Where to put virtual instruments?

[MisterSensitive]

Getting a 13" MBP w an SSD (OSX + apps) + data doubler HD (digital audio for recording)

I'm also going to use MBP w mainstage and Komplete. Should I get a big SSD and put Komplete on the same SSD as OSX and apps? Or should I put it on 7200 RPM platter drive?

I don't think I'll be crushing Komplete/Mainstage live, but I need low, low latency and reliability.

Oh yea, and I'm loading 16G of RAM on the box.

Thanks in Advance!

 

[fastlanephil]

Should I get a big SSD and put Komplete on the same SSD as OSX and apps? Or should I put it on 7200 RPM platter drive?

I would definitely get a large SSD drive for the MBP. I had nothing but problems using laptops and their slow HD speeds. The 7200 is better than the 5400 but it's not as fast as a desktop HD. I ended up booting from an external HD to stop the clicks and pops.

I would buy the MBP with the standard internal HD and then swap it out for the fastest SSD from Other World Computing and put the Apple HD in a external case for a back up drive. The OWC SSD is about half the price and faster than the Apple HD.

 

[MisterSensitive]

Phil,

Yep, I'm putting a fast 256G SSD in place of 5400 RPM drive, then putting a 7200 RPM HD in place of opto. The question I have is:

In terms of low-latency and performance, should I put Komplete sound files on SSD or on HD?

Thanks

 

[fastlanephil]

Phil,

Yep, I'm putting a fast 256G SSD in place of 5400 RPM drive, then putting a 7200 RPM HD in place of opto. The question I have is:

In terms of low-latency and performance, should I put Komplete sound files on SSD or on HD?

Thanks

I think I would put the Komplete sound libraries on the 7200 HD because they are loaded into RAM(max out the RAM to 16 GB) memory as you access them. You'll want to save your DAW files on the SSD.

Your DAW and other application can be installed on the 7200 HD also unless you want them to load super fast from the SSD.

You might want to partition your SSD so your DAW files have their own protected space if the SSD is not going to be just for files.

After you get everything set up you might want to test it out with a short but instrument-effects-tracks heavy file.

 

[MisterSensitive]

I think I would put the Komplete sound libraries on the 7200 HD because they are loaded into RAM(max out the RAM to 16 GB) memory as you access them. You'll want to save your DAW files on the SSD.

Your DAW and other application can be installed on the 7200 HD also unless you want them to load super fast from the SSD.

You might want to partition your SSD so your DAW files have their own protected space if the SSD is not going to be just for files.

After you get everything set up you might want to test it out with a short but instrument-effects-tracks heavy file.

Thanks, but I'm pretty sure the DAW files should go on the HD, for two reasons:

1) they should be written to a separate drive from OS and DAW app (which would be on SSD)

2) SSDs are great for reading from, but not so great writing to. Given that I'll be writing many huge files at once, I should write to a standard HD.

If this flies against any conventional wisdom, please advise...