Love The New Neve Compressor But Have Two Problems

[Emerson]

Hi Everyone,

I must say I really love the new Neve compressor (which I just bought). However, I'm having two problems with it. The first concerns CPU usage. On the project in question I'm only running two LA-2As and a Roland Dimension D. My CPU usage (according to the UAD meter) is 24%. But, when I try to instantiate my new compressor, it gives me the error message saying that it has to be disabled because of CPU overload. Could this be true? I can instantiate the SE version which kicks my CPU usage up to about 54% but the full service one shouldn't put me in at over 94% (my CPU overload limit)--or should it? I sincerely hope not because that means I'll be able to run one compressor and forget about the other plugins. I've been using my UAD cards for several years now without a problem (except when I switched to my newer Mac G5 with the AMD chip). However, I've learned to work around it until now.

The second issue concerns distortion coming from one of the presets. But first of all,I'd really like to say thanks for giving us (well, me) such great presets, I really appreciate them. I'm a preset kind of guy. In fact, if there were presets for life, I think I would have taken one (Hmmm, the red pill or the blue pill??). The preset that concerns me is the one labeled \"Warm\". When I click on it I get noticable distortion (of the unpleasant kind) coming from the left channel. The right channel seems to be clear though. This doesn't happen with any of the other presets and I don't think it's what Mr. Neve had in mind when he went for a temperature rating preset--although I could be wrong here. Anyone else having these problems?

Here's my set up--
Mac G5 Dual 2.7, 5 GBs of Ram, plenty of hard drive space. Logic 7.2.1 with the latest Tiger version (whatever that is). Plus I've tried to optimize my UAD cards with the computer (per UADs instruction) and until now, have had pretty decent plug in power. Thanks for you help as always.

 

[Emerson]

Sorry, one slight error

Sorry folks, one slight error, it's Logic 7.2.2.

 

[macaroni]

I recently experimented with the Neve EQ, which is also processory hungry, and in order to use 6 instances of the full version, I just froze each track in Logic. It's not a big deal to do, and it's fast and easy to unfreeze and tweak each track if necessary. So why not freeze and reuse - it's easy and cheap.

 

[F5D]

I never use freeze. Try the SE versions, they're about as good as the high dsp versions.

 

[Emerson]

Thanks Trace

Thanks for your replies however, it seems to actually be getting worse and what's more, I'm beginning to develop problems running Logic--something I've never had before and started right after I installed the new plugins. It seems that if I have any other UAD plugins running, no matter how few, I can't instantiate the full version of the plugin without getting an overload error (error 21 I think). I'm sure that UAD will solve this (won't you guys??)

 

[Resonant Alien]

By most reports the Neve comp runs about 70% of a UAD card's CPU, so it doesn't surprise me that you can't run anything else.

 

[Guest]

RIDICULOUS CPU USAGE

I love this compressor. I have been messing aroud with it for a day and it is truly awesome. Still what is more awesome, the compressor or its CPU usage? I thnk they were giving themselves a good but of slack when saying 70% usage. I have been using it on individual sounds , mixes etc, not I try to use it in a song. I have 3 cards. I am at 50% on the meter and I cannot add even 1 of the Neve compressors. Is this a joke or what?? This may stop me from buying it.

I have just got one working. Guess what... can only get 1 instance to work if I have LESS THAN 35% usage across 3 cards !!!! So this plug is actually taking up 2 entire UAD cards in my system! Anyone else finding this with multiple card systems?

 

[F5D]

It seems that the 70% version is meant to be used for example when mastering and not many other plugins are in use. If you're mixing, the SE version works well. Some people wanted to have plugins which need a whole card to run so we must thank them. Anyway, let's hope UA will introduce a new product which can run alot more of these new plugins.

 

[Emerson]

Thanks

I forgot to add that I also have two UAD cards as well! So, in addition to my above comments about my system and the whack that the Neve is taking, add to it the fact that it's drawing off of a two card system. I also agree with you that this is a truly awesome compressor. I have both of the other compressors from UAD as well but the Neve is particularly sweet. When I first downloaded it I only used it on a new project and simply moved it around from track to track. It didn't dawn on me that I should try to see how many instances I could load. I guess it's because I've been more than happy with my UAD plugins (I have most of them) and, even though it's becoming the most expensive card to own, I love the sound and (usually) the stability of the plugins and I wouldn't change it for the world.

By the way, no one seems to have noticed or commented on the distortion that I hear in the left channel on the \"Warm\" preset. Does anyone else notice it?

 

[Guest]

just to add...

I gues I just erealized that because this is soooo hungry I have to unload a bunch of plugs, the reload then AFTER getting the comp up, because it all has to be on one card. therefore this must be done with old songs that already have plugs in them... I am trying it now...

 

[digigem]

I guess the way UA might see it will be for one to buy one card for the Neve 33609 and have one or two more for other plugins after all if it sounds as close to the original hardware means your paying for the price of the card as opposed to the price for the hardware. its not fair but alot of stuff in life is'nt.

 

[Guest]

mutli card compressor issues

Unfortunately is not as easy as having one seperate card for this compressor.

Firstly, I can only fit 3 cards in the computer, and is it really worth a magma for 1 more card? Not to me now. It is time that Uuadio should work out how to let us use more than 4 cards! I would definitely get a 7 slot chassis if I could use 7 cards.

Secondly, as this huge CPU load is unprecedented, and will probably become the norm, the following points will hopefully appear soon!!

1. Let us choose which plugs go on which cards! VERY IMPORTANT. As I said before, I have to unload or bypass all plugs before adding the neve comp because by default all plugs are spead across all cards evenly. Therefore, by the time I want to add a bus compressor there isn't enough space on any one card to add the Neve. This is a pain. If I add it I am now very often getting the sorry 'some plugins are disabled' which leads me to the second necessity...

2. Which ones? Which plugins are disabled and how many? Do I really have to open them all up to see which ones are working or not? Please at least grey them out if they are disabled, or so not allow another plug to be added if it is going to disable other one. I would prefer a message - 'not enough power to add another plugin' instead of disabling plugs without telling whhich ones, or making iot at all obvious.

There are going to be more high CPU plugs so these kinds of management options are necessary and should not be difficult to implement.

 

[Guest]

furthermore... there is a problem

I have sent this to uaudio. anyone else having such problems??


'... This release has what I consider to be quite an annoying bug...as I said before, I have to mute all my plugs in a current mix to get enough space on one card to load the Neve comp. then I unmute them after the Neve comp to move them around, and in my system info I now see the cards are using plugs thus: 7 first card , 3 second , 7 third, and all is okay, BUT....

I save it. I then go back to it. When opening the song again I get the 'plugins have been disabled' message immediately. I look at the system info and the utility tells me the plus are now spread across the cards like this - 4,5,7 and the neve can't load, so I have to go through it all again. This is a pain in the a, and something I hope will be very quickly fixed....'


BTW this compressor is AMAZING on the drum bus and over the whole mix as well... AMAAAAZZING - just wish I didn't have to do these tedious work-arounds.

 

[macaroni]

I was trying the 33609 on a song in progress, and with only 2 cards I managed to get the following at 90%...

1 Neve 33609 full version stereo on the primary drum track
1 Neve 33609 SE version stereo on the secondary drum track
9 LA2As mono on acoustic guitar and BGVs
1 Fairchild mono on lead vocal
1 Pultec Pro mono on acoustic guitar
1 Roland Dimension D stereo on an Aux for acoustic guitar
1 Roland CE-1 mono on electric guitar
1 Precision Limiter on the master bus

Not bad at all. I have a G5 dual 2.0 with regular PCI slots - no AMD chip, 2.5 GB RAM. OSX 10.4.7 and Logic 7.2.3.

I also bought a 3rd card today - a Flexi Pak - which comes with a $500 voucher. That, plus the $100 voucher for an additional card, and the $50 voucher for being a good customer, gives me $650 for plugs. I'll buy the Neve EQ and 33609 and still have $150 left over, and I got another card for only $100 more than the price of both plugs. Very nice!

 

[Guest]

yes, but..

But have you saved your song and then restarted it? You will surely find VERY quickly that the card management is toyally f**ked up. I am trying to work, and every minute I get 'some plugs have been disabled' even though I am only at 75%. The plugs don't spread acrooss the cards in the most efficient way. They try to spread' equally' by the number of plugs, so the Neve gets disabled, or others get disabled.. who know which cos it doesn't even tell you... this is a total f**kingg disaster as far as I am concerned. Sorry for all the swearing, but really this should have been noticed. IT IS A TERRIBLE OVERSIGHT.

 

[macaroni]

I just opened the song again in Logic and I didn't have any of the problems you described. It played back immediately with no error messages.

Keep in mind also, that all the above plugins were already instantiated 'before' I opened the 33609 plugs for initial testing, so the cards had already allocated resources. Plus, there are other Pultecs and LA2As that were opened too, but bypassed, when I opened the 33609, and remained bypassed during testing.

 

[ubuntumusic]

Re: yes, but..

But have you saved your song and then restarted it? You will surely find VERY quickly that the card management is toyally f**ked up. I am trying to work, and every minute I get 'some plugs have been disabled' even though I am only at 75%. The plugs don't spread acrooss the cards in the most efficient way. They try to spread' equally' by the number of plugs, so the Neve gets disabled, or others get disabled.. who know which cos it doesn't even tell you... this is a total f**kingg disaster as far as I am concerned. Sorry for all the swearing, but really this should have been noticed. IT IS A TERRIBLE OVERSIGHT.