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  3. external/internal SSD?

  • external/internal SSD?

    A
    A

    Hi

    I just ordered a new iMac 27 (Retina 5k) i7 4 Ghz to replace my old Mac Pro 2 x 2.8 Ghz.

    For a couple of years I've been using VSL SE and some DLs stored on a separate internal HD (SATA) and the system (+music apps) on another HD. My main app is Finale and I send midi via IAC buses to VE Pro (stand alone). This has worked fine for at least 6-7 years now. My biggest scores are for full orchestra (approx +40 midi channels).

    On my new iMac I have ordered a 512 GB internal SSD so theoretically I could store my VSL libraries on the internal SSD together with the OS and all my apps. 

    But would I benefit much from storing the VSL libraries on an external SSD? And is it a big difference between thunderbolt and USB 3?

    Thanks

    A.S.
  • PaulP
    VSL Team
    PaulP
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    Hello Albert S,

    If you have enough storage space, you can easily work with your internal SSD drive.

    The main advantage of external storage is the flexibility you get.

    USB3 and Thunderbold is a matter of taste (and Apple seems to move away from thunderbolt in the future, in my eyes).

    Best,
    Paul

    Paul Kopf Head of Product Marketing, Social Media and Support
  • Cyril BlancC
    Cyril BlancC

    Read this :

    hunderbolt 2 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA: Speed

    All three standards are much, much faster than USB 2.0, which tops out at 480Mbps. eSATA can deliver 6Gbps (older versions deliver 1.5Gbps or 3Gbps), USB 3.0 runs at up to 5Gbps and the incoming USB 3.1 should do 10Gbps. Thunderbolt can do 20Gbps.

    As we've already explained above Thunderbolt 2 isn't actually faster than the original 10Gbps Thunderbolt standard, but if you wanted to get 20Gbps out of that you needed to combine two 10Gbps channels. You don't need to do that with Thunderbolt 2.

    As with all maximum throughput figures, quoted speeds are theoretical maximums and don't take data overheads into account. The performance you actually get in the real world will also depend on your devices and their configurations.

    Thunderbolt 2 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA: Compatibility

    Thunderbolt combines two protocols, PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort, which means you can connect monitors, external drives, video capture devices and so on. The DisplayPort element is backwards compatible, but you'll need a cable adaptor to connect an existing DisplayPort monitor. You can also connect DVI, HDMI and VGA displays via adapters, and if you use OS X you can network two Macs over a Thunderbolt connection rather than the traditional Ethernet.

    Thunderbolt 2 uses the same connectors as the original Thunderbolt standard, so you'll be able to connect Thunderbolt devices to Thunderbolt 2 ports and/or cables and vice-versa. As with other standards' backwards compatibility, you won't benefit from the newer version's faster speed when you connect an older device.

    That's worth remembering if you'll be connecting Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 devices on the same chain – you'll need to put the original Thunderbolt devices at the end of the chain, not the beginning, or everything will run at Thunderbolt 1 speeds, not Thunderbolt 2.

    USB 3.0 is backwards compatible, so you can connect USB 2.0 devices to a USB 3.0 hub and vice-versa, although of course you won't get USB 3.0 speeds from a USB 2.0 device or port. If you want to run multiple USB devices you'll usually need multiple ports or to invest in a hub – USB devices tend to be designed for standalone use, not daisy-chaining like many Thunderbolt devices.

    eSATA is an external version of Serial ATA, the standard used for high-speed internal hard disk connections. Some firms, such as Toshiba, make laptops with dual-mode ports that can connect either eSATA or USB devices.

     
  • W
    W

    Thanks Cyril for that info, I was wondering about the actual speeds! 
  • A
    A

    Thanks Paul, 

    I'll probably start with putting the samples on the internal SSD and see if this works ok then.

    Interesting reading Cyril. Thanks for posting that.
  • Cyril BlancC
    Cyril BlancC
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    @Albert S said:

    Thanks Paul, 

    I'll probably start with putting the samples on the internal SSD and see if this works ok then.

    Interesting reading Cyril. Thanks for posting that.

    It is better to have the samples on different disk(s), what lib do you own ?
  • A
    A

    Cyril: I own SE Vol 1 & 2, SE Strings Plus, Download instr (Horn, Tpt, Fl, Ob, Cl, Bsn, Sopr, XXL Tam), Epic Orch, Vienna Suite, VE Pro

    To be honest I don't really need the most optimal speed or performance, I just need a "fast and dirty"-solution that allows me to hear what I compose in Finale while I'm working at my computer. My end result is always a written score that will be performed by a real orchestra. I never produce any mockups (and that's a god thing because I really suck at it).

    With that said I definately need something that can playback a full orchestra score directly from Finale which has previous been quite a challenge for anything but the most powerful Mac Pros. But from what I have heard my future iMac should be well equipped for this task (and hopefuly much more powerful than my previous Mac Pro).

    One question though: If I were to go for the external HD solution, would it be a big difference in performance between a SATA and a SSD disk? Wouldn't the connection with Thunderbolt or USB3 be a bottleneck in any case? Or doesn't it work that way?
  • Cyril BlancC
    Cyril BlancC
    last edited
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    @Albert S said:

    Cyril: I own SE Vol 1 & 2, SE Strings Plus, Download instr (Horn, Tpt, Fl, Ob, Cl, Bsn, Sopr, XXL Tam), Epic Orch, Vienna Suite, VE Pro

    One question though: If I were to go for the external HD solution, would it be a big difference in performance between a SATA and a SSD disk? Wouldn't the connection with Thunderbolt or USB3 be a bottleneck in any case? Or doesn't it work that way?

    How many GB is all your libs ?

    a SSD disk is Sata III (6gb/s)

    an HD can be Sata II or SATA III but wil read and write at 1/10 of the ssd

    USB 3.0 runs at up to 5Gbps and the incoming USB 3.1 should do 10Gbps. Thunderbolt can do 20Gbps.

    Today it is TB that is the most powerfull but the most expensive

    USB 3.1 could be a cheaper solution, no idea when is going to be availlable. I have read that if you have a USB 2 and a USB 3 on a USB switch it will run all device at USB 2 speed !!

    TB 3 is comming too
  • A
    A
    last edited
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    @Cyril said:

    How many GB is all your libs ?

    My VSL libs are approx 80 GB.

    I looked at some external SSDs and they are terribly expensive.

    I will probably start with putting the samples on the internal SSD. If that solution is not good enough I will try an external harddrive (SATA with Thunderbolt 2 and/or USB 3.0). An external SSD actually seems a little bit over the top for my needs. But I may be wrong there.

    I will need an external HD anyway for Time Machine.
  • Cyril BlancC
    Cyril BlancC
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    @Cyril said:

    How many GB is all your libs ?

    My VSL libs are approx 80 GB.

    If so you can create two partitions on your internal SSD

    One of 80/90 GB for your libs and another one for your system