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  • MIR and System Requirements Questions

    C
    C
    Greetings all, I currently run Special Edition (w/ included VI & VE) on a recent generation MacBook Pro (Mountain Lion). I am totally enthrall by the MIR technology (I've read both "Think MIR" and the "MIR Pro Preliminary Manual"). I need to, and am ready to upgrade my computer system to accommodate MIR and would appreciate some advice on what to get. For various reasons I would prefer to buy an Intel i7 Quad-Core 3.4GHz w/32 GB RAM as opposed to a Mac Pro. I would prefer this model over the Pro because the i7 comes with Thunderbolt technology, and no Mac Pros come with it. My specific question is then, given the VSL System Requirements suggestions stated below, how limited will the i7 computer be with MIR-Pro installed on it? Please keep on mind I will put 32 gigs of RAM in it and not the 12 that are stated below. To try to be more clear, I plan on adding various Vienna Instrument Collections for use in MIR along with the Special Edition, and I own a number of 3rd party VIs (I'd also like to utilize MIR's audio signal capabilities). I guess what I'm trying to ask is a difficult question which is, what constitutes a "smaller project(s)" and what constitutes a "larger project(s)"?, and at some point what project complexity will the i7 computer start to "fail". I understand the question is dependent upon specific circumstantial information relating to actual samples usage under specific scenarios as opposed to how many libraries and VIs I own, but the System Requirements information provided below seems to me to be too vague for an educated purchasing choice. Thanks in advance. Can't wait to get started! SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS For smaller projects, e.g., users of the Vienna Special Editions: Mac Intel i7-Quad CPU or better, OS X 10.6.8 or higher 12 GB RAM For larger projects: Mac Pro 8-Core Xeon 5520 “Gainstown” or better, with OS X 10.6.8 or higher 24 GB RAM
  • M
    M

    Chammer,

    Okay, I had to think about this..... You want a 3.4 ghz iMac (I think)..... It's confusing because you can't put 32 gigs of Ram in an iMac.

    You're ready to move forward and the lack of ThunderBolt alone, prevents you from buying a MacPro. 

    The next generation MacPro will hold somewhere between 64 and 128 gigs of Ram, today's iMac holds 16 gigs.

    The iMac is affordable but not expandable..... It's 4 cores can not approach the 16 or perhaps 24 cores the next gen Pro should have.

    If the only reason you're not buying a Pro is ThunderBolt, I encourage you to wait for the next generation....
  • M
    M

    Having said that...

    If the iMac is your choice, you could use it as a slave for MIR and your samples.

    Your MacBook Pro could serve as master and control your DAW.

    The iMacs 16 gigs of Ram (max) will pose a problem for larger projects.

    If you're thinking of running the iMac alone, you'll probably experiance Ram issues with small projects.

    The Special Edition requirements may not meet MIRs requirements..

    MIR needs horsepower, slaves help with this.
  • M
    M

    Smaller vs larger projects... What is large what is small ?

    Very good question, some consider 24 small, others say 90 is large, and then there are those with 2 or 300 instruments.

    What do you intend to do? How many instruments do you envision?
  • C
    C
    HI Mike B, As usual, thanks for your thoughtful comments. Please check this OWC link for ram upgrade packages for the i7 in question (on a personal note, I find OWC a reliable supplier). http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/1333DDR3S32S/ The real the crux of my quandry is that the VSL specs req. use 12GB of RAM as a criteria (and 24GB for the Pro "Gainstown" model) for performance assessment, and clearly a different level of RAM accommodation is possible. The specs that I see are 3.4GHz with 32GB RAM. Any further thoughts? Thanks again.
  • M
    M

    I stand corrected.... I keep forgetting that OWC ignores Apples specs and provides huge RAM upgrades.

    Okay.... You still haven't said iMac.... You've said i7 3.4 ghz.... This must be an iMac.

    As I stand corrected, 32 gigs is BIG and the i7 is a strong processor, I'm not crazy about only 4 cores but this machine will work.

    Ignore VSL's 12 gig spec just as you're ignoring Apples 16 gig spec. If you can upgrade to 32 gigs for less than 300 USD... Do it. [:D]

    You can never have too much RAM and remember, you'll be using MIR as well.
  • C
    C
    Thank you, and yes an iMac i7 is the computer in question. To answer your other question about what type of music and how many instruments I plan to write for, I would say anything size-wise from a small chamber group of 2 to 5 instruments/players to a relatively large standard orchestral configuration (something between Beethoven's orchestra and Mahler's orchestra). No matter what the size of the instrumentation, all the pieces would tend to use a wide variety of articulations, so sample usage I expect to be high per instrument (I'm unclear to what degree, if at all, that will affect MIR and general CPU drain).