That’s why I now use the GP streaming audio player. It streams from the hard drive (same concept as Kontakt’s DFD). (Basically, repeating Paul’s thought).
I will test the contact next week. I will report back.
What contact?
You mean Kontakt?
Oh yes. Google Translate is good, but it still has room for improvement.
I’ll be tackling the RAM issue soon. Just to clarify: Why can’t I purge and then save Kontakt as a new preset without playing the required notes? What’s the difference between that and playing the necessary notes first and then saving?
This is really a question for Native Instruments, it is not a GP issue.
My guess (but I don’t know as I have needed to purge anything) that if you purge and then load, then when you play a note there might be a delay since the sample isn’t loaded.
Okay. That could be the case.
That’s not exactly conducive to live performance. So, if I really want my entire program in the Gig File, I need:
To buy a new computer with 128 GB of RAM (instead of the 36 GB I currently have). Apple’s only option right now is the M4 Max, and it costs €7000. That’s steep.
I’ll keep working on this problem and try your and Pianopaul’s suggestions.
Can you replace any of your Kontakt libraries with physically modeled plugins that don’t need samples? Can you compromise a bit on the quality by, say, resampling your Kontakt libraries so they use a smaller number of actual samples?
We know of customers who are using such things as the BBC Professional Library (Spitfire) and are not reporting any issues (and they’re certainly not using machines with 128 GB of RAM)
Maybe you’re expecting too much of a live performance plugin host.
I’ve been working with Kontakt for many years. Many of my songs are built with it. Of course, I could switch now and try other models. I’ve already programmed half of my songs in GP. Resampling sounds like a lot of work. I’m just a user and don’t think that would be a solution.
After 20 years of using Logic on stage, your concept for a live performance program really appealed to me. That’s why I switched. The advantages are definitely there. Now I just need to get the RAM issue under control. So I’m collecting any tips I can find.
Yes, I certainly have high expectations, as I had the freedom from a very early age to create special programs for live concerts that would have been unthinkable on a keyboard 20 years ago.
Suggestions:
1. A computer with 128 GB of RAM
2. Three computers with 48 GB of RAM each, each with a gig file open and all songs distributed across the three gig files.
3. Load each song individually. That’s how I did it in Logic.
4. Predictive loading. We don’t have a fixed setlist. Short waiting times aren’t a problem. I had that in Logic too. But will the RAM be constantly filled and cause performance issues during the gig?
While I'm writing this, I'm also looking around here and found this entry:
Would that be the solution? Like I said, waiting times aren’t the problem in my band.
5. Use fewer sample libraries
6. I switched my system from 44.1 to 48 kHz because supposedly the latency and processing power would be reduced. Am I mistaken?
But you never used purging nor DFD playback, both of which should help to reduce your RAM needs. How were you able to handle those large Kontakt libraries before GP?
Please describe what you did exactly with purging samples
I had absolutely no problem with that, because each song was its own song (project) in Logic. Only one song was active at a time. And of course, I had no problem if a single song needed 5 GB of data. I never had any storage issues, so I never investigated. Therefore, I never knew anything about Purge or DFD.
On the iPad, I select the song. The app sends a program change request to the computer. There, the program change is executed via a script. The script triggers the following in Logic: The old song is closed, and the new one is loaded.
I did exactly what was shown in the YouTube videos that jeffn1 and you posted, except for saving it as a new preset. After purging all Kontakt plugins, I also saved the gig file. The gig file loading time was faster, and I was able to add more rack spaces again. But now there are too many songs again.
As I just wrote, I’m now trying predictive loading with just one song. I just need to make sure that the entire gig file with all 150 songs can be loaded. I can then load individual songs only when I need them.
If predictive loading works for me, then it will be the solution. Because I’ve also experienced loading times in Logic so far. I’ll be able to enjoy the advantage of having no loading time at all once a 128GB RAM computer is affordable.
you have to purge all samples
Then have to play the desired notes and velocities and then update sample pool and then save the gig file.
Did you do that?
Yes, definitely make sure you are following Paul’s instructions to properly use the Kontakt purge function.
Regardless of how much ram you have, if you do not use Predictive Loading, a large Gig File will can have substantial initial start up loading time. Even though you have a lot of ram, the Gig file still has to load up the samples into ram to start (but, without Predictive Loading, you should be able to switch to any song/rackspace seamlessly, with no (material) delay).
But, yes 128 GB of ram for a MAC is a lot. (I have 128 GB ram on my Windows machine, which uses ram less efficiently than Mac’s, as I understand it).
That’s exactly what I haven’t done yet. I’ll try it. It also sounds strange that the RAM is running low even though no samples are loaded after purging. If I then play the required notes and save them again, I’ll have samples in the pool again, and therefore RAM usage again. But maybe that’s just how Kontakt works.
If you purge, play the notes, and update the sample pool, you will use samples. But, only the samples you actually play, not all the thousands of samples and articulations that are available when the instrument is fully loaded. So, it should use way less memory.
I do that since years, seems @Maxxbom forgot the step “update sample pool”