Using 1 SSD Drive. Bad or OK?

I am getting ready to purchase an SSD Drive.

My set up is Macbook Pro 2.2 I7 16GB Ram I'm using Logic X

 

I'm torn between removing the DVD and installing a 480GB OWC SSD

OR

just replacing the internal Harddrive with a 960GB Crucial M500

 

The quandary: Would a single SSD handle both applications and audio? I've always recorded to an external HD, but is this necessary with SSD?

 

I don't go crazy with tracks, 30 at most, however it's 75% audio tracks.

 

Anyone have experience with this?

Always go to an external or 2nd internal. Never on the same drive as the app if you don't want to jeopardize your files.

Always go to an external or 2nd internal. Never on the same drive as the app if you don't want to jeopardize your files.

 

Why?

An SSD does not have a read/write head.

 

I am getting ready to purchase an SSD Drive...

A single SSD will be more than enough and in fact a much better choice than an external/internal spinning drive, if what you are after is performance. The bandwidth of 30 tracks 24/96 is nothing for an SSD.

Spinning drives make sense when you need a lot of storage and they are still cheaper per gigabyte.

Always go to an external or 2nd internal. Never on the same drive as the app if you don't want to jeopardize your files.

 

Why?

An SSD does not have a read/write head.

{/quote]

 

Conceptually I like having the projects on a different drive than the app and operating system. That's my thinking.

I know you love SSDs, Eric.

Conceptually I like having the projects on a different drive than the app and operating system. That's my thinking.

I know you love SSDs, Eric.

 

That's how I like to work too.

But the question was about SSD's and if it was bad to only use one.

The bandwidth of an SSD is larger than two spinning drives. Much less latency and more IOP's.

Since the OP was asking if one SSD would handle everything, my answer was to go to another drive, regardless of the type, be it SSD, spinning, external or second internal.

Thanks for all the advice. I have done some further research and I think that one SSD will indeed handle everything.

 

I have external firewire drives that I can use if needed. I would just like to be able take my laptop and go without having to schlep along an external drive.

 

I realize on first glance replacing the dvd with an ssd using a OWC data doubler so you have an ssd and spnning drive is what many do however the downside for me is

1) Negative impact on battery life. I use my laptop to do web design and development for a living so I just have to have good battery life.

2) I do like to be able to burn a CD to listen to in the car and other devices.

 

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the M500 this week (unless I read someone has tried this and it didn't work out so well). I'll report back and let everyone know how it's going. I guess someone has to be the guinea pig, right?

You're welcome!

I think you will be very happy with your choice.

i use an SSD on my macbook pro, but...i don't record audio here. so, pre-and post-production, and mixing only. for that, works great...

(and keeps my mobile setup very simple)...

Eric, not sure if I understood you well

 

You prefer to record into the internal SSD drive of a macbook (which is also running apps) than to record to an external disc 7200 rpm (usb3/thunderbolt/firewire)?

I record to a second SSD or a RAID 5 but that is mostly for organizational reasons.

Recording directly to an internal SSD is perfectly fine.

FireWire 800 will cap the bandwidth of a modern 7200 spinning disk so I would prefer USB3 or thunderbolt.

 

That does not mean that you should not record to a FireWire drive. It can handle a large amount of tracks on its own.

In my case, I have one SSD drive in my macbook and one external 7200 RPM thunderbolt drive.

 

I'm better off recording into my MacBook's internal SSD drive even though it's running the apps?

So I took the plunge and replaced the HD in my 2011 macbook pro with a Crucial 960GB SSD. I copied my sample files (I also use Komplete and Superior Drummer) to the SSD. I opened up an existing project 24 tracks 18 of which are audio files, several plugins and recorded a few tracks. Smooth as glass.

 

Installing the SSD was easy. Format the SSD, I used a usb > SATA cable to clone the system drive to the SSD using Super Duper

Pop the back cover of the laptop

remove the HD

install the SSD

Boot up

Install Trim Enabler

Done

 

The laptop is wicked fast. Having an SSD sort of changes the way you work with the computer. Closing a program and opening up a different program is no big deal, it's almost instant. I open Logic X on a whim now. Just this evening I was working in Photoshop and thought you know, I wonder what that guitar part would sound like if I switched to a Vox instead of Fender amp sim...click open, tweak, listen, save, close - back to Photoshop. Prior to SSD I would have made a mental note and made the tweak later, if at all.

 

There is a lot of good advice here at LPH. Thanks for nudging me in the right direction!

You're most welcome Jeff!

I'm glad you like it.

i use an SSD on my macbook pro, but...i don't record audio here. so, pre-and post-production, and mixing only. for that, works great...

(and keeps my mobile setup very simple)...

I found Logic working so much better on SSD I can't imagine working with larger projects without it anymore. It just works faster, from functions as dumb as "play/stop", but the real speed kicks in at searching transients and flex-audio.

 

Eric, not sure if I understood you well

 

You prefer to record into the internal SSD drive of a macbook (which is also running apps) than to record to an external disc 7200 rpm (usb3/thunderbolt/firewire)?

I do.

In my case, I have one SSD drive in my macbook and one external 7200 RPM thunderbolt drive.

 

I'm better off recording into my MacBook's internal SSD drive even though it's running the apps?

 

Yeah. External 7k2 has @most 120mb/s, internal SSD has probably around 400mb/s, and no head jumping around. The app/majority of it/ is probably loaded in RAM anyway.

Howdy some good info thanks all. I have one question? If you replace a MacBook Pro 17" Late 2011 in my case, main internal OS Apps drive (spinning 7200) with a SSD and use the DVD optical to house the original internal spinning OS drive, can you successfully record to that drive with LPX ? I think the speed or I guess bus of the DVD optical drive is not the same as the internal HD spinning? I also edit video FCPX but use a spinning 7200 via Thunderbolt and also record to that drive with LPX. But as people say it gets heavy moving all that gear around. Cheers DH

Yes, no problem using the spinning drive instead of your optical drive.

I believe the late 2011 models use the same SATA 3 speed for both the hard drive and the optical bay.

Thanks for your time Eric, reading the web it appears MBPs 2011 vary as to what dives will work as a combination example SSD & HDD etc. OWC have quite a lot info on the compatibility. I think in my case the Main drive can have a SSD but the optical I am unsure? Some MBP optical drives have different Link and Negotiated Link speed so I am told. All difficult to understand? I just what to record music without spending money thats wasted. Thanks Again DH

All 2011 MBP can handle SSD at 3.0 Gbit/s. (SATA 2)

I believe OWC uses SandForce controllers which are known to exhibit problems on the optical bay.

Interesting topic!

So if i understand correctly everyone agrees that performance wise if you have the space having and doing everything on internal SSD is the best. However, some people are used to, and like, merely the idea of recording to another external drive (or just need it because of space)?

 

How much space are we talking about if youre using logic for lets say a few years?

How much space are we talking about if youre using logic for lets say a few years?

 

You could do your projects in the internal SSD, and when you're done, move them to an external drive for storage. That way you'll never have to worry about running out of space.

 

J.

Thanks Jordi!

No problem!

 

J.

Hey guys, new to the board here. Have read some great stuff. I just wanted to see if any of you guys who have a lot of experience can help me with my question.

 

I have a Macbook Pro (not retina display) that I bought brand new in 2013. I upgraded to 8gb of RAM right when I bought it. It still has the stock Harddrive and Intel Core i5. I use Logic X and am wondering ways to make it run more smoothly and quicker. Sometimes I'll get the "System Overload" message during playback on a project that has a lot of tracks (20-80) and a lot of Waves plugins running on them. Also, sometimes when I unintentionally click the "loops" button on the top right, logic pretty much freezes and the bright colored circle pops up as if the Mac is "thinking" or loading. I'm wondering if someone could suggest the best way to minimize these events that cause delays in loading projects, recording, mixing, etc. Is upgrading to 16gb RAM the answer? Is a SSD the answer? Right now i'm most interested in the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD.

 

Any input is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

If you run everything from a spinning 5400 rpm system drive, you gonna get system overload guaranteed.

 

Try putting the projects on an external USB 3 or Thunderbolt drive that either spins at 7200 rpm or is SSD.

 

Changing the internal to an SSD helps for sure. Once you're done with the project, copy it to an external HD to avoid filling it up.