Now that we have Hauptwerk v3.30 with the enhanced polyphony processing, do we really need the extra processing power of the I7 processor over the Quad Core series to play most of the organs?
The new version of Hauptwerk handles the pipe polyphony so well that we no longer need 8 core processors (four core processors with Hyperthreading) such as the I7 to be able to play 'the big organs'. The definition of 'a big organ' is of course somewhat variable and is affected by the number of ranks and divisions as well as the reverberation characteristics of the room but a good rule of thumb is that if the sample set requires more than 8 GB of RAM, it is a big organ.
It has also been observed that a professional organist can 'outplay' a professionally constructed Virtual Pipe Organ in a very powerful computer and suggested that it is probably not possible at this stage of processor development to build a computer that has sufficient polyphony for all sample sets and players.
What are your thoughts on this subject and what experiences do you have with poliphony.
I think the Quad core 8GB machines are adequate for all but the 4 or 5 huge organs. I actually like the sound of the smaller organs anyway so this is not an issue for me.
ReplyDeleteTom
The current crop of ASUS motherboards seems to be stuck at 12GB ($360~)when using 2GB sticks and 24GB ($1800~) for those who can afford 4GB sticks. There are some 18 slot motherboards out there but it is difficult to buy one as Fry's no longer carries them. Stay tuned we are still looking.
ReplyDeleteThe i7-2600 represents an advancement in the i7 computer world that promises to reduce the component price by a significant amount.
ReplyDeleteDo you have one? Let's hear from you if you do.