OpenMPT slowing down/stuttering

[pro1137]

Heya,

I've been using this software for a few years now and only *just* found out about plugin chaining..

However, when I'm playing back my track, it tends to stutter and run slowly, making the track choppy, and upon selecting another pattern to view, it will take a few seconds to load.

Is it possible I'm running too many plugins at once? Or perhaps I'm doing something incorrectly; I have multiple instances (4) of reverb VSTs going to different instances (also 4) of compression VSTs, so maybe I'm overloading it? If that's the case please do inform me what my error is. Could it be the fact I'm using the .it file type?
It only occurs in the more busy sections of the track. I only have one file open when this is happening.

My PC isn't underpowered or anything as far as I know (AMD FX8350 chip), and my CPU usage isn't showing I'm doing too much for it to handle. In fact, it barely makes any mark in usage whatsoever.

I'm running Windows 8.1 if that makes any difference as well.

Thanks

[StarWolf3000]

First, disable single plugin instances (for example all Compressor plugins) and see if it also stutters with some deactivated. If it keeps stuttering, disable all plugins (set all to "Bypass"). If it even stutters with disabled plugins, read the following:

What did you select as Audio output device? If your soundcard has integrated ASIO support, select that. If not, and you have ASIO4ALL installed, select ASIO4ALL (uses global Sampling rate, 48000 Hz for example, not all plugins support that). If both don't apply, select Windows Audio (uses Windows Audio drivers settings).

[pro1137]

Alright. I bypassed 2 of the compression plugins and it seemed to have stopped the stuttering 99% with the exception of when instruments roll over into another pattern when I select them mid-playback. What exactly does this mean? I was really overloading the software?

Currently I have "Microsoft Sound Mapper" selected as the output.
I use an external DAC (FiiO E07k) for my audio instead of using my soundcard; not sure if that makes any difference.

Thanks

[Saga Musix]

Are any of the plugins bridged? Look at the plugin editor's window title.

[pro1137]

Yeah, the compression plugin is showing that it's bridged

[Saga Musix]

That's most likely the reason then - bridged plugins add latency, and the more bridged plugins you use, the higher you will have to set the output latency. Note that using ASIO as StarWolf3000 suggested will only make things worse because ASIO is usually used with very low latencies.
The optimal solution would be to only use native plugins, so if you are using OpenMPT 64-bit, try finding a 64-bit version of the compressor plugin (or use another one), or try getting another bitness version of the other plugin(s) - the more plugins you have that match the bitness of OpenMPT itself, the better.
At 4 bridged plugins in total, you should however not really notice that many problems, especially not when using the Sound Mapper with a high latecy.

[monsterovich]

Operating System: Windows 8.1 x64

Windows 8 has an awful audio sub-system. I have windows 8 on my laptop, windows audio server takes 100% disk usage on every OpenMPT lanuch and this crap is unfixable.

[Saga Musix]

No matter how true that may be, if bypassing the bridged plugins improves performance, it is quite obvious that it's not the audio server's fault.