Specialist PC - Sibelius 7 music notation/replay software

[Krzysz]

This is the spec:
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4590 (3.3GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z97M-PLUS: m-ATX, USB3.0, SATA 6.0, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
32GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE 210 - DVI, HDMI, VGA
1st Hard Disk
500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE
2nd Hard Disk
1TB SEAGATE ST1000DX001 1TB/8GB SSHD 64MB HYBRID DRIVE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (£79)
Processor Cooling
INTEL STANDARD CPU COOLER
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

The Sibelius website recommends: "Intel Core 2 Duo (or equivalent) or better, 4 GB+ total physical RAM, 40 GB total hard disk space (7200 rpm or faster drive recommended; SSD preferable), ASIO-compatible soundcard."

I am planning to use the M-Audio 192 PCI soundcard.

My general understanding of the program is that it is hungry on memory, as there are large sound-files to load, especially if you write large orchestral scores (I do - upwards of 30 staves). I'm not sure if I should go for even more memory - but 32 GB seems to be the ceiling here.

Another issue, I gather, is the speed the program will take to start and respond.

Not being a computer expert, I am uncertain as to how the SSD drive comes into play with this program and whether a hybrid second drive is an appropriate choice.

Over to you! And thanks for any comments.

 

[TheGeeza]

Change the 1st hard disk option to a 250gb ssd. Then you can install sebelius on it as well as your os.
If sebelius is on the ssd it will load up much faster than it would on a standard hdd. (This will not necessarily make the sound files load faster unless they are on the ssd too).

I don't really see the point in hybrid drives currently. I would still just go with a good ssd.

Might be worth waiting for some other members to leave a reply too. They will no doubt have some good suggestions

 

[Spuff]

Assuming your system is using up to 2GB of RAM, than loading up 30GB of data from a disk is going to take some moments, even from an SSD. You can look at the specs of the drive you are considering and work out how long 30GB will take to be read. I can't imagine Sibelius needs lots of RAM to run itself. As I understand it Sibelius can use plug-in instruments, and as such how those would handle samples will be up to the instrument and the settings it allows you to make, as I imagine is the case with any sample sets included with Sibelius.
If you just want to hear what you are doing you don't need to load samples of even 1GB in total size across 30 instrument instances.
I think any instrument package with a large sample set will give you options of how much 'detail'/data you load up. While you are working on a piece you can use very light sample sets.

 

[A314159]

I'd drop to 24gb RAM. 32gb is A LOT

 

[Krzysz]

Many thanks for the replies.

I asked some overlapping questions on the Sibelius Help Center forum and these produced the suggestion that 32GB is possibly OK for big scores, but that 64GB would be safer! (I can't see an option on PCspecialist to install 64GB.)

Also, a SSD for Hard Drive No 1 (maybe 250 GB is big enough), with the Sibelius stuff stored on it, and a normal disk for Hard Drive No 2 for other stuff.

Please feel free to comment further.

 

[A314159]

64gb is available, scroll down more to the exactly the same but cheaper hyperxfury RAM. I still very highly doubt you will need more than 24gb RAM. I assure you that you would be wasting money getting 64gb.