Sonikmatter: Freeze and ROM-plers and RAM - Sonikmatter

I'm going to update to Logic 6, using a Powerbook with 512 MB RAM. I also wondered if that could be enough to use Spectrasonics' ROMpler Trilogy, but it might consume too much RAM. How does the new freeze function affect RAM? Will the loaded Trilogy instruments still consume much RAM, even when they're freezed?

I tried search with "freeze RAM" but found nothing useful. I'm sorry if my search was insufficient. I might have posted in audio instruments/ effects, but I posted it here, since freeze is specific to Logic 6. Feel free to move it (mods).

While Freeze does make use of RAM, it isn't extensive, so 512 should be plenty for your situation.

Moved to soft instruments....I don't know how much memory Trilogy requires....so hopefully someone in the other sub-forum will be able to give you some info (or the Spectrasonics site).

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oscwilde: While Freeze does make use of RAM, it isn't extensive, so 512 should be plenty for your situation.

- That means the use of RAM is dependant on Logic and not the track that has been frozen?

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oscwilde: I don't know how much memory Trilogy requires....

- It loads samples into RAM, and I've heard it can eat up as much as 200 MB RAM, in a worst case scenario.

Oh, and thanks a lot! (Sorry for the wrong forum post)

Hi Perry Parkas,

Re: your question of Ram and Freeze.

After a track is frozen, Trilogy will no longer need its Ram as the track has been transmuted into an audio track. That instrument plug-in is no longer playing your MIDI notes. It is simply an audio file on your hard drive.

I don't have any ROMplers here, but AFAIK the Freeze function will only help you.

best,
Logicat

While the freeze function creates an audio track so the ROMpler is not actually playing when you play your track back, the ROMpler is still open with a sound loaded up, and therefore it still eats up the RAM needed to hold that sound in memory. The freeze function helps lessen the CPU load, but doesn't help so much in the RAM department.

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- That means the use of RAM is dependant on Logic and not the track that has been frozen?

Not quite.

As the other guys suggest...a RAM based instrument (Trilogy, EXS24 etc.) will still have a sample loaded into memory - even after freezing.
The only way to "reclaim" this memory is to unload the instrument and use the frozen track (or to bounce it to an audio file).

Freeze is all about saving PROCESSING resources, not memory.

My comment above about Freeze making use of RAM is simply as a buffer, during the actual Freeze process....and a small amount of RAM as a playback buffer for the frozen audio track.

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synthdogg: While the freeze function creates an audio track so the ROMpler is not actually playing when you play your track back, the ROMpler is still open with a sound loaded up, and therefore it still eats up the RAM needed to hold that sound in memory. The freeze function helps lessen the CPU load, but doesn't help so much in the RAM department.

That's what I was afraid was true. Thanks to you and Osc for clearing that up. If I were to get Trilogy, I guess I would need to bounce the Trilogy tracks, as Trilogy is said to be quite a "RAM hog".

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If I were to get Trilogy, I guess I would need to bounce the Trilogy tracks

Or, while you're at it and your wallet is still open, you could upgrade the ram.

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david mondrup:   QUOTE  If I were to get Trilogy, I guess I would need to bounce the Trilogy tracks   Or, while you're at it and your wallet is still open, you could upgrade the ram.

- Well, there would off course have to be some money in this wallet as well. Getting 1 Gig seems to cost me around 4000 norwegian kroner (ca. the same in danish kr - about 340 £, 599 € or 520 $), at least at the Apple store. I'm a bit cautious about using non-apple memory in my Powerbook, as there might be compatability issues, and that's one of the reasons I ditched PC.

But I could allways eat cake instead. wink

Yeah, Apple ram is horribly expensive. At my work, where we're running 8 emac OSX DAWs, all machines are equipped with 3rdparty ram. I wasn't sure it was a good idea at first, but then the danish Apple division adviced us to go this way. So, I think you can easily use non-Apple memory. Here in DK, general ram prices are around 1 kr./mb.

Prices should be in the same range in Norway (If "#TwinMOS DDR SO-DIMM PC2700 512 MB CL2,5" or "Apacer Memory 512MB PC-333 DDR PC2700 Orginal" is correct), that's HALF of the prices Apple charge. When I'm certain these will work, they'll be bought.

Just noticed you're using a powerbook. That makes memory a little more expensive, but also easier to check. Just bring the computer to the store and have the technician install the ram and try it out right there - if it doesn't work, your computer is unlikely to want to boot.

One word of caution; make sure the technician takes full responsibility before inserting the ram. If he refuses, go see another dealer - Oslo should be large enough to have several computer stores. I upgraded memory on my wifes Toshiba laptop a few weeks back. The first dealer I went to refused to install memory unless I took responsibility, as he foresaw having to give me a new laptop if the type off memory turned out to be wrong. When I told this to the next dealer, he laughed, promised me to take responsibility, installed 256 mb extra and it's working as fine as ever ...

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david mondrup: Just noticed you're using a powerbook. That makes memory a little more expensive, but also easier to check.

- Will be using a Powerbook, yes. Memory is a bit more expensive then.

Oslo is big enough, and thanks for good advise!