64 vs 32 bit FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!

[braj]

I don't know about Flowstone, but I would say that anyone releasing commercial 32-bit only plugins should know they will have an ever-shrinking market to sell to. That's not making fun of anyone, that's just a fact.

[jdoo]

Part of me wants to post Korg legacy Collection comments in THIS thread (ruining it), but I would have to find someone thick enuf, to argue endlessly with me on dumb points... to keep our personal non-related discussion going...

[fanodu1]

There is no fight. The fact of the matter is 32-bit plugins are redundant and new 32-bit versions wouldn't be getting made today if everyone switched to a 64-bit DAW.

They have a right to exist only so people can still open really old projects but even then, there's no point in offering NEW plugins as a 32-bit option. 64-bit processors have been mainstream for more than 10 years now and it's not too much to ask for people to use an up to date DAW. And if you really can't live without some legacy plugins just get a bridge plugin.

[Teksonik]

There is a difference between those who can't release a 64 bit version (Flowstone) and those who have decided not to release (and support) 32 bit versions. Has there been a native coded synth released recently that is 32 bit only ? I can't think of one off hand.......

[Frantz]

[braj]

There is a difference between those who can't release a 64 bit version (Flowstone) and those who have decided not to release (and support) 32 bit versions. Has there been a native coded synth released recently that is 32 bit only ? I can't think of one off hand.......

Neither can I, probably the only 32 bit only ones coming out now are tied to a dev environment that can't do 32 bits. It doesn't make any sense to limit it otherwise.

[Elektronisch]

There is a difference between those who can't release a 64 bit version (Flowstone) and those who have decided not to release (and support) 32 bit versions. Has there been a native coded synth released recently that is 32 bit only ? I can't think of one off hand.......

I wonder if there will be ever possibility to port from Flowstone to Mac.

[Ingonator]

Well my main hosts are Live 9 64-bit and Cubase Pro 9.5 and while i mostly use 64-bit plugins i just bought jBridge so could now also use 32-bit plugins in those hosts. This also includes using the demo version of the new Viper synth. Recently i also used some 32-bit plugins in Bitwig 2.

I still prefer using 64-bit plugins if they are available for a specific plugin. Any kind of bit bridge could always cause stability and performance issues.

[Stefken]

I guess you could use a bridging solution ( if it works) to use jewels from the past. But who releases a NEW 32 bit only synth is not paying attention.

There may be a 64 bit version of Viper one day but the developer is dependant on a third party to release a Flowstone version that can compile to 64 bit.

Way to many dependencies.

[Stefken]

Yea I am done.

I use 64 bit exclusively, oh, and JBridge, which works with awesome things like the new Viper, and the old Vanguard.

I will wait for a new thread of a dev who releases a Flowstone product and watch him get harassed again. So sad. So predictable.

Such a predictable crowd. Pathetic. You could discuss it here, but NO. Not you, you predictable crowd. Oh well.

Done.

This is not derailing a thread then ???

[AnX]

There is a difference between those who can't release a 64 bit version (Flowstone) and those who have decided not to release (and support) 32 bit versions.

Indeed. One is a hobbyist, the other is a professional.

[medienhexer]

It's interesting to see how conservative some users are. So it's not just us guitarists with our outdated valve amps

I had my first 64 Bit system in 2006, I think, and my setup has been 64 Bit only since 2011/2012. Admittedly, that was before I went insane with plug-in purchases, so I never picked and got to like any 32 Bit-only tools. And as far as I understand, that's really the core discussion. Some people like their old stuff, it hasn't been updated, maybe never will and there's nothing that can replace what they've come to love to use.

I don't think anyone really thinks that there are any technological advantages to 32 Bit operation, right? If you do, please stand up and give any factual information you might have.

So it's about preserving what they like and to avoid headaches for themselves, they argue that new stuff they would also like to use has to be 32 Bit and compatible with their specific old version of a DAW.

I think the discussions are always so emotional because the root cause is emotional.

When I started investing beyond a DAW, I sat down and with an objective assessment of how technology works, I decided for the headaches from using new technology because I knew there was no way back. So I made compromises then in order to avoid compromises in the future. I never got to rely on anything that's been abandoned by the developer.

That being said, you can't stop progress.

With even all mobile devices firmly 64 Bit now, too, it's becoming harder and harder to support 32 Bit systems. As a developer, you can't use new OS features, programming language features, soon, important 3rd party libraries, installer tech, etc. won't be compatible anymore. Offering backwards compatibility means extra effort and extra cost. And you're cutting yourself off from easy ways of implementing new features.

On the other side of the equation, users pay less for software than 10 years ago. So at some point, companies won't be able to afford supporting legacy anymore.

In practical terms, there won't be any new hardware supporting 32 Bit OS versions. So once your test systems fail, you can only replace them with used hardware. Unless you think you can get by with virtual machines.

There can be no objective discussion about wether it's the right thing to do or wether it's necessary or not to go 64 Bit. I get that there is an emotional one, but that's not how technology works. We can capture and edit 4k video on our mobile phones now. You can't go back to 32 Bits without giving that up.

So, the question is: do developers have a moral obligation to maintain backwards compatibility and for how long?

[LeVzi]

jbridge has always been solid for me, yeah of course the odd plugin wont work no matter what , but jbridge works 99% of the time, and has always had a great developer behind it, so there is no reason that people cannot at least try to bridge 32bit plugins into 64bit hosts.

But as for the development of 32 bit plugins I thought that was obviously down to the framework, like flowstone, being purely 32bit. Synth edit was too IIRC, dunno if it is 64bit now.

The dev's cannot help that. I noticed Viper is 32bit, and Adam has put loads of work into this plugin and HAD to work in a 32bit enviroment. Then it turns out FS 64 is in development, and he'll port it. As a user, id rather wait it out for the native 64bit, than bridge it. Unless this development was gonna take years n years like getting a Sylenth update, then id probably cave.

Question though, do these DAW's that ONLY support 64bit plugins allow bridged 32bit ones ? Or do they blacklist them ?

[Ingonator]

Question though, do these DAW's that ONLY support 64bit plugins allow bridged 32bit ones ? Or do they blacklist them ?

As mentioend above my main hosts are Live 9 64-bit and Cubase Pro 9.5 where Cubase no longer has a 32-bit version and no built-in bridge.

Anyway with jBridge 32-bit plugins seem to work here in both hosts, including the Viper demo version.

Anyway jBridge craetes new 64-bit plugins from the original 32-it ones. Those original 32-bit plugins are indeed blacklisted in Cubase 9.5 and in live 9 64-bit they will simply not show up in the plugins list.
jBridge still needs the original 32-bit DLLs to work. The 64-bit DLLs created by jBridge are very small (e.g. a just few KBs for the Viper DLL).


UPDATE:
Now that i got jBridge i started checking Tactile Sounds Substance again, now using jBridge in Live 9 64-bit. Ages ago (around 2010) i was a beta tester and factory presets designer for it.

[chk071]

Question though, do these DAW's that ONLY support 64bit plugins allow bridged 32bit ones ? Or do they blacklist them ?

Cubase has no bit bridge since version 9, Reason doesn't have a bit bridge either, Logic i don't know, but probably none either. I don't know about Pro Tools as well.