Problem: CPU load causing glitchy audio.

I was running into problems with Steinberg’s Nuendo, especially when using cpu-heavy plugins like UAD’s Sound City Studios. One solution was to print such tracks ‘to tape’ and take the plugin out of the mix, literally, just like the good old days. More recently too, I upgraded to UAD’s Luna Pro 2. I had tried it before but found it to be quite glitchy and cpu intensive, even with not such a great amount of tracks. With the latest upgrade, I was excited to try Luna again, because I love the idea of their integrated ‘analog’ system, and it really does sound fantastic.

Things were going fine, until they weren’t. With cpu hitting 60% with only about ten tracks and only two external plugins, I found myself searching the web for UAD accelerators and all sorts of things, and the prospect of spending money I just don’t have on gear I didn’t want.

Solution: Audio Gridder.

Almost completely by accident, I happened upon a free software solution to the problem on both the Steinberg and UAD forums , and this solution was that of the Audio Gridder plugin offloader.

I downloaded the Audio Gridder system in two parts; the server and the plugin. It basically provides the ability to combine the power of two computers by using one as a server, on which you have your plugins installed, and the other, the workstation, where a plugin is loaded into your DAW, which then connects to the server via an ad hoc network. Through the plugin I could select plugins as normal (audio FX or soft synths) and the server streams the GUI and everything, so it feels like normal plugin operation. There was minimal latency which can be adjusted according to your system. It’s amazing!

Do you want to know the best part? I was able to set up the server  locally on the DAW workstation and still manage to offload the heavy plugin usage, thereby letting my system breathe easy. A total gamechanger for mixing.

One word of advice – the plugin will not connect to the server (certainly not locally, I haven’t tried otherwise) if something like the likes of Nord VPN is active. I discovered this after an hour or two of cursing and swearing at what seemed to be my latest waste of time!

Once I got set up, it was absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t believe it. Neither will you.

Go on, give it a try 🙂