new interface causing more cpu usage

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drembo

Member
I have a daw i built about 3 or 4 years ago. It has a Gigabyte LGA1156 4DDR3-2200 CrossFireX/GBE/Raid/SATA3/USB3.0/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard GA-P55A-UD3 and an Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor. I am running Protools 10 and Windows 7. 4 gigs of ram.
I have been using an M-Audio Profire 610 and have had no real problems. I recently replaced my interface with a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40. Since then, some of the songs I had previously recorded and mixed are overloading my cpu, due to too many plugins.
First, why would the Focusrite cause a previously working session to now jam up? I know some settings in Protools were changed when I installed the interface software, but I don't see anything that has been changed that would use more processor resources. It did change the hardware buffer size to a larger amount and I don't seem to be able to change that, but I think that should take some pressure off of the cpu, not add more demand. maybe I am wrong about that. My cpu usage for native plugins on the song I am looking at right now is at about 55-60%. And that is with about 40 plugins running. I don't know if that is what is was with the old interface, I never had a problem and never looked at the system usage window.
And second, if I were to replace my processor with something different that works with my motherboard, which should I choose?
Here is a link to a list of processors compatible with my board:
GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Socket 1156 - Intel P55 - GA-P55A-UD3 (rev. 2.0)
While I did manage to build my computer, and didn't run into any problems with it, I am not that much of a computer geek. Is it simply a matter of the higher the number of the processor, the better performance I will get out of it?
At this point, I really don't want to tackle replacing the motherboard and all that that would entail software-wise. I do realize this is really limiting me in what processor I could upgrade to.
I have not used the Focusrite much yet, I am just starting to see how it works, etc. Have not recorded anything new with it.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Here is a speculation, since you have more IOs with the new interface, your computer is trying to process more effects to more outputs. You have twenty in and twenty out. Each out is a process and not a summation. I bet, if you route everything to the master, and just use two channels out, you will see a different result.

I am not sure about the quality of a DSPs effect on CPU usage (I assume quality of the hardware and driver has some influence), knowing each channel is rendered separately for a multi IO, this case 20 outs, I suspect that is why you are getting overload. I think you can reduce your outs or increase your buffers and it would correct it. or you can freeze the tracks so it is not real time processing.

Might be wrong, but based on a quick research, it would seem logical.
 
The mixer software for Focusrite can be pretty complicated/counterintuitive and needs to be booted and set up properly when using the interface. My usage is up a little since starting with a Scarlette 8i6 about a year ago.
Do you still have the old interface?
If Y hook it up & check the usage etc so you can make some real comparisons.
 
I still have my other interface, but I think you are right, maybe just the mixer software is using a little more juice, causing a problem for things that were already on the edge of cpu usage. I turned off all the adat ins and outs that I am not using, hoping this might take a little pressure off. And I have made sure I don't have any other programs running while I have pro tools open. Have not had any crashes since. As mjbphotos, I probably am running a little light on RAM, I think I will double that, although that's not gonna help any cpu-wise, it will speed things up a bit.
My song with the 40 plugins is sort of experimental, I don't normally use that many for my stuff. Now, I guess I know the limit of my machine.
 
I find plugins take up a lot of processing power - this was especially noticeable on my old laptop. I still try to limit how many I use or route them to busses if at all possible. I only have 4GB of RAM on my machine.
 
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