Is it worth upgrading the RAM?

[wilkinsi]

I have a 2018 Mac Mini, quad core 3.6GHZ and 8GB RAM. I use my Mac for music making, internet and watching movies. Not all at once. DP10 does tend to struggle with DSP when using AU plugins, some more than others. So, will adding more RAM make a difference? I was thinking of 32 or 64GB (64 is the max it will take).

[HCMarkus]

More RAM may very well help.

If you want to see how things are operating now, run (in Applications > Utilities' Folder) Apple's Activity Monitor as you work in DP. Look at Memory Pressure and Swap Used under the Memory Tab..

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Also which AUs and how you use them can make a difference. If possible, large VIs should be in their own instance of the host player. That will spread the CPU demand across the various cores. But more RAM is never a bad idea.

[FutureLegends]

Going to 16 will most definitely be worth it! Progressively less gain after that. More than 32gb is probably not worth it unless you work with big sample libraries.

[mikehalloran]

More than 32gb is probably not worth it

Plugins like RAM. VIs like cores.

More RAM allows more apps to stay open without swapping.

I'm not positive I really need 128GB but I have exceeded having 98GB in use more than once. Now that I'm editing video while keeping DP open, I like having that much onboard.

Certain web sites can be RAM hogs.

[wilkinsi]

So, I am correct to make the compromise in using VI's in Standalone Mode, and buy more RAM to satisfy DSP-hungry effects plugins?

[wilkinsi]

Also which AUs and how you use them can make a difference. If possible, large VIs should be in their own instance of the host player. That will spread the CPU demand across the various cores. But more RAM is never a bad idea.

In their own instance? I usually just go to Add Track > Instruments with Options > only one Instrument Track is assigned to UVI Falcon, with just "one MIDI track for each instrument". If I need another instance of Falcon in the same project, that has it's own MIDI track. I prefer to record soft synths as plugin instances, because I don't have to re-record the same notes all over again if I want to change the instrument or preset.

[wilkinsi]

OOPS! Somebody please move this topic to the Mac section. How it wound up in Windows, I don't know.

[HCMarkus]

I don't think. you will gain anything by running VIs as standalone. What MLC is pointing out is the fact that, while a multi-timbral VI plugin can host a large number of independent MIDI-driven sound generators at once, it will only be running on a single thread. SO, instead of eight MIDI tracks driving eight channels of one synth plugin (for example, Omnisphere), you might have better luck running two instantiations of the plug in VI, each driven by four MIDI tracks.

[bayswater]

I upgraded my Mini from 8 to 32. While I was waiting for RAM to arrive, I used it with 8G and was surprised at how well it did with the minimum configuration. But even if your projects are mostly audio tracks with a few plugins and some hardware MIDI, if you intend to use this Mac for a while, and use it for other things, you'll want more RAM. At some point, there will be OS updates, DP updates, etc that won't work well on 8G. My recollection is that 32G is a reasonable deal, and that 64G was not so great. 16G is not worth the effort.

[Alicorn 935/960]

Pump up the RAM!
64gb here but this custom workstation, (my build, number14), is also a video, 3d mesh & graphics workstation as well.
It's only an i7 so getting a bit long in the tooth, but its lightning fast at everything.
Admittedly I am a DP novice atmo, but its performing very well indeed.