Zombie thread!

Did you get this sorted out? I'm trying Reaper 64 right now.

Unless I'm mistaken, the main difference between any program running in 32 vs in 64, is the allowable amount of RAM it can access... with a 32 bit system, it doesn't matter how much memory you have installed, the program will only ever see/use 4 gig of that memory.

I don't think that the bit structure alone would determine sonic quality, but it could start to effect how things are sounding if your memory is reaching its limitation, because you are asking the program to do more than what it is capable of with that maximum memory allowance.

This comes into play in the most obvious way when using multiple VST's, as well as when using VSTi's. Some of the synth/drum libraries out there will command quite a bit of memory to work at their optimum.
Many of the higher end processors also require quite a bit of memory as well.

I'm fairly sure this was the reason (or at least one of the reasons) that UA developed their DSP card, when releasing their initial line of processors; they knew that most computers wouldn't be able to handle the load that their processors required at the time.

I'm not sure if it's still this way or not. I'm sure that computers moving to 64 bit helped quite a bit, because you could then put as much memory in your machine as you wanted (or as much as your computer allowed), and your 64 bit programs/plugs would be able to access and use however much memory you had installed - instead of being limited to the 4 gig maximum in a 32 bit environment.

But I could be wrong. it's happened once or twice before. ;)

d.

You're right about the memory limitations on 32bit. (64bit has a limit too, but it's much higher.)

I think I;m switching over to Reaper since my Cubase is V5 and 32bit. Getting annoyed at it's latency/dragassing around. My productions are becoming more complicated.

And guess what? Reaper has an "Arranger Track"! They don't call it that, but it has it, so I'm SOLD! ;)

Should I use 64-bit float for mixdowns and internal audio stuff?

There is more to 64bit than the possibility to use more RAM. True X64 software will read and write blocks of codes twice the size than x86(32bit)
So even if you have the same amount of ram on a x86 and x64 the x64 will run calculations faster.

How Reaper, Cubase or any other DAW get use of the CPU load and read/write access depends on how the code has been written.

Bottom line on any DAW is, who coded on it, did they learn when resources were scarce, or, did they come up in the, ohhh look, shiny!!!, lots of hardware, era. Too many bad programmers out there today, you take your chances with pretty much all software for the last 20 years. Think of 64bit like pc says though, bigger chunks at once. It's why we prefer 24bit recording over 16bit prior to mix down.

I use the 32 on my 64 bit XP box....haven't tried the 64 Bit version.

When this thread started a 64 bit OS and DAW was only conversation. I now have a 64bit OS and Sequoia 13 which is 100% coded 64bit. I no longer have to bridge 32 bit plugins. In fact, I have deleted anything that requires 32bit. If it's not coded for my DAW, I don't want it. So far so good.

When 64 bit processors compatible with the x86 architecture were introduced, they were referred to as x86-64. x86-32 (and x86-16) were used for the 32 (and 16) bit versions. This was eventually shortened to x64 for 64 bit and x86 alone refers to a 32 bit processor. The 32 bit processors are designed to handle a limited amount of physical memory maximum of 4GB but 64 bit can handle high memory utilizing 8,16 and some even32 GB. More about...32bit vs 64bit

Riyan