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  3. Macbook pro for flexible compostions in every way:) but is this set up enough?

  • Macbook pro for flexible compostions in every way:) but is this set up enough?

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    Hello to everyone here:)

    i have some question to you all who are working a long time with vsl. In a view month i am planing to buy a apple mac book pro.

    The current configuration is as follow:

    Intel Core Duo 3.06 GHz
    8 GB Ram 1066 hz
    500 GB (7200)

    Sequenzer: Cubase 5

    Currently VST Plugins: Nostalgia Symphonic Choirs RA Voices of Passion Goliath Symphonic Orchestra Platinium

    I want buy the flollow VSKL Bundle VSL VI90 + VI95 SPECIAL EDITION

    And for effects on the orchester Vienna Suite

    So is there anything i need for orchestration on the road? For me it´s very important thhat it works with this mac.

    many thanks chris
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    I wouldn't buy the current MAC Book Pro. Wait to  buy the next one that surely will be a very good computer with a new 64 bit Operating system and a lot of new improvements, like the calpella processors.
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    The Mac OSX Leopard snow is already 64bit.

    So you can use the full memory you have:)

    http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/

    Or is there something i dint´see? Please let me know
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    @Planet said:

    The Mac OSX Leopard snow is already 64bit.

    So you can use the full memory you have😊

    http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/

    Or is there something i dint´see? Please let me know

     

    Hmmmmmmmm. I think you have some reading to do. Currently there are very few 64bit apps on OSX, for a variety of reasons. There are no 64bit sequencers, and therefore no 64bit plugs. You can open multiple instances of standalones, but you will be limited to around 2.5GB in each. You will also need to find some way to route the audio back to your sequencer.

    DG
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    mhhhh so if is understand it the right way.

    it is no problem of mac osx. Mac OSX is already 64 bit.

    But the vst plugins and the sequenzer are still 32 bit right? I know that cubase 5 for examples offers for Windows vista users 64 bit version, also the east west play plug ins offers 64 bit option. So if that is also for mac so it works right?
  • cmC
    VSL Team
    cmC
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    @Planet said:

    Mac OSX is already 64 bit.
     that's what we hear on apple roadshows since years now ...

    however much of the real truth is refered in this fine posting

    hth, christian

    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
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    Many thanks for the link:)

    mhhh as i see it looks like that Windows is currently the better system..... *wondering*

    If i undstands the postet article right so you have since the macosx leopard snow no longer a 32 bit kernel which also fits 64 pulgs. You have an truly 64 bit kernel. That sounds to me, that if the developers of sequeuenzers and plug ins provide also an 64 bit version of there products for apple so it works.

    Is that true?
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    @Planet said:

    That sounds to me, that if the developers of sequeuenzers and plug ins provide also an 64 bit version of there products for apple so it works.

    Is that true?

     

    Since there are precious few 64bit products  for OSX yet, nobody can answer that question.

    DG
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    The Funny thing is, that i talk to steinberg (cubase).

    They tell me the reason why cubase crashes at 4 gb is not cause of cubase it´s why mac osx is an 32 bit system. since OSX leopard snow it is an really 64 system. So i ask if that is true and i install an cubase on a mac there sould be no problem at 4 GB. since that question i have nothing hear;)
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     The reason Cubase crashes is that Cubase is a 32bit application. It has nothing to do with OSX not being fully 64bit.

    However, the reason that there are not many 64bit applications for OSX is historical.

    DG
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    ...... it sounds like that everyone say that it´s fault of the other.I´ve just recieve an e-mail from steinberg support. They say that has nothing to do with cubase it´s because of the system. You say the other way arround. What is right? My problem is i can´t test that, cause i haven´t got a may yet. But i want to buy one and now it´s the question it´s a good decision or not...*who can give me an advise*:(
  • cmC
    VSL Team
    cmC

     that isn't as contradicting as it may sound .... (btw: you have misunderstood a detail of the article linked above - the 64bit kernel will arrive with snow-leo which is 10.6)

    several applications (like exs, obviously the kontakt beta) work with an old trick called address extension to access more than 4GB RAM ... however this does not mean the application as such is 64bit, neither the OS is to its full extent.

    even with snow-leo there will remain some parts of the OS still in the 32bit domain, but at least the kernel (and the GUI) now gets *real* 64bit.

     

    it is often difficult for programmers to create such a *mixed domain* application since you have to take care for every part of of your app if and how it can cooperate with 32 and/or 64 bit and mimikry the respective other address space ... and audio apps are not the simpliest type of applications.

     

    for example VE choose the not always beloved server-solution to access additional address space (eg. outside of logic) and will allow to get beyond the 4GB barrier in an upcoming version.

    i'm sure snow-leo will make many things easier in the future if more and more related stuff can now move to 64bit, though most vendors will need to re-program a lot of their stuff because of the dropped 64bit carbon support.

     

    things are not always as easy as certain marketing departments like to make us believe ;-)

    christian

    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
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    @Planet said:

    ...... it sounds like that everyone say that it´s fault of the other.I´ve just recieve an e-mail from steinberg support. They say that has nothing to do with cubase it´s because of the system. You say the other way arround. What is right? My problem is i can´t test that, cause i haven´t got a may yet. But i want to buy one and now it´s the question it´s a good decision or not...*who can give me an advise*😞

     

    Look, I will try to spell this out for you:

    You should be able to use 2.5-3GB in Vienna Ensemble

    You should be able to use 2.5-3GB in Vienna Instruments

    You should be able to use around 3.5GB in Cubase, but not for loading Vienna Instruments.

    If you only have 8GB of RAM, the OS will grab some of this, so how much you load will depend on what you load.

    DG
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    @ Christian:)

    The main ask question is, is there any sense for waiting for a better version of the macbook pro. Or make it sense to buy the mac book pro included Leopard snow?
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    @DG said:

    Look, I will try to spell this out for you:

    You should be able to use 2.5-3GB in Vienna Ensemble

    You should be able to use 2.5-3GB in Vienna Instruments

    You should be able to use around 3.5GB in Cubase, but not for loading Vienna Instruments.

    Ok that means that i load vienna esemble (is this the mixer?) for vienna instruments?

    and Vienna instruments standalone. Right?

    how can i connect cubase generally to standalone versions? is there a trick?
  • cmC
    VSL Team
    cmC

     hasn't the macBook Pro been updated to a newer generation recently? i don't think we will see another newer version this year ....

    however upgrading to snow-leo is said to be really cheap (IIRC EUR 69.- ?) and i wouldn't do so before the first round of updates - old - if not ancient - rule for every IT guy, not only applies to OS X ;-)

    christian

    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
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    Let´s turn to the first question:) i have

    my thing is that i want to be more fleixible for compsoing on different places. Not only at home but also on the road.

    That´s why i plan to buy me an apple mac book pro 17 Zoll with the setting i wrote at the beginning of the thread.

    is there enough power to run VSL VI90 + VI95 SPECIAL EDITION + Vienna suite for the effects

    Of course my cubase 5 and somte other plugins. If that works i would be very happy. I don´t want to buy an windows pc again. But at the moment it looks like that windows vista ist more efficiently than a mac. So i am in disbelief what is now the better choice. 

  • cmC
    VSL Team
    cmC

    my personal opinion: if you feel more familiar / happy with OS X there is nothing to say against it ... just keep in mind you will have to face a few limitations during the very near future.

    however this doesn't look too problematic to me  loohing at the maximum of 8 GB RAM you can put into the new macBook Pro.

    1 GB for OS, 3.5 GB for cubase, 3 (- 3.2) GB for VE fills it up anyway.

     

    consider: loading every single patch from the SE (V90) will take ~3.8 GB RAM (nothing you would do in a regular workflow), SE+ can add max. 3 GB to this value ... so organizing your presets or arrangements in a somehow reasonable manner can give you a nice mobile orchestral workstation.

    expecting VSL to drop the limit for VE memory usage you are safe for the future anyway ... VS does *only* need some CPU which i can't imagine to be an issue with the core2duo (maybe choose the faster one to be on the safe side, something one should do anyway running audio apps)

     

    i don't think you need to connect cubase to a stand-alone instance in such a configuration, the plugin should do the job nicely.

    christian

    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
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    Hey Christian;)

    this is an great answer:) many thanks for your time:)

    do you have any experience with Vienna suite?

    I belief this is highly recommend to make your orchester sounds really awesome. Isn´t it?:D
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    Christian, I think that you've just about got it now. However, just one more thing to correct, both Vienna Ensemble and Vienna Instruments use their own memory space as plugins, so you don't have to run any standalones. Obviously if you had a more powerful system that would become a necessity, but with only (I can't believe that I'm saying "only") 8GB, that won't become necessary.

    As far as which OS, with your proposed system there are pluses and minuses. The biggest minus is that Cubase runs much better in Windows. However, I think that there is a way to switch off speedstep on the Mac lappies (where there isn't on the Mac Pros), so that might help the performance somewhat.