"DSP Unavailable" (oh but it is....)

[Hive Guy]

I'm running a MixPlus system (with an additional DSP farm) on OS 10.3.4 (PT 6.4), G4 Quicksilver.

I keep having situations where plugins get dropped when I open sessions that are close to my DSP useage limit. The plugs are all sitting nicely on chips when I close the sessions, but when I re-open the session, PT doesn't remember how it allocated the DSP last time, does it less efficiently, and then thinks it doesn't have room for all the plugs (usually a verb, EchoFarm or something on an aux track at the right of my mixer). I then have to start pulling plugs out and re-instating stuff to force PT to rejuggle the load until it all to fits in again.

Question: is there a way to get PT to remember how it allocats the DSP, and/or is there an easier way to force a DSP juggle?

[Chief Technician]

The farther to the left (in the MIX window) a track is, the higher a priority it has when the session is loaded and DSP is allocated.

[frenchman]

Try putting delay/reverb based plugins on the left of the mix window. Same with heavy Waves plugs, but it might take a little tweaking and experimenting to understand in what order the first and the latter should go, as Waves uses a shell system.

[worldsend]

Hi.
you wrote that you are using an additional DSP-Farm in your Mix+. I wanted to buy one too for my Mix+ but was told be some pro-seller in germany that i would not be useful since most of the newer plugs-do not run on this farm. i am running a PT 5.1.1 on OS 9.1 with a PowerPC 9600/300 and the plugs i am using are : FOCUSRITE, TC Megareverb and the WAVES TDM/Gold-Bundle (i will use it as soon as i managed to update it after my upgrade from OS8 to OS9 and PT 4.3 to 5.1.1). Does it make sense to add additional SP-Farms or will it be useless? Thanks for your answers.

[Seeee]

The DSP farm cards are GREAT values and can run lexiverb, 1176, la-2a, focusrite, amp farm, just about ANYTHING you can throw at em. get one, no, get 2 or 3 or 4. I'd take 2 dsp farms over a mix farm anyday.

[Hive Guy]

I wanted to buy one too for my Mix+ but was told be some pro-seller in germany that i would not be useful since most of the newer plugs-do not run on this farm. ... Does it make sense to add additional DSP-Farms or will it be useless?

I find having the DSP farm very useful. It will run lots of the Waves plugs including TrueVerb, but not RenVerb. I use lots of McDsp stuff, and it runs quite a few EQ's and Comps. Just as importantly, it takes mixer DSP load off your other cards, even if you're using plugs that won't run on it.

BTW -- thanks to Chief Technician and frenchman for the the tips on DSP allocation

[worldsend]

The DSP farm cards are GREAT values and can run lexiverb, 1176, la-2a, focusrite, amp farm, just about ANYTHING you can throw at em. get one, no, get 2 or 3 or 4. I'd take 2 dsp farms over a mix farm anyday.

Thank you very much for this information. I think i will stuff the mac with some additional DSP farms as soon as i can find some. Until soon.