Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
Forum Statistics

200,863 users have contributed to 43,214 threads and 259,138 posts.

In the past 24 hours, we have 2 new thread(s), 5 new post(s) and 61 new user(s).

  1. Home
  2. Sample Libraries
  3. Vienna Instruments Libraries (legacy)
  4. windows vs. mac for VI

  • windows vs. mac for VI

    W
    W
    The reason why I asked the elementary question on the other thread, about software for vst on a mac, is that I am trying to add to a studio setup that is all PC so far, using two VI PCs sequenced by a third PC and recording into a fourth. I know this is not a sexy way of doing it, but I like to have things completely separate. also I absolutely hate all the normally used sequencing software, and use only Digital Orchestrator, a very old program which is better than Logic or Cubase for midi. So with that mental aberration, I started wondering should I maybe add a mac as I would like to add more non-strained channels of VI.

    However, I must say that to get even a little mac mini is expensive. Compared to a powerful PC from the Dell outlet. So is it really worth it? Do you really get that much more from a mac than from a pc nowadays?

    I don't care if people are biased one way or the other on this, as I would like to know if there really is that much difference in quality anymore. Because there is a huge difference in price. Yeah, there was a quality difference in the days of windows 3.1 or 95, but with windows xp, I am not so sure. Though right now I am scared of windows vista. Sounds like many problems with it so far.
  • cmC
    VSL Team
    cmC
    IMHO you simply should stay on a platform you are used to - both have their pros and cons.
    whereas OS X 10.4.9 currently seems to give some trouble im sure VISTA will also be able to offer a series of inconveniances, 10.4.8 and XP are looking pretty stable so far.
    DELL is well known for their excellent service if some hardware fails, but i cannot confirm this for APPLE at least here in EU - whereas the limited number of used hardware pieces for a mac makes failures rather seldom.

    in both worlds currently i don't see a real option to break the 4GB barries easily so it's kind of palmistry who will be at first be able to provide a stable 64bit system

    as a long-time user of both (and more) platforms i'd like to just pick one point about one could discuss weeks:
    - windows still has this division in kernel and user memory, so if you want to access 3 GB RAM on a 4 GB machine you have to configure it
    - OS X still does not allow to configure the pagefile and i'm under the strong impression sometimes it swaps samples to virtual memory
    - an ideal operating system would avoid both

    for me both platforms are functioning pretty much the same ourdays, but i've also heard people saying that they are so different ... my advice would be: get a computer from the *other world* for playing around with it to become familiar, but don't change your working horse, especially with deadlines approaching ...
    christian
    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
  • W
    W
    Thanks Christian, that is very practical advice!
  • N
    N
    cm, what *are* the problems with OS X 10.4.9? I know the sensible advice is not to do anything if you're not having problems - and I'm not so far - but I'd like to know what to look out for.
  • N
    N
    By the way, shouldn't you be able to monitor when OS X swaps samples in Activity Monitor?

    In any case, you know the OS X trick of running multiple stand-alone samplers (VSL or otherwise) outside the host to access 7GB in an 8GB machine. I and at least one of our readers who wrote in have found that the system runs smoothly only if you limit any one program to maybe 1.5GB; loading any one of them higher than that doesn't work.
    Well, my first guess is that swapping is the culprit.

    I've asked some people at MS whether Vista can do the same trick, but they haven't got back with an answer yet.
  • cmC
    VSL Team
    cmC
    nick, we noticed a significant series of issues regarding permissions and loosing AU validation, including but not limited to the VI player. unfortunately - as always - this does not occur on the machines here ...

    the question if XP64 or VISTA64 would allow the same trick is a good one ... i'll put it on my task-list ... i just fear the 32 vs. 64 bit audio driver thing would thwart such plans ...

    regarding swapping: i've repeatedly read through apple developer documents but still don't get my head 100% around this thing ... just my observations (eg. clicks in a first run, smooth in a second one) made me assume that samples are moved to the pagefile although they should remain in the wired (and physical) memory.

    christian
    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
  • D
    D
    The biggest shame of all (for us high RAM users) is that XP64 is a stable, mature OS, but it seems unlikely that many companies will support this OS, instead choosing to support the relatively untested Vista and the unfinished Leopard.

    DG
  • D
    D
    last edited
    last edited

    @cm said:

    ... just my observations (eg. clicks in a first run, smooth in a second one) made me assume that samples are moved to the pagefile... christian


    cm, is that because the samples get moved back into physical ram from the pagefile when they get called upon? - (obviously after they have been paged earlier for whatever reason.)
  • N
    N
    Yup Dave, that's cm's thesis.

    This couldn't be...no...well, maybe...yet another in a long string of outrages?!

    ***

    Thanks cm. Hopefully my machines will behave just like yours. [:)] And hopefully the permission and validation problems happen during installation so I'm out of hot water.
  • D
    D
    I figured Nick. Now to stop this outrageous behavior in my PC's.