Steinberg VST 2.4 64 bit announced

robi79 · Post by **robi79** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:13 am

Ok, it's here. 64 bit vst. Now really really it's about time to get some new 64 bit creamware drivers out.

...and please don't anybody say it would take plugin developers years to get out 64 bit plugs anyway 'cause it's prooven all the way wrong already...

symbiote · Post by **symbiote** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:54 am

It's not here, it's just "announced" =P

BTW the 64 bit drivers are going to be 100% useless without the whole application.

robi79 · Post by **robi79** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:09 am

You can download the sdk so it is here.

I've sonar 5 as a second app so the 64bit app is here, too. All I need is the driver.

BTW I don't really like sonar but I really guess other 64bit apps follow very very very soon

symbiote · Post by **symbiote** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:37 am

Nice, got the SDK, gonna tinker a bit with it. Might even go as far as installing that XP64 trial just to test some things out =P

robi79 · Post by **robi79** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:31 pm

On 2006-01-19 12:16, stardust wrote:
so where is the host ? Sonar ?

I said that already...

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:01 pm

Of all the things Creamware should be doing is this really a priority?

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:16 pm

of course - except hardtrance producers there are also a lot of hobbyists to support, who urgently need to play with their new toys...

oops - I better declare it - the line above

as a joke

[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2006-01-19 13:18 ]

robi79 · Post by **robi79** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:55 pm

ok, you are right I'm wrong. Instead of new drivers for 64bit system they should go and enable xtc for mac os9 that has to be the priority

Come on. The priority must be new drivers for 64bit pc and mac so the cards can be used in new computers then when it can be used they can improve the rest. If you can't use the cards on todays computers it needs no development anyway...

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:18 pm

Instead of new drivers for 64bit system they should go and enable xtc for mac os9 that has to be the priority

What a pathetic statement/attempt at humour. No Maccer ever asked for XTC, we know what's best for us

So you're argument for developing 64bit drivers is that there's nothing else of any priority in SCOPE that needs addressing first (let alone ASB bugfixes) and that this is it's biggest selling point?

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:04 pm

robi79 it's meaningless if someone is right or wrong on this question.
Mr. Arkardin mentioned the magic word: selling point

they have (had to) set their focus on what keeps the company alive
they probably would do more if they could afford it - at least you can see that things are in motion at least. Obviously they've 'off-shored' some of the developements to India.

cheers, Tom

Post by **hubird** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:37 pm

and besides, I concider OSX support as 1000 times more important than 64 bit support on mac... like any mac user I guess

bassdude · Post by **bassdude** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:11 pm

By the time you CAN'T buy a 32 bit OS or CPU, the pci bus won't be around so you couldn't use you scope cards in your shiny new 64bit pc anyway! My guess is creamware will write 64bit drivers for their NEW pci-express compatible cards at the appropriate time?

[ This Message was edited by: bassdude on 2006-01-19 18:13 ]

Post by **hubird** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:15 pm

yes, if ever

again, if your concern is making music, 64 bit support is totally irrelevant, at least at the moment.
It's a different story if you're a technology whatcher...so where do you stand Robi?...

[ This Message was edited by: hubird on 2006-01-19 18:17 ]

Post by **garyb** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:44 pm

i expect 64bit drivers when the 64bit apps REALLY come out....
i've heard that the driver is not that big a problem, just a low priority. it'll likely become more of a priority soon, although i doubt that the music will improve because of it....

symbiote · Post by **symbiote** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:49 pm

I'm all in favor of 64bit just for the heck of it, but in practice, if you look at all the benchmarks published up until now, the performance gains are dismal at best. Even POVRay compiled in 64bit running under SuSE 64bit is only like 20% percent than the 32bits version, a far cry from the theoritical "twice as fast." In most case, for stuff running under XP64, it's roughly the same, sometimes a 1% or 2% gain.

I've looked at the 2.4 VST SDK a bit, and for audio it mostly seems to enable double precision, i.e. 64bit precision throughout. It doesn't state explicitely that the 32bit version will run twice as fast, and I suspect this is more an OS/compiler issue than a VST SDK one.

So for audio, going 64bit would seem to be a strictly double-precision decision, you won't see much performance gain in terms of how many instances of plugins you will be able to run, it'll roughly be the same, just double precision (someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

Which is fine with me, but a bit useless as most of the signals I work with are still 24bit or 32bit.

So the main reason for a 64bit version would mostly be to run on newer machines, but as far as I know, XP64 went into release not very long ago, and 99% of machines are still shipped with XP 32bit. I could see a need for a 64bit version when the *majority* of machines are shipped with either Vista or XP64. And I doubt XP64 will be a majorly supported OS, they will most likely push for Vista, which will more than likely given Microsoft's established track record need TWICE the machine you have currently for the same performance you have with XP32 right now. It will also be so laced up in pointless DRM crap that setting up and maintaining a proper DAW environment is more than likely going to be a complete nightmare. Hopefully I'm wrong though =D

What is actually being a problem right now for modern machines is more the PCI/PCIE issue.

Seriously if 64bit is such a pressing matter, you should just get a cheap MAudio/RME/whatever on eBay/blowout that has 64bit drivers and be on your way.

robi79 · Post by **robi79** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:33 am

On 2006-01-19 18:15, hubird wrote:
yes, if ever
again, if your concern is making music, 64 bit support is totally irrelevant, at least at the moment.
It's a different story if you're a technology whatcher...so where do you stand Robi?...

[ This Message was edited by: hubird on 2006-01-19 18:17 ]

Why are you guys insulting me. Ok I see none of you has any arguments but... insulting me and telling me I'm not a musician because I'm using newer equipment doesn't make you right either.

@bassdude: Give me the drivers and let the pci -> pcie thing be my "problem"

@hubrid: osx but not 64bit? hä?

@symbiote: cheap rme? hä?

Remember TITANIC? Welcome on board, I'm out, you unfriendly bunch of "musicians"

symbiote · Post by **symbiote** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:18 am

Bah, I have a 64bit rig already =P Na ner.

Post by **hubird** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:40 am

@ Robi, na, it wasn't meant that hard...

But your claims were high, as if 64 bit would be a highly necessory salvation for, eh, what actually.
I always tend to emphasize the making music approach...please don't take it too personnel.
cheers

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:03 am

Sorry but most musicians aren't that rich that they just update their computers every six months just because the computer industry wants them to, so 64 bit really isn't going to be a selling point for the majority of people until that's all that is available.

bassdude · Post by **bassdude** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:05 am

Yeah, don't get all so defensive. You came in here all rah rah rah need 64bit or die!
Sheesh.