At my wit's end with CPU spikes.

I've used various NI products over the years starting with their Pro-52 in 2000. In recent years, probably starting with my purchase of Kontakt 3 or Kontakt 4 [I can't remember for certain as it was so long ago], I started getting the dreaded CPU spikes problem with the attendant crack-crack-crack sound breakup back in the day. So I tried upgrading my computer and buying more RAM and upgrading to newer versions of Kontakt over the years but the problem just doesn't go away. I now have an i7 10700 computer with Windows 10 on an SSD + 24 GB RAM, Cubase 11 Pro, Kontakt 6.x and all the other bits'n'pieces that came with Komplete 12 and the CPU spikes just get worse. Setting the ASIO buffer size for my hardware [Behringer X-18] at it's maximum [2048 samples] doesn't make the problem go away :-\

At the moment, the only way I can use any of the expansion packs for Kontakt is to play the sounds and listen through the CPU spike cracks to get an idea of what it sounds like, render the parts as a wav file and keep going. Not exactly an ideal solution. Basically it has resulted in less and less of my library of NI soft synths being usable over time to the point where the only thing I use Kontakt for is to play an old bass guitar sample from my EPS sampler. I'd like to use the stuff I bought but it seems unusable in the current situation.

Aside from the old 'spend more money' pseudo-solution, does anyone have any helpful suggestions?

 

Just to clarify, I get the CPU spike problem when I'm just playing a single note with Cubase stopped. My writing process involves a lot of stop-start work: play a bit by hand, record the midi part, tidy it up and then roll the sequencer. I could understand cpu spikes when the sequencer is rolling and it's triggering off a bunch of VSTI's, but for it to happen when it's stopped and just playing a single note would imply that something's seriously wrong somewhere.

Also it happens when playing single notes in Super-8 with Cubase stopped :-\

 

Hard to say... I have 9 years old win notebook and I have spikes only if I load many heavy kontakt libraries and use CPU intensive FXs. Othervise OK.
So, in your case it must be either SW or HW problém. Maybe, the setting of CPU. Current Intels are known for running full speed as long as temperature allows and then it drops way down to cool it down. It could induce spikes, as CPU does not deliver sustainable computing power.... Or the problém dith audio interface? What about trying another one?

 

Strange thing, the behringer is maybe not the best audio interface,i would only use it for recording multiple tracks, for playback a simple focusrite solo or 2i2 is maybe better. Have you checked the audio settings if I remember correctly the behringer interface/mixer series does not switch resolution automatically from 44.1 to 48 or the other way, so if it's set to 48 then make only projects in your daw with 48kHz.Have you tried shorter USB cable, and don't use front ports only the ones on the back of the PC. Then go to the chipset manufacturer site and download there the latest chipset drivers, also update bios.


Uwe

 

Ohh and you also could try Asio4all if nothing helps. You can easily uninstall it if it does nothing better.

Uwe

 

Try this computer. https://www.nas.nasa.gov/hecc/resources/pleiades.html

 

… and the answer is: 42!

 

I'm not in a position to buy any new gear at the moment. Food, rent and utility bills are all I can manage so I need to find a solution that works with what I have. The CPU Spike problem has been with me ever since my Q6600 computer years ago, which I replaced with an i7 860 system, followed by an i7 4770 system and now my i7 10700 system. so a 10 times benchmark increase still doesn't provide enough power to stop CPU spikes? That can't be right. I've had Marian Marc-8, MOTU 828 Mk2 and ESI ESU-1808 interfaces over the years and the CPU spike problem never went away.

Maybe you're not meant to use NI stuff any longer, just brag about what you have and leave it at that? I really don't know.

 

I bought the Behringer X-18 because it's a compact solution: Mixer and interface in one unit. Maybe the Allen & Heath all-in-one would have been a better choice but economics made the decision for me. I had to downsize radically and just didn't have room for a big mixing desk + rack + all the external doo-dads. So I'm now down to 1 PC, 2 synths a couple of guitars and a multi-FX pedal. Yeah, you have to switch manually between 44.1 & 48 kHz *before* you launch a DAW or standalone softsynth. I work in 48k mostly now so, it's not an issue for me any longer.

I just use the stock USB cable that came with the X-18. It's not particularly long, just about long enough to go from my computer under my desk to the X-18 sitting on my desk. Maybe I'll try a different USB lead, I've got a box of 'em in the cupboard.

 

The behringer is not a bad device, the opposite is the case, I never would say said and never had only as playback device cause you have to manually switch resolution. But have you tried Asio4all, and all other things I wrote, have you checked bios settings, for example drives set to ahci mode? And it's absolutely strange that with all your systems and stuff you always had that problem. I also had some systems and I never had that issue even my older laptop with an 2016 Intel i5 runs without problems with an old roland quad capture.

Uwe

P.S. I saw online that others with the same problem could solve it with Asio4all drivers

 

I use NI SW on old notebook i7 3612QM (4C/8T 2.1 GHz) and even on old even weaker notebook with i7 (2C/4T). And not having serious problems like you describe.

Your HW should be suffitiently powerfull. The problems you face must have something to do with SW/HW setup. Suggested ASIO4All might help. And also check the setup of CPU. You may face throttling.

 

https://www.resplendence.com/latencymon

This software also might be helpful to find the problem, there are also tutorials out there too how to interpret the stuff and what to do then.


Uwe

 

I still use my q6600. I run reaktor on it but not daw. I play midi from another computer. Never a spike so long as I don't overload the q6600. I can't imaging having a studio without 2 computers. 1 for the daw and leave the heavy cpu stuff on another computer. No big sound card, just an analog mixer that uses spdif or light interface to stop ground loops. I also turn off interrupts and optimize the computers for audio. Clicks are just distractions and interrupts cause the distraction. up your latency to max and see if the click disappears, if not then you have a real problem.

 

Be sure to follow the windows optimization guide in the main NI website. Also, many things to consider would be disabling on board audio in bios if using audio interface, disable usb power sleep, make sure system set to performance mode vs balanced...etc. i had to do this with new machine and UAD interface.

 

if from what you state is you have been having similar issue following you.... i get the impression you are carrying some form of malware... from one PC to the next to the next.
running a free program like "malwarebytes" is probably the easiest solution...
just be aware... you may lose some of the files that are infected... if they are infected.. so backing up any key files and keeping them isolated before applying the removal aspects of malware would be the go...

its entirely up to you to go down this path, and go through a process of elimination... but that what i see given the symtoms you describe and the history you present..
Good luck!!

 

That is a great program. In fact my inlaw worked for an it company, They used it like crazy. Not to mention that is a very good point. Maybe he has some stupid malware that thinks midi is the keyboard and is trying to log his midi keyboard looking for a password. lol bad joke....

 

Seriously, how long have you had cubase, It may have settings in there to stop all effect cpu in stop mode, you may think they are off but the might be on. Also there is a program called midiox. http://www.midiox.com/
It runs on win 10 and it monitors your midi activity, Your keyboard might be sending out something it shouldn't be. If that happens you can try resetting your keyboard. If you see something rolling down the screen with no keys pressed so if can figure out what it is. Could be your aftertouch running constantly or anything , sysex , unused midi codes, etc. I'm surprised midiox is still going it's at least 15 years old and works like a charm.

Let me know, naturally run it without cubase. I repaired keyboards for a long time and have seen some strange things happen. Before we even opened them up we did a factory reset and told the owner to back up his stuff before bringing it in.

 

I've been using Cubase for 25 years. Yeah, I know about MIDIox. I've used it in the past. I'll run it again and see what the activity is like.

 

Thank you for all your replies and suggestions. You've given me a lot to work on Which I'll try out over the next week or so when I get some spare time. FWIW I run a fairly stock 'vanilla' system: Operating System, a few system utilities [C Cleaner + Wise 365 type of stuff], MS Office, Cubase, Reason Lite, Ableton Lite, NI Komplete, a few other softsynths, an mp3 encoder for live streaming. The only Game I have is Second Life which is for live streaming. I don't have any hacked / cracked software.

 

Cool I'm sure you are now able to fix it, your system is able to handle music programs easily, there is only one issue.

Uwe