Using RAID configuration for Cakewalk install

[Hill62]

Hi all,

I recently built a new system and have my Cakewalk program on my C drive, which is  a standard 1TB SSD disk. I have two 2TB nvme m2 SSD drives in a RAID 0 configuration, with separate partitions for Samples (synth libraries), and Projects (recording).
 

I was wondering if anyone else is using some types of RAID configuration with their install. I have been having a couple issues that looks like it is plugin related, but I have not used a configuration like this before so don’t know if I am helping performance as I hope to.

That said, if I were to move Samples or Projects off the RAID to another discreet SSD drive, would Samples be the better choice to move as it is static, or Projects as they are dynamic?

 

thanks for the input. I see I need to update my specs in my profile as well. I’ll get that done as well.

 

Thanks!

 

[bitflipper]

Just speculating, but I'd expect at least small gains in read times, which could improve load times for large libraries. But the gains are going to be small with SSDs, as the main benefit of striped sets is to combat rotational latency and mechanical head seeks, which don't apply to SSDs.

I'm just guessing here, since my own history with RAID has been limited to database servers, where many processes are reading and writing large files. DAWs and VIs are designed to minimize disk activity, and with only one user I'd expect only marginal speed improvements. In theory you could reduce the preload buffers of your Kontakt libraries to make initial project loading faster, relying on your fast drives to avoid the usual downside of doing so, namely stuttering during playback as samples are streamed on demand. That might only make a noticeable improvement on certain sample libraries, e.g. those with long samples, such as pianos.

As for which makes better use of RAID 0, samples or projects, throughput gains are greater for reads than for writes. So you're absolutely right: static data benefits more. Whether or not you'll actually notice the difference, I dunno. All I know is that I'm far more impatient waiting for a project to load than anything that happens afterward. More than once I've gone and made a cup of tea rather than watch the progress bar creep along as a big sample-based project loads. 

 

[Hill62]

Super helpful as always Bit. Really appreciate you taking the time. Thank you!!!