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SSD as drive1 with SATA drive 2...how?

R

readyrover

Junior Member
I'm running a music production program which is very resource dependent for functionality....so I'm upgrading to a faster system. I've heard folks describe their systems with a SSD 40- 80 gig and a 500-1TB "backup drive".

My question is how is this set up? It will be a fresh install of Win 7 64bit for Sys Builders (Home). I have had it recommended to me to install the main programs on the SSD drive and save my files (Songs created, etc.) on the 2nd SATA drive. Does Windows set this up or will I need to use some form of a RAID configuration?

The software is Presonus Studio One Pro and the number of tracks and the effects and instruments available for any one song is extremely dependent on memory and speed.

Thanks in advance for you feedback!:hmm:
 
You just need to update the directory where things are being saved. You could have windows installed on the SSD, along w\ programs and then just have your projects stored on another disk.

Some poeple even have SSD / Velociraptor / Large Sata setups which could be a good idea since you're not going to have as much room on the SSD.

I have a 120gb SSD and I just install most large games to my other HDD so they don't take up space.
 
I appreciate the feedback. I will check out your suggestion as well. I've slept a lot since my last system build and Win 7 has come out since then as well as multi-core processors..my age is showing...I started music software with the 486 running in "386 enhanced mode". The evolution of software and hardware since that point is staggering. With the power available as cheap as it is right now, I have to jump from the single core 64bit sys I have now to multi-core and the highest speed available on components before the prices go up.

Thanks again for your help.
 
Make sure that when you install Win7 (and it should be a clean install to the SSD), that you plug in ONLY the SSD, and then AFTER Win7 is installed, plug in the HD and then format/initialize it.

This ensures that the boot partition that Win7 creates remains on the boot drive (SSD), and doesn't "accidentally" get put onto the data drive, which seems to happen all too often with Win7's install routines.
 
In what way is the production program resource intensive? Are you looking at the SSD because it's IO dependent. Is it a killer for the CPU with lots of compression?

Regarding windows installation, I've heard that you should install windows on the SSD with the physical drive disconnected. Apparently windows will put certain things on the physical drive that slows down boot time (and can cause boot hangups maybe?). Hopefully someone can be more specific.
 
Thanks VirtualLarry. Will do. Gheido27, (hope i remembered the spelling correctly) ... regarding the resources..I'm running a single core Sempron 3300 with 4 gig DDR 2 and a SATA 3 7200rpm hd...Once I get to 10 tracks and have multiple effects on each track..the system begins to bog down when I mixdown and use automation for velocity, aftertouch..a whole host of other things. Some of the latency and overwhelming the processor could be trimmed a little, but I can see the future as bleak without a lot more speed and headroom from the processor. I'm researching a 4 or 6 core AMD system as the high end and a 3 core unlockable Rana for the bottom end with 8-16gb Ram. I use firewire for the audio instruments and vocals. There are multiple running instances of Reverb, compression, gating, limiting, guitar amp simulation and on and on. And so far these are very "bare bones" mixes. I will need a lot of storage and speed so the SSD with a large and fast backup/storage area will meet my needs. This new box will only contain windows and an anti-virus for internet updates and related CD/DVD burning-editing software..no gaming, etc.. Like most Digital Audio Workstation software, the only real constraint in the number of effects and tracks you can work on is.....the speed of the system it's running on.
Did you see the other post regarding leaving the other sata drive unplugged until the OS is installed? Then, connect it, format it and let it be detected. Thanks all for the good advice.
 
Larry, since I'll be installing a bare bones of other programs: CD/DVD burning software and an anti-virus that will only be enabled when downloading program updates, new instruments, etc. but nothing else...music production exclusive system...would you suggest I install these other programs solely on the SSD and then save, for instance, mixes and song projects which allow for alternate save locations..save these on the sata drive? That's what I would do in my current guessing stage.
 
readyrover said:
Larry, since I'll be installing a bare bones of other programs: CD/DVD burning software and an anti-virus that will only be enabled when downloading program updates, new instruments, etc. but nothing else...music production exclusive system...would you suggest I install these other programs solely on the SSD and then save, for instance, mixes and song projects which allow for alternate save locations..save these on the sata drive? That's what I would do in my current guessing stage.
Click to expand...

I really don't know. SSDs are really good at random-access I/O. Once your programs are loaded, I doubt that the application itself does much random access, but I could see that perhaps if it had to stream the audio tracks off of the disk to do the mixes, it might benefit more if the audio tracks were on the SSD.
 
Ok, that makes sense...I'll email the software manufacturer as they are excellent at providing feedback, too. I appreciate the thoughts very much!
 
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