Who is running a SSD for their internal system drive?

[labman]

meaning Solid State Drive.

How is it working out with DP? Any noticable workflow speed ups?

[Dwetmaster]

I Am.

Here's the way I do It:
60GB SSD: OS, main Library and Applications
HD1: Home Folder
HD2: Samples drive
HD3: Audio Projects Drive
HD4: Fast 10krpm Audio Scratch Drive

Although I can't say for sure I have a MUCH faster system with it, It's been a much smoother ride since I have my system setup this way...

[kwiz]

I have a 250 gig drive on my MBP 2.13 and use it for my portable rig. Like Magic Dave, I run sessions off my internal drive and DP responds super quick re: edits etc.. On my studio rig I use 2 10k rpm drives. One as a system drive and one for audio and that system is a 3ghz Quad core. Unfortunately, it gets smoked by my MBP! Once I'm able to get a new mac for my studio I'm going SSD for the system drive and for audio and everything else 7200 for backups.

[timriley]

I have a 120gb SSD for the System drive on my Mac Pro. I also have two 1tb 7200 hardrives, one for samples and one for storage. I run the current project i'm working on direct from the SSD drive. Been going for 4 months now with moderate usage and it works great so far. DP load times are super fast and everything is very stable/responsive (touch wood).

[mhschmieder]

I am, ever since buying my 2010 MacPro last OCT and setting it up last NOV.

It is hard for me to separate the speed improvements due to going from a G4 iMac.

All I can say, is that I have only had three hiccups in that time -- and I am pushing my system something fierce, using low buffer settings on high track counts during overdubs vs. trying to do quick-and-dirty stem submixes in the heat of a session.

[mikehalloran]

"Savin' my nickels, savin' my dimes..."

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/internal ... _State_Pro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[FMiguelez]

Here's the way I do It:
60GB SSD: OS, main Library and Applications
HD1: Home Folder
HD2: Samples drive
HD3: Audio Projects Drive
HD4: Fast 10krpm Audio Scratch Drive

DwetMaster, how did you separate your Home Folder from the OS?

Also, I read (some time ago) that SSDs could develop issues after certain amount of usage. Something about them becoming less reliable after x number of writes... is this still so, did I get it wrong, or has technology defeated this issue?

Would you guys say it's something totally worth to implement?

[billf]

Also, I read (some time ago) that SSDs could develop issues after certain amount of usage. Something about them becoming less reliable after x number of writes... is this still so, did I get it wrong, or has technology defeated this issue?

FM, your assessment does seem warrant concern.

http://romacities.com/technology/solid- ... ity-myths/

I completely think so and thus you read my opinion here in a personal blog. Over the past 16 months I had to return SSDs 4 times. I have returned 3 Crucial Drives and 1 Corsair. All of them showed the same symptoms. Unlike spinning hard disk drives that start make some noise and show bad blocks, SSDs slow down fast within a few hours and turn off completely. If you don’t make backups every hour, you will most likely loose [sic] some data. I do backups daily online and weekly to an external drive and still managed to loose [sic] some important data.

[dbawmp]

I just installed an OWC 115gb SSD drive for my boot drive in the 2nd optical bay of my Mac Pro. I relocated my home folder to a separate 1tb drive and I'm really pleased with the results.

[HCMarkus]

From everything I've read, Mac users definitely want to buy an SSD that uses a Sandforce processor, like those made by OWC.

[Tim]

From everything I've read, Mac users definitely want to buy an SSD that uses a Sandforce processor, like those made by OWC.

Intersting. Have you any links to reference this info?

I am anxious to try SSD's, and will probably start with a VI Sounds drive, which is for the most part read only, and thus has little risk of data loss (being that it's backed up).

[Dwetmaster]

Fernando,
I don't have the link now but if you google : moving the home folder on another drive, you'll find plenty of step by step procedure. Basically, once your osx is installed normally, you go into sys pref/accounts and you can select some advanced preferences there. You can then, point to your HD home folder.

Although I only put my OS on it (which I don't really mind losing) I really think it's been pretty rock solid. Through the years, I've also lost a few HDs that died on me. So SSD or not, your data still needs to be backed up anyways.

[FMiguelez]

Fernando,
I don't have the link now but if you google : moving the home folder on another drive, you'll find plenty of step by step procedure. Basically, once your osx is installed normally, you go into sys pref/accounts and you can select some advanced preferences there. You can then, point to your HD home folder.

Thank you, DwetMaster.
I Googled. At first I thought this was a SL thing only, but right clicking my account (under system preferences) brought up this window I had no idea existed. So THAT's where you do this...

I can see the logic you are applying here with your Home Folder. I'll think about if doing this "switch" would work for me.

Thanks!

Back to the SSDs: so, for what I gather, SSDs work much better when they are being used mostly for read-only operations, correct? So is using them for samples a better choice (with current technology)?
Can you guys feel a dramatic difference between fast normal disks compared to SSDs?

[Dwetmaster]

Believe when I say it's not only effective for samples. It definitely makes your system snappier. Picture launching close to instantly most app? You hit the shortcut and, BAM, it's there.

[kwiz]

Believe when I say it's not only effective for samples. It definitely makes your system snappier. Picture launching close to instantly most app? You hit the shortcut and, BAM, it's there.

Ditto! Once you start using SSD's you won't want to go back to standard HD's.