Samplers like Kontakt are capable of streaming from disk, but when it comes to loading from (faster) RAM, standard 32-bit memory addressing on Mac and Windows restricts them to about 2-4 GB of memory. That’s about to change for Kontakt users, with the free update to Kontakt 3.1 with 64-bit support in the works. You’ll need Mac OS X Leopard or 64-bit Windows to run it, but if you choose to put more gigs of RAM, Kontakt will be able to use a lot more memory. In case you missed the announcement, I covered this yesterday for CDM:

Kontakt 3 Free 64-bit Upgrade Soon on Mac, Windows

I’m working on getting some other details. For instance, at the moment, no hosts on Mac support 64-bit, so presumably you’d have to either wait for that to change or run Kontakt standalone. On Windows, you have to boot the 64-bit operating system, you need 64-bit drivers, and you again need a 64-bit host, like Cakewalk’s SONAR.

That said, let me ask it another way — show of hands. Who here wants more RAM? Do you use big sample libraries that require it? Anyone already running 64-bit SONAR / Windows?

I’m also talking to NI and wrapping up a story I’ve been working on regarding 64-bit and memory. Got questions you want answered? Stuff that confuses you? I’m happy to pass it along and share what I learn!

(Geek-only side note: I’m also curious if the Windows emulation that allows Kontakt to run on Linux, as it does on the Muse Receptor, will do 64-bit. The ASIO drivers for the WINE compatibility layer on Linux is presently 32-bit only.)