Help with Cinestrings Issue

[Buddy]

Anyone know how to get Cinestrings not to do a bunch of crackling at less than 512 buffer? Been wrestling with this for a long time. Hoping for a solution at every update of Cinestrings...and I'm now at 1.31.

Regularly hitting real-time ASIO peaks in Cubase with just a single instance of the sustain patch. But I also get crackles in standalone Kontakt, too. So I feel like it's not a Cubase thing.

No other library does this for me, including other Cinesamples libraries (I have most of them). I can play CineBrass at 64 buffer with no problem.

Is everyone else just dealing with this? ...Or is there something to be done?

System Info: W10, Cubase 9.5, Kontakt 5 (whatever latest version is), i7 8700k, 64gb RAM, all SSDs/m.2s. Brand new computer for music produciton only. Done all the usual PC optimization, put the Cinestrings samples on their own m.2 drive.

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[j_kranz]

Havent had this issue and been using cinestrings for a while. What audio interface are you using?

 

[jaketanner]

I also have not had this issue. In stand alone, or within Pro Tools. Could be the access off your drive, have you done a batch resave to see if that helps?

 

[Buddy]

Havent had this issue and been using cinestrings for a while. What audio interface are you using?

Apollo Silverface over FW

I also have not had this issue. In stand alone, or within Pro Tools. Could be the access off your drive, have you done a batch resave to see if that helps?

Tried the batch resave, no luck.

What buffer are you guys able to get away with? At 512, I get no crackles (but real-time peak brushes the limit). At 256, mild crackles. At 128, unbearable.

 

[jaketanner]

Apollo Silverface over FW



Tried the batch resave, no luck.

What buffer are you guys able to get away with? At 512, I get no crackles (but real-time peak brushes the limit). At 256, mild crackles. At 128, unbearable.

Pro Tools doesn't crackle like other DAWS. It will just skip notes if no RAM is available, or too slow. but I actually use between 512, and also 1024 with pretty much no issues.

 

[Buddy]

Pro Tools doesn't crackle like other DAWS. It will just skip notes if no RAM is available, or too slow. but I actually use between 512, and also 1024 with pretty much no issues.

Hm, CS performs OK for me at 512+ too. I want to get down to (optimally) 64 or 128. It's the only library holding me back. Interested if it performs acceptably for you (or anyone) at the lower buffer settings?

 

[jaketanner]

Hm, CS performs OK for me at 512+ too. I want to get down to (optimally) 64 or 128. It's the only library holding me back. Interested if it performs acceptably for you (or anyone) at the lower buffer settings?

I can give it a go probably tomorrow...but is this with nothing else playing, or with many other tracks? It all depends on how many other things are going on.

 

[Buddy]

I can give it a go probably tomorrow...but is this with nothing else playing, or with many other tracks? It all depends on how many other things are going on.

Thank you, that'd be extremely helpful. I'm talking with nothing else going. If I load up just the ensemble sustain patch only and play a few two-hand chords, it'll give me grief if under 512 buffer, most noticeably 128 and under.

 

[erica-grace]

What version of Cinestrings?

Have you tried the FW legacy 1394 bus driver?

Have you tried closing the instance of Kontakt that houses the patch?

 

[Buddy]

What version of Cinestrings?

1.31 currently, but I've had this issue with every version along the way

Have you tried the FW legacy 1394 bus driver?

No, not sure how to do that, but also a bit hesitant to mess with the firewire drivers. UA's website says: "These PCIe-to-FireWire adapter cards are tested with the FireWire driver included with Windows. When installing the cards, Windows will automatically use the built-in driver. To avoid unexpected behavior, DO NOT UPDATE THE DRIVER from the manufacturer's software disk or website, even if instructed to do so by the documentation included with the adapter cards."

So I installed my firewire adapter (the recommended Sonnet Allegro) and left it be.

Have you tried closing the instance of Kontakt that houses the patch?

Same performance with interface showing or no

 

[jaketanner]

Thank you, that'd be extremely helpful. I'm talking with nothing else going. If I load up just the ensemble sustain patch only and play a few two-hand chords, it'll give me grief if under 512 buffer, most noticeably 128 and under.

I just ran a test with about a few bars of Cinestrings recorded, AND did more recording at 128 buffer and with Embertone Walker piano which is a CPU hog. plays back perfect. I'm on a fully loaded 2012 Mac mini.

SIDE NOTE: I tried it at 64 buffers, wouldn't play...got CPU error. so for me, 128 is the minimum. But even at 512, I don't feel the delay is that bad that I can't play. I recorded about 8 tracks of Cinestrings and their solo library to add to a piece I was working on, and I believe the buffer was at 1024 and I didn't have any issues.

 

[Buddy]

I just ran a test with about a few bars of Cinestrings recorded, AND did more recording at 128 buffer and with Embertone Walker piano which is a CPU hog. plays back perfect. I'm on a fully loaded 2012 Mac mini.

SIDE NOTE: I tried it at 64 buffers, wouldn't play...got CPU error. so for me, 128 is the minimum. But even at 512, I don't feel the delay is that bad that I can't play. I recorded about 8 tracks of Cinestrings and their solo library to add to a piece I was working on, and I believe the buffer was at 1024 and I didn't have any issues.

That's helpful to know, thank you so much for testing. Based on my specs, I feel like I definitely should be able to get similar performance. Not really understanding why it's giving me problems. Back down the troubleshooting rabbit hole I go...

 

[jaketanner]

That's helpful to know, thank you so much for testing. Based on my specs, I feel like I definitely should be able to get similar performance. Not really understanding why it's giving me problems. Back down the troubleshooting rabbit hole I go...

The crackling just might be part of Cubase. PT fortunately doesn’t do that. Before PT makes any noise, it will just not play back. It will be a CPU error...which was the case when using anything below 128 buffers.

 

[Buddy]

The crackling just might be part of Cubase. PT fortunately doesn’t do that. Before PT makes any noise, it will just not play back. It will be a CPU error...which was the case when using anything below 128 buffers.

Actually, I am able to take Cubase out of the equation by using standalone Kontakt--and I get the same issue!

Getting bad performance by running only one patch of Cinestrings in standalone Kontakt definitely feels like something's amiss, I just can't figure out what

 

[jaketanner]

Actually, I am able to take Cubase out of the equation by using standalone Kontakt--and I get the same issue!

Getting bad performance by running only one patch of Cinestrings in standalone Kontakt definitely feels like something's amiss, I just can't figure out what

That is a bummer then. Their support is fairly responsive, I'd reach out to Tim Starnes.

 

[gallantknight]

I had a similar crackle problem playing Embertone Walker piano in Kontakt within Cubase and also stand-alone in Komplete Kontrol on my Acer Predator 17x gaming laptop with a decent i7-7820HK processor and 32GB RAM. It didn't matter what ASIO or buffer settings I used, I got frequent crackles even though a week ago all was fine with no crackles.
I tracked my issue down to a periodically spiky CPU load caused by network performance optimization software, Killer Network, that came already installed on my laptop. I have always had that software on the laptop but it hadn't seemed to cause crackles. This time was different because my WiFi and my hardwired ethernet connections were both connected to the network at the same time. Normally, I disable my WiFi on my laptop when I plug in the network cable, but a week ago I forgot to do that. The Killer Network software was attempting to optimize network traffic over both network connections in an attempt to maximize network performance, primarily used for online shooter games. Each time there was network traffic that it thought needed to be optimized, it would demand a burst of CPU resources for a fraction of a second, enough to cause a crackle in the heavier-cpu demanding Embertone piano. I disabled the Killer Network software's dual network optimization setting and the crackle went away.

I determined what the culprit was by using the Windows Resource Performance manager and seeing what application was hitting my CPU when I heard a crackle. In my case, it had nothing to do with the VI and everything to do with other software spiking cpu usage on a primary cpu core on my computer. There was plenty of CPU resources available but I think both processes were locked to the same core - at least that is my theory.

 

[Buddy]

I had a similar crackle problem playing Embertone Walker piano in Kontakt within Cubase and also stand-alone in Komplete Kontrol on my Acer Predator 17x gaming laptop with a decent i7-7820HK processor and 32GB RAM. It didn't matter what ASIO or buffer settings I used, I got frequent crackles even though a week ago all was fine with no crackles.
I tracked my issue down to a periodically spiky CPU load caused by network performance optimization software, Killer Network, that came already installed on my laptop. I have always had that software on the laptop but it hadn't seemed to cause crackles. This time was different because my WiFi and my hardwired ethernet connections were both connected to the network at the same time. Normally, I disable my WiFi on my laptop when I plug in the network cable, but a week ago I forgot to do that. The Killer Network software was attempting to optimize network traffic over both network connections in an attempt to maximize network performance, primarily used for online shooter games. Each time there was network traffic that it thought needed to be optimized, it would demand a burst of CPU resources for a fraction of a second, enough to cause a crackle in the heavier-cpu demanding Embertone piano. I disabled the Killer Network software's dual network optimization setting and the crackle went away.

I determined what the culprit was by using the Windows Resource Performance manager and seeing what application was hitting my CPU when I heard a crackle. In my case, it had nothing to do with the VI and everything to do with other software spiking cpu usage on a primary cpu core on my computer. There was plenty of CPU resources available but I think both processes were locked to the same core - at least that is my theory.

So what's weird is my CPU doesn't spike when it crackles. Never gets past 8% CPU in standalone, even at 64 buffer. Is this a clue?

 

[zamyen]

Hi OP (Buddy),
I know this is an old thread but did you ever get a resolution to your Cinestrings Buffer/Spiking issue. I have the exact same thing (Win 10, RME BabyFace, Dell PC). I wonder if you will see this post.

Best, Zam

 

[Buddy]

Hi OP (Buddy),
I know this is an old thread but did you ever get a resolution to your Cinestrings Buffer/Spiking issue. I have the exact same thing (Win 10, RME BabyFace, Dell PC). I wonder if you will see this post.

Best, Zam

I contacted Cinesamples, and I guess this is par for the course given their coding. They said using anything under 512 buffer is not recommended, and may cause clicks and pops.

 

[muziksculp]

Hi,

I also have the clicks and pops issues when using CineStrings Core at a buffer lower than 512.

My DAW is Studio One Pro 4.6.1 (Windows 10). Using an RME Fireface UFX + .

This is the only Kontakt sample library I use that has this issue. I'm usually at 128 or 256 buffer setting most of the time (except when using CineStrings Core).

It would be helpful if they improve their coding to run more efficiently at lower buffer settings. Plus, I wonder if they will ever release CineStrings Pro