A PT stress test?

[Inthewoods]

Do you guys have a particular way of testing a new (or old) PT rig for confidence? Mine appears to be fine, but this forum can make one paranoid that errors will start popping up a few months down the road. Obviously, low buffers, lots of tracks, some VI's, etc. Or to put it another way, what would you require if you had to use another PT user's studio for a session?

I'm still dipping the old big toe into the PT waters even after having the 003 rig for a couple of years.

Thanks

[audiogeekzine]

The Dverb test is the standard test on the DUC.

[spkguitar]

There's no real "stress test" but we have a sort of "this is what my machine can do" benchmark test.

It's called the DVerb test, and the details for running it are in the first post of the "i7 Builds - Specs and results" sticky thread (as well as a few other places). I'll copy the instructions here for you:

The Dverb 2.0 Test

Please make sure that RTAS Engine Ignore Errors During Playback/Record box is unchecked


Start the computer. Create a brand new 24bit/48k Session on your audio drive for the Dverb test. Open up the system usage window in PT. Then, go to Setup > Playback Engine... > and make sure the RTAS engine: Ignore Errors During Playback/Record(may cause clicks and pops) is NOT checked. Also, Go to your buffer setting and select 1024(CPU usage must be 95% or highest possible). Set up your time line ruler for Min:Secs. You want to be in grid mode and set up your grid for Min:Secs and 1 second. Create one mono audio track. Take the selector tool, put it on the 5 minute mark in your audio track and drag this to the start of your session. You will now have 5 minutes selected in this track. Go to AudioSuite > Other > Signal Generator and click on the "process" but. You should now see a 5 minute test tone. Create another audio track and insert 5 Dverbs in all the inserts. Record arm the Dverb track. Click on the track name so it is high lighted white, and hit shift+alt+D then hit enter. Record arm the new track and continue this pattern. You want to be able to record WITHOUT THE TEST TONE BREAKING UP!! Keep adding Dverbs and recording. If the test tone starts to breakup, then delete some Dverbs until you can hear a SOLID TEST TONE for 5 MINUTES. This is VERY VERY important. The test tone has to be 100% solid!!!


****IMPORTANT NOTE ON DVERB TESTING******

the PTLE 8.0 DVERB has a chorus effect added that was not present in prior LE versions. here is a scale comparison that was posted by Shane. pls take this into account as you test your new builds!!!

It is in no way a realistic performance test. It will just give you a benchmark of the limitations of your system compared to others.

[Inthewoods]

Thanks for the Dverb link, I was wondering about the specifics on that one. I'm guessing if I do run into some issues it will be a particular plug-in or combination of plug-ins. I dabble with the UAD-1 plugs (it did destabilize one setup in the past), but I would rather have a rock solid setup and not use them. My goto plugs are Sonalksis. And I'm not into VI's much, although I this is an area I really need to test for the occasional client that needs them.

[TOM@METRO]

After the test pull out the USB stick and pee on it... if it turns blue... quit without saving.

[JMS40]

Originally Posted by TOM@METRO

After the test pull out the USB stick and pee on it... if it turns blue... quit without saving.

Post of the month.

[Inthewoods]

Funny! Revert revert!

So I ran the Dverb test out of curiousity, and it's a little sad with the Core 2 Duo. But, I'm not hung up on the cpu power issue since I'm usually under 32 tracks and without VI's. Also, there must be some folks with big Dverb scores and unstable systems. Time will tell I guess.

P.S. I probably should have titled the thread "stability test" since that's what I'm after.

[mykhal c]

Originally Posted by TOM@METRO

After the test pull out the USB stick and pee on it... if it turns blue... quit without saving.

classic!!!

[Shan]

Originally Posted by Inthewoods

Do you guys have a particular way of testing a new (or old) PT rig for confidence? Mine appears to be fine, but this forum can make one paranoid that errors will start popping up a few months down the road. Obviously, low buffers, lots of tracks, some VI's, etc. Or to put it another way, what would you require if you had to use another PT user's studio for a session?

I'm still dipping the old big toe into the PT waters even after having the 003 rig for a couple of years.

Thanks

Why the infamous davec tests of course.

Shane

[TOM@METRO]

Originally Posted by Inthewoods

Or to put it another way, what would you require if you had to use another PT user's studio for a session?

Thanks

I really hate to say this but outside of a very few studios including my own, I prefer to see a new Mac.

OK, here come the tomatoes.