processor / CPU limits - what uses the most power ?

DokBrown wrote:processor / CPU limits - what uses the most power ?

I understand the memory limits. 2GB with the OS/firmware sucking up ~1/2GB.

EZ solutions
-convert stereo to mono
-TRIM & dump unused material.
-slices instead of new samples

What uses the most processor power ?
Plug-in synths ?
Fx chains ?
Warping ?


APOLOGIES if this has already been tackled, but I couldn’t find it in my searches.


https://www.mpc-tutor.com/reduce-memory ... pc-live-x/

I am asking not because it is a problem now but I want to totally replace my laptop so I don’t want to build a project template that leads to problems down the line. I don’t use any of the built-in synths, so I assume the next problem would be simultaneous FX & warping.

Is there anything else I should consider ?

Hi
If you are going to use the machine stand alone, and you have more than a few sequences and programs you are going to switch between. Then in my experience with the MPC live stand alone is that CPU usage will rise and rise until within a few minutes you get dropouts and distortion.

The only way to clear this is to double press stop to end all processes, at which point the CPU will return to normal levels.

This is really frustrating issue and ruins what for me is a great machine, (and it ruined a live project I planned earlier in the year).

And to be clear I am not using excessive effects or plugins, (none in fact).

Somehow, CPU resources leak away as I switch between sequences until there is nothing left.
If I am missing something here then please point me towards the light.

NearTao wrote:@Ultros... have you tried seeing about extending memory in your CFW with a USB or SSD swap? I imagine it might be trashy depending on usage... but also *might* squeeze a bit more memory out of the system if it isn't hard coded to 2gb in the kernel or software for some reason.

That's not a half bad idea, it'd murder an SD card but i could make it so it only allocates swap from usb drives so we could use spinning disk / usb sata controllers. I'll give that some testing and see what happens.

DokBrown wrote:In my opinion, AKAI software is weak relative to ableton/NI’s hybrid offerings. If I wanted to use my laptop I would have stuck with ableton/PUSH. ableton is cleary the future BUT I chose the AKAI b/c I dig hardware. When it comes chopping/sampling, I only need 1/4 - 1/2GB ram, I need the other GB space for audio tracks. I also assume the OS needs a certain amount of “swap space.”

Generally, no swap on embedded systems because its abusive toward the disks. SD and EMMC have finite writes after it hits its threshhold its all down hill from there. Cue the corruption. So they try to do it all in ram.

DokBrown wrote:2GB is plenty of RAM for an efficient OS. The fact that we need 8-16GBs nowadays suggests our “modern desktops” are loaded with bad code/bloatware. I use Linux Mint but I drop xubuntu or linux mint MATE onto old win7 desktops with 2-4GB RAM for friends.

God dang right man.. if you think about it, how much operating system do you actually need to have a working useful environment? Answer: NOT MUCH. Kernel, busybox, libc, network-utils, xtables, some other minute things... I am not a fan of "macro-puting". I've been into linux since around 2002 myself and in that time i've become more and more snotty about where my resources are going. I'd rather compute in a monolothic fasion on a powerhungry bare metal machine then use some modular dependant strung together trash set up made by heathans who want to enslave you to their data collection. The development world has gone sideways and to a lot of people its ok to just use whatever gets the job done but it shaves off the efficiencies so the power-house machine now operates like shit. It's messed up..

1-8-8-1 wrote:
This is really frustrating issue and ruins what for me is a great machine, (and it ruined a live project I planned earlier in the year).

Somehow, CPU resources leak away as I switch between sequences until there is nothing left.
If I am missing something here then please point me towards the light.

[/quote]



I do get hiccups from time to time when changing sequences but not what u described. Reinstall the OS perhaps ?

ace_of_dub wrote:

The future for MPC is working on ergonomics and workflow in order to make MPC easier to use. There are a lot of possible improvements suggested in other threads that do not require adding new effects, plugins (for instance track re-ordering, track deletion...)

WORKFLOW is everything.

The desktops & laptops will always have more power/RAM but well designed hardware excels at making music. Furthermore, no update conflicts/driver problems. I had the Mpc1k with JJOS for so long that I thought all machines should work that way.


Piano VSTs are handy with a weighted midi keyboard but nothing matches a real grand piano with a couple of pristine mics IF you can afford it

DokBrown wrote:

1-8-8-1 wrote:
This is really frustrating issue and ruins what for me is a great machine, (and it ruined a live project I planned earlier in the year).

Somehow, CPU resources leak away as I switch between sequences until there is nothing left.
If I am missing something here then please point me towards the light.

I do get hiccups from time to time when changing sequences but not what u described. Reinstall the OS perhaps ?[/quote]


I tried reinstalling the OS, no change. I might see if downgrading makes any difference.
To be honest I'm getting to the point where I'm tired of finding work arounds for basic stuff which is supposed to be part of this machines spec.
It is a real shame because in many ways it is way ahead of the competition and the updates and vision for the product have been great.

a couple of bugs in some of the more exotic features I can live with, but problems with basic stability and functionality I cant.
I guess we live in hope that Akai will eventually focus on fixing the bugs in the basic features rather than adding more functions or "retro" editions.

If Akai fixed all these fundamental issues then they would have an enduring product and continue the good reputation of their legacy machines.

Found the post in the AKAI FORCE forums
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=188315


53 minutes of stereo audio [106 minutes of mono]
https://www.mpc-tutor.com/how-much-memo ... ive-mpc-x/



OS needs 600-700mb = 2/3GB
So we have just over 1GB of space for audio files

There is no way in christ it takes 600-700mb. I will snap a screenshot of "top" after I get cleaned up (just got in from work). However you are correct on the 1gb of heap. its declared in the az01-launch-mpc script directly on the line preceeding the line that initializes the mpc software.

the system is a super lightweight 3d enabled command line linux. theres no xorg, no wayland, nothing that would require the system to use that much memory just to run without the mpc software running. It sounds like poppycock doc, i'll get you the proper stats in a few. If you're using "hakai" i could make you a script to patch the heap allocation to its maximum potential and increase your pool of memory toward the mpc software.

ok so here are the results of the memory tests with and without the mpc sofrware running.

we have almost 1.6 gb (1.57-1.58) of ram-space with an empty project.

System naturally at idle, empty project just booted.


System at idle with mpc software halted.


System with mpc software reinitalized.


Also, i was wrong about the heap stuff, its stack related however increasing the stack size may clear up some of the crashing issues and weird random bugs in the mpc software. (worth a try whats a few extra bytes?)

original code from inmusic-mpc.service


modified code from inmusic-mpc.service


near tao has made an excellent suggestion on this thread about maybe getting a bit more out of the mpc however... later this weekend when i have some more time i will test swap space on hdd.

sorry for hijacking your thread with rantings of a madman but your thread has got me thinking about how to get a little extra out of our mpcs...

I tried reinstalling the OS, no change. I might see if downgrading makes any difference.
To be honest I'm getting to the point where I'm tired of finding work arounds for basic stuff which is supposed to be part of this machines spec.
It is a real shame because in many ways it is way ahead of the competition and the updates and vision for the product have been great.

a couple of bugs in some of the more exotic features I can live with, but problems with basic stability and functionality I cant.
I guess we live in hope that Akai will eventually focus on fixing the bugs in the basic features rather than adding more functions or "retro" editions.

If Akai fixed all these fundamental issues then they would have an enduring product and continue the good reputation of their legacy machines.

Did you find any solutions for this? Having a similar problem with my MPC One.

@ 1 8 8 1

I don't know if this can help, but I had many problems with hiccups when changing sequences and tracks.
At the end I discovered the problem was the internal HD and as I switched to an SSD all problems disappeared.

Straker wrote:@ 1 8 8 1

I don't know if this can help, but I had many problems with hiccups when changing sequences and tracks.
At the end I discovered the problem was the internal HD and as I switched to an SSD all problems disappeared.

Do you mean you replaced the internal HD with a SSD?