EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

Mark Lewno wrote:
> I thought I'd read someplace that Platinum 5.x added multiproc support for
> macs.  I'm thinking this was in the 5.0 addenda manual.  Maybe I was just
on
> crack and it only applies to DSP plugins..

Well, multi CPU support for Macs actually is there, but it only does apply
to a few things:
- Live Inputs.
- Active (selected in the arrange) virtual instrument tracks.
- Graphics.

... and eventually some MIDI handling, but I am not sure about that.

Actually, there's been some trick posted to get more juice out of your Dual
CPU machine; In case you have a spare output/input on your soundcard (even
better if it allows for internal rerouting), you could setup a bus/send to
that free output and reroute it to the free input. That input should then
run into an input object. Now you could set up, say, a reverb on the insert
of that input object => this reverb will be handled by the second CPU now.
Sure, there's some additional latency, but in the case of a reverb it
shouldn't matter that much as usually you have some predelay anyways - just
reduce the predelay by the amount of your latency x2 (1x in, 1x out).

> At any rate, I haven't ran into any EXS related headroom problems on my
dual
> 800, but then again I'm probably not pushing it as hard as some of you
are.
>
> I'll typically have 8-10 instances of EXS24 in a given piece.  I don't
know
> if that's more or less than everyone else or not..

It all depends on a) the amount of voices your using and b) if the filter is
on/off. From what I know, multiple instances of the EXS share the same
graphical resources, so opening a second instance makes close to no
difference.

> I DO know that the memory manager add in thing seems to work very well.

Well, that's all about RAM and audio drive performance, doesn't affect the
CPU at all - well, at least theoretically it shouldn't, assuming you've got
proper audio drives (ATA 100/133 protocol or SCSI) not putting any burden on
your CPU per se.

Btw, if you have loads of RAM or if the EXS/VSM thing is working properly on
your machine, you should in ANY case switch internal "sample storage" to
"32bit float" in the EXS preferences - reduces CPU usage by a fairly
noticeable amount!

Cheers,
Sascha

In a message dated 8/9/02 10:54:57 PM, saschafranck@... writes:

>Well, multi CPU support for Macs actually is there, but it only does apply
>to a few things:
>- Live Inputs.
>- Active (selected in the arrange) virtual instrument tracks.
>- Graphics.

For my use, this is pretty much the same as not having Multiprocessor support 
at all. I have a MP G4 and there is literally no difference in my actual use, 
when it is OFF or ON. The extra bread I spent for the second processor was a 
total waste of money. The main thing I want is to be able to have on the 
second processor is DSP plug-ins and Virtual Instruments (of course!). This 
is where the bottleneck always happens in my system.

It's true that the EXS/Logic Mac systems work great for small polyphony 
applications like a Pop track, but if you want to do a serious virtual 
scoring thing with 50-100 channels of instruments running at once in the same 
computer, you run into serious bottlenecks all the time. This is where the 
separate GIGA computer rig is really much better right now. It is also 
extremely frustrating that you CANNOT configure a second computer just to run 
a bunch of EXS24s. Especially when this is possible with EVERY other virtual 
sampler system....grrrr. Where's Emagic's answer to the System Link 
idea?...we NEED this!

Really hope some of these major issues will be addressed in the OSX version 
of Logic.

-EP

> For my use, this is pretty much the same as not having 
Multiprocessor support 
> at all. I have a MP G4 and there is literally no difference in my 
actual use, 
> when it is OFF or ON. The extra bread I spent for the second 
processor was a 
> total waste of money. 

Not for me, if I were to turn off Dual Processor support in Logic, 
most my mixes would not playback, mostly because of plug-ins, 
compressors, verbs, delays, etc.......

I have had to shut it off a time or two to play Absynth, and the 
mix came came to a complete halt, would not begin to 
playback.........