[Ken Winokur]

I'm finally going to take the plunge and get a new computer for my
studio. I have to decide how fast a Mac Pro I should buy. What's
your experience, is the slowest one (dual 2.6 gig) fast enough? Also
how much RAM do you recommend?

I do soundtrack work (mostly for silent films), using Digital
Performer. I'll need to run a Quicktime movie (very compressed is
OK). Typically I eat up lots of tracks of live recording (40 -50 is
usual) and a few midi channels. I've always had to be very
conservative with plug-ins with my old G4, but the new system should
have reasonably unlimited capabilities. I imagine that I'll want to
use some virtual instruments (something that I haven't had available
in the old system).

Hardwa 24 channels of I/O (Motu 2408 Mk III, DA 88, DA 38)

I do want to consider the future needs as well (I'm sure all the
software will bloat as usual). But it doesn't seem that the
difference between the dual 2.6 and 3 gig computers is really that
great.

Thanks for the help.

Ken Winokur

[Scott Fraser]

I'm finally going to take the plunge and get a new computer for my studio. I have to decide how fast a Mac Pro I should buy. What's your experience, is the slowest one (dual 2.6 gig) fast enough?

I'm still running DP on a G5, but clients & friends with MacIntels
report blazing speed improvements. You'll need to upgrade your PCI324
card to a PCI424e. You should check in at the MOTU-MAC@yahoogroups
list & get specific recommendations on DP needs on the Mac Pro
models.

Scott Fraser

[[email protected]]

Remember this:

High track counts= need fast storage drive performance

Intense plugin use= need fast processor(s)

Video= need lots of ram, fast drives, good graphics card


So for you, you will probably be amazed at your new plugin counts.
But look into a Raid-0 array for your hard drives. This will split
your data across two drives, which more or less doubles the
performance.

Ideally, you would have four drives, one for the system drive, two for
the raid, and one for backup. you might want the backup drive to be
external, so you could also use it for taking to other studios, or
backing up another computer.

And then ultimately everything gets backed up to DVD for archival
purposes.

[Jon]

Ken Winokur wrote:

how fast a Mac Pro I should buy.

Short answer: the fastest model you can afford.

Why: programmers keep adding capacity and features to their programs
which take more and more processor cycles. What's more than fast enough
today may be much too slow in much less time that you would like.

how much RAM do you recommend?

Short answer: as much as you can afford up to the maximum the machine
can handle.

Why: It just works better with more memory.

--
"Coloured and animated, the concerts and spectacles are as many
invitations to discover the universes of musicians and artists
who tint with happiness our reality."

[Ken Winokur]

On May 13, 12:38 pm, wrote:
Remember this:

High track counts= need fast storage drive performance

Intense plugin use= need fast processor(s)

Video= need lots of ram, fast drives, good graphics card

So for you, you will probably be amazed at your new plugin counts.
But look into a Raid-0 array for your hard drives. This will split
your data across two drives, which more or less doubles the
performance.

Ideally, you would have four drives, one for the system drive, two for
the raid, and one for backup. you might want the backup drive to be
external, so you could also use it for taking to other studios, or
backing up another computer.

And then ultimately everything gets backed up to DVD for archival
purposes.

I looked into Raids for my last generation and found that nobody felt
it was necessary (unlike with my wife's Avid studio). I have been
able to do enough tracks (in OS9 with my G4 450 Mhz running DP3).
Will the new computer will be able to work as effectively with the
same firewire drives? I know that OSX and DP5 suck down much more
power. I have many firewire drives.

I've been using Ultrawide SCSI for the system, and previously for the
project. I changed to firewire for the projects without any visible
change in the number of tracks. Surprised me, but it's definitely the
case.

DVDs aren't really big enough for my projects. What program do you
use to store 10 or 20 gigs on multiple DVD's? I've been just storing
projects on firewire drives (not the most secure, but easy).

[Ken Winokur]

On May 13, 12:15 pm, Scott Fraser wrote:
I'm finally going to take the plunge and get a new computer for my studio. I have to decide how fast a Mac Pro I should buy. What's your experience, is the slowest one (dual 2.6 gig) fast enough?

I'm still running DP on a G5, but clients & friends with MacIntels
report blazing speed improvements. You'll need to upgrade your PCI324
card to a PCI424e. You should check in at the MOTU-MAC@yahoogroups
list & get specific recommendations on DP needs on the Mac Pro
models.

Scott Fraser

Hi Scott,

Are you using a Raid, a special graphics card or extreme amount of
RAM?

Thanks for the recommendation of MOTU-MAC. I'm going there right now.

Ken

[[email protected]]

Motu-Mac is a very good group. If you fly the Motu flag, that's where
you should dock your boat.

[Scott Fraser]

DVDs aren't really big enough for my projects. What program do you use to store 10 or 20 gigs on multiple DVD's?

On really big projects I tend to move each set of takes to a separate
audio files folder, & back up to a number of DVDs. Thus DVD #1 will
have the session & takes #1 - #30, DVD #2 will have takes #31 - #54,
etc. It's a lot of manual work.

I've been just storing projects on firewire drives (not the most
secure, but easy).

This is a perfectly fine way of backing up. Until you have a drive
failure, at which point it really sucks. On big budget label or film
projects I back up on 3 FireWire drives, until I have time to burn
multiple sets of DVDs.

Scott Fraser

[Ken Winokur]

On May 14, 12:31 am, Scott Fraser wrote:
DVDs aren't really big enough for my projects. What program do you use to store 10 or 20 gigs on multiple DVD's?

On really big projects I tend to move each set of takes to a separate
audio files folder, & back up to a number of DVDs. Thus DVD #1 will
have the session & takes #1 - #30, DVD #2 will have takes #31 - #54,
etc. It's a lot of manual work.

I've been just storing projects on firewire drives (not the most
secure, but easy).

This is a perfectly fine way of backing up. Until you have a drive
failure, at which point it really sucks. On big budget label or film
projects I back up on 3 FireWire drives, until I have time to burn
multiple sets of DVDs.

Scott Fraser

A couple of years ago I had two virtually simultaneous drive failures
- the master drive and the backup on a bunch of projects. That was a
real bummer. Mostly I lost archive stuff - things that had been
completed (and already become commercial DVDs). But I did lose my
current project as well. I'm still waiting for that big budget film
project (seems to be unknown in the business of silent films).

Ken

[Mogens V.]

Ken Winokur wrote:
I'm finally going to take the plunge and get a new computer for my
studio. I have to decide how fast a Mac Pro I should buy. What's
your experience, is the slowest one (dual 2.6 gig) fast enough? Also
how much RAM do you recommend?

I do soundtrack work (mostly for silent films), using Digital
Performer. I'll need to run a Quicktime movie (very compressed is
OK). Typically I eat up lots of tracks of live recording (40 -50 is
usual) and a few midi channels. I've always had to be very
conservative with plug-ins with my old G4, but the new system should
have reasonably unlimited capabilities. I imagine that I'll want to
use some virtual instruments (something that I haven't had available
in the old system).

Hardwa 24 channels of I/O (Motu 2408 Mk III, DA 88, DA 38)

I do want to consider the future needs as well (I'm sure all the
software will bloat as usual). But it doesn't seem that the
difference between the dual 2.6 and 3 gig computers is really that
great.

Can't really help as my experiences aren't yet deep enough, though I'm
thinking whether a computer farm might be a solution, when you already
now consider if a dual 2.6 is enough. It'd be expandable too.
Dunno if your software supports such.

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

[Ken Winokur]

I'm
thinking whether a computer farm might be a solution, when you already
now consider if a dual 2.6 is enough. It'd be expandable too.
Dunno if your software supports such.

--
Kind regards,
Mogens V.

I just figured out that I have hung (desperately sometimes) to my
original G4 450 that I bought in 1999 for 8 years! Got to be a
record. I used it today on a dance performance soundtrack. I got up
to 60 tracks (no picture, no processing) before I submixed and weeded
out some tracks. Got pretty slow at the end, but still workable.

My call to Swee****er today tells me that I should go for the Mac Pro
3 gig, probably don't need a raid, and can use the regular graphics
card that comes with the computer. The sales rep says that 2 gigs of
Ram is enough to start with. If I find I need the Raid (or more Ram),
I can add that later.

I'm flirting with buying the new, new - 4 processor 3 gig Mac Pro.
The extra $700 will be worth it if it extends the life of the computer
a year or two.

One of my trusted advisors runs a later generation G5 alongside a fast
PC. He does some his virtual instuments in the PC, automation and
some effects processing in his Yamaha digital board, and more in his
Lexicon PCM 90(?) reverb. So he has 4 different processors going at
the same time.

In addition he has a Mac server to manage a network of website and a
Powerbook based edit station all linked to the main computer and a
dysan tape backup system.

My god the troubles he has...

I'm looking for a single computer that does it all.

Ken

[Scott Fraser]

Hi Scott,
Are you using a Raid, a special graphics card or extreme amount of RAM?

No, no & no. I run a bunch of FireWire drives, both 400 & 800, but
nothing special. I backup up to other FW drives at the end of each
session with an application called Switchback which does standard
incrmental backups. The graphics card that comes with the G5 supports
dual monitor use. I don't run VIs, so I only have about a gig & a
half.

Thanks for the recommendation of MOTU-MAC. I'm going there right now.

Great group, lots of informed people & a lot of support with any DP
related problems.

Scott Fraser

[Scott Fraser]

A couple of years ago I had two virtually simultaneous drive failures - the master drive and the backup on a bunch of projects. That was a real bummer. Mostly I lost archive stuff - things that had been completed (and already become commercial DVDs).

Been there. Big bummer. I've had 3 or 4 of those old projects get
resurrected after a drive holding cold storage projects failed & I had
to recreate some material from the rough mixes I had sent home with
the clients.

I'm still waiting for that big budget film project (seems to be
unknown in the business of silent films).

It's all relative. In music, any label which isn't the artist him or
herself can seem like a big label. With film projects, if they hold up
the session for a couple hours doing a photo shoot & interview in the
studio with the director & talent, they have a budget.

Scott Fraser

[Ken Winokur]

With film projects, if they hold up
the session for a couple hours doing a photo shoot & interview in the
studio with the director & talent, they have a budget.

Scott Fraser

Fortunately, in our business (silent films) there's few problems with
the actors and directors - they're all dead! It gives us an unusual
amount of freedom to write the music we want.

Ken