2010 Quad 3,2 or 2009 Octo 2,26

[zaratero]

If drives ever become an issue, you can split audio files between multiple HDs.

Is it possible to have audio files in a single session located on multiple drives? I actually wasn't aware of that. How do you make that happen?

I guess that if you reference the files instead of copying to project folder while importing them, it should work.

Still thinking, I´ll sleep it at least ´til monday.

[mikehalloran]

100 tracks of audio with 6 plugins in DP-6 does not strain my 1.8 Dual G5.

I have done little with virtual instruments, though and that is going to change.

When I bought my 1st gen machine, someone, SOS, I think, did a report saying that the 1.8 dual could handle 131 tracks of audio while the 2.0 could handle 156 tracks. The OS was 10.3 and I don't recall if DP was v.3 or 4.

[jloeb]

100 tracks of audio with 6 plugins in DP-6 does not strain my 1.8 Dual G5.

Ah there we go.

Mike what's your drive(s) configuration and speed?

[zaratero]

Am I getting it right?
100 tracks X 6 plugs = 600 plugs running?
or even
100 tracks playing concurrently?
What´s the drive config? I have the same machine, I must be doing something very wrong, which of course is very posible.

EDIT: automation?

[gslawson]

Another way to increase drive performance is to get (2) 7200 rpm drives and create a software raid using 2 of the 4 available slots. This will increase the data rate from the drives and easily handle your track count. I got a ProTools HD OMF that I needed to translate into a Final Cut Pro XML for a client, and the session was 45 minutes long and had 115 tracks with another 64 tracks hidden and turned off. (Original OMF from FCP). It played fine on my DP 7.2 system, and I am using a 2 drive raid. The performance meter did not go past about 50% on disc use.

[jloeb]

Another way to increase drive performance is to get (2) 7200 rpm drives and create a software raid using 2 of the 4 available slots.

RAID 0? Did you try running the session without the RAID?
RAID 0 is usually recommended against for DAW work. Doesn't increase performance, while increasing the number of drives that could fail under the same number of files.

[i7user]

It seems clear that they were done using solid-state drives as well. Absent anyone who has done 100 tracks at 24bit/44 or 48khz using a 5400 or 7200 rpm drive speaking up (Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?), I would say you may want to consider at least a 10000rpm drive. SSD is also an option of course, but they're so outlandishly expensive, especially for a decent capacity.

True... but you get what you pay for! You don't need a huge capacity for sessions though. You can only have one session open at a time anyway so an 80GB drive should be fine... even smaller if needed. But a 54 or 72k HD is going to choke @ those high SR's. Even a hybrid should work good.

[i7user]

Another way to increase drive performance is to get (2) 7200 rpm drives and create a software raid using 2 of the 4 available slots.

RAID 0? Did you try running the session without the RAID?
RAID 0 is usually recommended against for DAW work. Doesn't increase performance, while increasing the number of drives that could fail under the same number of files.

+1!
Be a drag to loose that one time nuance or articulation due to a hiccup and they do hiccup he he. RAIDS are cool for situations where you have an off-line backup but for audio takes, you'd want a dedicated 10k, SSD or hybrid drive.
I've had great results using SW RAIDS for OS's though. Just a simple image push to be up again.

[zaratero]

My personal experiences with RAID 0 have been pretty dissapointing. I´ve tried various disks, internal and external eSATA boxes via soft and via dedicated boxes (although not quality ones maybe). No improvement, more than double risk.

I´ve thought about a RAID 5 config for this setup though. I´d have to buy 4 drives and add a 5th SSD in the optical bay for this.

The more basic (and cheaper) setup would be simply adding a 300GB 10000rpm Velociraptor for audio, a black caviar 2TB for SFX & all sort of libraries and video and a 2TB Green Caviar for Time machine, then connect a couple of boxes and a dock via eSATA for other stuff like offline Backups and so on (2nd OS,...).

I should add as well, that by the time I put together all those tracks, I usually carry quite a bit of volume automation with them. I´m going to try to play one of those sessions with no automation and see how it "buffers"...
I guess the SATAI is the first difference betweeen the example above and my setup though.

Again, thanks everybody for your commments.