Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Support and feedback for Acoustica's Mixcraft audio mixing software.

Moderators: Acoustica Greg, Acoustica Eric, Acoustica Dan, rsaintjohn

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Andrew Jeffries
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Andrew Jeffries »

Acoustica Greg wrote:Some plugins are really CPU-hungry. For example, the Pultronic Tube EQ effect is like that. Try to notice which plugins are adding a lot of CPU load and then you can freeze those tracks, use the CPU-intensive plugin sparingly, or find alternatives.
Oh yes! I am experiencing a Mixcraft crash and the Pultronic is on all tracks. I changed the piano part from Pianissimo to Accoustic Piano (freeing up 200Mb, yes?) and I cut out the OGG of the song I am studying and doing a cover of. I removed the Master Limiter from 6 tracks and dialed back the settings. I am screencapping at every step and thinking that this is about time for me to begin learning how to use Send tracks for these multiple tracks using the same effects.

Am also using the Alpha Sampler for the first time. I dig this tool!!!

I have had M7 Pro Studio installed for a week (?) and have successfully recorded and mixed to MP3 about 10 songs so it is not a Mixcraft issue in itself. I am running a Dell Inspirion 560 with an Intel dual-core E6700 with 4Gb RAM and Win7 64-bit is my OS. Should I have installed Mixcraft 64-bit? There was something I read while installing that caused me concern an thus I chose 32-bit.

Despite the issues I am having running M7 PS on my meager PC Mixcraft rocks!
Andrew
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Andrew Jeffries
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Andrew Jeffries »

As a matter of fact I just now successfully mixed to MP3 a song that is only 7 tracks with minimal effects and it worked just fine like it always does. Something about the previous project is doing it.
Hmm.
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Andrew Jeffries
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Andrew Jeffries »

Pultronic was assigned to most tracks. just dig that sound.
I pulled it from all tracks and was editing and mixing down to MP3 with no more crashes.
Woot! LOL
Yeah, so I have to learn how to use EQ and, what, FAT+ ??
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Starship Krupa
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Starship Krupa »

Andrew,

I was addicted to the Pultronic EQ at first, but have since found other sweeteners. Many free ones are available.

You can soup up your computer system a little for minimum cost just by installing a Core 2 Quad processor in place of the Core 2 Duo, and putting in 2 or 4 more G of RAM.

My main DAW is of similar spec, having been upgraded from a Core 2 Duo. Someone gave me the computer, and I spent about $25 upgrading it with the Quad processor.

My system has just 6G of RAM. I do most of my work in 64-bit Mixcraft and try to use 32-bit plug ins sparingly. I'm rooting for Acoustica to get their in-house and 3rd-party plug ins up to 64-bit where possible. G-Sonique, who supply a large number of the Pro plug-ins, are lagging behind on this.

Some of my favorite plug ins are not and never will be available in 64-bit, such as the jb legacy pack (the Broadcast Compressor that ships with Mixcraft is one of those).

I keep my drives defragmented and try to get rid of as many background processes as possible.
-Erik
___________
3.4 GHz i7-3770, 16G RAM, Win 10 64-bit, ATi Radeon HD 5770
2X PreSonus Firepods, Event 20/20's, Alesis Monitor Ones, Alesis Point Sevens
Mixcraft Pro Studio 8.5, Cakewalk by BandLab
Anorax
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Anorax »

Oh lovely, spambots.
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Acoustica Greg
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Acoustica Greg »

Anorax wrote:Oh lovely, spambots.
We're experimenting with not requiring admin activation for each new account. We'll see how it goes. If we get overrun, we'll switch back. In the meantime, just ignore them.
cremley
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by cremley »

$1024K Question...

First off, I'm a Newbie to please be sure to point out every infraction I make !!! :oops:

I am about to build a stand alone Win 7 x64 computer that will be dedicated to running Mixcraft. It will not be connected to the Internet or any other network.

Now...let's hear all the opinions on this....

Should I load SP1 and then leave the core OS alone? I will get the latest versions of all the drivers, but should I get all of the latest OS updates to this stand alone computer, or just stick with SP1? My 'connected' computer (not the one I'm building) gets updates all the time it seems. Are the weekly/monthly MS Patches/updates since SP1 relevant to Mixcraft?

This is a ground up build with a Genuine MS DVD, so all I have is vanilla Win7 x64 SP1.

What do you think? Should I get all of the latest OS updates....should I stick with plain SP1?

Thanks !!!
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Acoustica Greg
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Acoustica Greg »

Hi,

I say update everything to the fullest, including and especially your audio interface drivers.

Also, be sure to use the latest build of Mixcraft to get all the newest bug fixes and features.

Greg
cremley
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by cremley »

Well, here's my "deal"

I figure that programmers make programs that are designed for a standard, like Win7 SP1. Now, when updates come to SP1, they are trying to fix security holes. I won't have any of those since I won't be connected to the outside world.

I guess what I'm asking is a deeper question....

Yes, I will get the latest versions of all of the drivers...sound, graphics, BIOS, chipset, etc.

I guess I'm not sure how to phrase the question... I want the fastest computer without any of the security 'fluff' that goes on that may eat up processor cycles for things I will never need. Would having a computer with MS defined SP1 be the way to go? I'm not doubting your suggestion to update everything, I was just having a brain drain.

It also would be nice to know if Mixcraft was compiled with an Intel compiler. I'm using an AMD and there are some issues with Intel Compilers and AMD SSE instruction usage. Didn't know....but apparently it is time for another beer.

Thanks for any input.
mikecd1
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by mikecd1 »

Although a relatively new user I'm having pretty good success using mixcraft under these conditions:

turn off all virus protection and internet access prior to starting a session
all automatic updates off, internal sound off also
all effects and plugins turned off during recording and latency works at or just above the minimum
when I mix and add effects, turn latency all the way up - may have to get used to recording without effects but its no big deal
use asio if possible
use a good audio interface

These are pretty simple recommendations most of which are somewhere in the documentation or online recommendations. I switched out of XP and use Win 7 professional with 16gb ram, a small 256GB solid state hard drive, a dual core 3.0 ghz processor (bought this laptop used on ebay for 500 bucks). Mixcraft 7 seems really stable though and with all effects off I was able to record easily in XP with 4GB of ram and a 2.0 GHZ cpu so it works in a lot of different environments. I struggled for years trying to get a firewire mixer to work in XP and tried lots of other programs, but love the simplicity and great features of Mixcraft. Just need to find a fast way to turn effects on and off all at once. Tracktion did that really easily.
Brother Charles
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Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Brother Charles »

For a VERY well modelled VST version of a classic "Pultec", take a serious look at the "PTC-2A" from OverTone. This plug-in, like all the OverTone products, is very light on CPU. The good news is that it is available in native 64 bit as well.
http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/download_ptc_2a/

Some of the G-Sonique's stuff is ok, but they are only 32 bit (Synthedit) plug-ins and will not do a 64 bit installation of Mixcraft any favours. The "Pultronic" sounds decent enough, but if you're looking for a more authentic variant, that won't chew up your CPU, check out the OverTone "Pultec" emu.
Thanks & God Bless,
Bro. Charles
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tinpan
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by tinpan »

Ok I just watched this youtube tutorial Optimize Your Computer For Use With Mixcraft , interested in the part where (for advanced users) you close running programs. My question is how do I know which one's are the "critical" ones not to close?? And which ones do I go ahead and close?
Im using windows 8 with Mixcreaf 6
Don
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Acoustica Greg
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by Acoustica Greg »

Hi,

That's the tricky part. When in doubt, leave it alone. You can get a clue about which program something belongs to by looking at its file path. If the file belongs to a program that you know doesn't need to be running in the background all the time, you can disable it.

Greg
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aquataur
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by aquataur »

I wrote some threads loosely to do with PC optimization in the tips and tricks section. Look there too.

-helmut
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gypsy101
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Re: Optimize your PC for Mixcraft!

Post by gypsy101 »

here's a few more that deal w/ shutting down non-essential Services-
http://www.optimizingpc.com/windows7/op ... vices.html

https://www.winhelp.us/disable-unneeded ... ndows.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OdNBRomzYI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2GTFmHp9E8

this one goes into a lot of detail about which & how background services should be set-
http://www.blackviper.com/service-confi ... gurations/
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