reply, I was at AES and then out for a couple of days last week - will take a look at this.

LGKDude - did the workaround of loading another plug-in help push it into the right place or do you still have a session you can't reopen?

Thanks!

-GK
Gannon Kashiwa
Click to expand...
Got the session working again by turning OFF the load lock in UAD preferences. I still have to remove the ocean way plugins before I quit for the night for it to re-open successfully though, and manually reload them, which is a bit of a drag! Hopefully this issue can be examined further.
 
UniversalAudio

UniversalAudio

Official UA Representative
LGK_Dude said:
Got the session working again by turning OFF the load lock in UAD preferences. I still have to remove the ocean way plugins before I quit for the night for it to re-open successfully though, and manually reload them, which is a bit of a drag! Hopefully this issue can be examined further.
Click to expand...
Thanks LGK,

We're looking into it, but I'm glad you've found a workaround for now.

I'll keep you posted.

Is this a Pro Tools session? And would you be willing to share the session doc? No audio needed.

Thanks!

-GK
Gannon Kashiwa
 
S

syah

Active Member
UniversalAudio said:
Thanks LGK,

We're looking into it, but I'm glad you've found a workaround for now.

I'll keep you posted.

Is this a Pro Tools session? And would you be willing to share the session doc? No audio needed.

Thanks!

-GK
Gannon Kashiwa
Click to expand...
This problem also occurs more and more in Ableton lately. But strangely I don't get it when my Apollo is off. Then al sessions ger loaded fine. As soon as the Apollo loads plugins too, things get screwed up.
 
UniversalAudio

UniversalAudio

Official UA Representative
syah said:
This problem also occurs more and more in Ableton lately. But strangely I don't get it when my Apollo is off. Then al sessions ger loaded fine. As soon as the Apollo loads plugins too, things get screwed up.
Click to expand...
Interesting... so, Syah - you're saying things have changed over time? Can you tell me what builds you noticed a difference in?

Also, I'd like to get you both support tickets so I can get you in the escalation queue. I'll PM you shortly.

Thanks,

-GK
Gannon Kashiwa
 
L

LGK_Dude

Active Member
UniversalAudio said:
Thanks LGK,

We're looking into it, but I'm glad you've found a workaround for now.

I'll keep you posted.

Is this a Pro Tools session? And would you be willing to share the session doc? No audio needed.

Thanks!

-GK
Gannon Kashiwa
Click to expand...
Sorry but I'm a Logic 9 user here. Do you still want the session?
 
P

plant-on

Member
Having this issue also, I'm using latest Reaper x86 on Windows 7 x64. Definitely seems like a balancing issue on projects with lots of plugins as on new projects I do not have the issue.
 
Bear-Faced Cow

Bear-Faced Cow

Hall of Fame Member
i've had this a couple of times as well. I've managed to make it go away in Logic by changing around the track ordering in the Arrange window. It seems to change the order in which the plug-ins load since the mixer also changes its track ordering when the arrange window does.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
UAD Bundle Month
Top