how much memory of RAM should i have on my PC before i start using expensive VSTs???

[brooklynmusic]

at least a gig. I would get more if I could cause you won't have to upgrade in the near future.

However, cpu is important and use the virtual drive settings with a large and fast hard drive.

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Alot of misinformation is given out in threads like this.

And this thread seems like no exception...

How much RAM you need really depends what the VST is. If its something like a synth, then its mostly going to use your CPU, and will probably use very little RAM. On the other hand, if its a large sample library or rompler like Ivory or something, then it will use a lot of RAM. A single instance of Ivory can use almost 1GB itself, whereas an instance of something like, say, Massive, will use a good few % of your CPU, but very little of your RAM.

If you're not gonna be using any large romplers then 1GB will be plenty of RAM. If you are though, Id suggest more like 2-4GB, but again it depends just how much you're going to want loaded into RAM at any one time...

[Mattman04]

Yah i got 2 gigs of ram and a 3800+ amd x2 dual core im running windows vista and sonar 6 pro. and i get latency like crazy when i have a bunch of vst's goin all at once (the more notes the worse it get) .

Can't Sonar "freeze tracks"?
Freezing is a feature that basicly renders that specific track as audio inside your existing project, and usually disables the vsti.
This makes a big differance with cpu.
I'm not sure if Sonar has freeze, and how well it's implemented though, but it's worth looking into as a workaround.

Tracktion for instance freezes your track as audio, and disables you vst's....Sounds good, but in order to edit with eq, or whatever you will have to unfreeze it.

Podium on the other hand adds the frozen tracks, and new effects can be applyed. Also the original tracks while muted can be unmted, and edited too, so the flexibility is much greater with that type of track freeze.

I'm not sure if Sonar has freeze, and how well it's implemented though, but it's worth looking into as a workaround.

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Yes, Sonar has freeze.

[neverenoughfunk]

And this thread seems like no exception...

How much RAM you need really depends what the VST is. If its something like a synth, then its mostly going to use your CPU, and will probably use very little RAM. On the other hand, if its a large sample library or rompler like Ivory or something, then it will use a lot of RAM. A single instance of Ivory can use almost 1GB itself, whereas an instance of something like, say, Massive, will use a good few % of your CPU, but very little of your RAM.

If you're not gonna be using any large romplers then 1GB will be plenty of RAM. If you are though, Id suggest more like 2-4GB, but again it depends just how much you're going to want loaded into RAM at any one time...

i agree, it depends on work load. 2 gig cant handle a high quaility drum, piano, electric piano, bass, organ, strings, horns and synth library all the elements for a non-hip-hop r & b song (something with complexity) at the same time.

now, if you use native instruments suite, specstrasonic (trilogy, atmosphere, stylus rmx) suite, or vsti(s) of this quaility you may be able to use any combination from about 5 to 7 depending on how many notes are being played. whole notes and 1/4 notes-vs- 8th and 16th notes.

one could get away with not maxing out the ram with the current 2 fingered melody hip-hop song but for real production (i.e hip-top to classical) get as much ram as you can, preferable 4 gigs min.

freeze is a great tool but with 4 gigs of ram there is no need to freeze. freezing breaks up the flow of creativity, imo.

[deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup]

^^^^Don't know what else is running in your computers, but if you need 4 gigs for performance out of anything on the market, your computer's lacking in other areas. Ram's not a definitive thing. While a program may take 356mb to run, running another program that by it'self would take another 312mb to run, your ram used is gonna still be around 480mb(instead of 678mb). Or maybe that's just my factory dell with an extra stick of ram, audio interface and graphics card. Those are real #s btw.

Same plugs can make my new Dual Core 3.0ghz that hasn't been tweaked yet blink out, and it's twice as powerful as my dell. I'm not no book expert on building computers, I'm not throwing around b.s. calculations, I'm going by what I see performance wise out of the 4-5 computers i have lying around at any given time.

On my Dell Dimension 4600 2.6ghz single core PC with 1gb Ram, no program and or instances of plugs(can sometimes use up to 10 including huge sample libraries like Eastwest Symph Orch Gold and GVI)has ever made my ram surpass 700-800mb and has never made mu CPU surpass 60%. Maybe because I don't apply effects to every instrument I load up while producing, maybe because my music computer is stripped of everything but music(not even internet).

I can't get close to the same results out of my new Pentium d 3.0ghz 2gb ram computer, but I'm guessing it's because I haven't taken the time to put the effort into making it as optimal as my dell. But I'm sure adding 4 times the ram my dell uses isn't what it takes to get something that's already 2x more powerful to work right.

[neverenoughfunk]

^^^^Don't know what else is running in your computers, but if you need 4 gigs for performance out of anything on the market, your computer's lacking in other areas. Ram's not a definitive thing. While a program may take 356mb to run, running another program that by it'self would take another 312mb to run, your ram used is gonna still be around 480mb(instead of 678mb). Or maybe that's just my factory dell with an extra stick of ram, audio interface and graphics card. Those are real #s btw.

Same plugs can make my new Dual Core 3.0ghz that hasn't been tweaked yet blink out, and it's twice as powerful as my dell. I'm not no book expert on building computers, I'm not throwing around b.s. calculations, I'm going by what I see performance wise out of the 4-5 computers i have lying around at any given time.

it depends on how one works. i like to have the drums, bass, etc loaded in my default template and once i start the sequencer i do not stop it until i am tired or finiished. i do not stop the sequncer after each instrument or after recording a fews tracks. when the sequencer is running and i am changed instruments (patch and vsti) i do not want any hik-ups, pops or clicks. 4 gig almost insures no hik-ups, pops or clicks.

i use live 6 and have 10 tracks of instruments with about 5 scenes that is about 50 clips, what i try to do is record midi data into each clips. basically, i am jamming and when i am finshed jamming then i put the tune together. crackles, pops and hik-ups get into the way of the flow. basically, the groove is lost.

again, it depends on your work flow and the number of note that is being played. i like licks, questions and answers phasing.

last point, when i put the song together after jamming i may want to change patches inside the instrument with 4 gig i never choke, no hik-ups at all. try have 7 vsti running on a 2 gig machine and change the patch. what happens?

p.s. i do not consider myself a producer, i would say musician/songwriter.

[J-Rock Productions]

And this thread seems like no exception...

How much RAM you need really depends what the VST is. If its something like a synth, then its mostly going to use your CPU, and will probably use very little RAM. On the other hand, if its a large sample library or rompler like Ivory or something, then it will use a lot of RAM. A single instance of Ivory can use almost 1GB itself, whereas an instance of something like, say, Massive, will use a good few % of your CPU, but very little of your RAM.

If you're not gonna be using any large romplers then 1GB will be plenty of RAM. If you are though, Id suggest more like 2-4GB, but again it depends just how much you're going to want loaded into RAM at any one time...

how much of the cpu will sonik synth take up?

[deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup]

it depends on how one works. i like to have the drums, bass, etc loaded in my default template and once i start the sequencer i do not stop it until i am tired or finiished. i do not stop the sequncer after each instrument or after recording a fews tracks. when the sequencer is running and i am changed instruments (patch and vsti) i do not want any hik-ups, pops or clicks. 4 gig almost insures no hik-ups, pops or clicks.

i use live 6 and have 10 tracks of instruments with about 5 scenes that is about 50 clips, what i try to do is record midi data into each clips. basically, i am jamming and when i am finshed jamming then i put the tune together. crackles, pops and hik-ups get into the way of the flow. basically, the groove is lost.

again, it depends on your work flow and the number of note that is being played. i like licks, questions and answers phasing.

last point, when i put the song together after jamming i may want to change patches inside the instrument with 4 gig i never choke, no hik-ups at all. try have 7 vsti running on a 2 gig machine and change the patch. what happens?

I work almost the exact same way(just start with no preloaded sounds)I have a 1 gig machine that does not hickup, lol. Maybe because all the strain is being picked up by my ASIO Interface and Graphics card. Maybe it's the program, I use SONAR. The only thing I get close to a hickup is when rewiring Reason, and I'm sure that's more of a glitch than Ram fix being that reason isn't Ram or CPU hungry.

As stated before, the same can't be stated for my new computer, but I haven't optimized it yet, and it's 2x as powerful as my 1gb. I'm not saying that more ram is a bad thing, I'm just saying 4gb is a little extreme. If you're getting problems out of a 2.0gHz and 2gb of Ram and up, you've got more that needs fixing than adding ram.

What type interface and graphics card are you running? Do you use asio or MME/WDM?

[swoopsoup]

With a $150 vst, most likely 1gig should be enough as I assume it can't be a vst with a massive library like colossus for instance.

What alot of people don't do is to use another pc/laptop for music. If not then you can at least dual boot, as hard drives are so cheap nowadays. With your music pc, you can turn off alot of crap that you wouldn't necessarily need, like firewalls etc...you know to keep things basic as possible. Unbloated pc would boot up so much faster than your internet every-day-use pc which is most likely loaded with so many programs at startup like your graphics card crap, msn, antivirus and nice looking xp themes. KEEP IT BASIC!

I wouldn't recommend Vista as well (for the time being), just the OS alone needs about 2gb to run efficiently, then on top of that with your vsts, you going to have problems!