Reference Guide

1814
Preferences dialog
BitBridge Server Configuration
Cakewalk’s BitBridge technology allows you to use 32-bit VST effects and instruments when using
the x64 version of SONAR.
32-bit VST effects and instruments are loaded into “servers”, and each server can address up to
4GB of RAM. BitBridge supports up to 32 independent plug-in servers, and each server can address
up to 4GB of RAM, allowing access to a massive 128GB of RAM. This allows SONAR x64 to
address all available RAM in your computer.
By default, SONAR manages memory automatically, and will allocate and allow access to all
available RAM dynamically as plug-in's are used. This is done by dynamically creating new
BitBridge servers only when necessary, up to a maximum of the available RAM.
Server loading is either automatic or customizable, giving you full control over which server to load
plug-ins into. To enable automatic server loading, select Automatic (Based on available RAM). To
manually manage BitBridge servers, select the server that you want plug-ins to be loaded into.
After a specific server is selected, all plug-ins subsequently loaded will be loaded into that specific
server, bypassing SONAR's automatic memory management. This also applies when you load a
project that contains VST plug-ins.
Source SONAR x86 (32-bit) SONAR x64 (64-bit)
Replace VST2 Plug-
ins When Opening
Projects enabled
Replace VST2 Plug-
ins When Opening
Projects disabled
Replace VST2 Plug-
ins When Opening
Projects enabled
Replace VST2 Plug-ins
When Opening
Projects disabled
VST2 Use 32-bit VST3, if
available, otherwise
use 32-bit VST2
Use 32-bit VST2 Use 64-bit VST3, if
available, otherwise
use 64-bit or 32-bit
VST2 as available
Use 64-bit or 32-bit VST2
as available
VST3 Use 32-bit VST3 Use 32-bit VST3 Use 64-bit VST3 Use 64-bit VST3
Table 279. VST2 to VST3 migration
Note: BitBridge server configuration is only available in SONAR Producer.
Tip: To more optimally use your available memory, assign memory hungry VSTs to their own private
BitBridge server. The actual memory consumed by a server instance is shown in the server list,
allowing you choose which server you may want to load into.