# Pro-audio, 32-bit or 64-bit?

## audiodef

I have a 64-bit system (two AMD Opterons). I was wondering if I should rebuild Gentoo using 32-bits for pro-audio purposes. Some programs seem to have trouble with 64-bits (such as Ardour with VST). 

Lately, the problem I've been having is that Ardour constantly quits, usually right after loading. This actually started happening after I ran emerge -e world. No idea why. But today I'm wondering if I should really run this system in 32-bit mode.

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## aCOSwt

Well well well... I am discovering this either...   :Evil or Very Mad: 

I was buildind my gentoo dead sure everything was operational in 64 bits and expecting multilib to deal with the rest !

Well... it does seem that mulitlib allows running 32 bits executable in a 64 bit environment.

But... it does seem that running a 32 bits plugin in a 64 bits host is a totally different story.

And as long as you are using 32 bits VST plugins... I fear that... if there is a solution keeping the 64 bits environment, it is not going to be an aesthetic one.

I do would like to understand things differently but I fear that the only solution for keeping a 64 bits system while wishing to use 32 bits VST plugins will imply to build a 32 bits host in a 32 bits chrooted environment !   :Crying or Very sad:   :Crying or Very sad:   :Crying or Very sad: 

If someone can contradict, I will be more than pleased !   :Cool: 

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## audiodef

Yeah, that's about what I understand too. Ardour in particular won't compile with VST support on 64-bit systems. 

64-bit systems have been around for a while. What's the holdup?   :Evil or Very Mad: 

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## aCOSwt

Well well... from what I read from Ardour together with what I can see by myself... Even 32 bits Ardour (2.7) does not seem very happy with VST plugins...

Which would mean that the choice you get is keeping 64 and having building problems or going back 32 and... experiencing runtime troubles !   :Mr. Green: 

A double-sided holdup... !   :Wink: 

My decision is that if I do need VST plugins, I will stay under the OS they are made for...  :Rolling Eyes: 

I do not see Wine as a solution. (by itself or via VST plugins converters) I failed making my Cakewalk Pro-Audio 8 work reliably under wine. I even cannot imagine any Wine based solution not necessarily leading to unsolvable synchronization problems.

Most likely, I will forget all about VST plugins...

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## linuxtuxhellsinki

 *audiodef wrote:*   

> Yeah, that's about what I understand too. Ardour in particular won't compile with VST support on 64-bit systems. 
> 
> 64-bit systems have been around for a while. What's the holdup?  

 

I don't really know anything about the problem, but someone said...  link

 *Quote:*   

> The problem, if I am correct, is that the VST code is optimised for i386, and that no one has taken the time to correct it for x64 yet. The main excuse is that VST's are all written for that platform, and that wine cannot interface with 32bit apps in a 64bit environment (yet)

 

There's also link to some kind of (wine)solution for debian users   :Rolling Eyes: 

Just my 2 € cents   :Wink: 

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## aCOSwt

 *linuxtuxhellsinki wrote:*   

> There's also link to some kind of (wine)solution  
> 
> Just my 2 € cents  

 

Thanks for your 2 cents linuxtuxhellsinki ! are worth 2... and a half !  :Very Happy: 

Well... you are right to write about some kind of solution.

Because, If I read well, It is about dssi !

dssi is indeed a good idea !

The only drawback is that... you just...

No longer master synchronization !

And... I... just... cannot make music if I cannot master synchronization !   :Evil or Very Mad: 

My pseudo is aCOSwt ! not a.cos(wt+somevariablequantity) !

Well...well... thinking about it... it could be the occasion to launch a new style !

I would call it... Approximative Music ! (C) aCOSwt 2010 and onwards...    :Mr. Green: 

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