Unlike many single task plug-ins Alloy harnesses the power of six plug-ins in one. Alloy performs a significant number of calculations when running. The combination of 64-bit processing, multiple DSP modules performing analog modeling, and a half dozen real time meters dictates that it requires more CPU processing than a typical plug-in. While continuing to push the limits of high quality audio signal processing, Alloy offers significant improvements concerning CPU optimization allowing your sessions to run more efficiently.
If you do start to reach the limits of your particular machine, here are some tips for optimizing your CPU:
If you're not using modules for processing, you should be sure to bypass them to conserve CPU power.
Try changing the buffer size and/or latency setting in your host application. When buffers are too high (latencies are too large), meters may update slowly however less stress will be placed on your CPU allowing. As buffers become very small (latencies are very low), Alloy will consume more CPU.
You can disable meters in their option screens. Right click on any meter to bring up the options screen for that meter.
Using less crossover bands can save significant CPU. Try using 1 or 2 band dynamics, for example, instead of all 3 bands.
You can force Alloy to process stereo files in mono, requiring almost half the CPU for half the channels. This is useful while previewing to save CPU in some cases. You can enable this option in the General Options tab.