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  #1  
Old 12-05-2010, 09:17 AM
Eekay Eekay is offline
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Default RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

Hello!

I'm a bit confused here, a 32-bit system will support maximum 4 GB of ram due to address space. To use more memory a 64-bit OS is required (like Mac Osx Snow Leopard).

But since Pro Tools 9 is a 32-bit application, will it be able to use more than 4 GB of RAM? And what happens with the plugins, will they be able to use more than 4 GB of RAM? Or doesn't it matter at all, will Mac Os allocate more than 4 GB RAM regardless of if the application is 32/64 bit?
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Old 12-05-2010, 10:06 AM
bonestonne bonestonne is offline
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Default Re: RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

http://www.kwikpiks.com/files/129/protools.png

I know it's not the greatest screenshot (PT real usage isn't even visible) but that's an idea of RAM usage in Snow Leopard 32 bit.

I have a first gen MacBook pro, that's PT9. My laptop has 2gb of RAM, and I have a Seagate 500gb 5400.6 hard drive inside. Due to coding, the application can only address 3gb max. You could have hundreds of gigs of RAM, but Snow Leopard can't allocate more RAM to an application than it can address.
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  #3  
Old 12-05-2010, 10:43 AM
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TOM@METRO TOM@METRO is offline
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Default Re: RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

You can run apps such as “Reaper ReWired” or Vienna “Ensemble PRO” in order to effectively access more RAM for plug-ins in A 64-bit system. Even though Pro Tools can only access RAM close to the 4GB limit, the system uses additional RAM so... If you are wondering if there is an advantage to a 64-bit system with Pro Tools and more than 4GB of RAM, the answer is yes.
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Old 12-05-2010, 11:00 AM
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Keybeeetsss Keybeeetsss is offline
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Default Re: RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

Quote:
Originally Posted by TOM@METRO View Post
If you are wondering if there is an advantage to a 64-bit system with Pro Tools and more than 4GB of RAM, the answer is yes.
But, don't take it as PT will use more than 4g; everything else will hav RAM to access over the 4g that PT sees (if u of course hav more than 4)



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Old 12-05-2010, 11:32 AM
L-Dogg L-Dogg is offline
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Default Re: RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

So 'beeetsss, you are saying that if you have 6GB of RAM, that Pro Tools will use it's 4, but while it cannot access the remaining 2GB; the OS and any other apps that are running can?

So it is still beneficial to have more than 4GB, even though PT can only utilize that much?

Also TOM@METRO, you said
Quote:
You can run apps such as “Reaper ReWired” or Vienna “Ensemble PRO” in order to effectively access more RAM for plug-ins in A 64-bit system
So Snow Leopard is 64bit yes? Pro Tools is only 32bit. Reaper comes in both. Are you saying that loading 64 bit Reaper in as a rewire will allow you to run VI's in that Pro Tools session, as 64bit? So the VI's loaded in Reaper, will be able to access the additional installed RAM above 4GB........ within that Pro Tools session that can only access 4GB?

I assume 32bit Reaper also can only access 4GB? I also assume the Vienna app is a 64 bit application?

Sorry for the retarded questions, I am still trying to wrap my head around this. I have tried rewiring Reaper and it did run several VI's with no problems...... but truth be told I do not know which version of Reaper I have in my studio computer.....32bit or 64 bit. I just got the app to try it, I am still running as a demo and hardly ever use it.

This being the case though, I will purchase the 64 bit Reaper if it will be a cost effective solution to getting more VI's in a PT 9 session. As opposed to buying DP or Logic just for sessions with lot's of VI's/sample libraries.

Right now PT seems to choke real early.

I wonder how big of a deal it is for Pro Tools to become 64 bit? Is that a huge amount of rewriting the code for the application? Why don't they do it?
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Old 12-05-2010, 11:57 AM
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Default Re: RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

Ldogg, yes it is mucho beneficial to hav more than 4; as far as REAPER or VEPro, it of course has to be the 64bit app as well as the plugs hav to be 64bit; but, even if they aren't, that still means a different 4g or however much is available; So PT uses its 4, even if Rewired is 32 bit, it'll still use up to its own 4g as well.. If its 64bit, then it'll use as much RAM as u hav in ur rig...



edit: if the OS is 32bit, 4g is it period...
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  #7  
Old 12-05-2010, 11:57 AM
SixChurchStreet SixChurchStreet is offline
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Default

I recently asked a question like this. I think it was on the macrumors forum.

From the responses, what I understood, that even when running OSX in 32bit mode, you can benefit from more than 4gb. My understanding is that any app or OS that is 32bit can only access up to 4gb. But it doesn't have to be the same 4gb. For example if you have 6gb of ram, and the OS is using 3Gb, then PT can use the other three. Neither is passing their 4gb limit, but they don't need to share the same ram either.


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Old 12-05-2010, 02:01 PM
thierryd thierryd is offline
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Default Re: RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

I recently ran into PT memory limitations on a feature film I was mixing and reported here:
http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?p...08#post1708808

Although Avid Tech Support didn't respond to that thread, I also asked the same question via my dealer and was in communication with somebody (unknown to me) at Avid. Basically what was said is that the current limitation of ProTools is 2.6GB of RAM memory use (exactly the amount where I ran into trouble). Beyond that things become unstable, so the only solution is to run smaller sessions or avoid using memory intensive tasks such as the Workspace.

Greetings,

Thierry

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eekay View Post
Hello!

I'm a bit confused here, a 32-bit system will support maximum 4 GB of ram due to address space. To use more memory a 64-bit OS is required (like Mac Osx Snow Leopard).

But since Pro Tools 9 is a 32-bit application, will it be able to use more than 4 GB of RAM? And what happens with the plugins, will they be able to use more than 4 GB of RAM? Or doesn't it matter at all, will Mac Os allocate more than 4 GB RAM regardless of if the application is 32/64 bit?
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  #9  
Old 12-06-2010, 01:28 AM
Eekay Eekay is offline
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Default Re: RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

Thank you guys for excellent responses!

This raises some more questions though, how is memory allocated for plugins? Noiselab wrote:

Quote:
What about 64-bit plug-ins? My understanding is that in almost all cases, a plug-in is treated like an extension of the application and is limited to the memory address limitations of the app. I really doubt if a 32-bit app can correctly use a 64-bit plug-in anyway, but if it could, it would still be limited to the app's 32-bit addressing limitations.
Is this different for different plugins maybe? Lets say I load a Waves plugin, will it use memory of the ProTools allocated memory or will it allocate memory directly from the OS. And what about samplers like Kontakt?

The reason I ask is that large sample libraries are quite RAM heavy, it would be a severe problem if 2.6GB is the limit for all plugins to share together with ProTools.

Can someone verify how memory allocation works for plugins?
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Old 12-06-2010, 07:29 AM
tokolosh tokolosh is offline
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Default Re: RAM memory usage in PT9 / MAC OS

I also raised these questions before. However I have not received a concrete answer from Digi
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