So I have PC with 24 cores and 64G RAM, and I’m using Gig Performer Pro on this PC to run effects and bus processing for my analog console. I just got it, so I am new to this. Basically, I run my mixer effects sends into my MOTU 24IO (424 PCIe card), put reverb and delay plugins in a rack, and send them to the MOTU outs. I have my MOTU buffer set at 64, and I’m getting lots of crackling. I upped it to 256 and it is better. Is that too high? Will that result in too much noticeable latency? I want the reverbs and delays to act like I am sending to my hardware units. I’m also using inserts on my buses on the console to run channel strip plugins so I have dynamics and EQ on the mix buses. Should I make a separate rack for effects and buses?
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I will also want to make a synth rack for my Juno D6 to play sounds in the studio. I have lots of great sounds like the Korg Bundle. I’m assuming that should also be a separate rack?
How many plugins are in the rackspace?
When it crackles, what is the CPU % shown in the GP toolbar?
I think it was 12 plugins, reverbs and delays, and the CPU indicator was at 67-72%
Also, I have the MOTU set to 48KHz. I did try 96, but it crashed Gig Performer. I could try 44.1. The reason there was so many plugins in that rack is I was trying to make 1 rack for console effects, and a separate rack for bus processing.
I’m testing it again now, and at 48KHz, 128 buffer on the MOTU, I may be OK. I’m not hearing any digital hash. Actually, it looks like I have 15 plugins and 4 mixers on this one rack.
On my system I start getting crackles when I’m over about 55% on GP’s meter. If you’re not using all plugins simultaneously, then definitely look into using widgets to bypass the unused ones.
Thanks for the tip!
One of the problems with many effects plugins is that they don’t turn off when they’re not producing any output so they’re using tons of CPU cycles to do nothing!
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I am going to make a separate rack for my bus processing. I can cut back on the number of plugins I use for effects, I loaded it up for testing. I think I’ll be OK with 2 racks of plugins as long as I keep it to what I need active. It’s interesting to note that this PC can run hundreds of plugins in a DAW, but in Gig Performer, the CPU usage meter goes up pretty quick.
Define “run” !
Remember that in a DAW, except for the track being actively recorded and needing real-time monitoring, the audio for all other tracks can be pre-calculated (because a DAW can look ahead at previously recorded tracks) so those plugins don’t actually have to run in real-time.
(Some) DAWs use multiple audio threads. That’s not too hard to do, given the parallel nature of the channel strip design of DAWs. These means all your 24 cores can be used simultaneously (if you have a lot of channels). GP on the other hand uses a graph (opposed to the channel strip design). That means that all plugins are handled by 1 (one) audio thread. So 23 cores are just sitting there idle (apart from the threads used internally by the plugins, the messaging thread, the gui thread and all things the OS is doing).
Depending on the use case and the design, sometimes a solution could be to use multiple instances of GP, but these instances are independent, so you have to use OSC or something like that for communication between the instances.
The use of multiple instances is considered an advanced technique. Depends also on the user. Some people are more ‘tech savvy’ than others. (And other people are better musicians than others. So…).
Would using multiple racks help with this?
Only 1 local rackspace is active at a time
If you’re referring to my post: I was talking about multiple ‘GP instances’, not about rackspaces. Of course each GP instance uses rackspaces.
It was a general question, I’m learning how this software works.
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If only 1 rackspace is active at a time, then I need to have my effects routing and my bus routing in the same rackspace. I need all that active at once during a mix. Thanks!
So I’m learning that I can have separate racks in 1 rackspace!
If you’re referring to the rack plates in the panel view: that’s just graphical sugar. A rackspace (on the processing side of things) consist of the plugins you see in the wiring view. The buttons and switches on the panel view are there to control parameters of these plugins. Variations are only holding variations of the values of the buttons and switches.
Only 1 rackspace is active at any time (apart from the global rackspace which is always active). If you switch from one rackspace to another, the one you switch away from gets deactivated and the one you switch to gets activated.
If you want to get a better grasp of the relationship between rackspaces, panels and so on, I encourage you to do a little studying of the manual, if you didn’t already. It could save you some time in the end 
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Thanks! So far this is fun and is doing exactly what I had hoped for. I will peruse the manual asap, I have been offsite on a gig, thanks for getting me going out of the gate