What happened to the Softube plugins and their increased CPU usage?

It is not the increased CPU usage on their newest plugins that frustrate me the most... but that all of the older plugins also has gotten substantially more CPU hungry

As an example, my all time fav Softube plugin, the Summit TLA-100 Grand Channel has (on my system) increased about 3 times the CPU load compared to version prior to version 2.5.24... The same for the TSAR reverb. Hmmm?

We probably have to go back to v 2.5.15 (which is now listed as Legacy Installers) to find where this trend started.
Did it start when the extended feature panels were introduced (which I almos never use btw)?

PS. I own 50 plus Softube plugins, so I consider me a Softube fan, but I see my self leaving them more and more out of my projects due to the higher CPU load

Anyone else noticed?
Anyone else gone back to the older versions?
Anyone seen comments from Softube themselfs?

Thanks in advance... Let's discuss

Probably excessive copy protection mechanisms.
I don't use it, but Softube and Acustica Audio are known for excessive copy protection.
It is useless as it can be cracked and at the end only harms the paying customer.

BTW, if you are using a PC, I have some tweaks for lower Windows DPC latency here.

Interesting. I use Softube Tape and have updated it and haven't noticed any CPU spike. I wonder if it is just for certain ones?

Not spikes per se, just more cpu hungry overall than they were when released... the older ones that is.

The newer ones ARE CPU hogs. The new compressor bundle, the new TubeTech stuff etc.
That's one thing, that new plugins are relying on more powerful computers.
But that the old ones, that have been working fine for many years suddenly should need 3 x the cpu is strange... Something has happened/been implemented behind the scenes (not just regular updates and bug-fixes).

Anyone else?

A sudden massive increase in CPU would normally point to oversampling being introduced - see if there's any hidden menus options related to oversampling.

I've looked for some sort of oversampling options in the settings, but haven't found anything yet... maybe they just "do it" behind the scenes now.
If so, it shouldn't be that hard for Softube to answer to that question.

currently there only seems to be you saying it. I mean, it isn't being confirmed by anyone else here so far. I'm not a windows user myself, but if it appears on some windows systems and doesn't on others, it might be a graphics system related phenomena. graphics cards and their drivers are notorious sources of problems in audio based systems.

even on a mac I have certain non softube plug-ins that only start to chew on my CPU if I just open up the graphics interface for the plug-in. otherwise they will not use that CPU amount when closed. there are even numerous people having problems trying to run adobe premier, and not realising that the product specifications actually only recommend two specific graphics cards in order for the application to be certified to run problem free. graphics seem to be potential causes of all kinds of issues, seems to me.

The graphics do NOT chew on my CPU... The newer Softube plugins are only using processing power when a signal is present (drops down to zero % when in stop mode, or not fed).

My question were mostly in respons to that the older plugins at one point suddenly used about 3 times the CPU than it used to.

And as said, I get it that their newer plugins take into account more modern and better computers... That alone don't take away that some of their stuff have become CPU hogs

PS. I know it's not just me... There were some discussions in a post here (that I can't find), in which we discussed what version we had to go back to before this CPU increase started.

Anyway... This do not stop me from doing my job

I was suggesting that, if updates can also include changes to graphics resources, then such a change could be contributor. if you have three times the CPU usage and it isn't oversampling, then it's something else. it initially seemed you were looking for suggestions as to what it might be, but you actually seem to prefer your own idea that it's extended feature panels. I don't know what it is, I'm just throwing in some ideas.

Ouch... sandals not hard shoes
I do not prefer my own idea... It's just that I have checked all things graphics.
But that said, I am here for ideas and thoughts on the matter. I have no idea you concluded anything else???

PS. I don't know if it is oversampling or not... as Softube have never provided any answer.

I hoped to get to the same members discussing the matter in an earlier thread... so I will keep it up for a little way longer

there's a good probablity that you won't really find out what it is for sure. because you would have probably have found out already, if that was the case. so you could probably also infer that if softube know what the answer is, they are unlikely to telegraph it because they would rather not have the grief if they did.

but what I am getting at in regard to the graphics being a potential cause, is that if say 50% of users have the issue and 50% don't then it's likely some common difference in those systems which is a clue to the culprit.

you are unlikely to know what the real % is though, because you would have to do a survey in order to ascertain it. but, if even just a handful of users do not have the issue, then you might want to know what systems they are using.

on the flip side, if everyone recognises the same performance hit, then it would be common across the whole ecosystem of users. but again, it would still be hard to know if you are just not finding that handful of people who it does not happen for. assuming there was a handful.

that's basically how I would try to quantify the issue. I wouldn't have thought it would be a copy protection issue, but then if it was, you still might get a similar distribution of affected users. so I guess what you want to know, is if there are people who have done the upgrade but can definitely say that they do not suffer the performance hits you are seeing. then you want to cross reference system information with those users.

You aren't giving us much details here. You say "3 times the CPU load". But is this also when idle? When being the only plug-in in the project? The only plug-in on the buss? If not always, under which circumstances exactly? Share project setup demonstrating this? This can be done without sharing the source material.

You're also not sharing which DAW, as far I can see, nor your machine details.

All of this matters.

I was, as a start, looking for others who may have noticed the same in their usual work.

But I use Cubase 11/12 (13 on hold) and Studio One 6.5... on Windows 10.

The newest Softube plugins are returning to zero % when idle (when not fed any signal)... Many of the older ones has just be more cpu hungry all over.
Usually about 2-3 plugins on the same track/bus, sometimes less, sometimes a couple more.

I take it that you have not noticed any increase in cpu usage for your Softube plugins... Or?

I have not really, but I'm on Mac.

However, I also have some older PCs for testing stuff. I'll keep Softube in mind when I'm installing Win 10 on one of these later.

I have noticed that my Softube plugins now take a lot longer to load. Amp Room takes around 3 times as long to load since the last update. I’m on Windows 11 and use Studio One 6.5 and PT 12.7.

Have you tested and downgraded to a previous version for some time, in order to see if load times goes down with these?

No I have not, and I’ve been away on vacation for the last two weeks so I haven’t had much opportunity to.

I’m hoping to have some free time next week to do some testing.

post #62 on this thread states that they believe the GUI on softie plug-ins seems to take ages to load in comparison. enough that the user decided not to use them. so there is something up with the GUI I guess, but as I say, on windows systems it often turns out to be something related to the graphics cards / drivers. the performance spikes are also normally attributed to that part of the system too.

Softube announces Celestion partnership and plug-in

The GUI of Tape plugin takes like 10 seconds in my I9 9th gen notebook.
It is disgusting.
Compare to Fab Filter Saturn2...
That being said it is a great plug in.