UAD-1 DSP Power Overload

[Fairlight]

Hi,

I have 2x UAD Cards and was running the following instances, in Vegas, yesterday:

1x Pultec Pro (as a track insert)
1x Neve 1081 (master bus)
1x Neve 33609 (master bus)
1x Plate 140 (track send)

All at 24bit / 44.1kHz project settings.

I got a CPU overload and one or more of my plugins were disabled. I'm confused as I should be able to load (with just one card):

4x Plate 140 or
3x 1081 or
1x 33609 or
8x Pultec Pro

So, double that with 2x cards. I feel I was well within my limitations.

I swapped the 1081 with the 1073 and it was fine, although both 1073 and 1081 should allow 3 instances per card, so I can't see why it struggled.

Am I missing something maybe? I understand the above instances are if ONLY that plug-in was being used, but I wasn't using much.

I was hoping to switch from 44k to 96k, but if I'm limited with minimal instances (and 2x cards) at 44k, there's no way I'd be to work at 96k.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Fairlight]

* BUMP *

 

[imdrecordings]

It's called Load Balancing.....

and there is no cure....

It is constantly annoying. :?

 

[Fairlight]

It's called Load Balancing.....

Hi,

Forgive me if I've picked this up wrong, but does this mean the cards run in parallel rather than serial?

Example (with 2x Cards):

Serial - If you have 1 plug-in using 70% CPU and another using 50%, it'll not spread the resources over the cards in a linear fashion (so 1 card is at 100% capacity and the other is 20%)?

Parallel - Instead it'll apply 70% to one card and 50% to the other and remain with 30% on one card and 50% on the other, meaning you have to be careful not to load anything that'll exceed 50% CPU consumption (instead of what should really have 80% resources left)???

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Akis]

Parallel, but in your example, if you load something that would take up 50%, it'll be loaded on the second card.

 

[imdrecordings]

Each plug you load is processed on one card. How thw UA decides which card gets what? I have no idea. One of the biggest down falls in the UAD-1's design is it's Load Balancing between multiple cards. Also, every time you load a plug, it goes to one card and creates a round trip for that plug. Add some more and the trips increase!
Which subsequently, creates other issues with your DAW software's PDC. That's a whole other issue.

-If you only use say....38% on each card and try to load the big old 33609 Neve... it won't load. You'll get the message you are speaking of, even though you have about 119% CPU left.

Make sense? :?


Sucks.... I know :evil: :evil:

Search Load Balancing and see what comes up on this web site.

 

[Fairlight]

Blimey

What a complete waste of resources!

 

[chewie]

Each plug you load is processed on one card. How thw UA decides which card gets what? I have no idea.

In Cubase, it´s not UAD but Cubase itself who decides how to load the cards...all done from left to right in the mixer. I have been able to control the loading a bit by rearranging the order of the channels in the mixer, bringing the heavier plugs to the left, making the UAD to load them first, then having the lighter plugs evening out the loading of the cards. It does work, but makes the view of the mixer look very cluttered

I can for instance have a project that has the order of: Drumgroup (33609, 1081), Lead Vocal (1081, LA2A, 1176), Bass (1081, fairchild), FX3 (Space Echo), FX1 (Plate), FX2 (Plate), Drumgroup2 (Fairchild in parallel), Guitargroup (Fairchild), FX4 (Dreamverb) and then the other instrument channels.

It´s working, but the look is ..... :evil:

 

[Fairlight]

Each plug you load is processed on one card. How thw UA decides which card gets what? I have no idea.

In Cubase, it´s not UAD but Cubase itself who decides how to load the cards...all done from left to right in the mixer. I have been able to control the loading a bit by rearranging the order of the channels in the mixer, bringing the heavier plugs to the left, making the UAD to load them first, then having the lighter plugs evening out the loading of the cards. It does work, but makes the view of the mixer look very cluttered

I can for instance have a project that has the order of: Drumgroup (33609, 1081), Lead Vocal (1081, LA2A, 1176), Bass (1081, fairchild), FX3 (Space Echo), FX1 (Plate), FX2 (Plate), Drumgroup2 (Fairchild in parallel), Guitargroup (Fairchild), FX4 (Dreamverb) and then the other instrument channels.

It´s working, but the look is ..... :evil:

Ah, nice tip. Thanks... Maybe the same applies to Vegas... I'll give it a whirl over the weekend

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Arys Chien]

I've tried the rearranging channel order method, but sometimes it just can't be done. A drumset group channel, which I almost always use the big 33609 on, simply has to be placed AFTER all the individual drum channels.

And not to mention how it hurts the workflow....

What I do now is to disable the 33609 when I finish today's job and am about to save the project and quit. Then tomorrow, before I'm re-opening the project, I disable one of the UAD-1 card, making Nuendo squeezing all other UA plug-ins onto the other 3 cards, then I re-enable the last card and re-enable the 33609.

I think the only \"professional\" way should be solved by Steinberg. Let Nuendo/Cubase SX tell the UAD-1 card control panel how many, and which, plug-ins in total will be launched in this project, so it can make arrangement and make room for everyone. And then the host load them all after that.

 

[Akis]

I've tried the rearranging channel order method, but sometimes it just can't be done. A drumset group channel, which I almost always use the big 33609 on, simply has to be placed AFTER all the individual drum channels.

No, it doesn't. After you've created your tracks and done your routing, you can move it up, before the instrument channels and the routing shall remain as it was.

PS: In Cubase/Nuendo that is.

 

[chewie]

I've tried the rearranging channel order method, but sometimes it just can't be done. A drumset group channel, which I almost always use the big 33609 on, simply has to be placed AFTER all the individual drum channels.

This is not true for Cubase SX3 at least...I can rearrange the groups to come before the Instrument channels in the mixer.

 

[Arys Chien]

Thanks for correcting me! I think I'll give it a try. I can live with placing drumset group channel first.

Thanks guys. 8)

 

[Guest]

I'm dealing with the same issue in Samplitude 9.1

I've found no working solution as of yet.....what's the point of 2 cards, when I really only get to use one before it starts disbabling UAD plugs?

I also have a thread going on this right now, so check that as well. There may be some info pop up there that may help you.

 

[imdrecordings]

These are all just work arounds. This does not seem to be HOST related. UA driver developers sure have a lot on their plates. I hope they are working on these issues, rather than the UAD-2.

 

[chrisc]

balancing uad load

The UAD softaware does not auto balance the load across the cards, but if you bypass the plugs and then unbypass them in different order it will shift them around, I.E. bypas them and then start with the highest CPU hog(33609) and then continue to the lowest CPU hog and you will get balanced load across the cards. It totally suck and is a pian,but it works. tHey really should have fixed this by now. It is pathetic.