Does PT use more than 4GB of RAM

[docbop]

Can someone point me to a Digi article that says PT will use more than 4GB of RAM. I explain how each process in OS X gets 4 physical and 4 virtual, but he wants to see a Digi article that says it. Or an article on how PT uses RAM that shows having more RAM will get used by PT, plugs, and virtual instruments.

I hit the Digi search engine and it just keeps coming up with system requirements articles.

[docbop]

Here is the only article I can find.

http://digidesign.com/index.cfm?query=how+much+ram

[O.G. Killa]

search on apple's website for RAM limitations of software. It isn't just a Digi thing, it's anyone that develops for MacOS. I've found stuff on their site before...also, they (being apple) were able to write EXS24 so that it can use it's own 4GB of memory separate from the program... that might help you find some info about the 4GB memory limit in MacOS.

[O.G. Killa]

Found one on apple's site when looking at the new Snow Leopard specs.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/#64bit

And here's the quote,

64-bit Transition Heading at the top of the page:

"Today’s Mac computers can hold up to 32GB of physical memory, but the 32-bit applications that run on them can address only 4GB of RAM at a time."

[chrisdee]

And that's been the limit for the last 10 years.

[Ziko]

It's a basic limitiation of a 32bit application, until Pro Tools itself becomes 64bit it'll never be able to address more than 4GB of physical RAM.
This is true of any application on any OS.

[docbop]

I ask because each process gets the 4GB of RAM, so if an app is multi-process then it can use more RAM. So appeared PT doesn't break things into multiple processes. Bummer.

[at01music]

Originally Posted by docbop

I ask because each process gets the 4GB of RAM, so if an app is multi-process then it can use more RAM. So appeared PT doesn't break things into multiple processes. Bummer.

There really isn't such a thing as a "multi-process" application. Although an application can run on multiple processors, the application is still a single process.

An application runs on multiple processors by using multiple code threads that can execute simultaneously, allowing more efficient execution of instructions. But running on multiple processors has no affect on the memory address space available to the application. Multi-threaded applications are subject to the same memory limitation as non-threaded applications.

~ Allan

[albee1952]

FWIW, I have had 2 Digidesign instructors say that 4 gig is the best amount from a performance standpoint(no more and no less).

[highcard]

Originally Posted by at01music

But running on multiple processors has no affect on the memory address space available to the application. Multi-threaded applications are subject to the same memory limitation as non-threaded applications.

~ Allan

Does anyone know, does this apply to plug-ins and VI's as well?
For example, if you have Structure and Reason running, does Reason get its own separate 4GB, while Structure shares 4GB with the main ProTools application?

Thanks for any info.