Hyper-threading

[Precava]

I read here a while ago that it was okay to turn hyper-threading back on, but forgot the qualifying factors.

I'm running PT 7.1 on a Windows XP dual 3.06 Xeon (an HP xw8000 computer).

What advantages/disadvantages are there to having hyper-threading activated?

Thanks,
Jason Miller

[DigiTechSupt]

Pro Tools 7.0 or higher supports hyperthreading. Typically you should see an increase in the number of RTAS plug-ins you can use in a session with HT enabled.

[nikki-k]

Hi!
Yes, HT is fine on with PT7+. But, I suggest that if one is to use it, one should become educated on Hyperthreading, so they can know a little better what to expect...and not expect...

I personally have HT enabled in BIOS, but I leave PT's Playback Engine set to "1 Processor." Why? Certain plugins actually lose out, specifically some RTAS instrument plugins, and more specifically, NI instruments in general.

With higher RTAS plugin counts (non-instrument), there is a supposed benefit. I have no reason to even explore this, as I am almost solely using RTAS instruments only, and no other RTAS plugins.

As an example: Kontakt2 will require a higher H/W Buffer setting in PT if PT is set to "2 Processor" vs the same (lower) buffer with a setting of "1 Processor."

[Precava]

I'm not much of a PC guy. My company switched over the Pro-Tools systems to PC so that we could properly interface with AVID Unity.

About the only irritating difference between running Pro-Tools on PC vs. Mac is that with opening a project (or accessing drives in general), it takes about 10 to 15 seconds for the drop-down menu to become accessible. That and Auto-Save can sometimes interupt the workflow, as it hangs up the machine for a good 10 seconds (this occurs only with long format shows with linked video to Unity drives).

I was hoping that hyperthreading would solve these issues in particular.

[Kim G. Rasmussen]

It sounds like you're running on a underpowered PC...
Only dual Opteron and Xeon Processors are qualified for running Avid video options and Unity. (AFAIK?)

Kim.

[Precava]

If only that was it... but if you checked my first post, you'd have seen that I am running a dual 3.06 Xeon computer. Furthermore, it's a Hewlitt Packard purpose-built and approved for Pro-Tools. It's also running 3 Gbyte of RAM.

Interestingly enough, we upgraded from 400 MHz Mac G4's running version 9.1 (the last version that played nice with Unity). Those computers never stalled like this while accessing Drive Menus. (I don't mean to be Mac vs. PC, the current PC's are much faster in general. They just hang up when accessing drives during "Open session" menus.)

Since hyper-threading speeds up multi-tasking, will enabling it allow the computer to access drive menus quicker while still maintaining stability inside Pro-Tools? We don't use too many RTAS plug-ins, so that's not a real factor.

[MDog]

Interestingly enough, we upgraded from 400 MHz Mac G4's running version 9.1 (the last version that played nice with Unity). Those computers never stalled like this while accessing Drive Menus. (I don't mean to be Mac vs. PC, the current PC's are much faster in general. They just hang up when accessing drives during "Open session" menus.)

My PT5 Mix system on Mac OS9 was rock solid for me. That was a great setup, surely a classic. I went with WinXP when I upgraded to HD to avoid OSX.

I'm not sure if PT5 Mac OS9 vs. PT7 WinXP would be a valid argument anyway

[nikki-k]

OK- took time to read all the posts...

Drive access: What types of drives? Networked? If so, how? I am assuming they are NTFS format drives? Is indexing on for these drives?

Related: drop-down menus taking longer: which drop-down menus specifically? Drive menus in which window(s)? Only with "File->Open Session" dialogue? Is this after a fresh launch of Pro Tools? If yes, did you let it sit a sec or so before accessing?

I ask because on Mac, when closing a session, PT presents a dialogue showing "closing session" with a ticker of sorts. User knows what is happening. With XP (and PT7 specifically), this is not so...sort of. Close session, and then click the "File" menu, and 99% of the time it will present the "closing session" dialogue (for me at least). While closing, no other PT operations are accessible.

I just tried accessing internal drives on my system via the Open Session dialogue, and when using the "Looking In:" drop down menu to choose a drive, it is nearly instantaneous. Further, I then tried accessing drives on a local server I have, wired via Cat5e to a few systems, via a dedicated GigaNet switch, and accessed drives (5 of them on this server) from the drop down menu as well, with the same fast response. I even closed out the dialogue, and opened it fresh, with the final drive viewed before closing the dialogue previously being one of those networked/server drives; Dialogue was lightning fast, and drop-down menu access as well. Of the 12 drives I viewed via the Open Session dialogue, 3 are regular IDE (PATA) and the rest are SATA drives (of which one local was a 10K rpm, and one server drive was a 10K rpm SATA as well).

Not sure if any of that helps; but AFAIK, HT will not increase simple tasks, such as draw times, and drive access times. Multi-tasking within the OS should account for the basics, and then drive type, and drivers/chipsets for the drives, cabling, and app coding/handling will provide the brunt of it all.

[Precava]

M-Dog...

Yeah, I wasn't trying to set up a Mac v. PC argument. I was just wondering why the old Mac initially accessed the drives faster than the new PC.

nikki...

The drives are 1 internal, 1 firewire, 1 USB, and 17 partitions of Unity (of which 5 are allocated for Pro-Tools recording, while 1 is a project swap drive between AVID and PT). The Unity drives are the main(only) record drives. The USB and firewire are for Metacorder files from field recordings of our reality show - used only to import audio.

Pro-Tools hangs up for 10 - 15 seconds anytime you're initially accessing drives, whether with the "Open Session" dialogue or with "Import Audio" or with "Import Session Data." Once the drives have been accessed, then all is fine for a while. But then there seems to be a timing out. When you access them again in an hour, it stalls. And if the session becomes large (46+ minutes with 20+ tracks with numerous TDM plug-ins and linked AVID video) then "Saving Session" takes a moment or two, as well. I had to change the Auto-Save to every 30min because it would disrupt my workflow.

Unfortunately, this is something we've grown accustomed to. However, the thought that hyperthreading might improve this made me curious.

Regards,
Jason Miller

[nikki-k]

Hmmm...
Maybe this?

If not, I would suggest a cross-post to that forum, since PT and Avid systems are so integrated, and fibre/Unity drives *typically* are in film/post installations, or multi-client networked scenarios...and that forum might produce more responses. Wish I had more experience with this type of PT/media use...