Software instrument performance in Pro Tools 9

[katerkarlo]

I've been working with Cubase on a PC for many years. Now I'm going to switch to Mac Pro and Pro Tools 9. After reading some posts on this forum I'm a bit concerned about the performance of software instruments. Some people are saying that RTAS is "pretty dreadful when it comes to virtual instruments".

I definitely want to find out more about this before I run into serious problems. What is your experience with software instruments in PT9 or PT HD? Would you say that these problems are more PC-related and less pronounced on Mac? Do you think it would be worth getting Logic for Midi-based projects?

Here are some of the virtual instruments I use the most: NI Kontakt, NI Battery, NI FM8, Korg Legacy Collection, Ivory Grand Piano, GForce M-Tron

[zedhed]

I use Spectrasonics Omnishpere & Trilian and they tend to lock PT9 up pretty easily.

Therefore I rewire Reaper into ProTools for VI's and since Reaper is 64Bit, it allows access to the full 12GB of RAM in my system. Unfortunately PT9 is still not 64Bit so only provides access to about 4GB.

[DarylG]

VI performance is even worse on OSX than on Windows. If you want to know the details I suggest that you look at some of the figures on www.dawbench.com and be prepared to be shocked.

The best way round all of this is either to use rewire or Vienna Ensemble.

D

[ripekeai]

Isn't the 64bit (beta) version of Reaper not yet rewire-able?

[katerkarlo]

This comes pretty unexpected for me...I was assuming Pro Tools was on a par with Cubase and Logic in terms of midi and virtual instruments.

I guess I'll have to look into this rewire and Reaper stuff. I have heard of it but it's new territory for me.

Can anyone share their experiences with Native Instruments VIs in Pro Tools?

[katerkarlo]

Originally Posted by DarylG

VI performance is even worse on OSX than on Windows. If you want to know the details I suggest that you look at some of the figures on www.dawbench.com and be prepared to be shocked.

The best way round all of this is either to use rewire or Vienna Ensemble.

D

This is a pretty interesting site. But also very confusing. For example, it's not clear to me what computers were used for the tests. And the tests were done with RME hardware only.

Can it be that on a Mac Pro with Pro Tools 9 I can't even use one (1!!) instance of Kontakt at a buffer setting of 64 samples??? This is unbelievable.

[nst7]

Generally speaking, Protools is not as efficient with VI's as other DAW's. If you compare on the exact same computer with the same specs, you'll find that other DAW's can run more instances and more efficiently. This mainly has to do with Protools RTAS plugin format vs. AU or VST. And the fact that Protools is still a 32 bit program (this same comparison discrepancy was still the case even when the other programs were still 32 bit).

It's an issue that Avid has been working on, and at some point we will see a new and improved RTAS format, but for now, as mentioned, there are solutions to use as a workaround.

[DarylG]

Originally Posted by katerkarlo

Can it be that on a Mac Pro with Pro Tools 9 I can't even use one (1!!) instance of Kontakt at a buffer setting of 64 samples??? This is unbelievable.

Of course you can use more than one instance, but the test is done so that comparisons can be made. By all means do your own tests, but I think that it's more a case that you don't want to believe that Pro Tools is so inefficient in comparison with all other DAWs, when it comes to virtual instruments.

D

[spenner]

Originally Posted by ripekeai

Isn't the 64bit (beta) version of Reaper not yet rewire-able?

Use the 32 bit version of Reaper for 32 bit Pro Tools. Works like a charm... . Reaper 32 bit bridges 64 bit plugins beautifully, thus making the whole ReWire, more RAM concept work with PT.

Originally Posted by katerkarlo

This comes pretty unexpected for me...I was assuming Pro Tools was on a par with Cubase and Logic in terms of midi and virtual instruments.

I guess I'll have to look into this rewire and Reaper stuff. I have heard of it but it's new territory for me.

Can anyone share their experiences with Native Instruments VIs in Pro Tools?

I used Cubase x64 90% of the time for composing before Reaper ReWire. Now it's about 50/50. You will find it hard to completely let go of Cubase or Logic for composing (don't believe everyone who says they switched cold turkey). However, the 3rd party apps like Reaper ReWire and VE Pro help keep PT afloat in the production world of constant VI innovations demanding more RAM and CPU.

Check out the videos in my signature for setting up Reaper ReWire with Pro Tools.

[dccarson]

I have Cubase, Nuendo, Sonar and PTLE 8 on an i7 PC running XP. I just bought the new entry level Imac (w/thunderbolt) and I will upgrade to PT 9. I needed the MAC compatibility as well as the future of thunderbolt. However, the PC will still be my production rig. PT has never ran as smoothly as Cubase for that. Pro tools will be used to edit and mix.