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  4. iMac Desktop inquery

  • iMac Desktop inquery

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    I am considering buying the new iMac Desktop, Duo Processor, 2GHz, 2GB ram, Tiger v10.4.10

    My jaw dropped when I watched  the "Special Edition Demo #1-music" video. It appeared as if all those instruments were playing at the same time.

    I'm wondering how fast a processor and how much ram is needed to accomplish this?  What Mac configuration would allow me to do this?

    I have a PC Pentium Intel 4 -  3.4GHz with 4GB ram  but I must another computer for video editing. I'm wondering if the Mac would be the better choice to load and run VI?  

    Last question, will my Pentium 4 PC allow me to play full orchestration simultaneously as in the VSL online demo?

    Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!  I'm anxious to get started with VI but don't want to be disappointed if I can only get a few instruments to play. 

    Thanks,

    Dugley 
  • PaulP
    VSL Team
    PaulP

    Hi and welcome Doug [:)], 

    the Video Tutorial was made on a MacPro Quad, which is the better choice over an iMac Desktop, as I see it, for both audio and video.  

    You should be able to run the full demo on your PC as well (maybe you need to freeze some MIDI tracks....).

    Hope that helps!  I´m sure that you will get more opinions on this!

    Best, 

    Paul 

    Paul Kopf Head of Product Marketing, Social Media and Support
  • M
    M

     Hello,

    Just to give you an idea i have a PowerMac dual G5 2ghz with 2.5gb and it just about played the demo.....a few stutters.(it recommends a 2.5ghz processor)

    On some benchmark tests i've seen (checkout http://macspeedzone.com) the 20" imac comes in abit above the PowerMac dual G5 2Ghz.  

    Using Vienna ensemble today I was just about squeezing the full 16 instances ( a good mixture of strings/woodwind and brass) out of it. The CPU's were pretty much maxing out though.

    This was using VI presets...you can of course edit your own with less articulations (which i often do) less Ram.

    Hope this helps in some way.....

    P 
  • D
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    Thanks for the input.  You have been helpful. I began to think the only way to play VI full instrumentation was to get the MacPro.  (I reeeeally don't want to spend that much)

    Could you give me a bit more advice? Do you think the 24" 2.8GHz (4GB) would be robust enough to play (let's say the demo) without glitches or drop outs?  I would strongly consider getting the larger/faster one if it was highly probable that it would keep up with a complete instrumental score.

    Are there any other issues that should concern me concering buying the newest iMac and running VI on it?  I'm a complete novice and have no clue. I've never owned and have hardly even touched a Mac before--all of this talk about Leopard and such stuff is "Greek" to me. 

    Thanks again,

    Dugley 
  • PaulP
    VSL Team
    PaulP

    Hi Doug,

    if you are used to a PC environment, why don´t you take a look at a Vista64 system? Just curious...

    Best,

    Paul 

    Paul Kopf Head of Product Marketing, Social Media and Support
  • D
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    Hi Paul,

    I've been a loyal PC guy forever.  Having said that...I know too well how often PCs crash. Plus I'm told Mac's archecture is less 'bloated' and designed to handle graphics/media a lot better. It may be an "artsy-fartsy" computer but there must be a good reason why it has become the standard machine for media.

    I've become the Director of Media for an organization and their staff is using Final Cut Pro--so since I have to get a new computer anyway, I thought now might be a good time to "go to the Dark side" and join the force!  

    The ProMac is no doubt what I would like, but I probably could afford the 24" iMac.

    But, just out of curiousity...what speed and ram size would it take to handle VI on a PC?  Sad to say, I bought Opus a long time ago but lost interest because my computer could not give me good results  (and the performance interface was not very user friendly).  So now I want to make sure the computer I end up with actually can play the scores I produce.  

    Thanks,

    Doug 
  • PaulP
    VSL Team
    PaulP
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    Hi Doug,

    I am happy on both systems, I must say [:)], and it keeps you very flexible.

    Did you read through the link I provided in my last post?

    There are quite some discussions about different systems...

    Best,

    Paul

    Paul Kopf Head of Product Marketing, Social Media and Support
  • D
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    @doug_4636 said:

    I've been a loyal PC guy forever.  Having said that...I know too well how often PCs crash. Plus I'm told Mac's archecture is less 'bloated' and designed to handle graphics/media a lot better. It may be an "artsy-fartsy" computer but there must be a good reason why it has become the standard machine for media.

    You can use whatever you like, but I really must correct two of the most common Mac myths. As an ex-Mac users, I can categotcally state that Macs crash just as often as PCs, and in my experience more often. Also, bear in mind that some Mac users have a different definition of what stable means. My main PC has crashed about 4 times this year, due to being too slow to keep up with the speed that I work, but with previous versions of the software I didn't have a crash for well over a year.

    The reason the Mac has become a standard for many people is that 10 years ago they really were faster and more stable. However, for the last 6-7 years, until the Mac Pro was released, Macs were generally slower and less stable. In my mind there is no doubt that there is far more bloat on a Mac than on a PC, although Vista has tried very hard to remedy that inequality. [;)]

    DG
  • D
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     DG,

    Thanks for the 'heads up' on the Mac.  I suppose I should really consider the PC again and not base my purchase solely on wanting something to run Final Cut Pro on.  Truth is I have access to several Macs...so my priority is for what ever I get, to be able to handle VI.  

    I'm going to read some more threads and see what will serve me best--It's probably unfair of me to expect anyone to give me a definitive answer on something so subjective.  

    The advice here will serve me better than if I tried to make this decision on my own.

    Thanks,

    Doug 
  • D
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    @doug_4636 said:

     DG,

    Thanks for the 'heads up' on the Mac.  I suppose I should really consider the PC again and not base my purchase solely on wanting something to run Final Cut Pro on.  Truth is I have access to several Macs...so my priority is for what ever I get, to be able to handle VI.  

    I'm going to read some more threads and see what will serve me best--It's probably unfair of me to expect anyone to give me a definitive answer on something so subjective.  

    The advice here will serve me better than if I tried to make this decision on my own.

    Thanks,

    Doug 

    Sorry Doug, I wasn't trying to put you off getting a Mac. I just wanted you to get it for the right reasons.