Vienna Ensemble Pro on the same computer as your DAW?

#1

Hello Composers, Mike here! :smile:
I have always used one single computer for music composition and production, currently on an iMac 2013 with 32GB of RAM (which is starting to show its age).

I hear so much about Vienna Ensemble Pro, how great it is for performance, efficiency and workflow etc. when working on big templates and projects. But I donā€™t want to use a second computer.

Will there still be a performance boost if you use VEP on the same computer as your DAW?

If you have experience in using VEP as a composer, please share some brief insights and tips. Why should I use it, what has it done for your workflow?

Sincerely,
Mike

#2

Iā€™m currently using the same model Mac as you but I only have 8gb of ram. The performance was horrible up until I got an external hard drive and out literally everything on that!

Iā€™m now considering installing an SSD as my main drive as theyā€™re solid state and run much quickerā€¦ already the difference is unbelievable!

Have no experience with what your looking to do but this is basically where Iā€™m at. Plus to really overhaul your performance, itā€™s the CPU that you need to worry aboutā€¦ and that would mean replacing your Mac :sob:

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#3

I mean, if I could afford it I would go for the new Mac Pro when it is released. I know people running the old Mac Pro still, so I would definitely get many years out from it if I upgrade it occasionally.

When it is released I will have to do some serious calculating on which path I want to take. Maxed out Mac Mini, iMac Pro or new Mac Pro.

Right now my RAM is my biggest issue. I have no idea how you cope with 8GB, as I have 32GB and I always run into RAM overload on every project. =/

The problem is that my iMac 2013 can only support 32GB max so I have no way of upgrading it. That is why next time I buy a new Mac I am going to want really high max RAM options.

I already have everything on SSD, and to be honest, my CPU is not the bottle neck most of the time (Quad Core i7 3,2Ghz).

Sincerely,
Mike

#4

Yeah you wonā€™t have issues as your running the i7. That actually where us composers struggle in our DAWS.

I recently rang up Apple inquire about why logic doesnā€™t use any more than 4gb of ram. An they said thatā€™s all it needs. The rest is used by the computer to convert sounds but itā€™s actually the CPU that creates the bottle neck. So basically Iā€™m screwed :joy:

#5

Yeah, Logic actually uses up all my 32GB of RAM, due to my big project template with all those sample libraries :stuck_out_tongue:

But you mentioned in another thread you canā€™t upgrade your RAM? Why is that? I have the 2013 iMac and Iā€™ve upgraded to max 32GB. Is it because I have a ā€œlate 2013 modelā€, if so man you are unlucky.

Sincerely,
Mike

#6

Itā€™s because I bought the wrong spec. When I went to the shop to buy it the man basically lied to me to sell me the product. So I got an early 2013 run of macs that you canā€™t upgrade ram on Past a certain amount. :frowning:
They discontinued them in mid 2014 as no one were buying them. Before Iā€™d realised my warranty had expired so I was stuck.

#7

Oh thatā€™s such bad luck, and what a jack-ass sales person. =/

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#8

Yeah you live and learn. I mean I could upgrade the ram but itā€™s not designed to be done. So on other more recent macs 2010+ thereā€™s a button in the power compartment that opens the ram unitā€¦ well on my Mac I donā€™t have thatā€¦ itā€™s a slimline edge Mac too so thereā€™s no getting into the unit. The only way Iā€™d be able to do it is to take the creek off which is glued on, then remove the motherboard and change it like that. Such a nightmare really. But by posting that on here now Iā€™ve warned people about it. Which I guess is a good thing. My external hard drive really saves my bacon tbh

#9

hello,
i intend to buy the VEP pro, i have a main computer based on a core i5 with 32 Gb of Ram, but some library take a long time to be ready to play ( like spitfire audio, some 8Dio or native instrument), i have found a second hand dell server with 192Gb or memory and a lot of Hard Drive
so i think that next month i will purchase the VEP, install it on the server, set up all template by instrument ( string, brass, woodwind, fx, choir, percussion, harp, and exotic instrument) then i will install it also in my main computer.
i use cubase, i have seen a lot of tutorial on youtube it is not so hard to setup, it takes a long time to build all template but after that you have all your instrument instantaneously
i think that VEP is a great solution and at a good price
and a second hand computer is not so expensive depend on what you want ti buy

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#10

I use VE PRO 7, and I think itā€™s a great solution. It has its own built-in effects, and itā€™s a real mixing console. Possibility also to use other plugins of effects.
So I strongly advise you to buy VE PRO 7

#11

Do you use it on a second computer, or the same computer? If you use it on the same computer, is it more CPU/RAM effificient still than having every plugin loaded in your DAW only?

#12

I use it on my Imac, but my soundbanks are on an external SSD drive.
This allows me to limit the CPU and disk load of my computer.
I would go to the Ƭmac pro, but ā€¦ given the price, I will have to sell a lot of music!:blush: