PSP Nitro users on Mac...

[porieux]

I can't speak to the actual problem, but in general laptops have much slower performance than desktops. They just can't move data around as fast...bus speed, memory speed, disk speed. They are optimized for form factor and power consumption rather than performance.

[JPeters86]

Perhaps test the AU version in Reaper and then check the CPU usage. This way you can see if it's Cubase that's causing the CPU hog.

[jeronimo]

Nitro is a hog, but cubase is too...

[TRW]

Thanks guys, Nitro on my 4-5 year old dual 1.8GHz AMD64 3000+ PC isn't that much of a hog.

Sat here with it now I just loaded 21 Nitro plugins in a session. 22 shuts down the CPU.

I can't even get a quarter of that on my 2.4GHz dual core MBP, which should actually have faster FSB, and has double the RAM of the PC (not that it should matter for Nitro all that much).

I managed to run 32 Sonnox reverbs on the MBP, or 64 URS N Mix EQs, which isn't all that bad, but Nitro is my secret weapon - so gutted its so hoggy on a Mac.

-Tom

[lowkey]

if you have just upgraded your computer are you sure that you are running a universal binary version? you can run the old power PC code plugins on Cubase, but they really dont work efficiently.

[TRW]

Thanks I'll check again, but I'm pretty sure it was a .bin file I unpacked to install. PSP provides UB plugs in .bin download for updates I think.

-T

[lowkey]

Using Cubase 4.5.2 on my Macbook Pro 2.2Ghz with 4 gig ram i loaded up 7 channels each with 8 Nitro plugins as inserts and it played ok. So thats 56 instances without any problems. Was only using the internal speakers as i didnt have time to fire up the whole studio...

[Brickman]

What version of Nitro are u using ?

[XHipHop]

Does nitro run off of impulses at all or is it all algorithmic? I just read on a forum somewhere comparing distortions that it was an impulse in nitro so that could explain the high cpu...but...it's just something i read and have not followed up on. Either way, i'm curious if anyone knows more.

[TRW]

56 plugins - that is more along the line of what I was expecting.

I am on Cubase 4.5.2 with Nitro 1.0.6.1 UB.

Nitro is fully algorithmic based as far as I'm aware and it sounds very good. The routing and modulation is amazing too.

I rarely use it for what you'd expect - filters.

-T

[XHipHop]

Originally Posted by TRW

56 plugins - that is more along the line of what I was expecting.

I am on Cubase 4.5.2 with Nitro 1.0.6.1 UB.

Nitro is fully algorithmic based as far as I'm aware and it sounds very good. The routing and modulation is amazing too.

I rarely use it for what you'd expect - filters.

-T

What do you use it for? The interface has always put me off but I'm willing to dig deep if it's worth learning.

[TRW]

I use it like SSL VHD type things, adding size and girth to tracks. The waveshaper is very musical.

It has a great bit crusher and the stereo spread it also very nice. I have even used that on a main mix before very subtly!

I have used it to do a psuedo-transformer like distortion saturation that is LF and level specific.

Try the waveshaper set to low order harmonics with high saturation. Instead of applying it over full-bandwidth, apply it in parallel to L.F only (filter before it @ 500Hz or so), blend back in and perhaps roll some extreme top off if not smooth enough. You can set the saturation to be modulated by an envelope follower to give you level or input based saturation drive...so it is a little program dependant. The only thing to watch is the phase shift from parallel filtering. Nice thing is: you can do all this in one plugin! You can have it fatten tracks or use it on a kick drum sample to have the envelope follower open the top end of a filter at high input levels to take a sample with one dynamic and give it some tonal variation.

I have used the envelope follower to create some interesting effects, also using it as a MIDI gate. It can sense midi input and you can use it modulate parameters like the atten or cutoff. So you can have it chop pads up to the feel of a hihat pattern etc. I like sliced effects. The nice thing is you can do that, but then set up a little delay with some feedback to fill the gaps, cool remix tool.

I just managed to get around 20-24 Nitro plugs running now with an increased buffer size on internal speakers. Version 1.0.6 says it is Altivec optimised but I thought that was an old mac thing?

-Tom

[Brickman]

Try downloading the latest version 1.1.2 , u never know , it might help .

[TRW]

Thanks I thought I had it, but will check again.

-T