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  • Hybrid SSD Question

    F
    F

    Hello,

    I've got a good sized hybrid SSD Seagate ST4000 DX001 which is a 4TB hybrid SSD & mechanical drive in one.  I'm a little worried that it won't be fast enough to stream sample libraries properly which is why I'm here to ask about it.

    The drive element is only 5900 rpm with 8GB NAND flash and 64 MB cache.  I'm worried as it's not a 7200 rpm drive like the smaller variants the 1TB & 2TB of this model.  Saving grace maybe is the hybrid SSD element which may perform just as well as a traditional 7200 rpm drive.

    I'm looking for some accurate information from other users who just know the specs through lots and lots of use -

    This drive isn't yet in a system yet.

    Thanks
  • S
    S
    last edited
    last edited

    If I understand how samples work, it just impacts project load time. You are loading samples into memory...they don't "run" from the disk. Recording audio to that drive would probably not be desirable, but for loading samples...slow drives just take longer to get the data into memory, then they are out of the equation. If I am wrong, I am sure someone here can respond and clarify.

    You can get new 7200rpm drives for cheap now. Here is an example of a 7200 1TB Drive for $49.

  • G
    G
    last edited
    last edited

    I currently have samples loaded on expensive SSD drives.  If the assumption that,

    "essentially the only effect of using a standard disk drive vs an SSD for sample storage would be the time it takes to load the sample into memory."   is correct then I could swap the SSD's out for standard disk drives and use the SSD's for project's.

    Can anyone confirm or add to Synetos comment?  

    Seperatly but related...currently the SSD drives are not striped .. would my performace increase by striping them?

    Regards,

    @Synetos said:

    If I understand how samples work, it just impacts project load time. You are loading samples into memory...they don't "run" from the disk. Recording audio to that drive would probably not be desirable, but for loading samples...slow drives just take longer to get the data into memory, then they are out of the equation. If I am wrong, I am sure someone here can respond and clarify.

    You can get new 7200rpm drives for cheap now. Here is an example of a 7200 1TB Drive for $49. 
  • PaulP
    VSL Team
    PaulP

    Hi, 

    This is how sample streaming works: The first small part of the sample is loaded into RAM ("Preload"), and the rest is streamed from disk. 

    The faster the access time of the drive, the smaller the small part of the sample loaded into RAM can be. 

    So with, e.g., VI PRO and Kontakt, using SSD drives, you can minimize the Preload Time and load up to 10 times quicker, using only 1/10th of the RAM you'd need with a "normal" 7200 rpm drive.

    And of course the data throughput is considerably higher with SSD drives. 

    Hope that helps. 

    Best, 
    Paul

    Paul Kopf Product Manager VSL