Hey guys, newbie to VDMX but I’m having a great time with the pro version.
I am having some issues with VDMX freezing/hanging after it is used for some time and I need to force quit (I would say after 45 minutes to an hour of use is when it’s most common). It often does this when switching between layers or when changing effects with an external MIDI controller, but it sometimes will freeze when it’s just sitting for a while. Sometimes only one layer or channel will freeze permanently while the other works, and it won’t start working until VDMX restarts.
I think I know the answer to my question, but I just wanted to make sure I’m not missing anything.
I am on a 2018 MacBook Air with a dual core i5, 16gb DDR3 and Intel UHD graphics with 1.5gb VRAM. Is it as simple as I need to get a newer laptop to stop this issue? Glancing at activity monitor while running the output on an external screen, VDMX is using 200% (sometimes up to 206%) CPU so both cores are firing, but generally less than 40% GPU is in use. VDMX is also not using anywhere near all of my available RAM.
When I first started I didn’t know about Codecs and the issue was worse. I have converted all of my clips to HAP and the freeze/hanging is not NEARLY as bad but it’s still a problem.
Is there anything I might be missing, or is it just this lackluster processor? I’m hesitant to spend money on a new laptop but I will if I have to
When running VDMX with output and all layers open, activity monitor says 6.76gb memory is in use and 1.10gb is used by VDMX. I assume the remaining memory in use is the OS and cached files.
I am not running other high performance applications. I do run “Macs Fan Control” to run the cooling fans at a higher speed, but this uses less than 1% of the CPU and approximately 50mb of memory. VDMX has the problem with freezes and hangs whether or not I use this application.
I have approximately 30gb of storage remaining on the internal SSD. I can try to free up some of the storage to see if that helps.
I am running OS X Sonoma 14.7.2 which I think is the last version supported by my machine.
I am running VDMX6 (not plus). I didn’t even think to try running VDMX5 to see if it works better. I will give that a try and I’ll report back.
What is the resolution of the clips and of the canvas? That can also make a huge impact on performance. I would suggest to run at the smallest resolution needed (probably 1080p)
Just go get a new laptop.
I meant you are looking at $2000 if you’re in the US, that will provide you with 1gb of memory 16mb of RAM and possibly M3 CPU with better graphics capabilities
And one more idea to begin with VDMX6 is design around larger resolutions and format, I am learning tools like GLSL markup language as such as a MacBook Air can handle.
Even at 1080p your laptop should be still capable of running at least a basic 2 layer setup. I would say even more. I would suggest trying it with VDMX5. I was doing crazier stuff on a MBP 2008.
