What CPU/RAM do you have?
Can you check your task manager to see how much CPU it's using?

Try this program: LatencyMon 7.31
The LatencyMon software analyzes and identifies which device, which driver or which service is causing audio dropouts or malfunctions. Real-time audio suitability checker for Windows 10/8.1/8/7/2016/2012/2008 (x86 and x64)
Scroll Down to: System Monitoring Tools www.resplendence.com/downloads

 

Hey, im on the middle of resetting my whole machine and changing to Win 11, so I cant test with LatencyMon right now.
But I can tell you about my specs:

Ryzen 7 5800 x 3d
32GB DDR4-3200

Greetings and have a good one.

 

Hi @colorado1337, just test Serum again on your new system and then post some information, maybe even pictures of the problem, Task Manager, and LatencyMon if the error occurs again.

 

@colorado1337 Hi, did you reinstall Windows and Serum?

 

Yes Im running a new and clean Win11 system now with legit Live Suite 12. On a 5800x3d with 32gb DDR4.

First I have installed the new .21 VR. I dont mind the Preset issues but if you drag&drop a sample into the Sample OSC it will tell you that you're running the demo version and drag&drop is only available in the full version.

Then I went back to .20 VR which is , for now, running with no issues for like 4 days or so.

Greetings

Edit, this is Colorado. I just realized apparently I have two accounts here which I forgot about as I'm not really active. i didnt notice I'm on a different account before I replied

 

My version 20 is dead too. I expected it.. If it goes back to its previous price, i'll buy it! Even though buying a plugin so full of stupid protections disgusts me.

 

The best Xfer Serum alternatives

• Vital Synth (Serum Freeware Alternative)
• Korg modwave native
• KiloHearts PhasePlant
• u-he Hive 2
• Arturia Pigments
• UAD OPAL Morphing Synth

 

For what its worth i ended up buying it and use it on like every track, it and ostirus. It really helps that I've gotten like every preset off the sister site for both... it makes it feel like its offset the initial cost of serum 2

 

Decided by whom? By a list on the first page of Google or by a generic, soulless AI?

 

i just looked, i have like 80 paid preset packs ive downloaded from sister site. i figure if each was 5 bucks, thats like 400 bucks right there. worth the cost of buying serum for lifetime updates/upgrades. although i agree with you about it being lame there is so much protection (although not ilok at least) i think that is counter balanced by the fact the dev offered everyone who got serum 1 a free upgrade to 2 iirc. that was cool of them. i got it on sale, it was still a very expensive purchase for me but i dont regret it... unlike some others ive made haha.

you DO have the Usual Suspect OsTIrus though, right? cause that/those series (the waldorf and nord emulations too) of synths are amazing and all free. and the sister site has a shit load of presets for it and you can dm me if you want for even more/need help setting it up. its a virus TI if you aren't in on the loop. it is awesome, and between it and the virus a/b/c presets i have 1000's of sounds to make music with. totally worth getting!

 

The free version is definitely not a Serum 2 alternative!

 

If it didn't have them, you wouldn't buy it anyway. Otherwise, you would have gotten v2 for free because you'd have already bought Serum v1.
"i'm still testing and deciding" only goes so far. It's a ten year old plugin, what is there left for anyone to test?

 

But when did I ever say these things? I've been using serum for ten years? I'll test it and then decide? But what do you know about a stranger on the internet..
Leaving aside your assumptions and moral judgments about strangers, these "fun" protections probably make serum an even heavier plugin, not even caring who buys it.

 

Last edited: Aug 27, 2025

Your comment is nothing but a circular "reason" to not pay for something. Plain and simple. It's not that I even care who pays for what and who doesn't, but your comment is ridiculous. This isn't KVR where you have to BS anyone with excuses.

Users do not pay for something-> Developer adds more protection-> users claim protection is the reason to not pay for it. How convenient.

What are you worried about something having "too much protection" for? Is your current computer part of the newest generation of machines, or is it of the older generation? If older, Serum 2 is going to be a CPU pain anyway but will run great on your next computer. V1 was exactly the same way. The plugin has been around for 10 years, and Xfer Records as a developer is not just going to fold up shop anytime soon and skate off with everyones money. Even if they did, would you be the one to have to crack it so that you can use it without it being "so full of stupid protections" ? Yeah right.

 

You were whining that you didn't have the money to buy the serum, so I posted alternatives!!!
No, it's not a Google or AI result.

 

Ok.

 

Ok.