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FAQs About RAM and CPU With Musio

  • Updated

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about RAM usage and CPU in Musio:

 

Do Musio instruments only load into RAM or do they take up space on my hard drive?

Musio downloads the samples it needs from the cloud and stores them on your local drive so they can be loaded into RAM and played back. You can choose where these samples are stored using two settings:

  • Temporary Download Location – Where samples are downloaded before installation.
  • Samples Location – Where installed samples are stored for playback.

Only the samples required for the instruments you load will be downloaded and stored.

 

Can I do sample purge in Musio? If not, is Musio efficient at handling the samples?

Musio does not currently support sample purging (a feature in some samplers that frees up RAM by unloading unused samples). However, Musio is designed to be efficient:

  • It only keeps a memory footprint for the first portion of the samples you've requested to load into RAM to ensure instant playback at note-on, while the rest of the sample streams from disk.
  • Keyswitch instruments only load active articulations to reduce memory usage.

In some samplers, sample purging prevents the initial portion of a sample from loading into RAM, but this can cause buffer underruns (cracks/pops) when samples play for the first time (which clears up after a bit of playing once memory fills up with these previously-requested samples). Musio avoids this issue by always preloading a small part of each sample.

 

Some DAWs automatically disable unused tracks and plugins to conserve memory, and Musio works well with these features where supported.

 

How can I reduce RAM usage and optimize Musio's performance?

If you’re experiencing performance issues, try the following:

 

1. Identify Resource-Intensive Instruments

  • Are specific patches (such as Legato, Ensemble, or Keyswitch patches) causing CPU spikes?
  • These patches require more CPU power due to their larger sample sizes.
  • If you have multiple resource-heavy instruments in a single Musio instance, try splitting them across multiple instances.

2. Update Musio to the Latest Version

  • Open Musio Connect.
  • Check for a red update link in the bottom-left corner. If available, click it to install the latest version.

3. Check Your External Hard Drive (If Applicable)

  • Ensure your external hard drive is securely connected. If using a hub, try plugging the drive directly into your computer.
  • On macOS, check the drive format:
    • Right-click the drive > Get Info > Format
    • Avoid EXT4 or ExFAT, as they are not optimized for macOS and can slow performance.
    • Consider reformatting to macOS Journaled or APFS for better performance (back up your data first, as reformatting erases files).

4. Enable Additional Voice Killing (Reduces CPU Usage)

  • Open Musio Connect > Settings > Plugin/Standalone section.
  • Enable Additional Voice Killing to limit unnecessary voices and reduce CPU load.

5. Adjust Sample Preload Size

  • In Musio Connect > Settings, find Sample Preload Size.
  • Increasing this value allows more sample data to load into RAM, which can improve performance.

6. Disable Built-In Reverb (Optional)

  • If you need to save additional CPU power, disable the built-in reverb.
  • Musio Connect > Settings > Disable Built-In Reverb in the Plugin/Standalone section.

7. Increase Audio Buffer Size

  • Open Musio > Settings > Audio/MIDI Settings.
  • Increase the Audio Buffer Size to reduce audio glitches and dropouts.

8. Experiment with Sample Storage Location

  • If performance is still slow, try moving your samples to your internal drive or a different external drive.
  • Open Musio Connect > Instruments > Change Samples Location at the top.

Need More Help?

If these steps don’t resolve the issue, we’re happy to help! Email support@musio.com with the following details:

  • A description of the issue and the steps you’ve tried.
  • Type and format of your external hard drive (if applicable).
  • Number of Musio instances running in your session (if using in a DAW).
  • Number of instruments per Musio instance.
  • Your operating system and version (e.g., macOS Ventura 13.0 or Windows 11).
  • Your DAW and its version (e.g., Ableton Live 11).

Send Log Files for Troubleshooting

  1. Open Musio.
  2. Click the three-line menu in the top-right corner.
  3. Select Submit Feedback and check Include Log Files.

This will help our team investigate the issue. Thank you!

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