Performance Issues

[galljoshua]

Running 2011 MacBook Pro
2 Ghz Intel Core i7
8 GB Ram
Sibelius 7.1
Bundle Template for Sibelius Sounds and VDL

When I open a new file using the template I don't have any performance issues.  However, when I have a file that I am running a number of instruments in it, both VDL and Sibelius Sounds, it gets so slow that the program is almost unusable.  I can still perform all actions but it is incredibly slow.  I have attached the playback config for any ideas that you all may have.  Please, please help.  I'm really at a loss for why this serious amount of performance decrease.  I can upload a video if that will help as well.

[Hugh Smith]

Hi Joshua

Since you've already established that it's not a template issue, and your system specs look like they should be able to handle just about anything Sib related, let's see if we can narrow it down. Remove your Sibelius Player instance, add another instance of Kontakt Player and assign the VDL template sound set (the S7S staves should load a piano or something). Does it still behave the same?

Try posting your Playback Configuration again, it didn't get attached for some reason.

Also, you can send me the file(s) if you'd like me to take a look at them on my machine. Sent you a PM.

Hugh

[galljoshua]

Hugh,

    Thanks for the message.  I e-mailed you the file in question.  In all reality, it happens with all files, in Sib 6, Sib 7, once I start to add a number of extra instruments.  I also did what you suggested with getting rid of the Sibelius player instance, and added one more Kontakt instance with no fixes apparent.  I've tried to attach the file again.  I will also e-mail it to you in case it doesn't work.

Thanks for the help, it would be incredible to get this fixed.

[Hugh Smith]

Hi Joshua

The file seems to be behaving as expected on my system. When your file(s) get bigger, it looks as if Sibelius is wanting to be a resources hog. I'm not sure how much help I can be since it's not actually template related (you did say things were fine when starting with a fresh file). Oh, got some questions for you:

1) What sound card are you using? Is it ASIO compliant and all that?   Nevermind, MacBook Pro.
2) Where are you storing the samples? Internal/external drive?
3) Are you using the Sibelius 7 Sounds 7.1 library update as well?
4) If you assign the regular S7S sound set (not the Lite one), is it even worse?

Couple things I did notice about the file you sent me. For this particular file, you only need one instance of KP5 instantiated since there's only a small handful of VDL patches being loaded. Having unused KP5s will use up more resources than is necessary. Also, in the Mixer, I recommend that all devices and patches are set to (Auto). If they are, they'll have parenthesis around them (see page 7-8 of the Readme for a brush up).

A video of what you're seeing may not tell us what or where the performance bottleneck is, but you never know.

Hopefully we'll get this figured out.

[galljoshua]

Hugh, thanks for the reply.

Since my posts previously, performance has been better.  Probably back to what I seem to think is normal.  When I was having the biggest issues was when I was opening an .xml from Finale.  HUGE ISSUES THEN.  It would give me a warning saying that I needed to restart Sibelius, even after I tried that, no luck.  I could work in the xml for maybe 5 minutes, just trying to move things into another document (so I can use the template) and then everything would begin freaking out.  Even to the point where my machine would lose all available memory and restart itself.  Fortunately I don't need to be using .xml's that frequently but I shouldn't be having these types of issues either.  Thoughts on that?

Answers to your questions below...

2.) I have everything store on my internal HD, samples, program, everything.
3.) I am using the Sib 7.1 library update
4.) Running the regular sounds rather than lite didn't seem to add to the problem.

Ad for the instances of KP5.  I understand your thoughts and maybe you could shed a little light on my particular use for them.  I have them available in the playback devices because I write with percussion writers that use TONS of instruments in their scores.  Granted, I start the process and don't really use any KP5 necessary sounds, but eventually need to open and hear their score the same way that they created it.  Maybe I have one sound set that is just for me at the beginning, then the one that I sent to you (which includes KP5) to listen to their later files.

As for the auto setting in the mixer...  Is there a way for it to stay on auto but me choose the voice?  For example for trumpets, I want to use the marching trumpet sound, but not the one that comes up from default.

Thanks for the help!

[Hugh Smith]

Since my posts previously, performance has been better.  Probably back to what I seem to think is normal.  When I was having the biggest issues was when I was opening an .xml from Finale.  HUGE ISSUES THEN.  It would give me a warning saying that I needed to restart Sibelius, even after I tried that, no luck.  I could work in the xml for maybe 5 minutes, just trying to move things into another document (so I can use the template) and then everything would begin freaking out.  Even to the point where my machine would lose all available memory and restart itself.  Fortunately I don't need to be using .xml's that frequently but I shouldn't be having these types of issues either.  Thoughts on that?

I haven't imported XML files before so I'm not going to be of much help with that. At the least, though, you've narrowed down that there's something buggy with that process and not the VDL template itself.

Ad for the instances of KP5.  I understand your thoughts and maybe you could shed a little light on my particular use for them.  I have them available in the playback devices because I write with percussion writers that use TONS of instruments in their scores.  Granted, I start the process and don't really use any KP5 necessary sounds, but eventually need to open and hear their score the same way that they created it.  Maybe I have one sound set that is just for me at the beginning, then the one that I sent to you (which includes KP5) to listen to their later files.

You can have more than one Playback Configuration that you've created. One with 1 instance of KP5, one with 2, and so on. All you have to do then is change the configuration for the file you're working in to the one with however many KP5s you need. My thinking is that you'd only have the number of KP5s instantiated that you need for that particular file.

Now, in your particular computer setup, having three or four KP5 instances always available - regardless of VDL instrument density - may not be that big of a deal. But I know for systems that don't have the RAM and such that you do could easily cause an unnecessary bottleneck.

As for the auto setting in the mixer...  Is there a way for it to stay on auto but me choose the voice?  For example for trumpets, I want to use the marching trumpet sound, but not the one that comes up from default.

You decide the voice by choosing the instrument to use in the score. The instrument definitions I've created are designed to load specific patches. So if you use the Marching Trumpets instrument (from the Template's custom S7S Ensemble) in your score, it should load the corresponding patch. Once you know what "voice" you want to use, select the matching instrument from the list to put into the score.

The main idea why I like this functionality is so you can spend more time writing and not messing with any setup. The software is designed to do a lot of the work for you, I say let it.


Let me know if any of that doesn't answer your questions.