Older I7 CPU parked - NOT parked on older version of Cakewalk

[Mark Eckhardt]

I recently upgraded from Sonar version 23.10.0 build 13 to the newest bandlab version 2021.01 build 098 64 bit. I really like the new version except for one issue.

On the new version I started getting ticks and pops on songs that ran clean on the older version. Then I noticed that the CPU was occasionally spiking into the red. But more importantly there were only 4 threads running when I looked at the audio processing monitor. I loaded the same file in the older version of Sonar and I had a very balanced workload across all 8 threads on the audio processing monitor. system performance under 30%, , app performance under 20% and audio perfomance under 20.. On the new version It starts will 8 threads but quickly devolves to 4 threads.  I am seeing system performance fluctuate quite a  bit - mostly below 30% but with frequent spikes for individual threads into the red. The four active threads are constantly spiking way higher in the new bandlab version. The engine load is fluctuating between 30 and 80% in the new version. And the audio processing is under 30% most of the time.  In addition the new version crashes more frequently. OLD version rarely crashed.

Finally - whenever I get a cluster of ticks and pops, the performance montiors will suddenly activate the four inactive (parked?) threads for just a second then the pops go away. Of course this never happens on the older version where I see all threads active on the app monitor, and where there is far less spiking on the sys performance monitor even though the alternate threads are mostly low or inactive .

I am still running win 7 but plan on going to 10 with a complete rebuild as soon a s I finish a couple projects.  Is this a case of Cakewalk changing the code  in the bandlab versions to take advantage of improvements in multi threading or cpu parking behavior in Windows 10? If that is the case would I benefit from using Parkcontrol to force the threads to stay active? At least until I upgrade my pc?

 

Win 7

Intel I7 3770k at 3.5Ghz

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-DH3

16GB of DDR3 Memory

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by Mark Eckhardt

[Glenn Stanton]

i would go with the park control until you update to W10. and even then i'd get the Lasso tool ? 

Edited March 28, 2021 by Glenn Stanton

[Mark Eckhardt]

Thanks - park control definitely improved things -- but out of curiosity, what additional benefit would I get from Lasso?

[Glenn Stanton]

Lasso has a lot more configuration options for setting up application specific bits so you can set core distribution, latency of applying restrictions, and ignoring total cpu for restriction, etc.  all of which can help avoid having CPU do slowdowns or re-schedule for intermittent or short term processing spikes etc

[Billy86]

On 3/31/2021 at 9:52 AM, Glenn Stanton said:

Lasso has a lot more configuration options for setting up application specific bits so you can set core distribution, latency of applying restrictions, and ignoring total cpu for restriction, etc.  all of which can help avoid having CPU do slowdowns or re-schedule for intermittent or short term processing spikes etc

I’m not a very technical person, so I’m curious what this means for performance. I use ParkControl and have often wondered about lasso. Also, would this create additional heat that needs additional cooling? It sounds like lasso is sort of ParkControl on steroids and kicks the CPU in the butt performance-wise and keeps it at higher rate?

[Glenn Stanton]

i'm guessing but the Park Control app you're using is made by the same people who make Lasso ? Lasso is so much more. however, it's mainly for technically inclined folks who want to get deep under the covers of CPU affinity and many other bits. yes, if the CPU is kept full on, full power, it will be more heat than allowing the OS to manage the CPU utilization.

[Noel Borthwick]

There are no specific changes to the engine that would affect the core behavior, if anything CbB is a lot more efficient. You are probably running into Windows 7 legacy stuff. 
Cakewalk is compiled with the latest Microsoft tools compared to SONAR and perhaps that may account for some minor differences. More likely you have tweaked your system for SONAR in some ways and CbB is configured differently.

Re crashes please submit any crashes you encounter for investigation. There are details in my sig about crash dumps. We've fixed hundreds of crashes that occurred in SONAR so CbB is more stable for most people by a long shot.
 

[Starship Krupa]

Another endorsement of Process Lasso here. Some have accused it of being snake oil, but that's in regard to its claims about what it does in its default behavior.

What I like about it is its ability to kill processes that won't stay down when killed in Task Manager or even Process Explorer. Even the difficult ones that respawn immediately, like Xbox Game Services and Apple Mobile device support, you tell PL that they're not allowed and it's like putting out a mob hit in the movies.

I once watched Process Lasso deliver a beatdown on Apple Mobile device support that was epic in computer terms. I had it set to kill all three components, which if any of the other Apple service see that one of their fellows is offline, they will start it back up. Process Lasso just kept hammering away on all three of them until for whatever reason, the Apple stuff gave up. The Apple stuff would respawn in a matter of microseconds, and this went on for about 45 seconds, so an eternity in computer time.