XRUNS on native linux DAWs
Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz
XRUNS on native linux DAWs
Hi,
I'm pretty new in audio production etc. and I don't know what could resolve my problem. I bought cheap laptop few years ago, that I used mainly for internet browsing and storing documents, it's Lenovo g500h with Intel i3-3110M 2x2,4GHz and Radeon HD 8750M+Intel HD graphics 4000.
When I play guitar with Rocksmith cable and Guitar Rig 5 VST on Ubuntu 16.04 using Jack, Carla and Cadence, I have 0 XRUNS, with little latency, also when I use my KORG nanoPAD2 with Reason 5 over wine, I have no issues, but when I use any plugin with QTractor, XRUNS occurs very often. I tried various JACK configurations and it didn't helped. I run lowlatency kernel ofcourse and configured real-time access, I also installed KXStudio repositories. Maybe it's the QTractor issue? I installed Ardour, but the configuration discouraged me - I will try again this weekend.
Can I do anything with that, without buying new laptop or external soundcard?
I'm pretty new in audio production etc. and I don't know what could resolve my problem. I bought cheap laptop few years ago, that I used mainly for internet browsing and storing documents, it's Lenovo g500h with Intel i3-3110M 2x2,4GHz and Radeon HD 8750M+Intel HD graphics 4000.
When I play guitar with Rocksmith cable and Guitar Rig 5 VST on Ubuntu 16.04 using Jack, Carla and Cadence, I have 0 XRUNS, with little latency, also when I use my KORG nanoPAD2 with Reason 5 over wine, I have no issues, but when I use any plugin with QTractor, XRUNS occurs very often. I tried various JACK configurations and it didn't helped. I run lowlatency kernel ofcourse and configured real-time access, I also installed KXStudio repositories. Maybe it's the QTractor issue? I installed Ardour, but the configuration discouraged me - I will try again this weekend.
Can I do anything with that, without buying new laptop or external soundcard?
- bluebell
- Established Member
- Posts: 1927
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:44 am
- Location: Saarland, Germany
- Has thanked: 113 times
- Been thanked: 121 times
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
It's the CPU load caused by plugins. Countermeasures:
- Find a similar plugin that uses less CPU
- Buy a faster CPU
- Increase jackd's buffer size (increases latency as well)
- Find a similar plugin that uses less CPU
- Buy a faster CPU
- Increase jackd's buffer size (increases latency as well)
Linux – MOTU UltraLite AVB – Qtractor – http://suedwestlicht.saar.de/
- English Guy
- Established Member
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:28 pm
- Location: England
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 7 times
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
I found installing cpufrequtils and setting the CPU governor to performance helped.
There is a test utility that you can run on your system, I do have the details on my PC when I can get to it. Perhaps in the meantime someone else can post it.
I also get better results out of the Liquorix kernel than any other I have tried.
I also disable networking while recording.
There is a test utility that you can run on your system, I do have the details on my PC when I can get to it. Perhaps in the meantime someone else can post it.
I also get better results out of the Liquorix kernel than any other I have tried.
I also disable networking while recording.
- English Guy
- Established Member
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:28 pm
- Location: England
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 7 times
- Michael Willis
- Established Member
- Posts: 1460
- Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:27 pm
- Location: Rocky Mountains, North America
- Has thanked: 71 times
- Been thanked: 169 times
- Contact:
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
Does that apply to both ethernet and wireless? I know I get better results when I turn on my wifi, but I've been considering stringing an ethernet cable through the floor to my music room.English Guy wrote:I also disable networking while recording.
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
Most times I had problems with that, or seen that reported, it was the WIFI. I am not sure if there is a cause behind this correlation.Michael Willis wrote:Does that apply to both ethernet and wireless? I know I get better results when I turn on my wifi, but I've been considering stringing an ethernet cable through the floor to my music room.
- Michael Willis
- Established Member
- Posts: 1460
- Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:27 pm
- Location: Rocky Mountains, North America
- Has thanked: 71 times
- Been thanked: 169 times
- Contact:
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
I will test with ethernet and report back!CrocoDuck wrote:Most times I had problems with that, or seen that reported, it was the WIFI. I am not sure if there is a cause behind this correlation.
- lilith
- Established Member
- Posts: 1706
- Joined: Fri May 27, 2016 11:41 pm
- Location: bLACK fOREST
- Has thanked: 122 times
- Been thanked: 57 times
- Contact:
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
You could use a wireless repeater with a lan connection. Or power lan.CrocoDuck wrote:Most times I had problems with that, or seen that reported, it was the WIFI. I am not sure if there is a cause behind this correlation.Michael Willis wrote:Does that apply to both ethernet and wireless? I know I get better results when I turn on my wifi, but I've been considering stringing an ethernet cable through the floor to my music room.
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
I tested some plugins: amsynth, calf organ, helm and few other and everyone gives XRUNs. Changing buffer settings up to 5 periods and 512 buffer size, reduced number of the XRUNs, but they still occur once in every 2 minutes. Increasing number of the plugins increase XRUNs amount. I tested everything on Qtractor with nanoPAD2, but I remember it was the same with standalone Rackarack and Guitarix via rocksmith guitar cable.bluebell wrote:It's the CPU load caused by plugins. Countermeasures:
- Find a similar plugin that uses less CPU
- Buy a faster CPU
- Increase jackd's buffer size (increases latency as well)
Disabling networking really worked. No XRUNs with 5 random plugins and 21.3msc latency. Funny that they occur in the same second every 2 minutes...English Guy wrote:I found installing cpufrequtils and setting the CPU governor to performance helped.
There is a test utility that you can run on your system, I do have the details on my PC when I can get to it. Perhaps in the meantime someone else can post it.
I also get better results out of the Liquorix kernel than any other I have tried.
I also disable networking while recording.
Tomorrow I will try with cpufrequtils and Liquorix.
- English Guy
- Established Member
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:28 pm
- Location: England
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 7 times
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
Disabling networking really worked. No XRUNs with 5 random plugins and 21.3msc latency. Funny that they occur in the same second every 2 minutes...English Guy wrote:I found installing cpufrequtils and setting the CPU governor to performance helped.
There is a test utility that you can run on your system, I do have the details on my PC when I can get to it. Perhaps in the meantime someone else can post it.
I also get better results out of the Liquorix kernel than any other I have tried.
I also disable networking while recording.
Tomorrow I will try with cpufrequtils and Liquorix.[/quote]
Excellent. I cannot remember the exact theory but it is something like, the networking periodically uses buses and CPU to see if there is an active connection. Harrison have a good video about how the CPU treats audio in their help stuff.
I just set up friends laptop to use the performance setting. His CPU was running at half of its power. Presumably it was supposed to ramp up on demand but if that did not happen seamlessly that would cause problems.
- English Guy
- Established Member
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:28 pm
- Location: England
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 7 times
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
[/quote]English Guy wrote:I found installing cpufrequtils and setting the CPU governor to performance helped.
There is a test utility that you can run on your system, I do have the details on my PC when I can get to it. Perhaps in the meantime someone else can post it.
I also get better results out of the Liquorix kernel than any other I have tried.
I also disable networking while recording.
Disabling networking really worked. No XRUNs with 5 random plugins and 21.3msc latency. Funny that they occur in the same second every 2 minutes...
Tomorrow I will try with cpufrequtils and Liquorix.[/quote]
Excellent. I cannot remember the exact theory but it is something like, the networking periodically uses buses and CPU to see if there is an active connection. Harrison have a good video about how the CPU treats audio in their help stuff.
I just set up friends laptop to use the performance setting. His CPU was running at half of its power. Presumably it was supposed to ramp up on demand but if that did not happen seamlessly that would cause problems.
(sorry I have messed up the formatting, can't see how to fix it on this wretched phone)
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
Classic. I had the very same issue in 2012 and it was, indeed, the WIFI. Clusters of XRUNs every 2 minutes exactly. I think this happens when the WIFI card is on the same bus-controllers of the audio device, and some process does something periodic. In my case, switching off the WIFI card did not help: that would make XRUNs rain. I had to completely unload the kernel module.boobz wrote:Disabling networking really worked. No XRUNs with 5 random plugins and 21.3msc latency. Funny that they occur in the same second every 2 minutes...
I will post the Ubuntu Forums thread of the time, if I can find it (I think it is gone).
EDIT: Found it, but it is archived. Not sure you can read it. https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1976254
- Michael Willis
- Established Member
- Posts: 1460
- Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:27 pm
- Location: Rocky Mountains, North America
- Has thanked: 71 times
- Been thanked: 169 times
- Contact:
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
Just curious per my previous comment, was it wifi or ethernet? I would imagine that wifi is more demanding, but I still haven't tested my audio with an ethernet cable plugged in and active.boobz wrote:Disabling networking really worked.
- English Guy
- Established Member
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:28 pm
- Location: England
- Has thanked: 8 times
- Been thanked: 7 times
Re: XRUNS on native linux DAWs
Michael Willis wrote:Just curious per my previous comment, was it wifi or ethernet? I would imagine that wifi is more demanding, but I still haven't tested my audio with an ethernet cable plugged in and active.boobz wrote:Disabling networking really worked.
If it were me, I would not have anything running that is not necessary for recording. I do not know about the ethernet, I just use the disable networking option on XFCE. I have a modest old laptop that is devoted to audio but get away with older specs because anything not needed is turned off or not installed, for example I do not have the Dropbox client as it is a resource hog.