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  4. [MAC] How Many VIs can be loaded into Logic?

  • [MAC] How Many VIs can be loaded into Logic?

    E
    E
    Hi guys,

    I'm sorry to be totally ignorant about all this, but I've been using Pro Edition for a few years now and haven't really had a chance to check out VIs yet. Can anyone show me a few links that talk about load size limits, memory, and other issues like that, so I can figure out if I am ready to plunk down $7k?

    Thanks in advance! Also, I may have work for some of you this summer. I am getting quite a few jobs, and will need ghost writers, synth realizers, sibelius users, etc. Let me also know if you would be someone I should stay in touch with on that.

    Respectfully Yours,
    Evan Evans
  • V
    V
    Hi Evan,

    I can only talk about the VI Special Edition.

    I've been using it with an old PC (separate from my main station): Pentium IV 2Go RAM.

    I was pleasantly surprised about the performances:
    using Kore as the host, I've been able to loaded 12 instances of the VI, each of them using a decent matrix (ie having 4,5 different articulations for each instance).

    Latency is set at 512 samples.

    However I do get sometimes some clicks/pops but I'm not sure what causes them.

    I plan on buying a Mac Pro to get more instances and just get rid of my PC in general [:)]

    I've been using quite intensively the Pro Edition, collaborating with other composers. I never owned it but I used it enough to know the system well.

    I can tell you that you'll be delighted by the new interface the VI provide. No more performance tool, it'd just a breeze to work with.

    I'd say that's the main advantage to the Pro Edition.
    Sure 24bits is a plus but it's a more subtle change than the interface itself.

    Hope this helps.
    Vincent

    PS: if you need help with your projects, send me an email or a PM to talk about it.
  • E
    E
    Okay, thanks, Vincent. I still need to hear from the Mac users. I have a Quad G5 2.0Ghz with 8GB Ram. And I currently have about 230 Instruments loaded using EXS24 (and using keyswitched layers).

    Evan Evans
  • V
    V
    Do a search on the forum for Simon Ravn.
    That should help you.

    Vincent
  • E
    E
    Is there no post here, with definitive test results?

    Evan Evans
  • cmC
    VSL Team
    cmC
    http://community.vsl.co.at/viewtopic.php?t=7712 - this is *only* a G5 dual 2.5 and IIRC using an older version of the player, but might give you some numbers.
    christian
    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
  • P
    P
    Hi Evan,

    I have a Dual 2.5 GHz G5 with 8 GB RAM and have been using EXS Pro Edition (w. Sample Merge on all instruments) up until now.

    I have just got around to testing the Vienna Instruments (which I bought ages ago) but am only now daring to use having been busy and put a lot of work into my EXS/Pro Edition template. Personally I am keeping Pro Edition/EXS instruments happening as I can a) access the samples easier b) I don't have the entire VI library c) I am more comfortable w. a period of comparison and integration of the 2 systems.

    Regarding load intances. I have to be a bit vague but here goes: My orchestral template usually uses about 30-35 instruments comprising multiple instrument EXS' and/or other Audio Units.

    I opened 'Activity Monitor' and loaded as many Vienna Instruments , each with a preset/patch or two - here's where it's vague - I didn't note the instrument size but I was watching my RAM allocation get smaller on the Mac utility 'Activity Monitor' as I added more VI's. Then I dashed out and bought an extra RAM stick to bring my G5 from 7.5 ish gigs up to the max 8 gig. That helped. I ended up with about 32 average-sized Vienna Instruments's loaded (but nothing else) before it maxed out. The extra 500 megs RAM seemed to make a bigger difference than I'd expected. I've never really completely understood how the 'swap file' thing effects performance but there's obviously quite a bit of that going on somewhere under the hood too.

    So far it looks like I'll get the same kind of instances with VI interface as with EXS. If not I'll use the EXS w. Sample Merge. I'm feeling confident to give the VI's a go, but not on all instruments. My approach has been not to buy the entire VI library but to make the change a little more gingerly, replacing key stuff first like the strings and new stuff you can't get on EXS. BTW I have bought the Special Edition which is a good way to test the VI's. Things like the harp I'm not sure I'll ever bother changing. 24 bit is obviously a key reason to upgrade. I'm working on my first piece with the Vienna stuff now so I'll report back here if I notice anything important. I have yet to really test this to the max - my current composition will certainly provide a good opportunity to test performance in a real work sitution. It's the biggest arrangement I've ever attempted.

    Patrick
  • E
    E
    Partick,

    Excellent. That's very much the same boat I am in. # of EXS instanaces and all.

    That's a great idea to get teh SPECIAL EDITION to get my feet wet.

    As far as being 24bit, film music gets compressed so heavily anyway, that doesn't make much a difference to me, unless there is a better quality sound since it hasn't gone through a conversion.

    Evan Evans
  • J
    J
    Hi Evan

    I'm currently running a split exs 24 and VI session (25 VI's and 60 EXS 24's . This is on a Mac 2.5 Dual with 6.5GB. It's runing this fine but it's near the max.

    The change-over to VI is a bit of a jump from EXS 24 but apart from some sound design uses that the EXS 24 is good for the VI's present the VSL orchestral libraries in a very elegant fashion and can be a joy to work with.

    If you are mainly Orchestral Scoring either for temp tracks or final the the VI's and the newinstruments not available on EXS 24 will seem a leap forward. Where you need lots of plug-in instances for the purpose of special fx/designs then you may well run out of computer power before you've got all the VI's you need. Your solution might be, in those cases, to use a hybrid session of EXS 24 and VI's.

    One thing to note if you are doing a lot of offline mixing of multiple cues is that regardless of whether or not the VI's are actively playing they will be using computer resources. So if, for example you wanted to bounce/mix a 4 minute solo within a large arrangement it wont bouce much quicker than a full arrangement. (also doesn't Lgic only use 1 core for offline bouncing?)

    Hope this is some help.

    Julian