User Manual

CHAPTER
903
79 Background Processing
OVERVIEW
This chapter explains what background processing
is, how to control it with the Background
Processing preferences, and, finally, how to set it up
the way you like and then forget about it.
Background processing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903
The Background Processing window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903
Background processing and Undo/Redo . . . . . . . . . . . 904
Background processing preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 904
BACKGROUND PROCESSING
As explained in “Handling lengthy processing
tasks” on page 899, all of Digital Performer’s DSP
processing is done in the background. This means
that the computer is splitting its time up between
working on the background task, responding to
your commands, and playing or recording audio
and MIDI. Digital Performer tries to be as
responsive as possible while you are actively
editing, playing or recording, and tries to give as
much time as possible to background tasks when
you are not.
THE BACKGROUND PROCESSING WINDOW
The main purpose of the Background Processing
window is to show you how many tasks are
pending, which task is being processed, and how
much work is left to do for that task. You may also
see a list of all pending tasks, and cancel or reorder
the tasks.
Figure 79-1: The Background Processing window displays a queue of
tasks that are being processed or analyzed. Tasks are automatically
prioritized: “preemptive” analysis tasks, for example, are always
suspended for higher priority tasks such as processing you’ve initi-
ated with editing commands such as Transpose, Scale Time or
sample transfers.
Background Tasks
There are many types of background processing
tasks: analyzing audio files (for future effects
processing, beat-based editing or tempo manipu-
lation), generating new audio files from
“constructive” audio edits such as sample rate
conversion, copying audio files, and more.
Task priority
Tasks for “preemptively” analyzing audio files are
less important that those that are working on a
command that you initiated. For this reason,
Digital Performer will always work on these
higher-priority commands first. Digital Performer
is capable of interrupting the analysis of an audio
file and continuing it later. So if you use the
Transpose command to transpose a soundbite
while another audio file is being analyzed, Digital
Performer will interrupt the analysis to do your
transposition first.
Cancel
task
button
Progress
bars