uad2/win7 64/cubase > spikes and dropouts are gone with 5.6

I've been waiting so long now, working (mostly trying to), with this spikes and drops, with 3072 buffer size and a near a half day of latencies.... but they did it! finally all that annoying spikes and dropouts totally disappears from my daw... I just checked my last project using tons of vsts audio and maybe 45 uad plugs instances, and no spikes even with 128 buffer size!!!!

I love this!!! Thnks to UA team.. long, but the job is done!!!

Rgrds,
T.

lemarechal said:

I've been waiting so long now, working (mostly trying to), with this spikes and drops, with 3072 buffer size and a near a half day of latencies.... but they did it! finally all that annoying spikes and dropouts totally disappears from my daw... I just checked my last project using tons of vsts audio and maybe 45 uad plugs instances, and no spikes even with 128 buffer size!!!!
I love this!!! Thnks to UA team.. long, but the job is done!!!

Click to expand...

Hi,

thanks for sharing- so finally I might get to unwrap my Windows7 box which has been sitting on the shelf since it came out. Probably going to get a new HD for that to facilitate any rollbacks...

Cheers Storyteller

lemarechal said:

I've been waiting so long now, working (mostly trying to), with this spikes and drops, with 3072 buffer size and a near a half day of latencies.... but they did it! finally all that annoying spikes and dropouts totally disappears from my daw... I just checked my last project using tons of vsts audio and maybe 45 uad plugs instances, and no spikes even with 128 buffer size!!!!

I love this!!! Thnks to UA team.. long, but the job is done!!!

Rgrds,
T.

Click to expand...

As I said in previous posts, I knew UA would find the answer and fix this. Just had to have patience. Rome was not built in a day .....

lemarechal said:

I've been waiting so long now, working (mostly trying to), with this spikes and drops, with 3072 buffer size and a near a half day of latencies.... but they did it! finally all that annoying spikes and dropouts totally disappears from my daw... I just checked my last project using tons of vsts audio and maybe 45 uad plugs instances, and no spikes even with 128 buffer size!!!!

I love this!!! Thnks to UA team.. long, but the job is done!!!

Rgrds,
T.

Click to expand...

T.

You did not mention what DAW you are running...or several other key parts here either. If it's not Cubase or Nuendo...that does not constitute a fix for those users.

Also...before I pop the champagne corks and start reinstalling - I cannot, do not and would not believe there would be no mention whatsoever of this being fixed in release 5.6

It is such an annoying condition that any concept of a true fixed would be the lead story - not that I get a new Plate 140 out of the deal. Therefore if anyone out there running the following:

EDIT! Wait a minute - I stand corrected - They did mention it!

Windows UAD-2 Driver improvements
" The "Clear CPU Affinity" setting that was introduced in UAD v5.5.0 has been replaced with "Enable CPU Optimization" (clearing the CPU affinity is no longer necessary with the new option). The new"Enable CPU Optimization" option enables significant UAD-2 driver performance enhancements (reduced host CPU loads and host CPU spiking) for all Windows OS platforms, particularly in cases where a low ASIO buffer size is in use and/or heavy graphics activity. This setting is enabled by default and recommended for all UAD-2 users running Windows."

I am off to investigate!

Cheers!

VP

Vocalpoint said:

Also...before I pop the champagne corks and start reinstalling - I cannot, do not and would not believe there would be no mention whatsoever of this being fixed in release 5.6

Click to expand...

Did you read the release notes before typing this?

Captain Obvious said:

Vocalpoint said:

Also...before I pop the champagne corks and start reinstalling - I cannot, do not and would not believe there would be no mention whatsoever of this being fixed in release 5.6

Click to expand...

Did you read the release notes before typing this?

Click to expand...

I read the "high level" notes I received in my promo email....only when I hit the Detailed Notes on the download site - did I see the extra. Still - you would have thought this would have been important enough to mention - without having to dig around for it.

Still it's a checkbox - so basically a workaround/band-aid of some sort...but I am tired of fighting this - if it works...I am a happy camper.

Vocalpoint said:

Captain Obvious said:

Vocalpoint said:

Also...before I pop the champagne corks and start reinstalling - I cannot, do not and would not believe there would be no mention whatsoever of this being fixed in release 5.6

Click to expand...

Did you read the release notes before typing this?

Click to expand...

I read the "high level" notes I received in my promo email....only when I hit the Detailed Notes on the download site - did I see the extra. Still - you would have thought this would have been important enough to mention - without having to dig around for it.

Still it's a checkbox - so basically a workaround/band-aid of some sort...but I am tired of fighting this - if it works...I am a happy camper.

Click to expand...

Doesn't sound like a workaround/band-aid to me. Users have been reporting sigificant improvements in Cubase 64bit - check the main UAD section. There is a firmware update to the card after you run the 5.6 software update, so something was fixed under the hood. You no longer need the Clear Affinity option, plus I would guess it's a settiong that's not needed on older systems, hence the checkbox. Plus it's always good to be able to disable an optimization setting for future troubleshooting.

Be a happy camper.

In Ableton, I am getting some less CPU usage when using UAD-2, too. Thanks.

Vocalpoint said:

Still it's a checkbox - so basically a workaround/band-aid of some sort...but I am tired of fighting this - if it works...I am a happy camper.

Click to expand...

It is not a "workaround". When I queried UA tech support about the v5.6 performance enhancements they told me that the actual UAD-2 drivers and the way they now worked are the result of major fundamental changes in the driver code. Something they had been working on and perfecting for a while now. That is why v5.6 requires a firmware update. The new CPU Optimization is now the default operating mode. Aside for the Cubase/Nuendo CPU munching/spiking issue being fixed (which did not affect me as I don't use Steinberg products) I have found over the last few days doing some extensive test comparisons between v5.5 & V5.6 that native CPU usage per PPI, in most cases has been cut in half (on average) at all latencies. This is quite a significant improvement that affects everybody. This means more UAD-2 plugins at lower latencies using less native CPU. I find I can run projects a whole buffer size setting lower than I used to. Projects that could only play at 256 samples before crackling now play @ 128, projects that only played @ 128 before crackling, now play cleanly @ 64 samples. The new plugins are great, but to me the best part of v5.6 are the UAD-2 driver improvements. Using lot's of UAD-2 plugins at low latencies was once a dream and now it has become a reality. :wink:

In the screen capture below, I loaded a UAD-2 QUAD to the gills as a low latency benchmark stress test.

(60) UAD-2 plugins @ 128 samples using v5.6/REAPER 3.35: a paltry 0.19% (ave) native CPU usage per PPI!
The native CPU use attributable to UAD-2 plugins is pretty insignificant. The ASIO/FX thread load is around 11%
In v5.5 I was getting nearly three times the native CPU hit per PPI (0.55%-0.60%) @ 128 samples.

billybk1 said:

It is not a "workaround". When I queried UA tech support about the v5.6 performance enhancements they told me that the actual UAD-2 drivers and the way they now worked are the result of major fundamental changes in the driver code. Something they had been working on and perfecting for a while now. That is why v5.6 requires a firmware update.

Click to expand...

BB,

Well...I am still wondering why:

1. It's a checkbox. Why in the hell wouldn't I want instant "performance enhancements" as a default in "can never/would never turn it off" mode. In other words - why a checkbox? Update the firmware and leave it at that. If a checkbox exists - that means it can be turned off...and if it's that great and that essential - why would I ever want to turn it off?

2. Why is this so called "fix of all fixes - especially for us Steinberg users - such a non-event in the Hot News department. If this is actually fixed - this is the biggest piece of news to come out of UA in 18 months...yet it's buried way down the list (which you have to dig for by going to the website). Again - you would think there would be an email sent on it's own trumpeting the final vanquish of this annoying condition that has been plaguing the living f*** out of some of us since we bought our UAD-2...

I find it most curious that besides this thread - with 10 entries or so...not another "Finallly!" thread exists...especially at the Cubase forums where this is huge discussion point...perhaps the gang there is totally unaware - and given the "hidden" nature of this announcement...it's no wonder.

I am still proceeding with caution...and just because there was a "firmware" update...does not mean it's correcting this. I too sent several emails to UA support on this and heard absolutely nothing about a fix.

I sure hope you are right. But without a Steinberg host to confirm...I have to take your angle here with a grain of salt - because you haven't confirmed anything for me...

Cheers!

VP

Vocalpoint said:

1. It's a checkbox. Why in the hell wouldn't I want instant "performance enhancements" as a default in "can never/would never turn it off" mode. In other words - why a checkbox? Update the firmware and leave it at that. If a checkbox exists - that means it can be turned off...and if it's that great and that essential - why would I ever want to turn it off?

Click to expand...

I think UA wanted a fallback. There is no 100% guarantee that this new operating mode will work 100% on every possible permutation of DAW builds/ DAW hosts and/or OS's. For those that may have issues, UA tech support can have them turn the new CPU Optimization mode off and still have a working system. Oh BTW, this is a Windows only performance enhancement.

2. Why is this so called "fix of all fixes - especially for us Steinberg users - such a non-event in the Hot News department. If this is actually fixed - this is the biggest piece of news to come out of UA in 18 months...yet it's buried way down the list (which you have to dig for by going to the website). Again - you would think there would be an email sent on it's own trumpeting the final vanquish of this annoying condition that has been plaguing the living f*** out of some of us since we bought our UAD-2...

Click to expand...

I think UA is waiting to see the response from the field as to how really successful these driver improvements actually are before they start making any broad sweeping announcements. I was told that preliminary in-house beta reports were very promising so they decided to make the change, but that the real test will be when v5.6 is publically released to the masses and field reports start coming back in. For me personally, it is already conclusive, this v5.6 update is without a doubt the best (as far as performance enhancements go), since V5.0.

I could not be happier! Getting the new UAD Massive Passive and updated EMT 140 is just icing on the cake! =D>

Cheers,

Billy Buck

Shhh, don't say it is the best. UA will no longer work on improving it if they feel it is already perfect. That is whether there is even room for further improvement based on what is already released. I too have noticed a big difference from the previous drivers, but if they can squeeze out a little more, I am all for it.

Cantankerous said:

Shhh, don't say it is the best. UA will no longer work on improving it if they feel it is already perfect. That is whether there is even room for further improvement based on what is already released. I too have noticed a big difference from the previous drivers, but if they can squeeze out a little more, I am all for it.

Click to expand...

It is the best yet! I am sure there are things that can still be fined tuned and improved. But when I can run a DSP beast like the UAD Manley Massive Passive EQ @ 64 samples with virtually no native CPU hit, I am not sure how much more native CPU efficient you can get. Maybe shave off a couple more 1/100's of one percent. :wink:

Even though all DSP prcessing is done off of the cards, all plugin GUI & the I/O processing (sending data to/from card) is native CPU based. What UA has done is radically reduced the native CPU overhead due to the I/O processing, especially at lower latencies. For reference, in V5.5 a UAD FATSO instance would easily be in the 0.65-1.20% range @ 64 samples. Now, as in the example below, a UAD-2 plugin instance @ 64 samples is a fraction of that.


(1) instance of UAD Manley Massive Passive EQ @ 64 samples/44.1k: 0.28%