Who else is sick of the 32bit 4GB RAM limit?

[JMWS]

I mean COME ON DEVELOPERS!!! Please start making the 64bit versions already! What is stopping you? Very few have already done it, but we need EVERYONE in this movement. Yes Waves, that means you too!

It is ridiculous, that 8-core Mac Pro can run only about 25 instances of Kontakt2 (one EWQLSO instrument in each) and it only takes about 5% of the CPU, if even that! So the CPU could handle hundreds of instances more, but the RAM limitation stops it!

I want to do orchestral work without bulky/clumsy computer farm (and noisy if you don´t have another room for them). It would be soooo amazing to finally run everything on one computer! We have the power, but we need the 64 bit versions from the developers!

So who else is sick of this 32bit 4GM RAM limit annoyance? And thinks it is time for a change!

[joris de man]

Originally Posted by JMWS

I mean COME ON DEVELOPERS!!! Please start making the 64bit versions already! What is stopping you? Very few have already done it, but we need EVERYONE in this movement. Yes Waves, that means you too!

It is ridiculous, that 8-core Mac Pro can run only about 25 instances of Kontakt2 (one EWQLSO instrument in each) and it only takes about 5% of the CPU, if even that! So the CPU could handle hundreds of instances more, but the RAM limitation stops it!

I want to do orchestral work without bulky/clumsy computer farm (and noisy if you don´t have another room for them). It would be soooo amazing to finally run everything on one computer! We have the power, but we need the 64 bit versions from the developers!

So who else is sick of this 32bit 4GM RAM limit annoyance? And thinks it is time for a change!

Well, as the 64 bit revolution is no yet upon us, you just have to think a bit more creatively.
Also, don't know why you're running seperate Kontakt instances, as Kontakt is multi-timbral. Even the Kompakt player that comes with EWQLSO allows 8 parts per instance.

Anyway, a few pointers:
-Get a rewire app, like Plogue, and rewire it back into your daw. This way, you can utilize another 4gb for samples.
-If you use VSL, it's Ensemble plug-in is 64 bit capable and has the abillity to hook back into a 32 bit Daw, allowing you to run as many instruments as your CPU can handle
-Don't know if this is possible, but you could potentially run standalone instances of Kontakt as well and have them use the Coreaudio driver; I think it mixes multiple streams together?

For the record, I run vista x64 with Nuendo 32 bit, in which I can run around 3-4 Kontakt instances with 16 parts each. I then run Plogue on the side in Rewire mode with another 3 instances of Kontakt; this gives me quite a lot of parts to play with.
Right now, it seems disk access for the samples is a bigger issue than cpu usage.

Cheers,

Joe

[Bob Olhsson]

It's a safe bet that most developers are working very hard on 64 bit capability. It's also a safe bet that most of the software under development is way too full of bugs to release.

[pldmbr]

Originally Posted by JMWS

I mean COME ON DEVELOPERS!!! Please start making the 64bit versions already! What is stopping you? Very few have already done it, but we need EVERYONE in this movement. Yes Waves, that means you too!

It is ridiculous, that 8-core Mac Pro can run only about 25 instances of Kontakt2 (one EWQLSO instrument in each) and it only takes about 5% of the CPU, if even that! So the CPU could handle hundreds of instances more, but the RAM limitation stops it!

I want to do orchestral work without bulky/clumsy computer farm (and noisy if you don´t have another room for them). It would be soooo amazing to finally run everything on one computer! We have the power, but we need the 64 bit versions from the developers!

So who else is sick of this 32bit 4GM RAM limit annoyance? And thinks it is time for a change!

I just got a Sonica RT-4 with 16GB RAM, Vista 64, RME Multiface II and Play. All 64 bit and runs great.

[soundsundergroun]

Am I doing something wrong? I always run out of CPU before ram

[synthoid]

64 bit Kontakt in development

sounds like it is in the works. The article says, however, that there are no hosts on the Mac that can take advantage of it! I'm surprised to hear that, don't know if that has changed since the date of the article (July 2008).

-synthoid

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by soundsundergroun

Am I doing something wrong? I always run out of CPU before ram

Unless you use loads of samples that's normal. Plugins and DAW
use very very little memory unless you use Virtual instruments/samples.

If a plugin is written properly and efficiently uses heap memory it will use very small amounts of ram. Also playing back sound files uses minute amounts of memory. It is samples that hog it up.

I have 4 gig and Ive never used more than two while mixing or recording. When I do GI or raytracing I almost always max out.

[NotVeryLoud]

Interesting thread.
I run 4 instances of Kontakt 2, with 16 parts each, inside Digital Performer on a daily basis and I've not experienced any issues. (Other than that weird occasional volume level spike - so annoying when trying to bounce a mix!). I've never tried running more than 4 instances. I should experiment.

[synthoid]

I should point out that Kontakt 2 is not the current version of Kontakt; Kontakt 3 has been out for a while. (It's not a 64-bit app either, just say'n.)

-synthoid

[pigcat]

I always hit the RAM ceiling when using Pro Tools to compose, pretty unstable on high RAM load too. Still waiting for 64bit...

[kafka]

As a recording tool, 4GB of RAM is fine. I can't imagine how many tracks or plugins it would take to eat up that much RAM. However, as a composing tool, it's just a fact of nature that these large sample libraries, such as EWQLSO, will work better with more RAM. And with 1.5-2GB gone to ProTools and ~.75GB lost to the video card already, 4GB is looking pretty cramped for those purposes.

However, while I'd like to drop a bunch of $$$ on this, I don't really have any more to spend on music equipment at the moment. And so I wait ...

[theblue1]

Interesting thread on Sony Vegas' new 64 bit version of that multichannel video/audio editor. Sony Vegas Going 64-Bit! (Update: I'm Using It!!) - Harmony Central Musician Community Forums

Of course, vid is a little different than VIs and big sample sets but they both can put a big hit on the CPU and a big ol' foot in memory.

In the thread, EQ exec editor Craig Anderton talks about how much more productive he can be in Vegas and Sonar (both have 64 bit OS versions) running in Vista 64. It's about the first time I've actually entertained the idea of not downgrading my next machine to XP.

[Throttler]

64bit software developers please read the above posts carefully

[Bondtana]

Amen man. It's frustrating. I always seem to max out my RAM right before I want to add one last instrument into my track lol

It's also frustrating that any single 32 bit program can only use 2 gigs at one time... the other 2 gigs just sit around laughing at you.

I use BFD2 and 1 kit can easily eat up a gig of ram.

[kafka]

Originally Posted by Bondtana

I use BFD2 and 1 kit can easily eat up a gig of ram.

Take a look over on the FXpansion forum on how to fix this. Fxpansion.com :: View topic - Increasing RAM usage for BFD2 There are a couple of buffer setting that need to be tweaked. Also, use 16-bit for everything except rendering a final audio print of your drum track. If you do this, you can cut that drum kit down to 1/4 of it's current size.