In other words is the patch using for example 30% plus the 10% that shows when idle? I would think not as the processing that’s going on when stopped is the same as when it’s playing.
So they’re all doing some processing when idle like with free running Oscs but again the question would be is that extra CPU when the plugin is in use or is the processing the same?
Probably not. However that is actually a good question. Afaik it can’t be easily answered however, since it’s 10% idle on the patch, and like 60% when generating (for me at least), and there’s no way to know if that should’ve been 50% or if that 10% was already factored into 60%. In all likelihood though, it was already factored in - then again, who knows!
The question is does Vital cause more CPU when the project is playing just because it’s using some when the project is stopped?
However, for example, when you’re playing (although it’s the same when you’re idle too), it will use that 10% (or whatever it is) plus whatever the other plugins are doing. So a theoretical 40% playing project becomes 50% when it’s doing nothing.
All the other plugins I’ve tested use some CPU when idle even with Smart Disable active. Pigments and ANA2 use nearly as much as Vital when idle.
I see. So perhaps this may not be as strange behavior as it was thought before. Sadly though, even if it is normal behavior, it means that while consolidating a track obviously will save CPU, on the other hand, there’s some idle CPU that you can’t get rid of which will take a chunk even though it’s doing nothing. Deleting the instrument wouldn’t really be an option since it’s tied to the pattern, and deleting it would delete all the configs. Would be nice if there was a way to “freeze” an instrument then (clearly that’d have to happen on the DAW side then)
Of course, ignoring the obvious program CPU optimization and required patch optimizations to make it not so CPU hungry, this is all kinda an academic thought. I also don’t know anything about synth internals, I just thought that when something is idle it shouldn’t use so much CPU since it’s doing nothing. Am I wrong? Maybe, maybe not, I don’t know. Just my thoughts here. I’m sure Matt can clear that up later