jigdagod wrote:I still don't understand why a 32 bit plugin can't be used in the 64 bit program. If I'm not mistaking I can still use my 32 bit plugins inside of FL Studio new 64 bit program (my beta ran out so I can't double check). Is this something that will be coming at a later update or it isn't possible with the Ren?
Because it uses a method called Bit Bridge. Any bit designation involving computers is a measure of how much data it can process in one CPU clock cycle.
So 64 bit is crunching double the amount of data/instructions in one clock cycle/ process thread as 32 bit. When the 64 bit architectures were made Intel and AMD were smart to enough to design it so RAM limits were essentially a moot point.
Theoretically 64 bit operations can address ridiculous RAM/memory address spaces of 192GB or 2TB on server grade computers, but most motherboards top out around 96GB for custom built Windows DAW computers and recent Mac Pros.
For apps that don't have a built in bit bridge like FL does there is the third party app jbridge. It doesn't always work, and some plugins exhibit instabilities, but it works a lot more than it doesn't. I get 80-95% of stuff working using it.
So if you want to run 64 bit but have a ton of plugins that are 32 bit only you use a bit bridge to "wrap" the plugin, essentially an extra processing layer that really doesn't add much extra CPU hit and all your wrapped 32 bit plugins can be loaded in a 64 bit environment.
It can also wrap the 32 bit plugins to still be used in a 32 bit host, and then those wrapped plugins can "cheat" the 2.5GB available RAM limit of 32 bit if for example you have 8,16,24GB of RAM going unused because in 32 bit you have 1.5GB for the Host+OS, with 2.5GB for your samples loaded in RAM and your plugins RAM usages. But 32 bit can not normally touch any RAM you have beyond the 4GB mark.
So jbridge wrapped 32 bit plugins in a 32 bit host can each use up to 2.5GB of RAM until you run out of RAM, obviously a high count like12/16/24/36GB of RAM would be helpful there. And as I mentioned in the other post you actually would need some RAM hungry plugins.
What I described above is how FL's 32 bit extended memory mode worked, the same "cheating"
But it is pretty useful if only to get your full array of 32 bit ones running in a 64 bit host as is one of the worries in this thread.
It's a third party thing so again it may not always work, but jbridge can be demoed and the wrapping design keeps your original plugins separate from the wrapped counterparts.
So either it works or it doesn't, but you have no danger of messing up your normal plugin installations. So if you can get most all your plugins working in jbridge it gives you a lot more versatility using the 32 bit host or a 64 bit version.
joao the developer is a really helpful guy if you do have problems and he's even gone in and made a new build for me to try more than once when I had issues, which is some really good customer service. Usually the first or second alternate builds did solve any issue I had.
http://jstuff.wordpress.com/jbridge/As to whether or not Akai would code their own Bit Bridge I have no idea, it's usually something you only see in a full DAW.
