Max inefficient plug in host?

    maxista
    May 10 2013 | 11:11 pm
    I have been trying to incorporate a Reaktor ensemble in Max 6. I am having a hard time keeping the CPU from going bonkers. I simplified the patch to nothing but a object. Here is what I am seeing when running the ensemble:
    1) Reaktor standalone -> 30-35% CPU
    2) Live 8 with Reaktor plug in -> 40%
    3) Numerology 3 with Reaktor plug in-> 40%
    4) Max 6 with Reaktor plug in (both VST and AU version) -> 60-65%
    The sample rate in Max is set at 44,100Hz, so that can't be it. Are there any tricks to optimizing the CPU performance or is Max 6 just inefficient compared to other hosts? I am really surprised b/c I read somewhere that the object was rewritten in Max 6.
    Would love to hear from other people's experiences.
    BTW, I am on MacBook Pro late 2009, running OSX Lion.
    • Andrew Pask
      May 10 2013 | 11:49 pm
      We're definitely interested in people's experience with this sort of thing. In order for this to be really useful, we'll need also to know about IO buffer sizes, drivers, use of cores, processor details, OS, versions of everything, la la la.
      If you have a Reaktor ensemble you are using, we could all try it as well.
      Cheers
    • Andrew Pask
      May 13 2013 | 9:52 pm
      Meaning: we'll need to know the IO buffer sizes for all of the apps you are using in this comparison.
      If others have tests they would like to share with us, please feel free to drop them in
      Cheers
      -A
    • maxista
      May 14 2013 | 12:10 am
      44,100 Sample Rate, 512 sample buffer, Core Audio drivers in all the apps being compared.
      Things seem to be especially bad when hosting NI Maschine which has so far the worst CPU performance in Max6.
    • Andrew Pask
      May 14 2013 | 3:52 am
      If you want to simulate how Max compares with another app you need to make your sig Vector size the same as your IO vector size.
      Sig vector size is like Max's "internal" buffer size, used by MSP objects to divide up the number of samples passed from object to object.
      -A
    • maxista
      May 14 2013 | 10:04 pm
      Ok, I've changed both the I/O vector size and the Signal Vector size to "512 samples" and this has helped quite a bit.
      Out of curiosity, what's the difference between those two? And is "512" the recommended setting for an average computer?
      Cheers
    • John
      May 15 2013 | 7:28 pm
      Maxista,
      The I/O vector size=how many samples are fetched from and sent to the audio driver for processing within an application.
      The Signal Vector size in MSP represents how many samples MSP uses per calculation routine.
      See the vignette: http://cycling74.com/docs/max6/dynamic/c74_docs.html#audio_status
    • maxista
      May 15 2013 | 9:30 pm
      Thank you John!
    • Charles Baker
      May 16 2013 | 2:00 pm
      It (the new forum software) seems to have limited or stopped the flood of spam each (EDT) morning... :)...he said hopefully....
    • Charles Baker
      May 16 2013 | 2:03 pm
      Wrong thread, sigh, apologies.
    • John
      May 17 2013 | 4:53 pm
      unsubscribe
    • maxista
      May 21 2013 | 10:41 pm
      Ok, I have been experimenting with this some more and I am having an awful time using NI Maschine with the vst object in Max6. The CPU usage is now better, but I am getting horrible phasing problems, stuck notes when activating/stopping the global transport, lots of hiccups when changing Groups in Maschine. It's a mess.
      Anybody out there using Maschine with Max6 successfully?