To CTK or not to CTK?

[JKR]

I'm running PT9 on an iMac 2.4 with 4gb ram.
Like other similar set ups, I have VI's crashing & RTAS freeking out, but I love that PT's flows and sounds better than the competitors.

I'm ready to upgrade the iMac and have been waiting for PT10 to decide on spec - SSD, i5/i7 etc.
So should I get the iMac SSD free, max out the ram and spring for CTK to get disk cache. The biggie... CTK is over £1k and if PT11 is 64 bit as promised I don't want to splash for CTK to get disk cache now, only to see it as standard in PT11.

Am I trying to have my cake and eat it?

[Dism]

Disk Cache will not solve your VI problems.

A PT version without RTAS and TDM will. (i.e. 64 bit Pro Tools).

Disk Cache makes your sessions run about 1000x faster (slight exaggeration, but the difference is night and day), but it doesn't cache your VI samples.

Disk Cache is a workflow improvement, but not a plugin savior.

[JKR]

I thought the fact that disk cache would take some strain from other resources would help with the plugs.
Isn't the PT10 engine improved too, thus helping?
I'm soooo looking forward to just creating and not having to be a mac/pro tools guru - I'm not so good at that ha....

[Alacrity]

What's the general deal with CPTK updates anyways? Will CPTK2 become obsolete when PT11 drops and we'll have to pony up an exorbitant amount of cash for CPTK3? I'm just wondering as I'm about to pull the trigger on CPTK2.

[FilterDecay]

9 is one fickle lady when it comes to updated plugins. I would make sure all of your plugs are up to date.

[TOM@METRO]

Originally Posted by Alacrity

What's the general deal with CPTK updates anyways? Will CPTK2 become obsolete when PT11 drops and we'll have to pony up an exorbitant amount of cash for CPTK3? I'm just wondering as I'm about to pull the trigger on CPTK2.

CPTK1 and CPTK2 are the same license. They each authorize the same features. The difference is with the included plug-ins. As to what will happen when the next version of PT comes along... Nobody knows. An educated guess is that if there is a substantial change; an upgrade will be offered.

From the Toolkit guide...
Complete Production Toolkit
Features
A Complete Production Toolkit authorization
enables the following features in Pro Tools:

• Surround mixing, editing, and automation up
to 7.1 (depending on the output capabilities of
your audio interface)

• Up to a total of 256 voiced audio tracks (up to
768 voiceable audio tracks)

• Playback of up to or a combination of playing
back and recording up to 256 mono
tracks or 128 stereo tracks (256 available
voices) at 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz

• Playback of up to or a combination of playing
back and recording up to 128 mono
tracks or 64 stereo tracks (128 available
voices) at 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz

• Playback of up to or a combination of playing
back and recording up to 64 mono
tracks or 32 stereo tracks (64 available
voices) at 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz

• Up to 512 Auxiliary Input tracks per session
• Up to 128 Instrument tracks
• Fixed RAM Disk Cache allocation options
• TrackInput monitoring
• Ability to use QuickPunch™ on up to 64 tracks
• TrackPunch recording
• DestructivePunch recording
• Advanced Group dialog:
• VCA assignments
• Attributes tab
• Follow globals
• Momentary Solo Latch Back/Forward commands
• Custom Shuttle Lock speeds
• Numeric Keypad set to Shuttle mode
• AutoFades

• Advanced editing features:
• Continuous Scrolling
• Scrub Trim tool
• Replace Clip command
• Convert Clip Gain and Track Volume Automation
• Coalesce Clip Gain and Track Volume Automation
• TCE Edit to Timeline Selection command
• Selection of alternate field recorder audio
channels in the Pro Tools Timeline
• Expanding alternate field recorder channels
to new tracks

• Advanced automation features:
• AutoJoin with Latch mode
• Touch/Latch mode
• Trim mode
• Composite automation playlist
• Copy track automation to sends
• AutoMatch
• Prime controls for writing automation in
Latch mode
• Glide automation
• Trim automation
• Write automation to Start, End, or All
• Write automation to next breakpoint or
punch point
• Overwrite or extend Mute automation
• Snapshot automation
• Preview automation
• Capture automation
• VCA Master track automation
• Advanced video features:
• Multiple video tracks
• Multiple video playlists
• Video editing