# Specing a new PC build for Hollywood Strings and other libraries



## olajideparis (Jul 23, 2013)

Now that I have finally decided to make the jump from Logic to Cubase after the release of LPX I am starting to entertain the idea of going PC. I've always loved the sound of Hollywood Strings, especially the bow change legato but have been thwarted by Play's craptastic performance in OSX. Now that that is no longer a limitation I will be faced with I am curious if it is at all possible to run HS and possible HB on a single windows 7 based system alongside other Kontakt based libraries. Is anybody doing this successfully and if so what are your specs? 

Also, keeping my library options open, are there any other libraries besides HS and BML sable that feature bow-change legato? To the best of my knowledge Adagio, does not include bow change legato in it's arsenal of 10 legato playing styles.

Thanks a lot.

O.P.


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## BenG (Jul 23, 2013)

I am running HS Gold, BML Sable, BWW, CB. etc. and everything is on a single PC with no issues other than RAM limitations. (since my max is only 16gb of ram)

My specs...

Dell XPS 8300
Intel Core i7
16gb RAM
1TB HDD
256gb SSD
NI Komplete Audio 6
Cubase 7 64-bit

No real issues using the single machine so far.


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## jamwerks (Jul 23, 2013)

Hi,

Same position as you. I myself just jumped from Logic to Cubase (with also a few months of DP). I just ordered a new main machine (I7-4770, 32gb ram) to run Cubase and a few libraries, with most other stuff on a I7-3820 64gb ram slave via VEP.

I could let you know in a couple of weeks how much power I'm getting. The option of getting the I7-3930 in my case didn't seem worth it price wise. IMO, 2 or 3 machines (not just one) is the way to go. That seems to be what I'm reading a lot also.

Everyone has different needs, so if you think 32gb ram with do you, the new 4770 is out. I bought the 4770k, and am having it clocked at 3.9 (standard turbo speed). If you want just one 64gb ram machine, the new 4820 should be available in September, or take a look at the 3930.


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## olajideparis (Jul 23, 2013)

96GB? Holy crap man! What libraries are YOU running?!!? I think if I were to use nothing but Kontakt libraries 32GB would be just fine, after all I manage to get some pretty big templates rocking on a mbp with 16GB but as I understand once you enter into the world of Play all bets are off. What are your impressions so far of Cubase having moved away from Logic? Anything you miss or like much better? Also def keep me up to date about how your system(s) work out.


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## olajideparis (Jul 23, 2013)

Sounds good Ben, Are you able to have a lot of patches loaded up from the Hollywood series with that amount of ram or do you find yourself printing to audio often? I was looking at a minimum of 32GB or possibly maxing out at 64GB I'm starting to think this might actually work as long is it's on a PC.


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## jamwerks (Jul 23, 2013)

IMO the Hollywood stuff sounds great with 2-3 mic positions loaded, so don't underestimate your ram needs. For 64gb, you might consider a 4770k main machine, and just an I5 for a 32gb ram slave. A slave like that can be had for just 1k€ !!


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## olajideparis (Jul 23, 2013)

Ah okay so you're saying if my DAW is on another computer all I would need is a slave with a core i5 and 32GB RAM to successfully run Hollywood et al?


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## jamwerks (Jul 23, 2013)

Since I don't have that setup, I'd wait for confirmation from someone else here. But keep in mind that on a slave, processing wise, it's doing very little, so the I5 should be enough. Had I not wanted 64gb ram for my slave, I would have bought an I5 (3540?) miachine. Plus you wouldn't need a special heat-sink, or a dedicated video card, so it's very inexpensive (less than a MacBook air). :mrgreen: 

Only downside is that Apple may have to reduce their fleet of luxury private jets. >8o


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## BenG (Jul 23, 2013)

olajideparis @ Tue Jul 23 said:


> Sounds good Ben, Are you able to have a lot of patches loaded up from the Hollywood series with that amount of ram or do you find yourself printing to audio often? I was looking at a minimum of 32GB or possibly maxing out at 64GB I'm starting to think this might actually work as long is it's on a PC.



I am loading these artics on each track (Violins I, II, Violas, Celli, Basses)...

1. Legato Slur
2. Legato Portamento
3. Staccato
4. Staccatissimo
5. Spiccato
6. Measured Tremolo
7. Pizzicato
8. Slurred/Playable Runs

About 40 patches total which takes up about 6-7 gb of RAM. For the rest, I am loading the same articulations for the other sections with Kontakt based libs, for a total of 14 gb of RAM.
 
Never have to export to audio, or freeze tracks, works great with an SSD and Cubase 64-bit. Very stable.

There are basically two questions when buying a new PC. "Slave or Single" PC? and "How much RAM?"

For templates that rely heavily on the Hollywood Series, use a slave. Otherwise, a single machine is fine. And as for RAM....the most amount possible would be best (budget allowed) so you don't have to upgrade every 2-3 years. I believe there are machines with 96 gb of RAM from certain DAW bulders.


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## Scrianinoff (Jul 23, 2013)

The 4770k does NOT support 64GB, at least not now, maybe maybe maybe when 16GB ram modules become available, that is, the non-ECC, non-registered type.

You never know whether the CPU will support a bigger memory module than specified by Intel ( http://ark.intel.com/products/75123/ ). The i7-920 to i7-990x did support bigger modules than specified, and the lucky owners can now upgrade from 24GB max to 48GB max. I personally would not take that gamble with a i7 4770k to install 32GB now and hope for 64GB support in the future. You can go for 32GB now with a i7-3820 for the same price as an 4770k, and upgrade to 64GB anytime you want. Or throw in a few hundred dollars/euros more and get a 3930k with six cores.

In this thread http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtop ... 83#3651983 , I wrote more than a little something about it, it's still relevant. In the meantime Haswell (i7-4770k for instance) has arrived, but everything said about Ivy Bridge pertains to Haswell as well.


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## olajideparis (Jul 24, 2013)

Thanks for the info. PC's have always intimidated me because of all of the variables involved. I want to make sure that whatever I build is rock solid and that all of the components play nicely with each other and Cubase and don't create any latency. Fun! I'll check out that other thread.


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## Farkle (Jul 24, 2013)

olajideparis @ Wed Jul 24 said:


> Thanks for the info. PC's have always intimidated me because of all of the variables involved. I want to make sure that whatever I build is rock solid and that all of the components play nicely with each other and Cubase and don't create any latency. Fun! I'll check out that other thread.



I definitely encourage you to check out Jim Roseberry and his custom PC shop, Studio Cat Audio. He makes specialized PC DAW workstations for a great price, that are optimized for LASS, HW Strings, HW Brass, et al.

He's a beta tester for Sonar, and I think for Cubase as well. Regardless, he benchmarks all of his PC's on Cubase, Sonar, Reaper, and Studio One (and probably now DP) for stability.

He can do a custom spec with you over the phone, and his service is great.

Check out this custom platinum one that cost 2 grand. This is almost identical to the one I bought from him. Mine was 2300, and I added a 160 GB SSD for Hollywood Strings and Lass:

http://www.studiocat.com/3/index.php/Custom_Platinum

2 grand for a 4770 processer, 32 GB of RAM, a 2 TB hard drive for the bulk of your samples. Ask him to add a 160 GB SSD for your HW Strings, and you're probably looking at 2200. Add True Image backup (to image and save your hard drive's image) for 50 bucks, and you're rocking. And, for MUCH less than a Mac.

Hope this helps!

Mike


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## 667 (Jul 24, 2013)

I wanted to go with the name brand systems such as ADK or other audio / DAW PC builders but the pricing was just too much over the cost of building myself.

I built single 3930k cause I didn't want to have to worry about ever troubleshooting VEP, I know it's good/reliable for the most part but I just am not into troubleshooting complex setups. Keep It Simple Stupid.


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## sammy24 (Jul 25, 2013)

+1 on Jim Roseberry (Studio Cat), he knows his stuff and does a wonderful job -- he was a pleasure to work with, and very reasonably priced. His support, especially, is second to none.


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## wst3 (Jul 25, 2013)

Both Jim (studiocat) and Scott (ADK) are as good as it gets. Both can provide great configurations for very reasonable prices.

It comes down to personalities when choosing... Jim tends to get a little less annoyed with my whining and questions, (or maybe I've just caught Scott on a bad day?) 

I wouldn't hesitate to buy from, or recommend either company!


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## Peter Alexander (Jul 27, 2013)

olajideparis @ Tue Jul 23 said:


> 96GB? Holy crap man! What libraries are YOU running?!!? I think if I were to use nothing but Kontakt libraries 32GB would be just fine, after all I manage to get some pretty big templates rocking on a mbp with 16GB but as I understand once you enter into the world of Play all bets are off. What are your impressions so far of Cubase having moved away from Logic? Anything you miss or like much better? Also def keep me up to date about how your system(s) work out.



Get a board that lets you put 64GB RAM into it as cheap insurance for the future.


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