Most software synths specify a minimum of a Pentium 266MHz processor or similar and 32Mb of RAM. This is the only way Mac users could, for instance, take advantage of Nemesys' Gigasampler. Some musicians even use a Mac to run their favourite Mac MIDI + Audio sequencer alongside a PC for soft synths, since, at least until recently, there were far more soft synths available in PC format than on the Mac. The chances are that you'll achieve much greater polyphony on the desktop unit too. Your soft synths can then be run on the desktop PC, which lets you take advantage of a much wider range of soundcards. If you have a laptop‑and‑desktop combination, it may be preferable to run your sequencer on the laptop. If you want to process the output of the soft synths, you may also want to install a second set of software plug‑ins in the soft‑synth PC, unless you use a multi‑output soundcard to add rackmount effects, or link the two PCs using digital audio connections so that you can pipe soft synth outputs digitally into the audio PC and add plug‑in effects there. However, if your music uses lots of soft synths you may be better off working the other way round, since these require far more processing power than audio recording and playback, especially if you don't use loads of plug‑in effects on your audio. Most musicians tend to devote the more powerful machine to their main MIDI + Audio sequencing software and software effect plug‑ins, with the less powerful model effectively used as a MIDI synth for playback purposes only, running a selection of stand‑alone software synths/samplers or a set of VST Instruments and a suitable VST‑compatible host application. If you're intending to use two PCs simultaneously you'll need to decide what software to run on each one. Some are even buying or building a second PC specifically with soft synths in mind, or investing in a laptop as well as their main desktop PC. Many musicians are now in the position of owning two PCs, usually because it's not worthwhile attempting to sell an older computer when you upgrade to a new one, and more and more musicians are using their older PC to run software synths and samplers, leaving their main one to run a MIDI + Audio sequencer. Modern software allows you to turn a spare PC into a synth or sampler that's perfectly tailored to the needs of your studio. However, the stand‑alone version utilises more CPU power and requires more memory. Some soft synths, like NI's Pro 52 shown here, can be run in stand–alone or VST Instrument modes.
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