Reducing CPU The Flowstone way

[Drnkhobo]

Hey guys, im trying to reduce my cpu consumption in my vst.

As it stands a few things seem odd. It just might be the way FS handles and im just not with it yet.

So my setup is a simple limiter. I take the input and in all the modules, there are just asm code blocks inside, I pass
the audio to attenuate the input. Then a simple switch . You will see what I mean in the pic. . .

CPU.PNG (56.34 KiB) Viewed 27100 times

So when the switch is on, my cpu reads +- 12%

ok

When i switch off, cpu STILL reads 12% . . . ?!!


I dont get it . . .

Trog, i know youre there lurking and I have a BIG suspicion you know how to help. . .


Anyway, why does it still process even when the OUTPUT of the modules are off?

Or am I getting something wrong here

[MyCo]

It shouldn't process, but without your schematic, there is no chance to check what else is wrong

[Walter Sommerfeld]

i noticed this in SM 2...
Try a Multiplexer @ the input to switch both ends of (bypass] as a workaround!

[trogluddite]

Yes, really we need to see what else is in the schematic (no control parameters in the picture, so cannot be complete).

Are you using any display modules - e.g. indicator for Gain Reduction etc.? If so, that may be the problem - anywhere that you convert stream to 'green' (e.g. mono2float, mono2graph), that will count as a 'live' stream - so you must also disconnect "display convertors", to truly turn off the audio streams.

[Drnkhobo]

Hey guys!

Thanks for the tips, disconnecting the m2f components did help quite a bit
And the multiplexer too!

I must be honest here and say that I dont fully understand FS's
triggers. . . it is like a mysterious 4th dimension (or 3rd if you dont count time) !
Things dont make sense to my brain lol!

[trogluddite]

I must be honest here and say that I dont fully understand FS's
triggers

Maybe this will help...
Trigger Tutorial (unfinished, but three chapters are complete)

[MyCo]

I don't see how a multiplexer should help to lower CPU usage on streams. The compiling process for streams is processed backwards, so this doesn't make any sense at all.
And the CPU display in FS is only for stream process, so when you refer to this, this has nothing to do with triggers, because they are not streams.

[trogluddite]

I don't see how a multiplexer should help to lower CPU usage on streams

Unless there was stream stuff prior to the parts shown that was being made 'live' my some M2F's maybe?
Also, to clarify with the M2F's - they keep a stream live just by being linked to the stream, it makes no difference if they get triggered or not - so yes, they must be disconnected from the incoming stream to make that saving.

[Drnkhobo]

Unless there was stream stuff prior to the parts shown that was being made 'live' my some M2F's maybe?

Nope, in addition to the pic there were 2 meters obviously with m2f's but i have disconnected them.
Ive done some testing and it seems my actual dynamics processing takes the most cpu.

I have checked in resource monitor and its degree of error lies in the 0-5 % range - no difference REALLY.
Thanks for the tuts Trog, I have skimmed them before and seemed like I understood them already, but I
think I must go over them again, cause I NEED to understand them now.

It just seems strange to me that to change a value takes 2+ triggers! But i know that FS needs to keep prims
sleeping. So it makes sense.

And MyCo - I guess using a selector is what I went for in the end, multiplexer works too but the application of it
is too much , its much easier with a selector

[trogluddite]

I have checked in resource monitor and its degree of error lies in the 0-5 % range

There's also a small amount that you can never remove - because the CPU load of the ASIO/DS primitives is also counted, which varies depending on buffer size, efficiency of your soundcard driver etc.
Just connect an audio driver in straight to an audio driver out to get a rough idea what the 'baseline' figure is for your system. Then subtract that from your meter reading to get a slightly more accurate idea how hard your actual processing is working.