Question For Pc Tech-heads. |
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Jan 21 2010, 12:54 PM
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As you may or may not know I've just started learning Reaper and associated bits to do with PC recording.
I imported a MIDI track into Reaper and split it into it's basic tracks, then I assign a VSTi to whichever track I want to hear it's fine, BUT when I do this to 2 or more tracks at the same time it starts 'bouncing' the sound or freezes up the PC. Now for the questions!!! 1) Does this mean my Processor is not fast enough? 2) Can I replace my Processor for a quicker one? The specs of my M/Board can be found HERE. 3) I only have 1G Ram but can install 2G with this Board, if I change the Processor will it be able to support larger RAM? I know the main advice will be:- 'Don't bother with all that and buy a new PC/Mac!!' or whatever, but with the way Work is at the moment I won't be able to afford to do that until 2020!!!!  Also, don't forget that even this PC was a big step up from my old faithful P3 486!!!!  -------------------- I'd rather have a full Bottle in front of me than a full Frontal Lobotomy!!
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Jan 21 2010, 01:59 PM
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QUOTE (Sensible Jones @ Jan 21 2010, 12:54 PM)  Also, don't forget that even this PC was a big step up from my old faithful P3 486!!!! Was that the steam driven pc? Actually though the best computer I ever had was a 386. Did everything I ever needed, never froze just kept on going. Windows 7 and so on are getting far too big and cumbersome! QUOTE (Sensible Jones @ Jan 21 2010, 12:54 PM) As you may or may not know I've just started learning Reaper and associated bits to do with PC recording. I imported a MIDI track into Reaper and split it into it's basic tracks, then I assign a VSTi to whichever track I want to hear it's fine, BUT when I do this to 2 or more tracks at the same time it starts 'bouncing' the sound or freezes up the PC. Now for the questions!!! 1) Does this mean my Processor is not fast enough? 2) Can I replace my Processor for a quicker one? The specs of my M/Board can be found HERE. 3) I only have 1G Ram but can install 2G with this Board, if I change the Processor will it be able to support larger RAM? I know the main advice will be:- 'Don't bother with all that and buy a new PC/Mac!!' or whatever, but with the way Work is at the moment I won't be able to afford to do that until 2020!!!! Also, don't forget that even this PC was a big step up from my old faithful P3 486!!!! I am no expert with reaper but when a computer freezes it is sometimes a sign that it is struggling for resources. Another sign might be that there is a lot of disk activity as data is swapped back and forth to a temporary swap file. You might find it useful to increase the memory. Your motherboard only has one slot and can take only 2GB. So you will need to ditch the memory that is currently in it and get a 2GB dmm. Shouldn't be too expensive. I find that ebuyer.com are very cheap and quick to deliver. Changing the processor will not allow you to use more than the 2GB. I'm trying to find out what minimum system reaper needs. Will get back to you if I find anything -------------------- "Better to live one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep"
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Jan 21 2010, 02:04 PM
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May be wrong as I've never come across that cpu before but I guess that embedded means it can't be replaced as it is literally embedded/soldered on to the mobo. Had a quick look around and no one seems to offer a cpu upgrade for it.
Looking at spec it does look a bit underspec for serious audio work but I'm surprised that it can't handle two channels. Problem may be with the integrated onboard sound chip rather than the cpu itself. A couple of suggestions: 1 - if you haven't already max out the ram - it will take a max of a single 2gB DIMM DDR2 677Hz 2- consider using a different audio card - you have USB 2 so maybe an external USB2 audio card. -------------------- Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com
Be friends on facebook with us here. We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes: Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo. |
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Jan 21 2010, 02:31 PM
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I hade the same problems when I freed up a laptop to use as home studio, not the fastes CPU and not really Einstein when it comes to memory.
I had a lot of freeze accidents until I installed the extra RAM, can't recall if I have 2 or 4 GB. I think RAM is more important than CPU. Later I switched to Samplitude 10 (that free magazine offer) and never went back to Reaper. I still suffer from it slowing up when I add too many VST and VSTi but it's not as bad as it was with Reaper. About your motherboard, all I can say is that it's very colorful; so it must be good! I'd start getting more RAM. I can promise you that you will still run into the same problems, only it'll come later in the process. One has to smarten up using plugs, use small ones in sense of using up little RAM. Use Freeze on tracks and plugins to free up CPU. Render stem track in Reaper = Freeze Plenty of additional work and workarounds for use with lousy computers but it's either that or get a brand new PC or Mac! 
-------------------- My bands homepage
All time favourites: B. Streisand - Woman in Love, M. Hopkin - Those were the days, L. Richie - Hello |
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Jan 21 2010, 03:11 PM
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Aha, it's that bad? The Freeze function would release the CPU from having to work with effect plugins that you have put on a track. When you freeze it it'll render a new track for you and you can mute the original that has fx and such.
But in your case, since you don't add effects even and your CPU dies on you after three tracks already... won't help. Another thing that's helpful is to remove all the makeup, bells and whistles in Windows. I have my setup looking like Windows 3.11 but it's quicker. See if you can find a guide on the net on how to free up your PC, I found one that I used and it pealed off a lot of unuseful things. Also if you can use an external HD for your song projects that's a plus .... or get a new Mac
-------------------- My bands homepage
All time favourites: B. Streisand - Woman in Love, M. Hopkin - Those were the days, L. Richie - Hello |
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Jan 22 2010, 03:42 PM
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Install more RAM is the only advice I can give you. Put in as much as RAM as your mobo can support. Then let us know how it went.
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Jan 26 2010, 07:11 PM
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"Also if you can use an external HD for your song projects that's a plus .... "
this can be very helpful so you won't take up all the space in your internal hard drive, audio can consume a lot of space -------------------- Visit my:
INSTRUCTOR PROFILE "If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." Gustav Mahler Subscribe to my Youtube Channel here |
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