I’ve recently upgraded my PC and have a 64 Bit copy of Windows. I never knew why it was a big deal to change but now I know I can have more RAM and bigger HDDs.
But what about for Renoise? Does it make any difference?
Using more RAM and bigger HDD’s are not the only benefits. Every DAW, also Renoise will run a bit faster in 64 bit. Also 64 bit based VST’s need a bit less CPU, if your CPU is also 64 bit based and 64 bit VST romplers/samplers can use more RAM for their sample based sounds/instruments than their 32 bit versions… And better multicore CPU support for 64 bit based CPU’s.
As far as i know it mostly depends on which kind of plugins you use. 32 bit plugins will slow down Renoise 64 bit, while 64 bit plugins will slow down 32 bit Renoise.
Renoise doesn’t seem to require huge amounts of RAM compared to CPU, so you will probably not notice a huge difference i think.
If you don’t use plugins i’d go for the same bit version as Windows, but there is nothing in the way of installing both so that you can switch if you end up stacking up on VST’s with the wrong amounts of bits.
Cheers for the info, so some subtle improvements…I was hoping for a 2+Gb file size, though its a rare occurrence
I now have a six-core processor - faster rendering times too?
Cheers for the info, so some subtle improvements…I was hoping for a 2+Gb file size, though its a rare occurrence
I now have a six-core processor - faster rendering times too?
Normally rendering should be faster with more CPU power, because the rendering process will be done in interaction between the CPU and the RAM. The CPU computes the VST’s, instruments, effects, their automations, etc. The RAM is used for caching the to be generated wave file, before it will be written on harddisk. Normally faster CPU and more and faster RAM results in faster rendering.
The main real difference (besides more memory to access from each process) between 64 and 32 bit builds is different instruction set available. 64bit has more registers active and such, leading to slightly faster code. Also, by preference of the man who configures the compiler, 64bit builds often use more features of the processor by default (more sse stuff and such) leading to slightly faster code. This can be harnessed partially in 32bit builds also, either by compiling with options enabled (pc’s without sse won’t be able to run the prog then!), or sensing at runtime which routines to use, i.e. normal code for old pc’s, or sse stuff for those processors that can use it, leading to slightly faster code. This is also valid for 64bit progs, so when your cpu supports avx and shit, the programmer can decide to use a version of slightly faster code when it is available instead of the version for kassenpatienten.
Using 64bit versions most probably lead to slightly faster code being executed. i.e. faster render times, and less cpu usage in realtime. Slightly. If you run 32bit plugin code on a 64bit program, or the other way round (on a 64bit cpu), there needs to be state switching between each call of that code, leading to slightly f…eh, slower execution of the code.
more samples! bigger samples! more bigger samples!
On OSX all VST GUIs aredefinitively faster (smooth 60fps) than in 32 bit mode (~ around 25-30 fps). Don’t know why this is the case… Is it because of the host or VSTGUI? No idea. But that would be the most important reason to switch for me hehe