Performance Drops With Batch Processing

[Belwell]

I'm trying to batch thousands of files and it is becoming an increasingly difficult task. I'm loading about 100 files into the batch processing window and running a Favorite with just 2 fairly simple tasks (Noise/Hiss reduction, Speech Volume leveler, Save to Mono Mp3) and it is taking 4-6 hours to finish each batch of about 100 files. Files are typically 8-12 minutes of stereo CD quality audio.  If I run those tasks on one of the files individually it takes about 20 seconds for the effects to be applied, and another 20-30 seconds to save. When I try to run those as a batch on the files the computer slows down to a crawl. Audition will slowly tick upwards in memory usage, processor usage stays below 5%, and the computer grinds to a complete halt and becomes unusable.

The only way that I'm able to make any progress is by loading 5 or 6 files in the batch process, which finishes in just a few minutes.

I noticed that Audition is trying to apply the effects on about 6 of the files all at the same time, is there a way to stop that? Seems like the problem starts when audition tries to add the hiss reduction effect on 3 or more files at the same time.

Most of my processing has been over a network (files pulled from one computer, rendered to a NAS), I tried to doing everything locally and had no change in performance.

Computer specs:

i7 3770 3.4 Ghz

8 GB Ram

Win7 64 bit

Any suggestions are welcome.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_ · Accepted solution]

Edit>Preferences>Data and set the maximum number of concurrent file processes to 1 instead of the default 3 is the only thing that I'm aware of that you can alter in this regard. I've no personal experience of what this will do to batch processing, and if it makes a difference at all, we'd be delighted to hear back...

[Belwell]

Wow, I'm embarrassed. Exactly what I was looking for, fixed the problem. Each file is taking about 25 seconds now.

Thanks Steve

[Charles VW]

Can you share your batch processing settings (input file types, output file types) and effects being added?

I'm currently looking at that area in response to a different bug report. So this would be very timely.

[Belwell]

Input files:

WAV -Stereo - 44.1khz - 16 Bit

Output:

MP3 - Mono - 44.1khz - 16 Bit - 192 Kbps CBR

Effects added:

Channel Mixer (mix down L/R Stereo to mono)

Speech Volume Leveler

Hiss Reduction

Let me know if you need any more info. I still have thousands of files to batch so if you need someone to beta test for ya

[Charles VW]

Thanks for sharing that. However, I wasn't very clear in my request. Sorry about that.

Would you be able to send us your preferences folder (which would have the last-used batch settings) and a selection of files (a dozen or so should be fine).  If you're up to that, please send to audbugs @adobe.com and reference this thread.