...and just for know ...the same song ( completely based on VI )
require the same CPU processing even if not midi tracks ( canceled ) just VI instances
opened....
???? ....interesting......

I'm only using an "old" G5 Quad, but I can can confirm this kind of behaviour: the Vienna Instruments use CPU power by their mere presence. The CPU workload is the same, no matter whether they are "playing" or not.

I've discussed this in the past. It is a real hindrance with my 1.8 Dual, because the CPU is so pre-occupied with loaded sounds that the headroom for actual playback is diminished.

Though a user may post Activity Monitor totals that max out memory with VI stand-alones and VI within Logic, plus VSL PE loads in EXS, the *real world* truth is a lesser powered CPU must devote resources just to accomodate the samples, and as soon as you hit play, you've lost about 50 to 60% of your CPU even with no MIDI tracks.

Because Pierre's and anton's computers are so powerful, it's not an issue (but apparently it's still noticeable).

The non-technical explanation is that, with all those samples loaded, VI and Logic have to prepare for what you MIGHT play. And the scope of the notes you MIGHT play gets larger with every instrument you add.

But I take encouragement from this thread, because both posters are saying that they can see no real demand on the CPU with MIDI performance. So they're getting a baseline CPU loss due to samples, and then the actual performance hit is negligable.

On my 1.8, I can see the performance toll as well, compounding my CPU sample loss. Because of this, though I have 6.5 GB total in the machine, I really can't load more than about 1.75 GB per EXS and VI (3.5 GB total samples) without overloading on playback. Indeed, when I start overloading, I go in Environment layer by layer and see if I can unload samples, not because I'm out of memory but because I need the CPU.

Plowman,

I'm a newcomer to VSL and DAW recording, beginning to miss the old equipment big time. I've got LogicPro 7.1 and an Intel MacBookPro 2 gig RAM with a Digidesign 002 rack mount interface. Having overload problems that shut down playback. Can't use this set up unless I come up with solutions to this problem. On the rare instance when I can get playback, many VSL notes are either clipped or not played back at all. Are there articles that you know of that would list possible solutions? I've already gone through changing buffer sizes, freezing tracks etc. Thanks for any suggestions.

Hi Tom23. This is the best article I've read on the possible culprits of a CPU overload.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304970

Unfortunately, after reading it, I fiddled with all the settings, and my progress was small. If anything, the article proved to me that my computer was simply too slow to do much more than I had already been accomplishing.

Is it possible for you to add more RAM to the MacBook? 2 GB may be low for your purposes.

By the way, here's a tip on Apple's Support page. Type in "klogic" and you'll get a whole lot of tech articles. I'm not sure what the "k" in "klogic" means, but it's a helpful search term.

Plowman,

That is a good article. Thanks! Unfortunately, I've done all those things, with no success.
I could put another gig of RAM on my MacBookPro. Guess I would if I really felt it would make a difference, but at this point I'm very hesitent to spend any more money on my recording set-up, as I was assured that the system I bought would have plenty of capacity for my needs. If that wasn't the case, I wish I'd been told this earlier.
Does this set up work with VSL, or does it not? The answer seems to be "maybe yes, maybe no."
I can't remember ever making such big purchases and getting such vague answers on important questions. Imagine the following conversation:
Customer: "I just bought a new car from your dealership, but it seems unclear as to what fuel it uses, as I've just filled it up for the first time and it won't run. It does run on gas, doesn't it?
Dealer: "Well, maybe yes, and maybe no."
This would all be funny if it weren't so frustrating.
Thanks anyway for the article. I'll try the Apple site. I've been on the phone a few times with Apple support. Unfortunately, they too haven't been able to figure out why my set up doesn't work.

I'm saddened by your experience and hesitate to trouble-shoot. Yes, I would guard against considering an extra gig as a magic bullet.

I don't want to aggravate the problem, but who represented that your set-up would work with VSL? And can we assume that it is working in some degree? Are you on VI or are you using VSL PE in EXS? Or both?

"Does it work with VSL?" would seem to be a simple question, but the gurus here offer guarded and conditional answers. Strictly speaking, my five year old PC works with VSL, for about three instances.

But, aside from the immeasurable differences between systems, I have a feeling that you should indeed be getting more out of a MacBook. In theory, you have a faster computer than my desktop.

Tom23,

Isn't part of the problem here that you're using Logic 7.1.....? 7.2.3 is the latest version, and somewhere about 7.2 was the first version to incorporate Universal Binary support. Try updating Logic first....?

I have a MacBook Pro with 2 Gb. Am just starting to use my new VI SE with Logic so am not really getting close to any limitations just yet. But if I can help to do some testing here then I will, let me know.

Irvin

Ding Ding Ding -
Correct answer.

7.1 no workie on Intel.
Send apple $49 for 7.2 and you will be stunned at how much you can get running on a macbook pro.

I've been sitting on the fence waiting for the next macbook pro refresh but spent a day at the apple store. They had one macbook loaded with "Pro" apps (finalcut pro, logic pro etc.).
Track after track with dense drawn in midi with excessive drawn in controller data. track after track of sculpture's with insane midi data, convolution verbs, not to mention hacking up the demo songs audio into tiny chunks and scrambeling them all over the project to try and make the hard drive bark.

I finally got there but it was pretty clear the macbook was a step past what my dual 2.5 G5 could handle.

Except that it only holds 3GB of RAM. That's the killer vs. a desktop machine.

However, we just got a MacBook Pro for my wife (for general computer things), and it's great. I've been using the same PowerBook for about seven years (Pismo upgraded to G4/500), and until now the machines haven't been enough of a step up to make it worthwhile changing. But now it's a big difference and I'm tempted.