You cannot run Logic on your Z800 except if you want to go in the hasle of the Hackintosh

So your master must be a MAC.

You could put VSL and MIR on the slave (Z800) and put the other player on the new Macpro.

If you want to have MIR on both computer you need to buy 2 licenses

The New Macpro is too new, we have very few feed back

@Rob Welsh said:

if there was a way to use BOTH computers for sample playback

yes - VEPRO does that. just run VEPRO server on the sequencing machine. you can connect to the local instance then.

Thanks everyone for your input.

@Rob Welsh said:

if there was a way to use BOTH computers for sample playback

yes - VEPRO does that. just run VEPRO server on the sequencing machine. you can connect to the local instance then.

CM,  So with VEPRO running on both the slave and master machine, I can route VEPRO instruments from the sequencing machine to the slave that holds MIRPRO?

To maximize the useage of both those computers, since they are both relatively powerful and therefore valuable for sample playback,  it would make sense to use a third smaller computer strictly for sequencing and audio mixing.  Then you can use the other two as dedicated sample and MIR playback exclusively.

@Rob Welsh said:

I can route VEPRO instruments from the sequencing machine to the slave that holds MIRPRO?

no, you cannot route from VE PRO an master into MIR PRO on slave (and then route back to the master), but you could run also MIR PRO (or MIR PRO 24) on both machines.

@Rob Welsh said:

I can route VEPRO instruments from the sequencing machine to the slave that holds MIRPRO?

no, you cannot route from VE PRO an master into MIR PRO on slave (and then route back to the master), but you could run also MIR PRO (or MIR PRO 24) on both machines.

Rob - Why these guys are talking in circles and not answering your question... it's like politicians... Anyway..

Yes! With VEPro you can run samples off of both of your machines and the MacPro would make a GREAT host in this situation for two reasons. You use Logic, and the very fast PCI 3 SSD performance. 

I do something very similar, but in a slightly different situation. I'm running a single computer (a 3,1 MacPro, 32GB RAM, internal and eSATA SSD RAIDs, etc..). I run my string, brass and wind samples in VEPro and my percussion samples, piano, and other stuff in my DAW (Digital Performer 8). 

I also run the plugin version of MIR Pro with DP for the samples in my DAW. So I have my DAW, MIR Pro, and VEPro with samples being hosted in both with Konatkt and VSL libs. I also have audio event plugins going to the 32 bit version of the VEPro 32-bit server and Event Audio plugins from DP to VEPro. I've started using the VST versions though. Not sure if I'm gaining anything, but it's running better than when I used the AU version, but I also made some other changes at the same time, so I don't know.

That way, for me, it spreads things out really well among the 8 cores and I get a very optimized performance. I use a lot of Kontakt libs (which have the stuck note problem when too many voices are being piped through, and when the buffers aren't set right). But, I'm really surprised how hard I'm pushing my 2008 MP now.

After I moved some of my samples to my DAW for it to handle (to give VEPro and the I/O between DP and VEPro a break, plus tweaked buffers and multicore support in Kontakt, VEPro and DP), I was able to get about another 30% gain in performance.

I know that's not exactly your situation but the theory is the same. Using you MacPro to host every sample that your PC slave can't handle is a great idea and it will work once you tweak it right. Use the same theory about spreading workload among cores, but consider your DAW just another part of the core needing equation. That's how I think about it and it works. VEPro is using about 15GBs of real mem, and DP (to keep it snappy) is using about 8GBs or so. Keep your host at about 50% - 70% of the workload to your slave and it will work.

If I were you this is what i would try. MacPro as host with MIR Pro AND VEPro running on the MacPro (get away with as much as you can get away with, while Logic is still running smooth), and then cram as much as you can on your PC slave. I envy your situation!

And guys, I don't want to get in a PC vs Mac argument, but some of you just don't get the new MacPro. You say you have a PC that is as good as or better than the new MacPro, and ask "why build a portable workstation that's not portable?" Really?

Apple never said anything about it being portable. They just moved the expansion outside. It's a brilliant move. Keeps heat out. Thunderbolt 3 is fast, it's a serial connection. and they have SIX ports on THREE controllers (or is it two?). That's 36 potential expansion devices. The SSDs are on PCI3.0. Really? You have your SSDs on either PCI 3 or TB2? I'm sure your PC is fast, and it's a bit cheaper but the new MacPro, when set up right and used for the right apps and reasons is a screamer. It may not be tailored made for a VEPro environment (video card still unnecessary, but everything else is perfect).

Yeah, it's way expensive. And I don't need the graphics. (and sometimes wonder if I want Xeons), but they're fast enough that the extra physical cores actually work (if you have the RAM). It's all bout optimization. Actually they should come with 128GBs of RAM. That's one let down I see. If I were buying a new MacPro, I would get 64GBs of RAM, the 1GB boot SSD, and the 8 core most likely. Either the 6 or the 8.

It's a great system either as a host or a slave if Rob is going to use Logic and host some of the samples from the MacPro as host.

@thenightwatch said:

Rob - Why these guys are talking in circles and not answering your question... it's like politicians... Anyway..

Politician?   No, I was trying to help based upon my own approach which uses multiple slaves.  

Note:  when giving help - don't insult the other people who were also trying to do so. 

William is right, I have told you "The New Macpro is too new, we have very few feed back"

It a good advise to put VSL on the slave with MIR and to put all other plug-ins(k5...)on the master and to route the audio of K5 to your slave.

If that does not work you can do the contrary

If you want to have VSL/MIR on both you need to buy 2 x Mir Licenses

To my knowledge you cannot do (CM can you confirm)

Local Logic -> local VSL--> local Logic ----> VSL/MIR remote-------> Logic Local ---> Speakers

You can do :

Local Logic -> local VSL/MIR   --> local Logic----------------------/-------> Speakers

                   -> VSL/MIR remote--> local Logic --------------------/

@DG said:

Couldn't you (theoretically) use an audio input plug on the VSTi outputs on the master

after a short conversation with dietz i've learned this _is_ an option ... if you don't route too many instruments, so if only dimension strings should be handled this way it's worth a try.

the other option indicated above is to have MIR (say a MIR PRO and a MIR PRO 24) on both machines, though you would have 2 seperate MIR GUIs then.

It was all in humor. I don't insult. But I think he just wanted to know if it was efficient to run samples off the host. Under the right circumstances it is. I just wanted to address that. 

@Rob Welsh said:

I can route VEPRO instruments from the sequencing machine to the slave that holds MIRPRO?

no, you cannot route from VE PRO an master into MIR PRO on slave (and then route back to the master), but you could run also MIR PRO (or MIR PRO 24) on both machines.