is 370 mb/sec enough? SSDs with Blackmagic multidock

[Bearsounds]

Originally Posted by Marsdy

You could always start out non-RAID and see how you get on? Another great thing about the multidock is the drives are hot swappable. You can just eject them like a USB thumb drive so moving data around is easy if you do decide to go with RAID.

I'm using a lot of Spitfire Audio libraries and they are extremely demanding in terms of polyphony.... Like one note taking up 24 voices! It adds up really quickly.

Edit: I understand what you mean about spreading the load around. I'm actually streaming off three pairs of SSDs set up in RAID arrays.

so cool! I guess I'm gonna do the same in the multidock maybe: Use only one ssd for AUDIO and set up the other 3 in RAID 0 mode for streaming samples/libraries.

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

We have made the step in our big room to all Samsung 840/850 Pro SSD and two 1TB SSD's for storage of all libraies and samples but the spinners widely used here on the foum is WDC Black 1-3TB abd need to be USB3 or Tbolt cases and connections.

In my home setup i have only SSD's from Samsung and all spinners which runs great still have beendonated to our pro bono studios where the now continue to run great. They are all WDC Black 1TB and 3TB drives and if price is tight those spinners are super fast and reliable. Make sure the ones are 7200rpm 9ms seektime or less and minimum 64mb cache.

thanks, WD HDDs have a great reputation everywhere... I believe I'm going for one WD drive USB3 for backup and archives then.
what solid USB HUBs widely used here if you mind me asking? Since all my usb ports in ma mac pro will already be used.

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by Bearsounds

so cool! I guess I'm gonna do the same in the multidock maybe: Use only one ssd for AUDIO and set up the other 3 in RAID 0 mode for streaming samples/libraries.

thanks, WD HDDs have a great reputation everywhere... I believe I'm going for one WD drive USB3 for backup and archives then.
what solid USB HUBs widely used here if you mind me asking? Since all my usb ports in ma mac pro will already be used.

Personally I would set up one SSD for PT audio, configure one pair as a RAID and the last SSD non-RAID for streaming. Put your most demanding libraries on the RAID and the rest on the single drive. It would spread the load a little more especially in terms of data access time.

Speaking of USB hubs... I've had major problems with USB on my 2013 USB 3 Mac Pro. I went through FOUR hubs before I found one that worked reliably and didn't drop devices or failed to recognise everything when booting up. This one worked for me and is built like a tank.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-Po...artech+USB+hub

[Bearsounds]

Originally Posted by Marsdy

Personally I would set up one SSD for PT audio, configure one pair as a RAID and the last SSD non-RAID for streaming. Put your most demanding libraries on the RAID and the rest on the single drive. It would spread the load a little more especially in terms of data access time.

Speaking of USB hubs... I've had major problems with USB on my 2013 USB 3 Mac Pro. I went through FOUR hubs before I found one that worked reliably and didn't drop devices or failed to recognise everything when booting up. This one worked for me and is built like a tank.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-Po...artech+USB+hub

yess! That would definitely spread the load + double the speed of the streaming! great idea thanks!
As for The usb hub, I'll definitely try this one! I've seen number of threads online of people complaining about USB hubs failing to connect devices such as keyboards and hard drives for the long run... or having trouble with connecting some demanding devices... But this StarTech looks pretty solid and powered as well!
!
!: I was going to buy the Xcellon usb hub: https://www.amazon.com/Xcellon-7-Por.../dp/B00NLOTC06
it looks pretty much similar to the one you suggested! But I think I'll go with your suggestion as you have experience with it!
Thanks again for the great insights Marsdy

[Eric Seaberg]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Hey and Thanks for the kind words


At Eric : no way USB2 would be recommended to anyone these days and what does headroom have to do with USB connections .. We have large sessions all day long and have used USB2 by force a few times and nothing was working good .. hell we wpuld ha e been glad to get 24 tracks on there so 64 ... hahaha .. what music would that be ??

We've got two JoeCo MADI recorders as backups for our 128-IO ProTools system in our HDTV truck. The truck houses an SSL C200 console feeding 128-IO via MADI to an SSL MADI router, connecting to SSL DeltaLink which converts MADI to AVID DigiLink, which goes straight into our MacPro HDX2 system.

The SSL MADI router also sends 128-IO to the JoeCO MADI recorders, track-per-track matching what is sent to ProTools. The JoeCO boxes only have USB2 on the back of each unit which feeds a 2TB drive per chassis. We have NEVER had a crash or failure using this system, which I could NEVER say about our ProTools rig.

Granted we're not running 96k, although the system could do that at half the track count. We'd have to convert to 48k for TV distribution anyway, so why bother.

64 tracks at 48k/24bit only needs 74Mb data rate. I do believe USB2 is spec'd at 480Mb. What make you think it won't work, except that AVID tells you it won't?

[Southsidemusic]

Why are you soo gung ho about using USB2 equipment Eric ??

The USB2 protocol is 17 years old so lets move on please. Been there done that and it didn't work no matter what Avid says one way or the other ... peace out

[Southsidemusic]

Originally Posted by Bearsounds

thanks, WD HDDs have a great reputation everywhere... I believe I'm going for one WD drive USB3 for backup and archives then.
what solid USB HUBs widely used here if you mind me asking? Since all my usb ports in ma mac pro will already be used.

Marsdy has the answer here already and the USB3 hubs are soo different from Europe and US so it is hard to find the same here in Sweden v US.

We have a few different hubs and some of them are USB3 and I believe we had to use a few USB2 for some of the old gear. It was a trial and error for us aswell.

[Eric Seaberg]

I'm not 'gung ho' on USB2, I'm just saying that if the OP isn't running massive amounts of tracks, you don't need to spend massive money on SSD.

We are still using multiple 7200RPM drives for audio and do very well with our track count. I was just hoping the OP would look at ALL his options and make a decision based on his needs, not based on what everyone else is doing.

We do use SSDs for our multichannel video capture systems in our truck. They need the speed for 8-video streams of 1080i video with embedded audio... audio files just do not need that king of throughput.

I've been doing this over 45-years... I'm not a dummy, but do understand that not everyone who posts here is in the same league or has unlimited funds to make his system match everyone else's. Evidently you feel differently than I.

Options have always been a better alternative, IMHO, than just doing what everyone does.

[Eric Seaberg]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Marsdy has the answer here already and the USB3 hubs are soo different from Europe and US so it is hard to find the same here in Sweden v US.

We have a few different hubs and some of them are USB3 and I believe we had to use a few USB2 for some of the old gear. It was a trial and error for us aswell.

I understood the use of HUBS on ANY drive used for audio was not sanctioned by AVID.

[Southsidemusic]

Originally Posted by Eric Seaberg

I understood the use of HUBS on ANY drive used for audio was not sanctioned by AVID.

Now you are just being silly bro'

We use Hubs on both our rooms with SSL4000 G+ and our midi production room with lots of great gear and I have been in the music production for 17-18 years so I also know what works and doesn't. You ain't alone with that knowledge. Maybe we just work with more modern music and ways that wasn't available 30-40 years ago and if you have your studio working with USB2 tech then great. I can list soo many who doesn't have it working with that for the way they work and with what tech they use.

Whats with this new line of Q regarding what Avd say or dont say? If we count the people who doesn't have everything "Avid approved" here on the board we would be quite alone here so lets just stop this back and forth and agree to disagree.

And also who is this day and age doesn't use VI and Plugins that posts these types and questions and have said what he needs for his music?

Try putting a few Kontakt VI with a few 3 rd party libraries and some modern VI synths like Omnisphere2 etc and tell me that you can use a USB2 drive setup for streaming and recording and using said libraries .. No Bueno !! Wont work !! Dead in the water !!

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by Bearsounds

yess! That would definitely spread the load + double the speed of the streaming! great idea thanks!
As for The usb hub, I'll definitely try this one! I've seen number of threads online of people complaining about USB hubs failing to connect devices such as keyboards and hard drives for the long run... or having trouble with connecting some demanding devices... But this StarTech looks pretty solid and powered as well!
!
!: I was going to buy the Xcellon usb hub: https://www.amazon.com/Xcellon-7-Por.../dp/B00NLOTC06
it looks pretty much similar to the one you suggested! But I think I'll go with your suggestion as you have experience with it!
Thanks again for the great insights Marsdy

No problem! I can't vouch for the Xcellon hub, it might be fine but I've got no experience of it. The StarTech one - I have iLok and eLicenser dongles connected plus five keyboards, synths and Maschine Studio. It's always worked perfectly. I should say I've never trusted backup drives plugged into a USB hub however reliable they seem. I always plug them straight into the Mac!