B-3X in Cubase11 - CPU Meter

[Retsoor]

Hi. The Hammond B-3X VSTi is incredible but I have a couple of issues. My first question is to anyone who is also using Cubase, any version with the Steinberg Cubase CPU Meter. I'm on a WIN10 Intel i7 PC with 32G of Ram and using all SSD drives..

OK, so when I open the B-3X as a Standalone with the WIN10 Task Manager running, I can see that the VSTi pushes maybe a 14% CPU load at startup, but quickly calms down to 2.4% after the loading is complete. Great, this is what I want to see. However, when I load one application of the VSTi in Cubase11, I see a 15% CPU load that is constant. And, as I load another instance on another channel the CPU load increases to maybe 22%. When I load a 3rd instance on another channel my CPU load is at 27%. This is what the Steinberg CPU stress meter shows, BTW, not the WIN10 Task Manager.

I need 3 instances/channels to run/record the Upper Keyboard, the Lower keyboard, and then the Pedals simultaneously . This CPU load seems high, and all my other VSTi instruments (Waves, Kontakt, UVI) don't behave like this. Q: Is this what you are experiencing? Is the B-3X not setup to work well with Cubase? Does it behave this way with Logic or ProTools?

I'm thinking there is something odd/unique/wrong about the B-3X VSTi and Cubase; something that could be fixed by the designers if they knew about this. Do they read this forum? Your experience would be appreciated. Thanks.

[DarkStar]

Other users have reported high CPU usage for B-3X in DAWs.

Here, in Reaper 6 and Waveform 10, one instance of B-3X VSTi takes 29% CPU, 2 instances take 51%. If I close the GUIs the CPU drops to 3% (and both tracks play OK).

There is clearly something adrift here - maybe my old graphics card.

Please report your findings to Technical Support. You can contact Support, via here. There is a link at the top of the Search FAQs page to the Technical Support form, for some one to one investigation and help. Response time aims to be within 2 working days (US (East Coast) Business hours, generally), but in the current circumstances please allow some more time.

And, to help others who run into a similar problem, please let us know what you did to resolve the problem. Please do not quote directly any correspondence from Support, as that may apply only to your particular circumstances and may lead others down the wrong track.

[Retsoor]

Thanks for the info, Dark Star. The GUI makes no difference here, open or closed, and when I gave the readings from the Standalone version the GUI was open - but no MIDI control connected. I actually think most of the issue may be with the MIDI connection in Cubase, and I say this because it is automatic for Cubase to attach (or try to) a MIDI controller to any VSTi that you load. Cubase is smart this way and of course MIDI oriented...

As to graphic cards, mine is an AMD Radeon RX570 with the latest driver, in this case Driver Version 27.20.22021.1002 dated 7/22/2021. And for those who don't know this, with AMD they allow card owners to skip the bloatware gaming app and just install the drivers. It takes a minute to sort this, google it, but the bloatware is avoidable.

And let me say it again, I love the B-3X VSTi. I just wish it could connect with Cubase better.

[Retsoor]

I did report this issue to iK Support as of yesterday.

I also turned on the Task Manager and then loaded the Standalone B-3X VSTi. I then connected it to my SL NC2x via MIDI. At first the CPU percentage was 20% (Very High) but after a minute it settled down to 2.6% tops which is great, actually varying from 1.4 - 2.6% (from idle to playing notes). Also, when I clicked on the GUI to enlarge it to full screen, the CPU again increased but likewise sorted itself within a minute and settle back down to the 1.4 - 2.6%. So the GUI does have an impact on the VSTi in the Standalone mode, but unlike the connection to Cubase, the CPU load settles down.