DP8 announced: 64 bits and available for Windows!

[toodamnhip]

Well, we know that if the Mac DAW market share is a fraction of the total Mac computer market share, being 10% at best-- then it follows that there is a *large* market out there in PC world to tap into. Considering how popular MOTU's hardware is cross-platform, I should think they'd have a good idea about why sending more of their software-- including DP-- cross-platform as well.

OK, 64 bit support, now what?
I mean, to me, 64 bit means nothing until every VI and plug in will run perfectly WITH DP, IN 64 bit.

Id love someone here to explain how it might work to me.
I don;t even know if my 2 x 2.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon starts up in 32 or 64 bit.

Run this in Terminal:

ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi

Most of what pops up as a result won't make sense, but you'll see "32" or "64". That means you *can* boot the 64-bit kernel. To do so, hold down the "6" and "4" keys while booting up.

As for explaining its benefits---

DP has been a 32-bit app for ages. That means, as with any 32-bit app, it choked when loaded with more than 3.5-4GB of data.

That DP is now 64-bit, it means that the 3.5-4GB data limit is gone under the 64-bit kernel. DP8 can now address 16-17 EXABYTES of RAM.

For all practical purposes, suffice it to say that DP8 will make use of all of the RAM your computer has or can hold.

1 exabyte = 1,073,741,824 gigabytes
17 exabytes = way more RAM than any of us have ever imagined, considering that few of us have any more than 16GB installed. Yes, the stats go well beyond what's possible today, but consider that 32-bit apps have always been 32-bit from day 1.

Remember the Atari ST? That was an "advanced" 16-bit machine when others were only 8-bit. The ST? That stood for Sixteen-bit external, Thirty-two bit internal. CPU was 8Mhz with 512k memory. Hardly enough to threaten the 3.5-4GB limit. It was the same then as it is now. No one would EVER need more than 4GB RAM. Right? That's what they said back then. LOL!

If you've ever seen the error message that DP has run out of memory, chances are you won't see that message again for a little while.

This is what I got:

too_damn_hip$ ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi | | "firmware-abi" = <"EFI64">
Does that mean I am running in 64 bit?
If so, does that mean that DP has just automatically been running in 32?
If so, does this mean that when your comp is set to 64, programs that ARE 64 will run at 64 and those that aren;t will automatically port somehow to 32?
And, if DP is 64 but a certain plug in inside DP, for example Blue TUbes, is 32, what happens?
Like always Frodo my brotha, thanks for the time you take in these forums.
Are you going to be at NAAM Sat?
If so, hit me up in a pm and maybe we could have a coffee...beer, heroin, whatever floats thy middle earth boat...lol..(just kidding bout heroin, I don;t do drugs cept for an occassional martini),,,,

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I run my Mac Pro in 64 at startup by default and 32 bit programs run fine. My Atari TOS apps will not run at all.

[toodamnhip]

As for explaining its benefits---

DP has been a 32-bit app for ages. That means, as with any 32-bit app, it choked when loaded with more than 3.5-4GB of data.

That DP is now 64-bit, it means that the 3.5-4GB data limit is gone under the 64-bit kernel. DP8 can now address 16-17 EXABYTES of RAM.

For all practical purposes, suffice it to say that DP8 will make use of all of the RAM your computer has or can hold.

Does this mean that memory hogs like East West QL Pianos will finally calm down? Also, Omnisphere? etc

[Frodo]

This is what I got:

too_damn_hip$ ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi | | "firmware-abi" = <"EFI64">
Does that mean I am running in 64 bit?

You're good to go for the future. You are 64-bit ready.

If so, does that mean that DP has just automatically been running in 32?

Could be.

If so, does this mean that when your comp is set to 64, programs that ARE 64 will run at 64 and those that aren;t will automatically port somehow to 32?

I'm not quite that geeky-- but at least under Snow Leopard, 32-bit apps run within the 64-bit kernel within a 32-bit shell.

And, if DP is 64 but a certain plug in inside DP, for example Blue TUbes, is 32, what happens?

JUST KIDDING!! (but keep a fire extinguisher handy to protect the kids)

It should probably work fine. I would worry once Universal Binary goes away. That's not so much a PPC vs Intel thing. It hits at the heart of the 32-bit vs 64-bit thing.

Like always Frodo my brotha, thanks for the time you take in these forums.

Are you going to be at NAAM Sat?

No, unfortunately. I'm in the dog house for the squeakend.

If so, hit me up in a pm and maybe we could have a coffee...beer, heroin, whatever floats thy middle earth boat...lol..(just kidding bout heroin, I don;t do drugs cept for an occassional martini),,,,

Man-- we probably live a lot closer to each other than Anaheim. Maybe a bunch of us can go hear Tim's band play. GREAT BAND, and no mistake. Tim actually testifies on the guitar. It's amazing. It's one thing to play well. It's another thing to testify.

Martini's I can deal with. I get very picky about beer. No drugs in the shire. Probably none of it if I'm driving to and from Castaic.

But, there t'is.

[Rainman]

I think everyone needs to breathe deep and calm down a bit. We're at a turning point here where (if you haven't noticed yet) the iPad has become the primary element of human interaction with whatever art there is in the world we know it. DP moving to windows doesn't surprise me one bit, it's probably a reasonable business move, if and until Apple moves to some other chip that no longer supports Intel (and I doubt if that will be a hard right turn) we all benefit.

The sole reason I moved to Motu from Opcode which I moved from MasterTracks Pro was to stay on the Mac platform. I will NEVER EVER move from the Mac platform, (besides, I'm getting too old). I think a lot of people are waiting for the new Mac Pro's and I'm wondering if they ever will appear. As I write this I'm sitting at a new iMac i7 3.4 Ghz machine with a G5 PPC behind me wondering what it's future is, and frankly, I don't know.

UAD's Apollo is the future with Thunderbolt, as is anyone else's products that also supports TB. Look at Alesis's products on the iPad, fellas, this is the future, not another MacPro aluminum tower, I'll be surprised if there ever is one again, the cost is too out there.

[Frodo]

Does this mean that memory hogs like East West QL Pianos will finally calm down? Also, Omnisphere? etc

You guys are way too quick for me. I can't type that fast.

PLAY is 64-bit and has been for a while. The hurdle has been OSX trying to elegantly funnel gobs of data into DP's 32-bit memory addressing.

A whole lot of things are going to calm down. The computer will work better, and women will lose interest in you-- why? Because you computer will work better!!

[Frodo]

I think everyone needs to breathe deep and calm down a bit.

But I said "just kidding" and did the LOL thing.

I've grown too old for the internets.

[Rainman]

Sorry Frodo, I missed the "just kidding" and the "smilies" man, I AM getting old. I don't even know how to put those smilies in there, I've dreaded the day I'd have to admit that!

Rainman (getting' rusty with all that rain)

[Frodo]

Sorry Frodo, I missed the "just kidding" and the "smilies" man, I AM getting old. I don't even know how to put those smilies in there, I've dreaded the day I'd have to admit that!

Rainman (getting' rusty with all that rain)

I'm joshing with you, RM... just keeping it light.

Old. Tell me about it. Yesterday, there was no Wikipedia. I'm so old that I didn't even have a need to check-- until a few people sent me e-mail about it.

Oh-- and ignore the radioactive sign. Green veggies have their effect.

[Rainman]

Aaah, Frodo, I've come to rely on you for some sober insight into all that is mystical. I really think we're in for a major paradigm shift if you don't mind me using that 80's phrase. Wow, TB just got a nice start at CES and now we're seeing the audio iterations at NAMM. This is one show I'd love to be at and especially at the Motu supper with Magic Dave, I think he'd be able to tweak us in the direction of the future.

Rustman

[twistedtom]

The reason I have not gone PC is not DP but Windows. I just like Mac so much better, I have to use Windows at work and I get more than my share there.

64bits

[Rainman]

The reason I have not gone PC is not DP but Windows. I just like Mac so much better, I have to use Windows at work and I get more than my share there.

64bits

AMEN Brother!

[Klaus]

Re: DP and Windows,
It is still the same question as on Mac, will it run on older Platforms...
i.e. XP
I'm sure a lot folks have PCs, but with XP...
( I have and am watching the windows audio world too )

And for iPad / iPhone ...:
I doubt that these chips are capable enough to do professional work like on a Core 2 Duo...
Me thinks this is targeted to small trackcounts , or medium trackcounts without plugs.
The plugin format is *at* start for iOS, as far as I know.

And for Apple, if they take a break on Mac Pros, they'll have a hard time to come back, since
again, they would ask us to buy new hardware...

Hopefully the time will come when *un-sustained* evolution will be forbidden, but then,
who decides what it actually represents...

Just Thoughts..

Klaus

[toodamnhip]

Aaah, Frodo, I've come to rely on you for some sober insight into all that is mystical. I really think we're in for a major paradigm shift if you don't mind me using that 80's phrase. Wow, TB just got a nice start at CES and now we're seeing the audio iterations at NAMM. This is one show I'd love to be at and especially at the Motu supper with Magic Dave, I think he'd be able to tweak us in the direction of the future.

Rustman

I doubt Magic D would tell anybody anything about the future of DP. These guys are not only tight lipped and professional, they are bound by non-disclosure agreements.

[zed]

DP8 can now address 16-17 EXABYTES of RAM.

In a few years software developers will be creating virtual emulations that are so complex that they will require a few Exabytes just to run them.

Like Virtual Studio Engineer, the artificial intelligence engineer who talks and thinks and mixes your music for you. He even installs software for you and troubleshoots problems with expertise. The deluxe pro version can even give you a valid opinion on your latest recorded take, in the voice of whichever famous producer or engineer that you want to here.

"That was a keeper. I think you got it!"

If you've ever seen the error message that DP has run out of memory, chances are you won't see that message again for a little while.

I just can't wait. If this whole 64-bit thing works properly and I can actually load a bunch of instruments without encountering memory issues and DP crashes, I will be in absolute heaven.

It's gonna revolutionize the way we are able to work!

And so many slow and bloated projects will be able to breath again.