[Mogens V.]

In a discussion on loopers-delight.com about computer-based rigs for
guitar/bass/keyboard, a poster claimed Mac Mini's have audible clicks,
due to video with shared memory. No info whether it was a G4 Mini or an
Intel one. Is this a known problem?


I don't have one, but consider a MacIntel Mini for my home studio, using
an external firewire drive for audio projects.
I kinda expect being advised against it for (home) studio use..
Only, I need to upgrade from my G4 dual800, but can't afford the new
upright series, so I consider a MacIntel Mini, later with another as a
processing node. This way I'd have an affordable growth path.

If I do it at all, I'll wait till early next year, as rumours are a new
model should be out, with fixed memory capability for 4GB ram.

Comments more than welcome..

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

[Nate Najar]

i don't know how much power you need, but i have a g4 mac mini with
1gb ram (the max in this model) and i run pro tools mpowered fine.
The most tracks i've tried to record at once is 12 and that was
completely successful with no hints of issues. likewise i've mixed up
to 24 tracks with the same result.

N


On Nov 15, 5:43 am, "Mogens V."
wrote:
In a discussion on loopers-delight.com about computer-based rigs for
guitar/bass/keyboard, a poster claimed Mac Mini's have audible clicks,
due to video with shared memory. No info whether it was a G4 Mini or an
Intel one. Is this a known problem?

I don't have one, but consider a MacIntel Mini for my home studio, using
an external firewire drive for audio projects.
I kinda expect being advised against it for (home) studio use..
Only, I need to upgrade from my G4 dual800, but can't afford the new
upright series, so I consider a MacIntel Mini, later with another as a
processing node. This way I'd have an affordable growth path.

If I do it at all, I'll wait till early next year, as rumours are a new
model should be out, with fixed memory capability for 4GB ram.

Comments more than welcome..

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

[Mogens V.]

Nate Najar wrote:
i don't know how much power you need, but i have a g4 mac mini with
1gb ram (the max in this model) and i run pro tools mpowered fine.
The most tracks i've tried to record at once is 12 and that was
completely successful with no hints of issues. likewise i've mixed up
to 24 tracks with the same result.

Thanks Nate. WRT power, I really don't fully know yet. I resently
attended a Logic Studio/Pro 8 workshop. Later posts with the showholder
kinda revealed a G4 laptop wouldn't be enough for the MainStage part of
Logic for a stacked keyboard setup with effects.
This is of cause not directly studio related, but serves as a pointer to
needed power.
For studio use, I'm considering a MacIntel Mini (CoreDuo) 2Ghz with
either the current max of 3GB ram, next year possible 4GB.
With an external firewire drive for music projects, it should be fine.

I believe someone in here posted about using other Macs as processing
nodes, and would like to hear about experiences.


Still, it's the (alledged) audible clicks I'm worried about, though I
fail to understand why/how it should be.. Could easily be something in
the mentioned looping rigs not arranged right.


On Nov 15, 5:43 am, "Mogens V."
wrote:

In a discussion on loopers-delight.com about computer-based rigs for
guitar/bass/keyboard, a poster claimed Mac Mini's have audible clicks,
due to video with shared memory. No info whether it was a G4 Mini or an
Intel one. Is this a known problem?

I don't have one, but consider a MacIntel Mini for my home studio, using
an external firewire drive for audio projects.
I kinda expect being advised against it for (home) studio use..
Only, I need to upgrade from my G4 dual800, but can't afford the new
upright series, so I consider a MacIntel Mini, later with another as a
processing node. This way I'd have an affordable growth path.

If I do it at all, I'll wait till early next year, as rumours are a new
model should be out, with fixed memory capability for 4GB ram.

Comments more than welcome..

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

[daz.diamond[_2_]]

Mogens V. wrote:
I need to upgrade from my G4 dual800, but can't afford the new
upright series


just a thought :

http://www.macupgrades.co.uk/store/p...roducts_id=195

daz
xxx

[Mike Rivers]

On Nov 15, 8:31 am, "Mogens V."

WRT power, I really don't fully know yet.

And you'll never know until you don't have enough. This is the problem
with building a system that can grow, and does.

I resently
attended a Logic Studio/Pro 8 workshop. Later posts with the showholder
kinda revealed a G4 laptop wouldn't be enough for the MainStage part of
Logic for a stacked keyboard setup with effects.

Well, that's not Logic-the-recording-program, that's a sample player
built around your computer. Basic recording tasks are somewhat
predictable (and gratefully, fairly modest) in their hardware
requirements, but plug-in processors and virtual instruments are what
really soaks up the juice, and it seems that most people are never
satisfied with what they have, but always want something bigger and
better. A computer can grow a bit with your lust - you can add more
memory and more disk space, but you usually can't just plug in a
faster CPU. And then you upgrade the operating system and you start
finding hardware and software that doesn't work.

It may be useful to know, however WHY they Mac Mini you're considering
isn't adequate for the application you want to run. Does it need more
RAM than you can install on that motherboard? Does it need a faster
CPU? Is there some quirk with the operating system? By understanding
the reasons behind a known problem, you can steer your purchase away
from other computers that may have the same issues.

Still, it's the (alledged) audible clicks I'm worried about, though I
fail to understand why/how it should be.

Clicks are usually a result of timing problems, either something
getting out of synchronization or that just can't keep up. If it's
really a matter of shared memory with the video card, it's possible
that just putting more memory in the computer will fix the problem.
It's unlikely that the clicks are actually caused by the sharing of
memory, but one never knows.

[Ty Ford]

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:43:49 -0500, Mogens V. wrote
(in article ) :

In a discussion on loopers-delight.com about computer-based rigs for
guitar/bass/keyboard, a poster claimed Mac Mini's have audible clicks,
due to video with shared memory. No info whether it was a G4 Mini or an
Intel one. Is this a known problem?


I don't have one, but consider a MacIntel Mini for my home studio, using
an external firewire drive for audio projects.
I kinda expect being advised against it for (home) studio use..
Only, I need to upgrade from my G4 dual800, but can't afford the new
upright series, so I consider a MacIntel Mini, later with another as a
processing node. This way I'd have an affordable growth path.

If I do it at all, I'll wait till early next year, as rumours are a new
model should be out, with fixed memory capability for 4GB ram.

Comments more than welcome..



Most DAW mfgrs stipulate one internal drive for system and Apps and another
for media. Does the min have two internal drives?

Regards,

Ty Ford

PS: (Yes I do record on my Mac laptop sometimes with its one drive)


--Audio Equipment Reviews Audio Production Services
Acting and Voiceover Demos http://www.tyford.com
Guitar player?:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RZJ9MptZmU

[Peter Larsen[_2_]]

Mogens V. wrote:

Still, it's the (alledged) audible clicks I'm worried about, though I
fail to understand why/how it should be..

Ram access contention due to sharemem ram. Some people do not report clicks
with sharemem video card, but failure to detect and report does not mean
that there aren't any. I would not want to worry.

You had known this faster if your mail address was valid ... I hit the wrong
button in this here oe and it mailed you the first follow up instead of
making a news post.

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

[Mogens V.]

Peter Larsen wrote:
Mogens V. wrote:


Still, it's the (alledged) audible clicks I'm worried about, though I
fail to understand why/how it should be..


Ram access contention due to sharemem ram. Some people do not report clicks
with sharemem video card, but failure to detect and report does not mean
that there aren't any. I would not want to worry.

Though I haven't had a home studio before, I have never heard clicks on
any shared ram PC (other audio probs, but always related to lousy HW
and/or drivers and/or lack of ressources), so I kinda believe the (sole)
poster of said problem may stand alone on this.
Had to ask though..

You had known this faster if your mail address was valid ...

It is, remove the noyoudont part Annoying yes, but this is usenet..

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

[Mogens V.]

Ty Ford wrote:
On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:43:49 -0500, Mogens V. wrote
(in article ) :


In a discussion on loopers-delight.com about computer-based rigs for
guitar/bass/keyboard, a poster claimed Mac Mini's have audible clicks,
due to video with shared memory. No info whether it was a G4 Mini or an
Intel one. Is this a known problem?


I don't have one, but consider a MacIntel Mini for my home studio, using
an external firewire drive for audio projects.
I kinda expect being advised against it for (home) studio use..
Only, I need to upgrade from my G4 dual800, but can't afford the new
upright series, so I consider a MacIntel Mini, later with another as a
processing node. This way I'd have an affordable growth path.

If I do it at all, I'll wait till early next year, as rumours are a new
model should be out, with fixed memory capability for 4GB ram.

Comments more than welcome..




Most DAW mfgrs stipulate one internal drive for system and Apps and another
for media. Does the min have two internal drives?

Said clicking system wasn't a DAW, but a looping system on a G4 MacMini
with 1GB ram (AFAIR) and a single disk. As Mike mentioned, it's
problematic judging performance and ressource needs between a looping
system and a DAW setup, which is what I'm considering here.
Sorry if mentioning the other application misled the discussion..


Regards,

Ty Ford

PS: (Yes I do record on my Mac laptop sometimes with its one drive)

As do others in here, I've followed discussions about that.
IF I go for a MacIntel Mini, I will have an external firewire audio
drive. With (hopefully available) 4GB ram, it ought to work.

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

[Mogens V.]

daz.diamond wrote:
Mogens V. wrote:

I need to upgrade from my G4 dual800, but can't afford the new upright
series



just a thought :

http://www.macupgrades.co.uk/store/p...roducts_id=195

Yup, I know of those, but I believe time is running away from them.

The current Tiger update reportedly is the last for that version, and
max memory + graphics et al.. on my G4 dual800 won't be enough for
neigher my planned DAW setup (Logic + Reason), esp. with Leopard.

Further, Sonnet cpus require installing an openfirmware patch. While
this works fine now (I know people using it), I don't want to be trapped
installing Leopard, only later to -possibly- find an update needs to
install a firmware revision, thus overriding the Sonnet patch.

OWC cpus work out of the box, but still.. the market is moving on..

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

[Peter Larsen[_2_]]

Mogens V. wrote:

Peter Larsen wrote:

Still, it's the (alledged) audible clicks I'm worried about, though
I fail to understand why/how it should be..

Ram access contention due to sharemem ram. Some people do not report
clicks with sharemem video card, but failure to detect and report
does not mean that there aren't any. I would not want to worry.

Though I haven't had a home studio before, I have never heard clicks
on any shared ram PC (other audio probs, but always related to lousy
HW and/or drivers and/or lack of ressources), so I kinda believe the
(sole) poster of said problem may stand alone on this.
Had to ask though..

I think the rest didn't notice, this here 1.6 GHz celeron notebook with xp
home is useless for recording, it has a buffer underrun every 20 seconds
with ex works buffer settings in Audition 2. I'm not gonna waste my time
trying to solve it, if the problem is there, then it will creep back in some
day when it really matters.

PCI disk controllers are also a risk, back when I was using a p2-300 box it
got glitchy when I added a pci controller to get faster harddisks. The
nuisance was that somebody else noticed after three months, I had not
considered the risk to exist, Dave Haynie later explained the issue on the
pcdaw list.


Kind regards

Peter Larsen



...

[[email protected][_2_]]

On Nov 15, 9:35 am, "Mogens V."
wrote:
Ty Ford wrote:
On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:43:49 -0500, Mogens V. wrote
(in article ) :

In a discussion on loopers-delight.com about computer-based rigs for
guitar/bass/keyboard, a poster claimed Mac Mini's have audible clicks,
due to video with shared memory. No info whether it was a G4 Mini or an
Intel one. Is this a known problem?

I don't have one, but consider a MacIntel Mini for my home studio, using
an external firewire drive for audio projects.
I kinda expect being advised against it for (home) studio use..
Only, I need to upgrade from my G4 dual800, but can't afford the new
upright series, so I consider a MacIntel Mini, later with another as a
processing node. This way I'd have an affordable growth path.

If I do it at all, I'll wait till early next year, as rumours are a new
model should be out, with fixed memory capability for 4GB ram.

Comments more than welcome..

Most DAW mfgrs stipulate one internal drive for system and Apps and another
for media. Does the min have two internal drives?

Said clicking system wasn't a DAW, but a looping system on a G4 MacMini
with 1GB ram (AFAIR) and a single disk. As Mike mentioned, it's
problematic judging performance and ressource needs between a looping
system and a DAW setup, which is what I'm considering here.
Sorry if mentioning the other application misled the discussion..

Regards,

Ty Ford

PS: (Yes I do record on my Mac laptop sometimes with its one drive)

As do others in here, I've followed discussions about that.
IF I go for a MacIntel Mini, I will have an external firewire audio
drive. With (hopefully available) 4GB ram, it ought to work.

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

I'm running my set-up on a G5 iMac with 1 gig of memory, which is
adequate for my relatively modest needs (recording four to six tracks
simultaneously, playing back with various Digital Performer plugins
for reverb, compression, multiple-band-eq). It's been fine so far. At
first I had some clicks, which turned out to be due to sync problems.
And I had a horrible play-back problem, which turned out to be due to
the second FireWire drive on the alternate FireWire port. Once that
drive was removed from the desktop, the problem was solved.

I'm sure a newer Mac mini or iMac is up to recording quite a number of
tracks simultaneously. If you need virtual instruments, I can't tell
you whether it would work or not.

Rodney Sauer
Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra
www.mont-alto.com