Bub


Here's my experience with X2 ...

I'm running an Intel i5 Quad core with 4GB RAM.
M-Audio Fast Track Ultra
Windows 7 x64
Sonar X2 Producer x64

I can run an 18 audio track project with a few modules active in the Pro Channel on each track ... then my system dies and I have to start freezing tracks, which I usually only have to do with things like Session Drummer 3 and Dim Pro. Seems to me, X1 allowed me to run more things before I had to freeze.

So my advice, get the biggest, baddest, fastest DAW you can afford, from folks such as Studio Cat or others. I always build my own, but I'm not going to any more. I want someone I can go back to when things don't work ... and it inevitably happens. I've only had one DAW over the years that didn't give me a lick of trouble.

Sounds a little sticky, IMO. Look at my specs - 32 bit, dual core with 3 Gb RAM - in PE 8.5  I can run 15 audio tracks + 15 MIDI tracks (say Kontakt with 4 outs+Addictive Drums with 3 outs+ManyBass + some lighter soft synths) + at least a dozen audio FX (EQs, compressors, choruses) quite fluently with CPU usage below 50%. Above those figures I freeze Kontakt.
When I add, say, Vocal Strip and Perfect Space on top of that, I need to freeze more.
 
I do realise, though, that Pro Channel is surely quite a heavy tool on the CPU. But your system is so much faster than mine.

A quick search on dell brought up their best computer XPS8500 system specs are I7 3.90 Ghz processor 12 gigs of ram Windows 8 2 TB hard drive 7200 spindle speed blue ray combo drive all for just 1299. I bet you can convince them to throw in free shipping.

Add Sonar X2 PE and now you are talking about a 1,500.00 purchase. Now buy an additional monitor, Ozone for mastering, and Omnisphere and you are still at 2,500 saving you around $1,000.00!

Bub


Here's my experience with X2 ...

I'm running an Intel i5 Quad core with 4GB RAM.
M-Audio Fast Track Ultra
Windows 7 x64
Sonar X2 Producer x64

I can run an 18 audio track project with a few modules active in the Pro Channel on each track ... then my system dies and I have to start freezing tracks, which I usually only have to do with things like Session Drummer 3 and Dim Pro. Seems to me, X1 allowed me to run more things before I had to freeze.

So my advice, get the biggest, baddest, fastest DAW you can afford, from folks such as Studio Cat or others. I always build my own, but I'm not going to any more. I want someone I can go back to when things don't work ... and it inevitably happens. I've only had one DAW over the years that didn't give me a lick of trouble.

There's definitely something wrong here.

I could load a 75 track project with 100+ plugins, BFD2, MANY live V-Vocal clips on my old Q6700 under WinXP32 with 4Gb of RAM without having to freeze anything.

Bristol_Jonesey

Bub


Here's my experience with X2 ...

I'm running an Intel i5 Quad core with 4GB RAM.
M-Audio Fast Track Ultra
Windows 7 x64
Sonar X2 Producer x64

I can run an 18 audio track project with a few modules active in the Pro Channel on each track ... then my system dies and I have to start freezing tracks, which I usually only have to do with things like Session Drummer 3 and Dim Pro. Seems to me, X1 allowed me to run more things before I had to freeze.

So my advice, get the biggest, baddest, fastest DAW you can afford, from folks such as Studio Cat or others. I always build my own, but I'm not going to any more. I want someone I can go back to when things don't work ... and it inevitably happens. I've only had one DAW over the years that didn't give me a lick of trouble.

There's definitely something wrong here.

I could load a 75 track project with 100+ plugins, BFD2, MANY live V-Vocal clips on my old Q6700 under WinXP32 with 4Gb of RAM without having to freeze anything.

Compare your system specs with bub. You have an i7 with 32 gigs of ram. he has an i5 with 4 gigs of ram. An easy fix for bub would be to add more ram. This should help his system and he should avoid the dreaded virtual ram simulation on his hard drive when he goes over 18 tracks. I would add at least 4 gigs of ram. This should greatly improve his system


I get better performance using my AMD, but the i5 is a better processor. but I have more ram. I think that is one of the main differences. An upgrade in the audio interface may also help improve things. Check out the fast track review


http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2401602,00.asp

Marcus, I was explaining what I could run on my old system, not my new one

I use Nuendo almost daily at a studio I work for. And I'm not going to go into the details but I am tearing my hair out of the lack of streamlining, and workflow in the basic functionality of Nuendo - which also translates to Cubase. Steinberg's offerings have some awesome features but nothing that can't be accomplished in Sonar. Sonar is just a whole lot more elegant (IMHO) in the every day use. The only thing I envy is the deep audio editor and the excellent video and network service in Nuendo. My own DAW and the Nuendo DAW are simmilar in specs. Both perform equally well. But Sonar is a breeze to use, fast, elegant and stable. Nuendo is not as fast, not quite as elegant but perform great - besides the 10 times or so every day when it refuses to play any audio at all and I have to restart everything.

Live, FL Studio and Reason is IMO not quite comparable to Sonar but makes awesome partners in your digital creativity.

My $2 IMO and so forth...

Bristol_Jonesey


Marcus, I was explaining what I could run on my old system, not my new one

Yes I see that now. my apologies for any confusion.