Ten Minute
Master No166
64-bit audio
applications
Despite some initial teething troubles, 64-bit operation is becoming increasingly
prominent in the music technology world. Mark Cousins counts the bits.
T
he term ‘64-bit’ is one
of the biggest
buzzwords in
computing technology
nowadays, and in the
world of recording, it looks set to
usher in big changes to the way in
which we work. However, as is the
case with all new technology,
there’s a large amount of
misinformation surrounding 64-bit
computing, whether it’s inaccurate
reports of its benefits or the current
(realistic) implementation and
availability of 64-bit technology.
So, is 64-bit audio software the
future of recording technology?
Size matters
Until the release of AMD’s 64-bit
Opteron processor in 2003,
computers were resolutely
East West’s Play system was one of the first sample-based instruments to offer full 64-bit
support, enabling the end user to make maximum use of their available RAM.
54 December 2009 MusicTech MAGAZINE
restricted to a 32-bit register size.
Put simply, a computer’s register
size dictates the range of number
values it can handle at any one
time – a 4-bit computer, for
example, can deal with only 16
different number values, while an
8-bit computer can handle
number values up to 256. These
values determine the amount of
memory the computer can
The 64-bit revolution has ushered in some
important changes across the board.
access, which explains why early
computers such as the ZX
Spectrum came with little more
than 48KB of memory, and why a
32-bit computer maxes out at
4GB of memory.
Arguably the biggest
fundamental
improvement offered
by 64-bit technology
is the increased
amount of RAM a
computer can access.
Of course, when the 32-bit
standard was originally conceived,
the thought of requiring more than
4GB of memory seemed pretty far-
fetched. However, as the price of
memory fell and applications (not
to mention operating systems)
started demanding ever-increasing
amounts of memory, this 4GB limit
started to look increasingly
restrictive. The introduction of
AMD’s 64-bit Opteron, though,
heralded a major revolution in the
potential amount of memory a
computer could access, leaping
from a modest 4GB to a theoretical
limit of 16.8-million terabytes.
When I’m 64
Since the introduction of 64-bit
processors, there’s been a gradual
increase in the availability of 64-
bit-compliant operating systems.
Microsoft was first off the block,
releasing a 64-bit version of
Windows XP that has been carried
through to Vista and Windows 7.
With the release of Leopard
(Mac OSX 10.5), the Mac
environment also gained support
for 64-bit applications. Existing
32-bit applications could also still
run without the need for emulation
or translation.
By comparison, of course, the
PC-and-Windows-based user
needs to decide between installing
either the 32-bit or 64-bit version
of the Windows OS depending on
their requirements.
Memory man
The 64-bit revolution has ushered
in some important changes across
the board, but what are the
specific benefits that 64-bit
technology offers music
production? The biggest and most
fundamental change has been in
sampled-based instruments,
where the increased memory
capacity has had a substantial
impact on the results that can be
achieved. Because of the 4GB
memory limit imposed by 32-bit
systems, sample-based
instruments had to resort to
technologies such as disk
streaming to play back high-quality
multi-sampled instruments. Given
the slow access times of even the
fastest RAID hard drives (by
comparison to RAM), this meant
that even the fastest computers
suffered from a data bottleneck
when a large number of voices
were triggered.
Given its ability to access a
greater amount of RAM, therefore,
an equivalent 64-bit system (even if
running at the same clock speed)
can a stream a far greater number
of voices than a 32-bit system.
Rather than requiring several
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computers to replicate the sound
of an orchestra, composers can
now potentially use just a single
64-bit ‘powerhouse’ to achieve the
same goal. In addition to sample
playback, there are also plenty of
other day-to-day efficiencies that
enable 64-bit operation to feel
considerably ‘snappier’ than a 32-
bit computer.
Another much-touted benefit of
64-bit computing is the potential
increase in recording resolution (in
much the same way as when 24-
bit recorders first started replacing
16-bit solutions in the
mid 90s). However,
some have questioned
whether such an
incremental increase in
sample resolution is that
important, especially given
that most of us seem happy
with a 24-bit recording
resolution combined with a
32-bit floating-point mixing
resolution. Certainly, 64-bit offers
an impressive dynamic range
(384dB), but few people would
ever be able to appreciate such a
wide dynamic, even on delicate
acoustic music.
Going soft
Despite the first 64-bit processor
appearing in 2003, the transition to
64-bit still seems to be very much
‘work in progress’. First and
foremost, it is essential that all the
components in your setup are 64-
bit-compliant to achieve the stated
performance benefits that the
technology offers. A complete
‘end-to-end’ 64-bit music system,
Sonar 5 was the first of the major DAWs to offer a 64-bit audio engine, although 32-bit
plug-ins had to be integrated via bit-bridging software.
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therefore, requires not only the
operating system to be 64-bit, but
also the host sequencer, plug-ins,
virtual instruments and audio
drivers all to be compiled as true
64-bit versions. While some
applications and plug-ins have
been quick to embrace the 64-bit
format, others have been
considerably slower to support it.
AMD’s 64-bit Opteron was released back in
2003, but it’s taken some time for software
to catch up and offer a 64-bit end-to-end
solution for music production.
One of the first 64-bit DAWs
was Cakewalk’s Sonar 5, although
other leading PC-based DAWs –
such as Cubase 5 – are also
available as 64-bit installs in
addition to the standard 32-bit
version. On the Mac, a true 64-bit
host sequencer has yet to arrive,
although a 64-bit Logic Pro looks
increasingly possible given the
introduction of the Intel-only Snow
Leopard OS. To cover compatibly
issues with existing 32-bit virtual
No166 64-bit audio applications
instruments, many 64-bit DAWs
utilise ‘bridging’ applications
(Sonar’s Bit Bridge, for example, or
Cubase’s VST Bridge) so that 32-
bit plug-ins can run in parallel with
a 64-bit host. Although adequate
as an interim measure, many users
have noted some major
compatibility and reliability issues.
Lost in translation
64-bit support for virtual
instruments and plug-ins has been
considerably patchy. As you’d
expect, the developers that
benefit most from the expanded
memory access of 64-bit have
been quick to release 64-bit
versions of their plug-ins. East
West’s Play system is arguably
the best example of this,
although in recent months
we’ve also seen 64-bit
versions of Native
Instruments’ Kontakt and
Spectrasonics’ Stylus
RMX (among others)
joining the fold. For
those eager to utilise
the benefits of 64-bit memory
access – especially without the
benefit of a 64-bit host – the most
pragmatic solution is often to use
the instrument or sampler in
standalone mode (this also
improves multi-core access)
running on a separate computer.
Of course, it’s important to
remember that the process of
translating a plug-in or instrument
from 32-bit to 64-bit isn’t as
simple as moving a few numbers
around. It might therefore be a
long time before 64-bit support is
available across the board, and in
many cases developers will need
to see a ‘critical mass’ of 64-bit
users before they can justify
diverting their precious resources.
Hardware manufacturers, on the
other hand, seem to be catching
on, with leading companies such
as MOTU, M-Audio and PreSonus
all releasing 64-bit-compatible
drivers for their products.
Making the switch
As with Apple’s transition from
PowerPC to Intel processors, the
transition from 32-bit to 64-bit
requires a major overhaul of both
the software and hardware that we
use to produce music. As a result,
we’re existing in a ‘no man’s land’
between the two systems – on the
Ten Minute Master
one hand being furnished with an
increasing amount of 64-bit-ready
technology (including powerful
computers stuffed with plenty of
RAM) yet still utilising a large
amount of 32-bit software. Those
willing to take the plunge certainly
feel the benefits of improved
memory access, but the
drawbacks of current software
incompatibilities and workaround
solutions to bridge 64-bit hosts
and 32-bit plug-ins may outweigh
these operational improvements.
Over time, though, a complete
shift to 64-bit will be somewhat
inevitable, and those who have
invested in a suitable amount of
RAM and an up-to-date OS will
certainly experience the significant
benefits it brings. 32-bit solutions
will increasingly start to look long-
in-the-tooth, and once people hear
and experience the results of a
software sampler streaming several
gigabytes of data without breaking
a sweat, they may well begin to put
increasing pressure on software
developers and hardware
manufacturers to catch up with the
demands of 64-bit technology. MTM
Tech Terms
■ Disk streaming
Disk streaming loads the front portion
of a sample into RAM while the
remaining proportion is streamed from
disk as and when required.
■ 32-bit floating-point mixing
Even though most recordings are
16-bit or 24-bit resolution, most DAWs
will use an enhanced 32-bit floating-
point resolution for mixing to minimise
distortion as signal levels are modified.
■ Bit bridge
A bit bridge enables 32-bit plug-ins to
run alongside a 64-bit host. All 64-bit
DAWs have had to address this to
some degree.
FURTHER INFO
■ For more information on
choosing a computer for music
production activities, see:
www.musictechmag.co.uk/mtm/
features/choosing-a-computer
■ For more on bit depth and
digital recording, visit:
www.musictechmag.co.uk/mtm/
features/digital-audio
■ Windows Vista and 64-bit:
http://support.microsoft.com/
kb/946765
■ Snow Leopard and 64-bit:
www.apple.com/macosx/
technology/#sixtyfourbit
MusicTech MAGAZINE December 2009 55