Subject:Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Posted by: liquid

Date:1/22/2003 11:36:14 AM

ok, here's the deal. Some of you may have been following some of my earlier posts about the stuttering problems etc...I've been havning with Acid. Well, since my computer is brand new, and cost isnt' really a huge issue for me, I brought back my computer to the store today and told the salesman that my p4 2.4 isn't cutting the cheese. He said he knew it wouldn't if I was using 24 bit. What a genius he is....anyway, he told me the only way to go, to make sure that I can do what I want with my music (effects and tones of tracks) is to get the best...and according to him, the best would be a Intel exeo chip, maybe even a dual. So my question to you people is this
1. Does anyone use this chip, or does anyone even know if Acid supports this chip and will take advantage of it's speed
2. If anyone is using this chip, do they have problems? Do the extra speed really solve the issue of cpu spikes and stuttering?

I don't mind speding the extra money if it get's rid of my problems, but if I still can't do music with the ease I've come to expect using 16 bit, I'm going to be really bummed out.
Please help me, I've got to make a decision by tomorrow morning.....
ciao!

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: wcreed

Date:1/22/2003 4:52:03 PM

Intel exeo ???

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: liquid

Date:1/22/2003 4:58:24 PM

yes!

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: dkistner

Date:1/22/2003 5:01:40 PM

That's like somebody who used to be a ceo? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: wcreed

Date:1/22/2003 5:18:15 PM

I guess since Intel doesn't mention on their web site, I shouldn't feel too stupid that I've never heard of it.

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: liquid

Date:1/22/2003 5:43:40 PM

here's the link to intel xeon site
http://www.intel.com/products/server/processors/server/xeon/index.htm?iid=sr+xeon

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:1/22/2003 6:11:22 PM

Normally, that processor family is used for servers but also can be used for workstations. I don't know offhand if ACID will take advantage of it, but I do know ACID will take advantage of dual-processor support under Windows XP Professional.

If you're willing to pay a little more, go for it, but don't expect magic just yet. Can you bring the processor back if it doesn't work? (I'd get a, "yes," from the tech if it doesn't.)

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: wcreed

Date:1/22/2003 6:14:33 PM

Ah... Xeon. You said exeo. Not exactly the same.

I'm a little skeptical. You’ll pay 3 or 4 times more. You’ll get a system designed to be a server, with features you don’t need (and maybe don’t want). You may do all that, and still have stuttering.

I think it would be better to get a Carilion, or some other custom built system for audio.

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: liquid

Date:1/22/2003 6:15:25 PM

it will only take advantage of dual processors under xp? This you're sure of?

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: liquid

Date:1/22/2003 6:17:38 PM

never heard of "Carilion", nothing related comes up when I do search, can you offer a link?

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: wcreed

Date:1/22/2003 6:38:17 PM

Hmmmm. Obviously I’m spelling it wrong. Serves me right.

Maybe someone else can recommend a company that builds audio computers.

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: fresnog

Date:1/22/2003 11:20:07 PM

Why don't you just get one of those "Boxx" systems from SoFo?!
I'm sure a system promoted and sold by them would give you no probs
if you're running their software on it.....(?)

Fresnog

....hold your applause till the end of the show, folks.... ; )

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:1/23/2003 12:01:57 AM

XP Professional, not XP Home. XP Professional has dual-processor support only.

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:1/23/2003 12:20:26 AM

Carillon is right here. Very expensive though. Boxx Tech's system is a little pricey too.

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Last chance please help!!!!!! Need info on xeon.

Reply by: fulani

Date:1/23/2003 4:32:35 AM

http://www.advanceddesignky.com/systems/

Subject:my two cents...

Reply by: coolout

Date:1/23/2003 3:44:31 PM

you do not need a xeon. it's not worth the extra cash. getting a xeon or dual processors won't save you if you having this much trouble. i don't think any audio apps use hyper-threading yet and i've even read with some apps you have to disable that HT driver just to get the app to work .

if you have a 2.4 P4, win XP, acid pro 4.0b, and you've already done all the tweaks from www.musicxp.net you should not be having that much trouble even at 24-bits.

i read your previous posts and your problem is probably one of two things.

1.) your sound card: your asio buffer setting is too low or it's a usb controller conflict - check a different asio app and see if you have the same thing happening. you can download a demo of cubase sx or get cubasis inwired for free and check this out. load them up with loops and vsti and see if it crashes. if it does then try using you regular stock soundcard.

2.) the third party plug-ins: it may be the infamous "p4 denormal cpu spike" check this post: http://sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=142796&Page=5

the easy way to check for this problem is ctrl-alt-delete and bring up the cpu performance meter while your sequence is playing. if the cpu meter pops up to 100% a denormal from your plug-in is the culprit...just go download the denormalizer: http://www.digitalfishphones.com/main.php?item=2&subItem=6

if it not that it's just a corrupt or incompatible plug-in. you'll have to try to narrow down to the offender and remove it.

most of my acid mixes average about 30-50 tracks with about 10 effects. with 4.0b i don't get the stutters anymore (except with stupid vsti) and the highest i've seen my cpu hit is 80%. i have only a 1.8 P4 with 512mb ddr-ram.

Subject:RE: my two cents...

Reply by: liquid

Date:1/23/2003 4:33:40 PM

thanks for the tips about the xeon....and thanks for the other fixes you've offered. Let me just give you a couple more details about my problem, you may be able to help me even more....
1. First of all, I'm not using xp...I'm using win 2000
2. I don't think it's a driver problem, because my latency settings are maxed out, and I've been using this soundcard for a long time with out any hitches in the older version of acid, using 16 bits...with a 1ghz Athelon chip. But I suppose I may have not installed the right drivers as the card comes with mme drivers, and wdm drivers. I'm not sure which one I was supposed to install, but I remember reading the instructions and I think I did it right.
3. As for the usb conflict, I will test my machine with the mother board sound card. I actually un-installed it just to make sure it's drivers weren't causing any of the problems I am having..
4. This is the weird thing. I've taken out all my third party plug-in's and I'm still having more or less of the same problem. When I start my song in the bridge, and let it go until the end, it flakes out. But when I start it at the last chorus right after the bridge I have zero problems....? The cpu goes nuts right at the end of the bridge going into the chorus when it gets a lot louder...but it stays maxed out until the end where it dies on my completely. If it was a driver problem, why would it only be happening in the louder choruses? I know that when the volume is louder, it works the cpu harder, but it shouldn't get to and stay at 100% and stay there?
Grrrr…….I’ll keep playing with it, keep the suggestions coming…

Subject:RE: my two cents...

Reply by: coolout

Date:1/23/2003 6:47:37 PM

yep...that sounds like a denormal. something happens in the bridge (one or more tracks goes silent or really low in volume) and basically causes your cpu to work a lot harder than it should (it's struggling trying to crunch really small bits of data) it's not an windows problem...it's a pentium 4 problem. it happens in other processors (or so i hear) but it's a real problem for the P4. i never had a cpu spike on any of the other computers i've owned until i bought a P4.

if it was just an audio interface or driver problem it would sputter from start to finish. if you just didn't have enough power (like when i tried to use acid pro 4 on my old 500mhz celeron...LOL) you would see better performance when you scaled the effects back.

just follow my previous post and you should have no probs.

Subject:RE: my two cents...

Reply by: liquid

Date:1/24/2003 9:01:43 AM

Ok...so you think it's a cpu spike problem...the only thing is that I have no third party effects applied to any of the tracks anymore, and it's still happening. Do the de-normal cpu spikes happen even without effects? Do they happen on all effects including sonic foundry, and are they more likley to happen using 24 bit? Should I put the effect you suggested on all my tracks that have any effects? Especially 24 bit effects?

Subject:RE: my two cents...

Reply by: liquid

Date:1/24/2003 5:03:38 PM

ok people...here's what I did. I took back my stupid p4, and told them to put in dual athelon....If I have the same problem as before...well I guess I'll just go back to 16 bit.....I"m not going to bang my head forever.....thanks for everyone's help, I will post next week with the final conclusion.