DAW's & the argument for a single large SSD

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Chumer
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2014/04/25 13:30:31 (permalink)

DAW's & the argument for a single large SSD

Hello Cakewalkers,
I just bought an HP Envy Touchsmart M7-J178CA laptop with a singe 1TB hybrid drive.  I also just bought a Samsung 840 EVO 1TB SSD MZ-7TE1T0BW.
 
The following two postings by "serr" intrigue me http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=117456
 
1) "However if you have a single SSD, you will get the best performance with everything on the one drive (SSD's are that much faster). If you get a 2nd SSD for data then you'd be back to the standard setup for top performance. Honestly, you wouldn't ever need this unless you're doing serious video editing." 
 
2) "The 2 drive thing (using the 2nd drive for workspace) used to be the way to do that. There's no other significance to it. Now a single SSD beats that."
 
If serr's views are meritable, then a good bet with my HP Envy laptop would be to simply clone the existing 1TB hybrid boot drive to the Samsung 840 EVO 1TB, use the existing hybrid drive for data storage, and use the Samsung 840 EVO 1TB for everything else.
 
A second alternative would be to place the OS, apps and plugins on the 1TB hybrid boot drive and sample libraries, and audio project tracks on the Samsung 840 EVO 1TB
 
A third alternative would be to place the OS, apps and plugins on another more modest drive such as the Kingston V300 240GB SSD,  sample libraries, and audio project tracks on the Samsung 840 EVO 1TB and use the existing hybrid drive for data storage.
 
Thoughts?
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    Jim Roseberry
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    Re: DAW's & the argument for a single large SSD 2014/04/25 14:06:00 (permalink)
    The Samsung SSD will outperform the hybrid drive.
    That said, I wouldn't want to use a single drive for OS/Swapfile, Samples, and Audio.
    In the end, there is no absolute right/wrong.
    It comes down to the level of performance you need... and logistics/organization.
    ie:  I wouldn't want to backup a boot HD that also contains 300+GB of sample libraries.  That would make backup slow/tedious.

    Best Regards,

    Jim Roseberry
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    Grem
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    Re: DAW's & the argument for a single large SSD 2014/04/25 14:39:53 (permalink)
    Jim Roseberry

    ie:  I wouldn't want to backup a boot HD that also contains 300+GB of sample libraries.  That would make backup slow/tedious.



    Very good point Jim!!

    Grem

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    #3
    Chumer
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    Re: Dar's & the argument for a single large SAD 2014/04/25 19:25:10 (permalink)
    Thank you kindly for your posts Jim & grem, I look forward to further in-depth dialog on the considerations at hand.
     
    As a matter of interest I do not earn an income from my studio-to-be, nor do I have any expectations of doing so thus large backups pose no consequential issues.  Also I have lots of storage and as to time it's no problem to backup while I'm asleep and/or at work, plus I have no great need to do multiple ongoing backups.
     
    Yes it's a very reasonable expectation that an SSD will outperform it magnetic brethren by a good margin (hybrid HD or not).  Further it's a very reasonable expectation that DAW hardware should meet the needs of the user, of which I hope a large modern touchscreen laptop with an SSD (or two) will.
     
    The question at hand perhaps centers most around the performance of a single higher end large SSD versus the as discussed alternatives referenced in the context of the two postings by "serr".
    post edited by Chumer - 2014/04/26 15:49:21
    #4
    Chumer
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    Re: Dar's & the argument for a single large SAD 2014/04/26 15:44:44 (permalink)
    Thank you kindly Jim & Grem, yes that seems to be the general configuration these days.
     
    Hmm...I am giving some consideration to:
    (one) 1 TB SSD (already have)
    (one) 500 GB SSD 500 (to buy)
    so that the result for my lappy would be (one) 1 TB SSD, (one) 500 GB SSD and one 1 TB hybrid HD (already have).
     
    However I would very much like to hear from ya'll as to your direct actual experience with running one high quality 1 TB  SSD as your one and only drive, except perhaps also having a secondary 1 TB hybrid drive or equivalent as I'll also have.
     
    Consider that it's interesting to chat on the pros and cons of one drive array versus another, but outside of the more obvious differences (some of which have been referred to already) it can be rather difficult to know in advance how well one drive array may perform versus another except through direct actual experience.
     
    Hopefully some posters will chime in that have actually run one high quality 1 TB  SSD as the one and only drive, except perhaps also having a secondary 1 TB hybrid drive or equivalent as I'll also have.
     
    As always, a great website and good people!
    post edited by Chumer - 2014/04/26 15:52:25
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    Mesh
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    Re: Dar's & the argument for a single large SAD 2014/05/01 08:47:55 (permalink)
    Chumer, the general "given" is that on these dedicated audio machines, the popular consensus is to have a 3 drive configuration:
     
    1) for OS/software 
    2) for Sonar projects
    3) for samples (your biggest drive)
     
    Most DAW users in here have something similar to this.....so, getting a reply on running "one high quality" SSD most likely will be few and far apart (IMO).......generally, the budget may be a factor in using a setup like this.
     
    Having an SSD drive for your samples as well as a seperate SSD for your OS should make it a fantastic combination. If I can afford a large SSD for samples, I'd jump on this boat right now. :)) 

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    Chumer
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    Re: Dar's & the argument for a single large SAD 2014/05/01 10:44:35 (permalink)
    Hello Mesh,
     
    I understand, however that consensus appears to have been built up during the halcyon days of the aging magnetic HD era which are now arguably coming to a close.
     
    Whether such a consensus is still merited with the better new SSD's is a question that does not appear to have been properly explored with measured accuracy.
     
    Naturally cost plays a factor in that if the performance gains of a single better new SSD negates enough of the real-world advantages of multiple HD's, for enough users enough of the time, then it's simply a waste of money and thus a new consensus would be in order.
     
    Recall I just bought an HP Envy Touchsmart M7-J178CA laptop with a singe 1TB hybrid drive and I also just bought a Samsung 840 EVO 1TB SSD MZ-7TE1T0BW. This system would have been most boggling just a few short years ago. Consider also that the hardware demands of Sonar X3 for many users may not have increased by the same factor.
     
    Consider the logical fallacy "argumentum ad populum" which incorrectly concludes a proposition to be true because many or most people believe it.
     
    Perhaps most to point, it's my understanding that  "serr" has no troubles with his single SSD configuration as referenced in the link I provided earlier and as amplified by him again in this newer post:
     
    "My setup is in the signature (main and backup computers). This is my live mixing/recording setup. I keep a large enough workspace on my OS/apps SSD for recording tracks. If I were to send tracks to one of the 7200rpm drives instead, it would slow my system down to the point where I wouldn't be able to mix live while recording multitrack.
     
    Mac Pro 8x3.33GHz i7, 16GB, 256GB SSD(OS, apps), 3x2TB 7200 HD(data); MacBook Pro 2.8GHz, 6GB, 128GB SSD HD(OS, apps), 750GB 7200 HD(data); 2xTrue Precision 8; Apogee AD-16; 2xMOTU 828mk3, Evolution UC-33e; Faderport; WiRanger, iPad & the analog mixer has retired"
    post edited by Chumer - 2014/05/01 10:54:42
    #7
    Mesh
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    Re: Dar's & the argument for a single large SAD 2014/05/01 11:24:06 (permalink)
    Hi Chumer, I believe I just got schooled and need to get with the future as you've clearly shown. I'm certainly not up to speed (being an amateur hobbyist) and merely just going with what has effectively worked. Of course the popular consensus was based on what the DAW builders in here (i.e Jim & Scott) have recommended, and to my knowledge, have worked quite well (even if it was during the halycon days).  
    However, technology does move very quickly and leaves some of us "slow pokes" in the dust.......I'd really like to see how a single 1TB drive  pans out in actual useage, and you could very well be on the forefront of enlightening the Pro users in here.   

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    Chumer
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    Re: Dar's & the argument for a single large SAD 2014/05/01 11:54:36 (permalink)
    Hello Mesh,
     
    I am also an amateur in that I do not make my living via music albeit it was my profession many years ago. I am a fulltime teacher now in an unrelated field.
     
    The purpose of this cool new lappy plus SSD etc. is for my new studio and I would be pleased to simply make enough money to pay for the gear.  One thing I can say is that the future looks interesting and I am trying (not very successfully at the moment) to not to get caught up in the tools of trade to the exclusion of the art.
     
    On a much more relevant note (not to this post but to the musical truth) I have been listening to Carl Perkins and Bill Bruford and Albert Collins and Al Di Meola.
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    Mesh
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    Re: Dar's & the argument for a single large SAD 2014/05/01 12:13:23 (permalink)
    Isn't that the truth!! I'm still paying for my PC I built last June........but, do like to see what's in store for the future (interesting thread topic).
     
    All those artists are also a few of my favourites.....I have a few CD's of Al Di Meola and haven't listened in quite some time....I think I'll look for Elegant Gypsy Suite and give it a spin.....amazing musician. I've been listening to Stanley Jordan. :)

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