ASIO time overload

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deadmansshoes

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OK so I'm running cubase 4 making some pretty standard heavy metal stuff you know one midi track & several audio tracks.

Now during playback its skipping very badly and I have posted about his in another thread BUT I since realised its a fiarly common ASIO time overload problem and I was wondering if anyone had any potential solutions.

I'm using a toshiba laptop (i forget the model its not with me) pentium dual core processor and 2gig or RAM and an M-audio fast track basic.

I have tried: Increasing the buffer size using both M-audio ASIO and ASIO4ALL
Increasing the computers power supply
Increasing the virtual RAM

I'm sure theres something else but I forget. Does anyone have any suggestions please???
 
How do you increase the power supply? Anyway, it maybe input overloading. That's another reason I always record to a laptop (or anything else for that matter) with compression 'live' rather than add a plug in later, and keep levels lower than I thought would be 'good'. It seems a lot better. I always had that trouble with bass in the beginning, so make sure the bass is set lower in level, and add compression. I use the Fast Track Pro just because it has inserts, so I can add a rack compressor, but a pedal might work. Or, mic your amp and have a compressor in the loop. Or, I've used a Sans Amp RBI and put a compressor in the loop, and then into the FTP. Seems to work a lot better now. Try it, but don't blame me if I'm 100% wrong; this was just an idea.
 
If it's skipping during playback, that makes me think it's not the ASIO driver. How many tracks and how many plugs do you have going? Any VSTi's playing?? Skipping is because your computer can't handle the workload.

Your hard drive could be you bottle neck. You have a dual core pentium computer which makes me think it's a little older. So, probably the hard drive is not up to the task. A higher rotation speed will yield more tracks playing at one time. 7200rpm or above it a good target.

If you're running a lot of plugs, that will slow down your CPU.

Here's an article on PC optimization. Might be of some use:

SweetCare Service & Support | Sweetwater.com
 
I'll second Chili, if your not using an external hard drive that is where I would start.
 
Ok guys gotcha so i found out my hard drive is itself 5400 rpm but I save all my work to a portable hard drive which is ALSO 5400prm.

This may sound dense but since the projects are saved to my portable hard drive will cubase be using that hard drive to run automatically and if so could i just try getting a new and slightly better hard drive?
 
deadmansshoes said:
Ok guys gotcha so i found out my hard drive is itself 5400 rpm but I save all my work to a portable hard drive which is ALSO 5400prm.

This may sound dense but since the projects are saved to my portable hard drive will cubase be using that hard drive to run automatically and if so could i just try getting a new and slightly better hard drive?
Click to expand...

Is it a firewire or USB hard drive?? Firewire can handle the workload effortlessly, USB needs the CPU to direct traffic. Plus, if it is USB and it is plugged into the same USB hub as your interface, then you'll have problems. Typically on a laptop, all USB ports on each side will share a hub. One hub for the right side, one for the left etc... But that's a generalization, ymmv. Firewire ports manage themselves and don't need much intervention from the CPU. They can handle 100's of audio streams.

5400 rpm might be okay if you do not have many tracks. I don't know what would be considered too many, though. I believe that would be trial and error.
 
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