CPU Performance vs. Real-Time Performance in Digital Audio Workstations

[Frank]

Frank,

You are totally right!

Thank you

Frank,

But for me it would be a good idea to first master what I have,

O yeah : forget all the special offers and Mr so and so cannot work without , and all the other marketing stuff.
Unlike other daws, which look like empty racks crying for plugins, Mixbus is pretty filled with good essential stuff.

Train your ears to the function of each knob. Play known music through a channel and play with the EQ so you know when you hear a familiar sound: and know how to correct it.
To the same with recordings of indivi=dual instruments.
Learn how wrong settings sound.

Learn how to make something warm, cold, thinny : thick. Not from a tutor by by doing it yourself.
Teach your self how to make a sound close : far , present.

With those sounds in your head: Listen to recordings, and see what what done right or wrong,

If you have a drum machine : or a sampler take an individual drum sound and mangle it right and wrong. correct it.
Push them through the channel compressor and see how it alters.

And do not forget to calibrate your ears. Listen to distinct acoustic instruments with a distinct sound. Like a spanish guitar : a grand piano. take a recording of those instruments: listen on a HiFi system : is it still the sme sound? Same on m your monitor: does a grand piano , a sax , a clarinet sound like it is real live.

Only add a plug in when you cannot reach the sound with the stuff you have. and when you get one: learn exactly what each function does : and what the effect is on the sound of the instrument.

and learn to focus on a single instrument in a mix: than switch to total : back to the single instrument

and like Tassy says, update my equipment when I feel the need for it (for me that will relate mostly to hardware).

when your hardware is to little powerfull for what you want to do. Sure : but always consult people who know about, and not sales men.

I will certainly keep updating Mixbus and my other software, but will also try to spend as little as possible. If my system starts to fail running my software I probably will wait until it breaks, and then invest in newer technology.

I do not have an update fobie: But i always have an alternative: I have at least a trio boot : two of the OS i work on: I update one: if i t fails, i can fall back on the other boot: they share a data disk.

On my Linux machines i update whenever there is an update available : and when i have time. I do not remember ever to have to shift to the alternative boot.

Only when i changed resources in a unclever way.

For VST i use a Mac. Mac i only update when i see conflicts are solved. I have two machines: I only update one at the time.

I do not use Windows. I have a huge experience with that. And i say no thank you. In many development they are way behind. Took them 15 to 17 years to become 32 bit and with the 64 bit stuff they are years behind as well. They made huge elementary mistakes, like running all apps in the same memeory space. Their interest is not making good software, but how to create and maintain a monopoly. I know the Microsoft offices from the inside. Including meeting Mr. Gates.

Some professional mixers and producers do stick with what they have as long as it works, so why should I not do the same?

To be honest : i do not know any. But never looked for them either. I love new features. I think to get to know your system so one can deal with it is more proficient than the do not touch it otherwise it will break method.

People buy a lot of stuff they don't need (me too), it's good for commerce but I'm now actually going to use my stuff before putting more money in it.

Benny

But learn you system : ask questions, and have fun making music
which what i am going to do now..

Frank

Zappa´s Harrisons 4832 console sold for 25.000 US$

[benny van de locht]

Thank you for the tips Frank!

[SueRarick]

For what it's worth. My issues with recording coincided with my involvement with video production. Oddly it was my latest monster a dual CPU dual Video card PC that I bought then found out dual CPU's can cause audio issues that I dusted off the old 6 core Xeon computer I had been using and put in my old Audio card and a small K620 quadro I had lying around that I just stumbled on what Richard Ames was talking about.

I had deleted pretty much all the video editing software except for an old version of Magix that was on the E drive (still is). All I have on it now is Sonar X3 Producer and Mixbus4. (I like Sonars synths). I now run 48k buffering at 32 for instruments and 64 with midi with no snap-crackle-pop. So keeping your computer as clean as possible and stripping it of what is just extraneous and a likely candidate for trouble is important and works.

[Johnboyd1]

Thanks

[dsteinschneider]

For what it's worth. My issues with recording coincided with my involvement with video production. Oddly it was my latest monster a dual CPU dual Video card PC that I bought then found out dual CPU's can cause audio issues that I dusted off the old 6 core Xeon computer I had been using and put in my old Audio card and a small K620 quadro I had lying around that I just stumbled on what Richard Ames was talking about.

I had deleted pretty much all the video editing software except for an old version of Magix that was on the E drive (still is). All I have on it now is Sonar X3 Producer and Mixbus4. (I like Sonars synths). I now run 48k buffering at 32 for instruments and 64 with midi with no snap-crackle-pop. So keeping your computer as clean as possible and stripping it of what is just extraneous and a likely candidate for trouble is important and works.

I have a few Dell 5810 Xeon single socket machines purchased around 2017 that were decommissioned last fall. They came with K620 video cards. What audio card are you using? 

Thanks