multi-core with multiple instances?

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dtp
dtp's picture
Joined: January 31, 2013

Hi,

I've had an idea for a particular Live PA project for a while now, but the limiting factor has always been system performance.  I've tried ableton, and I've tried a demo of audiomulch.  I was able to get closer to what I was after with audiomulch, but it still wasn't quite enough.

I'm just about t order a new rig which should see me right. (probably going to be an e3 xeon)

I think one of the issues I was having was the fact that ableton has poor mutcore suport (it exists, but depending on your workflow/signal flow, it isn't particuarly efficient) and audiomulch does not support it at all.

I was thinking if I broke my audiomulch set into different instances, with audiojack sending the audio between them, that might be a way to artificially spread my project across multiple-cores?  Seems straight foward enough to me.

AM instance one - native instruments maschine, hardware synths audio-in, channel inserts.  Midi routing.

AM instance two - mixing busses, multi-band sidechain compression.

AM instance three - effect sends (internal VST and external hardware)

AM instance four - loopers, master FX, final mix and mastering.

 

Do you folk think this approach will work?  The main issue I can think of is that the loopers need to be in sync with the NI Maschine.

 

I do like the idea of having four metasurfaces!

Ross B.
Ross B.'s picture
Joined: April 11, 2009

> Do you folk think this approach will work?

I think so yes.

> The main issue I can think of is that the loopers need to be in sync with the NI Maschine.

If you can route the MIDI clock to all four instances of AM you will be fine. I think MIDI Yoke will let you set up multiple applications listening to the same MIDI input. Or else you could have one AM instance synced to MIDI clock from Maschine and generating Network Sync, and have the other AM instances chasing network sync.

Ross.

Unguitar
Unguitar's picture
Joined: July 6, 2009

I would like to understand this concept this concept better.

Does it mean if you have multiple Audiomulch instances running, each of them will be running in a different core of the processor ?

Ross B.
Ross B.'s picture
Joined: April 11, 2009

> Does it mean if you have multiple Audiomulch instances running, each of them will be running in a different core of the processor ?

It doesn't strictly mean that, but it will have more-or-less that effect. The Operating System will be in charge of determining core assignment, and will most likely load balance between cores.

Ross.

dtp
dtp's picture
Joined: January 31, 2013

thanks for the reply.  I did a test in the audiomulch demo, running mutiple versions of NI mascine; first, within one audiomulch session; then, spread across mutple instances.  As expected, the OS delegated the processing across the cores evenly as instances were added.  

I think it's going to work as long as I can get all the audio and midi conections between the instances working reliably.  

You may have a new customer soon, Ross

dtp
dtp's picture
Joined: January 31, 2013

I got my new PC and bought audiomulch.

Having a bit of trouble getting JACK settings right, though - a lot of pops and distortion.  I can get it fine, but with unaceptable latency.  

Latency is fine going straight to the MOTU, but this means I have to run things in one instance of AM, and I soon hit a wall with everything sitting in one core (even though the total CPU usage is sitting ay about 14%).

Hopefully I can work out the right settings.

 

Ross B.
Ross B.'s picture
Joined: April 11, 2009

If you get stuck drop me a line and I'll let you know when there is some kind of multi-core AM ready for testing.