# How Much RAM Question



## chapbot (Aug 7, 2018)

Hi forum! I am building a new music production PC and wonder how much RAM do I really need? I run VSTs exclusively - Superior Drummer, various string libraries, etc. The new Embertone piano alone has 34 GB of disk space for each mic. My old PC had 32 GB RAM, I was thinking 64 GB for the new one? What are you all using?


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## dog1978 (Aug 8, 2018)

I got two PCs. Both using 128 GB. But 64 GB should be the minimum.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 8, 2018)

I have never exceeded 32GB, so it really comes down to what you will realistically need. For example, just because the Embertone piano needs 34GB of disk space for each mic, it doesn't mean it needs 34GB Ram. With SSD's, a lot of your libraries can utilize streaming. Ram is also expensive, so if you don't even come close to maxing out 32GB, save your money and upgrade later on if you actually need it.


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## Piano Pete (Aug 8, 2018)

What all are you planning on loading? As Wolfie said, disk space and what is loaded into RAM are not the same thing. What samples, and number, do you typically load at any given time? Is this all on one computer or with slaves? Are you comfortable with freezing tracks or bouncing in place to free up space?


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## Piano Pete (Aug 8, 2018)

The other question: do you want to leave yourself room to grow, if you plan on buying new toys down the road?


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## RandomComposer (Aug 8, 2018)

64GB should give you enough room, as long as you don't plan to use something like 3 full orchestras with 3 mic positions on every instrument all at once.


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## JohnG (Aug 8, 2018)

dog1978 said:


> I got two PCs. Both using 128 GB. But 64 GB should be the minimum.



I agree with this. It's hard enough to write good music; why "save money" on computer capacity? A killer PC these days costs far less than a single class at a US university.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 8, 2018)

JohnG said:


> I agree with this. It's hard enough to write good music; why "save money" on computer capacity? A killer PC these days costs far less than a single class at a US university.



Of course, but shelling out around $1000 for 64GB is a big chunk if you aren't even going to use half of that.


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## JohnG (Aug 8, 2018)

Wolfie2112 said:


> Of course, but shelling out around $1000 for 64GB is a big chunk if you aren't even going to use half of that.



IDK. I don't think so, really. The _time_ we put into becoming half decent composers is by far the biggest cost to trying on music as a profession, a cost that people often ignore.

Anyone -- including you, @Wolfie2112 you are obviously a smart guy -- who is intelligent and determined enough to write complex music to picture is also smart enough to be an accountant at a high level, a banker or other finance person, or maybe a lawyer or computer science jockey, and have a far more predictable income that ramps up more quickly as well. So the opportunity cost of spending 10 years getting established in this business could easily be reckoned at a million dollars or more, given that plenty of relatively low-level finance folk make way over $100k.

That's why the cost of this or that library or plugin, when viewed this way, is negligible, as is the cost of two or three computers. In the long run if it accelerates your path a little bit or helps you avoid a bottleneck on your first big project, the time saving / hassle saving / interruption in creative flow saving dwarfs the outlay on gear.


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## ein fisch (Aug 8, 2018)

doing fine here with 64GB RAM.. its extremely rare that i went above 32GB, and that was with a monster template loaded in FL Studio (where i probably had less than 32GB if i used the purge function more)... you should worry more about a good cpu than upgrading RAM imo


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 8, 2018)

JohnG said:


> Anyone -- including you, @Wolfie2112 you are obviously a smart guy -- who is intelligent and determined enough to write complex music to picture is also smart enough to be an accountant at a high level, a banker or other finance person, or maybe a lawyer, and have a far more predictable income that ramps up more quickly as wel



Good lord John, way more credit than I deserve, but thanks! I see what you're getting at, and you're right. I have a primary career (non musical) that allows me to subsidize my part-time musical gig. It's funny how I'll hum and haw over buying "nice" groceries, etc, but when it comes to studio gear, drums and libraries, it's like Monopoly money.


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## sourcefor (Aug 8, 2018)

Yeah i was contemplating that new macbook pro i9 with 32gb ram


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## Piano Pete (Aug 8, 2018)

If you want the "safe" solution, this would be my advice--without knowing the specifics of your usage etc.

1) Purchase a cpu/motherboard combo that can accommodate 64GB of RAM.

2) Purchase 32GB if you are confident that will suit your needs--especially if money is tight.

3) Purchase 64GB of ram regardless if you use all of it, but at least you have it available to you in a moments notice.

I will always overspec computer purchases, as I consider them investments. Yes, I try to be thrifty and hit every deal that I can find, but if I cannot plan a build to last a minimum of five years, then there is a problem.

Think of it like buying shoes for a kid. Yes, you can buy the perfect pair that fits them perfectly now, but in 6 months, you'll be purchasing another pair. Or, you can purchase a pair with some wiggle room, then you'll purchase another pair a year from now.

My suggestion, of course if you can feasibly swing the extra ram space, grab the 64gb.


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## Piano Pete (Aug 8, 2018)

If you can hold out till the holiday sales, I would suggest that as well. Gotta be quick though when dealing with ram. Know what specs you need and watch newegg and the other tech sites.


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## dzilizzi (Aug 8, 2018)

I have 32gbs RAM and am wishing I got 64. I was looking to upgrade, but the RAM costs have gone up a whole bunch since I built my computer a year and a half ago. But the music I was doing then (more pop/rock) - it was more than enough. Orchestras take a lot more RAM.

If you can afford it, go higher. I will basically pay double because I will have to switch out RAM when I buy more. On the positive side, my machine doesn't require all four to be the same, only matched pairs. So slower upgrading is an option.


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## Saxer (Aug 8, 2018)

It depends if you are a 'big template' user or a 'load what you need now' user. But even if you only load what you need but like to experiment with layering and comparing libraries I recommend 64GB. Get more if you like to use full versions of OT libraries or EWHO.

And it's better to have two PCs with 64GB than one with 128.


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## bjderganc (Aug 9, 2018)

What do you actually use? Not every style of writing demands a huge template.


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## meradium (Aug 9, 2018)

Saxer said:


> It depends if you are a 'big template' user or a 'load what you need now' user. But even if you only load what you need but like to experiment with layering and comparing libraries I recommend 64GB. Get more if you like to use full versions of OT libraries or EWHO.
> 
> And it's better to have two PCs with 64GB than one with 128.



Can only confirm this. ESPECIALLY if you are using OT libraries. Their "capsule" frustratingly eats your RAM for breakfast :/


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## chapbot (Aug 9, 2018)

Thank you for all the wonderful advice! I'll go with 64GB.


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## Tempfram (Aug 9, 2018)

What's wrong with 8gb if you're streaming from an SSD?


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## TheKRock (Aug 9, 2018)

chapbot said:


> Thank you for all the wonderful advice! I'll go with 64GB.


This is a late response but I have 64G on my iMac and although I don't usually use all 64G on every cue I do end up using in the 50+ ballpark quite often so I think your choice to go with 64G is a wise one!


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## Lassi Tani (Aug 9, 2018)

I think you should get a motherboard, which supports 128GB RAM, and first buy 64GB. I did that, and I'm very happy, because I had to buy more ram after 64GB. My templates takes max 80GB ram at the moment. And also ram is quite cheap nowadays.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 9, 2018)

Tempfram said:


> What's wrong with 8gb if you're streaming from an SSD?



A portion of the samples get loaded into Ram, 8GB won't get you very far. Especially on Windows, as the operation system alone eats up 4GB.


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## Tempfram (Aug 10, 2018)

Wolfie2112 said:


> 8GB won't get you very far. Especially on Windows


Is that for live playing or sequencing in general?


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 10, 2018)

Well, if Windows takes up 4GB, that leaves 4GB for your DAW or whatever else....which is pretty much nothing these days.


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## Geoff Grace (Aug 10, 2018)

Tempfram said:


> Is that for live playing or sequencing in general?


If by "live playing" you mean loading up just one sound at a time and playing solely that sound, then I don't see why 8GB wouldn't be enough. But most people load at least a set's worth of sounds at once; so in that case, you may very well need more RAM, if most of the VIs you're using are sample based. On the other hand, if most of your sounds are modeled, 8GB should be enough to get you through the entire performance. There are certainly people gigging with 8GB laptops. 

Best,

Geoff


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## Tempfram (Aug 11, 2018)

Well, if you manually set the amount to load in Kontant I think you can slim down a patch to less than 20 MB each.

100 of them would be less than 2GB.


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## Sami (Aug 11, 2018)

JohnG said:


> IDK. I don't think so, really. The _time_ we put into becoming half decent composers is by far the biggest cost to trying on music as a profession, a cost that people often ignore.
> 
> Anyone -- including you, @Wolfie2112 you are obviously a smart guy -- who is intelligent and determined enough to write complex music to picture is also smart enough to be an accountant at a high level, a banker or other finance person, or maybe a lawyer or computer science jockey, and have a far more predictable income that ramps up more quickly as well. So the opportunity cost of spending 10 years getting established in this business could easily be reckoned at a million dollars or more, given that plenty of relatively low-level finance folk make way over $100k.
> 
> That's why the cost of this or that library or plugin, when viewed this way, is negligible, as is the cost of two or three computers. In the long run if it accelerates your path a little bit or helps you avoid a bottleneck on your first big project, the time saving / hassle saving / interruption in creative flow saving dwarfs the outlay on gear.



Words to live by


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