Are Mad Zach's Kicks just too Crunchy for my CPU?
Results 1 to 5 of 5
  1. #1
    Tech Convert
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Posts
    8

    Default Are Mad Zach's Kicks just too Crunchy for my CPU?

    So I should start by saying that I apologize if I'm overlooking something major here or something. I'm relatively new to the music production scene and I'm still not 100% fluent in all of the intricacies going on 'under the hood' so to speak.

    That said, I've been playing around with Mad Zach's 64 pad packs that I just got around to downloading (as you can probably tell by my post count, I'm new to DJTT and I'm quite behind the times with the soundpacks). Anyway, most of the sounds are utterly fantastic...

    HOWEVER

    I'm having a problem. Every time I play a kick from silence it clips. Now, this ONLY happens when I play the kicks from silence and it doesn't happen with any of the other samples. The effect is the most pronounced in really short and aggressive kicks so I was thinking it was an attack problem but I couldn't get the problem to go away by changing the attack for the sample (unless i put it at like 10sec and then the kick either sounds like a bass note or nothing at all haha)

    So the other thing I'm thinking is that my CPU just isn't man enough to handle these kicks. I don't entirely understand how this stuff works (as I understand it, clipping happens when the data exceeds what the computer can process and you just get a flat part in the waveform) but I have never before had this problem with any other kick sample in any other pack.

    Also, (correct me if I'm wrong) but I don't think I'm pushing my system to the limit with my settings.
    My CPU: intel i7-5600U 2.6GHz
    RAM: 8GB
    Strorage: 512GB SSD, 261GB used
    Soundcard: Novation AudioHub 2x4 soundcard (focusrite I think)

    I'm running Ableton Live 9.6 64bit
    sample rate: 48000
    buffer size: 128 samples

    I've noticed the CPU load meter in Live goes up to like 50 or 60% when I play a Kick or some similar percussion instrument and only about 10-20% for anything else.

    So... can my CPU not 'go zero to sixty' fast enough to keep up with these aggressive sounds or what?
    Are my sample rate and buffer size too ambitious?
    does anyone else have this problem with Mad Zach's samples in particular?

    EDIT

    Problem solved. Look at my last post below if you are having the same problem that I was having.
    Last edited by Idiots; 02-27-2016 at 11:20 PM.

  2. #2
    DJTT Administrator del Ritmo padi_04's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Argentina
    Posts
    6,553

    Default

    Normally Zach uses quite a few samples/synths for kicks, not just a single file. If you lower the master volume a few db and it still clips (even though you don't see the master meter clipping) then it is most likely a CPU issue.

    If you are on Windows give these a shot. Also, dropping the sample rate to 44100 shouldn't hurt, at least while you troubleshoot.

  3. #3
    Tech Convert
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Posts
    8

    Default

    Hey thanks for the help man,

    Yeah I tried to lower the volume of Kick sample within the sampler and the volume of the track that I had the pack playing on. Small improvements, nothing major. You're saying to lower the global master volume?

    I am on Windows and I took a look at that link. I'll give some of the stuff in there a shot shortly and post the results.

    Also, on a more general note, (and I'm asking the room here) is the setup I have listed above usually not able to handle samples that have been generated using a few synths and liberal effects? Because I was under the impression, before this happened, that an i7 processor and 8GB of RAM should be able to handle this kind of stuff, especially when the sample rate and buffer size aren't totally insane. If I'm wrong, somebody please set me strait.

  4. #4
    Tech Convert
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Posts
    8

    Default

    So turns out by changing making my computer optimize for background tasks rather than program performance and setting the minimum CPU activity to 100% solved my problem. I'm running Mad Zach's kicks at a sample rate of 48000 and buffer size of 128 with no problems. I tried going down to 64 from 128 but I was getting some occasional dropouts when I played intensely.

    Ah I also lowered the master track volume for good measure.

    For people with a similar problem to me, try the link that padi_04 posted above, really helpful. (thanks man)

  5. #5
    DJTT Administrator del Ritmo padi_04's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Argentina
    Posts
    6,553

    Default

    The issue was not your computer specs but how poorly stock Windows is optimised for this kind of work, once you tweak a few things you are good to roll.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •