Solid state hard drives vs. standard hard drives ?

Mark Wayne · Post by **Mark Wayne** » 7 Jan 2015 1:58 pm

Hi folks,

Does anybody know how the solid state hard drives work in regards in being faster to process effects (ex: UAD effects, reverb, etc.) in software recording platforms like Pro Tools, etc., in relation to the standard hard drives? I have a plugin that takes more than a minute to process an effect.

I have 16gb of RAM and a new PC, but it's the same time it takes in an older PC with 4gb of RAM.

I've heard different responses. and some say it does. Some say it's more of a memory issue. Anybody?

Jim Priebe · Post by **Jim Priebe** » 7 Jan 2015 2:32 pm

Mark
Firstly, there are a few different types or systems for digital drives and there are also "hybrid' drives (part digital and part analog). A bit too complicated to go into all the differences but the end result is some are faster than others (slightly) and some suit some applications of use better than others.
I think you will find that the limiting factor with your plugins is mainly in the software and how it is written (it is always a compromise to get these to work with everyone's systems). eg. if you use MS Word for windows 2003 on a current superfast computer it will probably run about 5% quicker than on your old beast from way back when you first used Word. The software is just may not be ported for all the new inventions.
To be very general: the most speed benefit you will obtain with digital drives is when they handle caching and temporary files (the windows 'swap file' for example) OR really large files that need to be written, read and changed OR at boot time. As you have lots of RAM much of the caching is done there and in the processor anyway.
I know people will jump up and say their's is now lightning fast (now) but there are so many variables and I am trying to generalise to an average user understandable level.

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 7 Jan 2015 4:20 pm

I think Jim's on track.

I'm somewhat disappointed in the performance I'm seeing from a new PC that's overclocked, both on the CPU, and the three video cards that are installed in Nvidia SLI, and my boot drive is solid state. But there are so many other factors that figure into overall system "speed" that it's hard sometimes to zero in to where the bottleneck actually is. I do believe, though, that a properly configured solid state drive will outperform a mechanical one in nearly all cases.

You "pays your money, and you takes your chances". You try to do your due diligence configuring the system, and you go from there. That's my experience, at least.

Jim Priebe · Post by **Jim Priebe** » 7 Jan 2015 4:41 pm

Another point to remember is (before you buy) to check whether the BIOS on your mobo will handle a solid state drive.
It's unlikely that it won't but worth a check especially if the motherboard or computer is a bit long in the tooth.
Hesitate to get into this but most SATA's are ok but there are now different categories/standards even for this. Always best to check or get (preferably knowledgeable) help.
Dave is right - a solid state will always be faster but as he says the end result may not be much improvement due to so many other factors.

Mark Wayne · Post by **Mark Wayne** » 7 Jan 2015 9:20 pm

Thanks Jim and Dave. Unfortunately, I bought a new PC without doing some research:

I now realize that the lag exists for the most part within my UAD card (that I use for effects like compression, tape simulation, reverb, etc.). I found out that I bought the least expensive card that did the least amount of processing compared to the higher priced ones.

But...There's still a glimmer of hope thinking that a solid-state drive can improve my effects process time when I apply the effects within the software program itself....I can only hope.

Dave, you are so right when you say 'you pay your money and take your chances'

Do you think overall the Adobe Audition software I use will perform faster? Please say yes..

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 8 Jan 2015 5:53 am

Mark Wayne wrote:I now realize that the lag exists for the most part within my UAD card (that I use for effects like compression, tape simulation, reverb, etc.). I found out that I bought the least expensive card that did the least amount of processing compared to the higher priced ones.

Do you think overall the Adobe Audition software I use will perform faster?

There are a lot of variables, so I'd just say "probably".

I'm familiar with Audition - v3.0 is what I've used for years. Assuming your processor is reasonably fast, software effects should run fine. I don't encounter any issues on my system, which is an Intel i7-4930K processor overclocked to 4.4Ghz, in a Win 64-bit OS with 32GB RAM. RAM is unquestionably important in audio/video applications, but your 16GB should be ample. And I'd much prefer to use effects in Audition than any from a sound card - you have so many more options that way.