MC 4 64-bit compatibility

Hi,
 
Soon I'll be buying a new PC and was wondering if MC4 is compatible with Windows 7 64-bit?  MC5 is, if installed in compatibility mode, but I can't find any word about MC4. (I like being able to minimise the track heights in MC4.) Anyone using MC4 with Windows 7 64-bit?
 
Thanks,
J

Thanks Herb. I'll probably do that - MC6 is only $30 at the moment ... hard to pass up.
 
Actually, I was a bit unclear in my previous post. Yes, I can minimise the track heights in both MC4 and MC5, but when I do, the track heights in MC5 are bigger than in MC4. I can fit about twice as many audio tracks on my screen in MC4 as I can in MC5. Same for you? I'd be interested to know if MC6 is like MC4 or MC5 in this respect. 
 
Cheers,
J

Thanks for that Beagle. Good to know that MC6 is back to the smaller track height, and is Windows 7 64-bit compatible. I'll buy it in the next couple of days.
 
J
 

I just bought MC 6.  I was unhappy with MC 5 because it was not entirely Windows 7 64 bit compatible and I lost a lot of stuff in my projects.  I downloaded CW 6 ($29.99) and everything has miraculously reappeared.   Looking forward to working with it, with MC 5 nothing seemed to work right.  So far with MC 6, things are back to working properly like they did with MC 4.  

Thanks for the input Greg, amateur and Herb. A follow-up question about plug-ins. I wrote to IK Multimedia about using Miroslav Philharmonik, Notion (the notation software for Miroslav) and SampleTank with Windows 7 64-bit. They are all 32-bit. The response I got was that they would have to be 'bridged': 'Many DAW packages have built-in bridging that will allow you to run 32-bit plugins in your 64-bit DAW environments. Cubase, Reaper, etc will do this'. How about MC6? It is 64-bit compatible, but will it allow me to run 32-bit plug-ins in Windows 7 64-bit?
 
Would be grateful for any feedback.
 
J
 
 
  

And being 64-bit compatible doesn't mean it's a 64-bit program; it is not. It's 32-bit, so the 32-bit plug-ins should work.
I ran SONAR Home Studio 6 in 32-bit compatibility mode on my 64-bit computer and all the 32-bit plug-ins worked.

exactly as greg says.  you won't bridge 32bit VST's or VSTi's in MC because it's not a 64bit program anyway.  but they should still work in the 32bit MC.

the only exceptions are the DX plugins/instruments which have not been updated to to work on a 64bit Operating System.

Many thanks for your feedback Guys. I've bought MC6 - happy that it's 64-bit compatible and with the small track heights.
 
I've sought further clarification from IK Multimedia about Miroslav and SampleTank. As I mentioned, the initial feedback I got was that they would have to be bridged, but on the Windows website they are listed as Windows 7 64-bit compatible, and that to use them in a 64-bit environment 'no action is required' - which presumably means no work-arounds. (There are 19 pages of compatible music programs listed on the Windows site.) I know Miroslav and SampleTank are not themselves 64-bit programs, but I just wanted to know if they would work in MC6 running in 64-bit mode with Windows 7 64-bit.
 
My intuitive understanding is this. If I'm running Windows 7 64-bit it can take advantage of 8 GB of memory (instead of just 4) which improves system performance. If I'm running MC6 as a 64-bit program (not in compatibility mode) it likewise can take advantage of the extra RAM. What happens with the 32-bit (only) VST and VSTi plug-ins? If they are 'compatible' with Windows 7 64 bit they will work fine, but will not be able to take advantage of the extra RAM, which means they won't run as 'efficiently' as they would if they were 64-bit programs. So, even if I'm using Windows 7 64-bit and MC6 as 64-bit programs, the 32-bit VST and VSTis will appear on my list of plug-ins, and I will be able to insert and use them (provided they are 64-bit 'compatible'), but they may slow down the system a bit because they are 64-bit 'compatible', not 64-bit programs, and are therefore not able to use RAM as efficiently.
 
If this is right, I wouldn't have to be running MC6 in 32- bit compatibility mode or with bridging to be able to use the 32-bit plug-ins. Have I got this right - or near enough to right!
 
J

OK, thanks for that last post Greg - it caused me to go back and look at some of the earlier posts, which are now making more sense. Windows 7 64-bit is a 64-bit program, but MC6 and Miroslav are 64-bit 'compatible' 32-bit programs.
 
The reason why I'm trying to get clear on this is because I plan to get a new PC before Christmas, and I'm wondering what the advantages of more RAM are. Are Windows 7 64-bit and 8 GB of RAM an advantage, if MC6 is only a 32-bit program and can only take advantage of 4 MB of RAM?
 
Sonar, by contrast, is a genuine 64-bit program, and has BitBridge to enable 32-bit VST and VSTi plug-ins to work? So Sonar can take advantage of the extra RAM, whereas MC 6 can't?
 
The fog lifts a little ... and then decends.
 
J
 
 
 
 
 
 

My DAW computer only has 2 GB of RAM (XP) and I've never had problems running my projects.
But, I usually don't run many soft synths simultaneously, I bounce the ones I do use to audio quickly, I seldom use VST effects, my projects aren't real big, and I don't have many processor-intensive synths like Miroslav.
Shoot, get the computer you want, thinking of the future, and if whatever MC program you have or get, run it. If you find it lacking, an upgrade to one of Cakewalk's 64-bit programs could solve that problem.

Thanks Guys. That has made things clearer. I think I should lash out and buy Sonar Producer when I get my new PC. I do want to run some fairly large projects. Notion (the notation software I use with Miroslav) has an orchestral demo project, which I can't even open because I don't have enough RAM. I've also been experimenting with Rewire, where I might have Notion open running Miroslav and, simultaneously, MC5 running Kontakt and Symphobia. Very soon I run up against the limits of my system.
 
I've had a quote for a new PC. It looks very nice - my mouth waters just reading it - but it is also on the pricey side. I'm going to check out the different components on the internet, with two thoughts in mind mainly: (i) is it overkill? (ii) should I downgrade, or upgrade, any of the components? Once I've done my homework I'll post the quote on the (Cakewalk) Computers forum, and would be grateful for any comments from people here.
 
Your analogy made me smile Herb: 'RAM is like MONEY ... something you can never have enough of.' Well, yes, but you have to be able to 'access' it - that was my worry!
 
I'll do what you suggest Greg. In the past, Music Creator was enough for me because I only needed a sequencer basically - I hardly ever used the plug-ins or extras. But now Sonar Producer is looking attractive because it is 64-bit and, along with Windows 7 64-bit, will make for a more efficient system.
 
Thanks for that Beagle - that's very clear. I'm glad you pointed out that Sonar Essentials is only 32-bit - I may have upgraded to that otherwise. And the bridging is done automatically in Producer? That suits me.
 
Thanks again guys.
 
J

Wow Herb, well done. I admire your 'give-it-a-go' spirit. I've often seen 'custom DAW' on your signature, but didn't realise you'd done it yourself. The quote I got was for $1,898, and I realise a sizeable proportion of this is for expertise. (This is Aussie dollars, but US is about the same.) It really is a super system, with custom tweaking for audio and sound proofing etc. I know if I did it myself it would be cheaper, but I wouldn't be able to produce anything near this standard.
 
One alternative I did think of was ordering a PC made up to my specs (quiet case, quiet power supply, quiet fan etc), but assembled by the store. This is still a possibility. I'll get some feedback on the quote before making a decision.
 
Thanks for your feedback Herb.
 
J

Thanks for that Beagle. Great anticipation ... you're answering questions I haven't even thought to ask. I might partition one of my hard drives, one for Windows 7 64-bit and one for 32-bit, just to keep possibilities open.
 
Notion is quite a nice program, though not without its limitations. I like using standard notation because I can see everything laid out in front of me. With the piano roll view, if I have all MIDI tracks displayed, I sometimes miss duplicated tracks - e.g. the second violins might be hiding behind the first violins. With standard notation I find it easier to see what's going on.  
 
Thanks again for the info.
 
J

MC4 is not designed to be compatible with a 64 bit OS even one running 32 bit mode. 

That's why they came out with 5 and now 6. 

Welcome to the forum, MJL.
This might help:
 
1. Right-click on the setup file
2. Go to Properties | click the Compatibility tab
3. Check the box Run in Compatibility Mode and Run this Program as
Administrator. Leaving Windows XP (SP3) selected.
Do this for the installer and Music Creator icon.
Hopefully this workaround will let you install and run Music Creator 4
on Windows 7 without issues.
 
Many (Most? All?) DX synths and effects won't run on a 64-bit OS, if that's what you have, but they will work if the program is run in 32-bit compatibility mode. They did for me.