devices · Quad Cortex · learn · 05 of 10 · 7 min
the DSP budget
the one thing
When a block will not load at low CPU, move it to the other path. Making the preset smaller does not help.
a second reverb will not load
A second reverb on the same path will not load, even with the CPU meter at about a third. Deleting a delay does not change that.
The meter is working. This is a different limit, and the meter does not show it.
bypassing a block does not free any DSP
Neural state this plainly: bypassing or disabling blocks does not reduce CPU consumption. A bypassed delay costs exactly what an active one costs.
Switching blocks off to make room does nothing. To reclaim processing, delete them. Bypass is a performance control, not a budget control.
So a preset with blocks “turned off” can still have no room for another block. Nothing was freed.
Quad Cortex User Manual 4.0.0the limits are per path
The limit you usually hit first applies to a row pair, not to the whole preset. The reported rule is one reverb on the row 1/2 pair and one on the row 3/4 pair. Spring reverbs do not count.
The fix takes five seconds: move the second reverb to the other path instead of deleting it. This rule is the only explanation that fits a block that will not load at a third of the meter.
This rule is community-sourced. The manual documents the bypass behavior and the automatic disabling below, but it does not state the per-path reverb rule. It is the only account that fits the behavior.
Forum: the limit of gearsglobal EQ switches off with no warning
When a preset exceeds the available processing resources, the Global EQ and Input Gate blocks are automatically disabled. No error appears.
If your Global EQ works on most presets and does nothing on one, that preset is over budget. Delete a block from that preset and the EQ comes back.
Before a gig, check your biggest preset. It is the one most likely to be over budget.
Quad Cortex User Manual 4.0.0