WHY 64 BIT?

What's up with this 64-bit stuff? Why bother? How about speedy playback of hundreds of frames of 2-4K film scans or HDTV shots. You don't need a super-expensive workstation and graphics card, or SCSI RAID configuration. Any X64-capable machine will do, as long as it has the capacity for several Gigabytes of RAM. With 4GB, you can get around 350 2K frames for rapid tracking, scrubbing, and playback, and XP Pro 64/Vista 64 goes to 128 GB (8GB or 16GB on lower-end Vista versions).

The 64-bit mode also makes some changes to the internal details of the computer that can let 64-bit programs run 10-20% faster than their 32-bit equivalents. Though it generally isn't going to be a huge difference, every bit helps.

Ultimately, 64 bit programs will be the dominant force; we've reached the boundaries of 32-bit computing, and the advantages of stepping up to 64 bits are compelling, only a matter of time.

Accordingly, we're happy to offer the SynthEyes 64-bit version for Windows (a word to OSX customers).

 Go to the Store! 
(select the 64-bit Windows XP/Vista platform)

Getting Started

You don't need a gigantic machine to get started. Many existing machines, including the one you already have, may already be 64-bit capable, especially recent Intel Core 2 or AMD Athlon or Opteron machines. You can run the 64-bit version in 1 GB of memory, though it's not as much use. Even some laptops are 64-bit capable.

You can set up Windows XP Pro 64 or Vista-64 in a dual-boot configuration, so that you can boot into 32 or 64 bit mode. You can run many existing 32-bit programs under Windows XP Pro 64 or Vista-64 (including 32-bit SynthEyes), though you probably ought check on the ones you use.

Recommended Configuration

  • AMD Athlon 64 or Opteron rated 3000 or more, or Intel EM64T-capable processor at 3 GHz or more, such as Core 2 Duo.
  • Windows XP Pro 64, Vista 64, or Windows Server 2003 X64 version.
  • 2 GB suggested minimum RAM, 4 GB or more recommended.
  • 3-button Mouse with middle scroll wheel/button.

Presently-Unsupported Capabilities

  • Quicktime Movies, pending Apple's release of an X64 version of the Quicktime SDK for developers (don't hold your breath).
  • Some AVI files may not read, X64 codec support is spotty.
  • (General) Make sure that 64-bit drivers are available for any tablets, disk arrays, or other special hardware you use.

 Go to the Store! 
(select the Windows XP 64 Pro Platform)

To Our Mac OS X Customers

Apple has announced that Leopard and future Apple operating systems will not support 64-bit applications using Carbon, their current application environment. Apple is requiring developers to re-write their applications using Apple's proprietary language and environment in order to use 64-bit features. It's a startling stance for a company that is already several years behind in the real 64-bit world.

If you want to use all the RAM in your machine, fire up your Mac in 64-bit Vista or XP, and run 64-bit SynthEyes today.