Hi DG - thanks for your time.

Host on both slaves is Cubase SX 2.

Both slaves are identical P4s with identical soundcards.

Both are breaking up under relatively light workloads.

I'm definitely doing something wrong - but I'm baffled as to why the CPU load is so high.

I don't think it's a buffer problem. Inadequate buffer-sizes usually don't manifest as CPU overloads.

BTW, my network is a gigabit with cat5 cabling, no hub.

Any thoughts?

Mike

I suggest that you start at the beginning. Check that both PCs can play a fairly hefty MIDI file on their own piped into VI without using the network.

Then check your original file using a physical MIDI cable.

I don't use MOL so I can't help you with the setup of that.

DG

Two more thoughts. Are you using a crossover cable to connect the PCs? Are you using fixed IP?

DG

I will try the midi-file test today. Will get answers re the IP addresses & cabling from the person who set up the network.

I understand where you're going with this.

Much appreciated.

Mike.

Hi Mike,

I had the same problem when I first started using the strings matrices. I moved them from a 2.6 gHz machine to a 3.4 gHz machine with no improvement, so I don't think its your chip. Your OS is taking 500Kb or more, so you're probably getting close to your RAM limit. If you're using the supplied matrices, start over with your own, using only the patches you need. This should give you some extra room to load samples. If your motherboard has two more memory slots available, I'd strongly suggest you install 2x1gb additional memory and enable the 3gb switch. You should then be able to run all of your string sections on a single slave.

Thanks Peregrine - my custom matrices do in fact contain all 8 articulations! I did not realise that RAM and CPU usage were related. I thought one was "sample headroom" and the other was "processing power". I just assumed that if I kept within say 1.5 gig of loaded RAM, I'd be OK on a 2 gig machine, seeing as it's only acting as a Host.

DG's suggestion of running the offending midi file directly on the slave's VST host (Cubase SX) has ruled out any issues with my network or MOL. Thanks DG.

What's really wierd is that I was able to get glitch-free playback when I switched from my M-Audio soundcard's ASIO driver to "ASIO Multimedia Driver" - but with an unusable latency. CPU load was still close to 100% however.

Sigh. This pretty much rules out my hopes of running Special Edition on a 2 gig machine.

thank you very much for your invaluable assistance, as always.

Mike.

OK. One more suggestion. Do this at your own risk.....!

Try setting up a dual boot using the /3Gig switch. Yes, I know that you only have 2Gb RAM, but I was able to get in excess of 1.9GB samples loaded on a similar machine. You will probably find that the machine will only be stable with 1.7-1.8GB loaded, but that may well give you the headroom to avoid the pops and clicks.

I suggest a dual boot as if it all goes horribly wrong, you can still boot up the machine.

DG

OK, another suggestion. I'm really getting the bit between the teeth now. [:D]

Download a trial version of Forte and try that. Also try a demo version of Chainer, if there is one. I think that both these apps use much less RAM and CPU than Cubase, so that might help.

DG

thanks DG - I'm willing to give it a bash [[:|]]

I never thought a network of 3 P4s each with 2 gig of RAM would run out of RAM. Hah! [:D]

After you mentioned your success with FXT, I dusted off and reinstalled mine - but the breakups persisted - I guess because the slaves are at their RAM limits.

I will give Forte and Chainer a try.

Many thanks,
Mike

I'm ready to take the /3gig switch plunge.

I've tried a search, but my screen just went blank.

Could someone give me a link to the step-by-step setup procedure?

Many thanks,
Mike.

Hi Mike,

First, in order for any of this to work efficiently, you'll need to have 4gb ram installed on the slave running VSL patches.

Second, you'll need to edit your boot.ini file to add a logon option for the 3gb system version. Your boot.ini file will end up looking something like:


[boot loader]
timeout=3
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 3GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Third your host application and the vst dll files need to be large address aware. You'll need to edit their command lines, and that can be done easily with LAATIDO, a utility Mattias wrote. I haven't checked, but it was last available at: http://www.musikbanken.se/laatidosetup.exe

More reading on this can be found in this forum under the sticky topic that has Mattias' name on it.

in most cases you need to add also the /USERVA switch with a value of about 3000 (basic rule: real memory in MB minus 1024 minus ~100)
so ending up with the _additional_ line:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 3GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA 2950

what you get so is a dual-boot system (normal should be the default and as option to select during boot the /3GB) - you might want to increase the timeout (in seconds) otherwise you could miss the screen to select the configuration (use cursor up/down to select)
christian

Thanks Peregrine and CM

1.How do I establish if Cubase SX2 is Large Address Aware?

Thanks again,
Mike.

Firstly just to correct the wrong information:

1) You do not need 4GB RAM installed; 3 works fine.
2) It also can work with 2GB RAM installed, but it may be unstable.

Cubase SX2 is not LAA, so you will need to use something like masm32 (if I remember correctly) to "hack" the exe file. I'm sure that all of this is in the sticky on VI memory, as I remember typing it well over a year ago.

DG

Edit. I forgot about LAATIDO. That little app will confirm that Cubase SX is not LAA, but will hack it for you. Do remember that none of this is supported by Steinberg, so if in doubt either update to SX3,or change to a LAA host such as Forte.

Understood DG.

1.SX3 is no longer available as an upgrade. I'd have to go straight to Cubase 4 - and there are issues with C4.

2.I've had a look at Forte - and I like what I see. Pity the demo doesn't download [8-)] Anyone using it and happy?

3.Have been told that some graphics cards can cause audio glitches if you play while the VI GUI is open - will investigate this. Obviously clutching at straws by now...thank god for this forum.

Mike.

@Mike McCarthy said:

Understood DG.

1.SX3 is no longer available as an upgrade. I'd have to go straight to Cubase 4 - and there are issues with C4.

2.I've had a look at Forte - and I like what I see. Pity the demo doesn't download [8-)] Anyone using it and happy?

3.Have been told that some graphics cards can cause audio glitches if you play while the VI GUI is open - will investigate this. Obviously clutching at straws by now...thank god for this forum.

Mike.

Another option; upgrade to C4 (to get the licence) and then download SX3 from the Steinberg f t p. This is legal, as your dongle licence will allow you to run the earlier SX incarnations.

FWIW I've rolled all my students back to SX3 for compatibility reasons, as well as the fact that there is nothing in C4 with they need.

DG

Mike, check your PMs.

DG

Blow me down, the problem's solved. [:D]

Closed the VI window and all pops & glitches disappear. Open a VI and they're back.

Embarrassingly simple solution [:O]ops: But if someone else is saved the 2 days of head-scratching I've just gone through, then it'll be worth it.

I have found the /3gig switch thread under Memory Configurations - will use this to implement the switch - once I'm confident that I'm not going to blow anything up.


Thanks to DG, Peregrine & CM for their help.
Mike.

DG - where do I look for PM's?

Mike.

(you can tell I'm new here... [8-)] )

Down at the bottom of the main forum page. [:D]

DG