If your computer has 8, 16, or more gigs of RAM, a 64-bit DAW host will let you take advantage of it, so you can run memory-hogging ROMplers with big sample libraries without running out of RAM. Why the march toward 64-bit? The main advantage of a system with a 64-bit processor, 64-bit OS, and 64-bit DAW software is the ability to address more than 4 GB of RAM at a time. Avid Pro Tools made the switch to 64-bit-only in version 11, and so the recently released Pro Tools 12 is also 64-bit-only. Propellerhead Reason versions 6-8.1 support both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems, and Reason 8.2 (a free upgrade for Reason 8 users) is exclusively 64-bit. For example, Ableton Live 9 and Cubase Pro 8 ship with 32-bit and 64-bit versions included. 64-bit DAW Software: Why You Want ItĪlmost all modern DAW software titles are now available in 64-bit versions. If you’re using a 32-bit DAW with ST2.x, it’s time to make the upgrade to a 64-bit DAW with ST3. That last part is important: SampleTank 3 is 64-bit-only, which means it won’t run in 32-bit DAW hosts as older versions of SampleTank did.

It’s easy to see why SampleTank 3 is a worthy investment: it includes tons of new sounds and effects, it has a much cleaner, easier-to-use interface, and it’s built to run as a 64-bit plug-in for AAX, VST and Audio Units hosts.

IK’s version 3.5 update - free for ST3 owners - arrived in spring 2015, enticing even more new users with 11 new sound libraries plus reliability improvements.

SampleTank 3, the long-awaited update to IK Multimedia’s well-established sample-based software instrument, was released in fall 2014 with much fanfare.

Sampletank 3 studio one