I’m fairly new to GP & have been knee deep in programming Rackspaces for the bands I’m in. I have 16 GB of RAM and looked at the task manager to see how much I was using. GP is using about 11 GB of my RAM, with the total amount being used by the Laptop is 13.5 GB. Of that 16 GB of RAM, how close I get to using it before the system becomes unstable?
thanks,
greg
Hi @mcgooze Greg - the amount of RAM you need is highly individual depending on your plugins and sample libraries in use and how you use them - and a topic often asked and discussed in the Community. I would highly recommend that you use the Search function for “Ram” and read through the topics and replies. I would be very surprised if you didn’t find your answer there and if not, would help you narrow your question for your specific case. There is also a free e-book on how to optimize your PC for live performances with GP in the Knowledge Base section of the GP website. The link is HERE.
Thanks. I’ve already gone thru that book & optimized my system. My question was more general Windows as it relates to GP… as in, am I likely to be on the verge of a crash if I’m utilizing all 16 GB of my RAM or is a fine-tuned system able to handle that?
The question may be a moot point as I’m figuring out ways to use the Global Rackspace to be more efficient with memory.
I think that @bigalminal has experimented with using Gig Performer with near to 16 GB of RAM usage.
See here: A question regarding ram amount
Unlikely it will be a ‘crash’ event because it’s the audio processing that will ding you, all things being equal. You will know when it happens because you will get audio pops, clicks, dropouts and/or other artifacts. That said, there definitely are ways to improve memory usage which always helps. Good luck!
I’ve been a fan of the Surface Pros since they came out. I started with GP in 2016 using a SP 4 i5 with 8 gig ram. In those days I never used drum or bass vsts. I then moved up to a SP 6 i7 with 16gig ram, and just before Christmas, upgraded to a SP 8 i7 with 16 gig ram. The SP line suits me because of its small footprint and great portability. All the Surface Pros have peformed well for me.
I have my songs in sets of 20, with predictive set to 3. Most sets load in about 17 seconds. Recently, I combined all of my 21 sets into a monster gig file so that I can respond to requests and am able to wing it and play anything from amongst over 400 songs. The monster gig file loads in 3 minutes and 9 seconds.
As well as predictive set to three, I have optimised the Surface according to guidelines on the net and on this forum. I also use Process Lasso from Bitsum, and Park Control by the same company. I run the Surface in hi performance mode and it does get quite warm, but the fan kicks in and runs quietly in the background.
I should mention that I don’t use the set list option, but load each rackspace as a seperate song. I control GP using a BT pedal hooked into an iPad Pro 12.5” running the OnSong app over wireless. The wireless access is provided by a Bome Box through Bome Wireless network on the iPad and Surface Pro. I never have to touch the SP at any time after loading the gig file, as all control comes from the iPad.
Finally, my audio interface is a Focusrite Clarett USB DEVICE set to 44.1 with a 256 sample size. This gives me latency of 5.8 ms. Cheers.
Just an update here. I had a crash yesterday with my Surface Pro 8, right in the middle of a programming session. There was an almighty rumbling squealing noise that would not stop. At the time, the SP was really quite hot to touch. I decided to drop back to a balanced power plan and I also deleted the two Bitsum programs. So far, the SP is running fine. It still gets quite warm, but not as warm as when on the high performance setting. I had a full day programming today so things are looking good. No noticeable drop in performance on the balanced power plan.
What is “Bitsum”?
I’ve used Park Control Pro for years. Still using it but now it’s mostly window dressing (pun unintended). The Lenovo laptop I’m using has a locked power management profile (for heat management), so can’t use Bitsum’s “Highest Performance” profile.
I am a bit concerned about the heat the Surface Pro 8 is generating. The fans turn on so I guess its ok. I don’t suppose there is anything else I can do regarding the heat?
It sounds like you’re pushing that machine to its limits for extended periods of time, so you’ll have to do all you can to keep it cool and running smoothly.
Heat management is one of the most, if not THE most, important design considerations for modern laptops. Designers put a lot of thought into cooling. Laptops work fine until the magic smoke that powers all electrical devices gets out.
A cooling pad like the one suggested by @edm11 can provide an extra level of safety for laptops where the heat management design isn’t quite up to snuff (as was the case with the Lenovo model that preceded my P17).
There is a registry hack for the Surface Pro that would allow you access to the power management controls, but I’m not going to post a link to it because using that hack would be a big mistake, IMO.