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 Mac Laptop Question 
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
DaveS wrote:
Mobius is a great application and I don't think you are going to find better support on ANY software out there. If I'm not mistaken I thought that Jeff (the programmer) had said in the past that you could actually run more then the 8 loops that appear on the screen but that he only included the 8 because of the gui getting too cluttered...or something to that effect.

Yes, that's correct. I ran Mobius as a four track looper for quite some time. To change the numbers of tracks, that allow parallel loops to play simultaneously, you open up a certain xml document and simply change that number and save it.

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Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:01 am
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
Thanks for all the info about this subject. You guys know a lot more about this than I do.

I toy with the idea of replacing all that hardware with my laptop, but have latency fears (probably unjustified).

I have a Macbook Pro with a 2.5 GHz Core 2 Duo and 4 gigs of ram. Haven't upgraded to Logic 9 yet (just got 8 last spring)

Would there be any reason to get a Firewire 800 interface like a FireFace? Would that help with latency?

Anybody using a TC Konnekt 48 interface. I'm curious about the built-in DSP and possibilities for it to serve as a live mixer without even using the computer.

Thanks for any input and welcome to Per, great to have you on the forum.

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Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:47 pm
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
greg wrote:
Would there be any reason to get a Firewire 800 interface like a FireFace? Would that help with latency?
Firewire doesn't really help the normal AD/DA latency (the time it takes to convert an analog signal to digital at the input and back again at the output). I run my Macbook with a 128 samples buffer and don't think it is worse than standing some three to four meters away from your amp/speaker on stage. It is a fixed latency that you adapt to almost without even noticing.

But you should beware of using plugins that delay the signal. With Logic/Mainstage there is no detectable latency caused by the usual plugins as compressor and EQ. When I used a PC laptop I bought Sonalksis compressor and EQ plugins because they too do all their work within the pre allocated plugin buffer (meaning not sudden change of latency).

A much less convenient "latency" is the acoustic latency french horn players are confronted with as they play with the instrument pointed backwards to create that typical diffuesed sound of horns reflected by the concert hall's rear wall and ceiling. In order for the audience to hear the music with the correct timing these guys have to play a little before everyone else.

greg wrote:
Thanks for any input and welcome to Per, great to have you on the forum.
Thanks, Greg. I see myself in the future playing a NS half fretless, but still the finances are lacking. Today I just read all NS posts drooling over the keyboard ;)

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Bamboo SG12, Wenge SG12, Bamboo Grand. PASV4 on all.
(+ Stickup modded by Emmett 4 the PASV4 blocks).
Fractal Audio AxeFx-III, 2 x RCF NX-10 SMA, Apollo Twin USB

http://youtube.com/perboysen


Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:28 pm
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
Per Boysen wrote:
greg wrote:
Would there be any reason to get a Firewire 800 interface like a FireFace? Would that help with latency?
Firewire doesn't really help the normal AD/DA latency (the time it takes to convert an analog signal to digital at the input and back again at the output). I run my Macbook with a 128 samples buffer and don't think it is worse than standing some three to four meters away from your amp/speaker on stage. It is a fixed latency that you adapt to almost without even noticing.

But you should beware of using plugins that delay the signal. With Logic/Mainstage there is no detectable latency caused by the usual plugins as compressor and EQ. When I used a PC laptop I bought Sonalksis compressor and EQ plugins because they too do all their work within the pre allocated plugin buffer (meaning not sudden change of latency).

A much less convenient "latency" is the acoustic latency french horn players are confronted with as they play with the instrument pointed backwards to create that typical diffuesed sound of horns reflected by the concert hall's rear wall and ceiling. In order for the audience to hear the music with the correct timing these guys have to play a little before everyone else.

Hi Per,

Thanks for the clarification. My machine has both the 800 and 400 bus, so I'm planning on using the 800 for file access and the 400 for audio.

Latency is a bigger issue with tapping electric instruments than it is with acoustic instruments. The precision of the attack is a lot like a drum hit, so any delay at all can be very distracting.

When you talk about 128 samples can you do that at high sample rates like 88.2? That's only 1.5 milliseconds, which would be pretty nice....

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Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:32 am
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
Something to be concerned about when picking your interface is, besides the I/O capability, is the drivers available for it. Do they have a current one for your OS ( both type and version) and how responsive to fixing problems with the driver is the manufacturer? RME (who makes the Fireface 800 and 400) is well known for providing quality - some say the best - drivers and driver support in the industry. On the other hand, a company like Mark of the Unicorn is very VERY slow at providing driver fixes/support (at least for PC's). On some systems and applications people are running 32 sample latency using RME drivers! This is, for all practical purposes, real-time. However, running low latencies like this does require more out of the CPU. Increasing the sample rate will decrease your latency as well but again your CPU needs to be up to the task. I routinely run either 64 or 128 samples on my systems and it works really well.

The other thing to consider is how much I/O you need. More I/O will use up more bandwidth on your Firewire bus which may impact on your audio - glitching, etc.

I was originally going to get a Fireface 800 but I wanted an interface that had two instrument inputs as compared to the one. I have a SP13 which would normally negate the need for the extra instrument input but sometimes I like to just plug into the interface...especially if I'm just taking a laptop and interface to a friends house..

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Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:00 am
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
Hello there

Sorry to bump up this topic, but this week I just got tired of the mountain of gear I am carrying around, and I’ve been considering going Mac/Logic. I have some dumb questions, from a total Mac newbie (I do not even own one, I am considering the move at this time):
    1) How does the stereo work with the software? Can you affect different effects independently to each channel of you audio interface from Logic? I am asking as I see few references to stereo instruments in apple.com, only keyboards, and not with the specs of our instruments, which run totally independent channels with independent setups.
    2) I have midi on both the melody side and the bass side. If I am not assuming incorrectly, both pickups go to their corresponding GI-10/GI-20s and from there I have two independent midi channels to process into different audio/midi interfaces and then to independent soft-synthesizers. I am unaware of audio/midi interfaces that come with two midi channels, so I guess we may be needing two separate interfaces connected to the Mac laptop. Can you run separate instances of soft synths, if you had two separated audio/midi interfaces? Has anyone run through this scenario?

Can we manage it all with one laptop, in this case?
Thanks much!

Gustavo

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Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:58 pm
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
I believe you should be able to manage this all as long as you get the proper interface. If your interface has at least two inputs you can run two seperate channels so there's your stereo. And being seperate channels you can process them seperately anyway you want.

In regard to TWO midi inputs, I'm not sure about that. MY interface has one midi input. I know Logic supports all midi channels so I assume there's a way if your interface supports it to also run both your midi inputs at the same time as well. And a program like Logic Studios comes with some very nice synth plug ins so slave with your midi pickups.

So I believe the biggest thing I think is to make sure your input device supports what you want to do. I suggest speaking with someone at Apple or join one of the free Apple Logic forums and ask for advice there. Someone for sure will be able to point you in the right direction. www.sonikmatter.com is a GREAT resource for all questions relating to Logic and Apple and of course there are the Apple forums on www.Apple.com. (In the support section)

Good luck

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Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:13 pm
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
Since you're saying each one of your Stick's sides is using its own MIDI channel all you have to do in the laptop is to set your softsynths to listen the appropriate MID channel. Each MIDI port brings sixteen MIDI channels, so there's headroom for fourteen more GK's on you Stick ;-))

The STick sends two mono audio signals, one for each side. You simply plug them into two audio inputs and activate two audio tracks in Logic. Each of these two audio tracks (actually channels, but Apple keeps using the word "tracks") can be converted into a stereo signal if applying a stereo effect to the mono signal. You may also open effects plugins in an effect loop and send signal there. Then the effect loop's wet output is added to the master output (just like you do it on a mixer).

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Bamboo SG12, Wenge SG12, Bamboo Grand. PASV4 on all.
(+ Stickup modded by Emmett 4 the PASV4 blocks).
Fractal Audio AxeFx-III, 2 x RCF NX-10 SMA, Apollo Twin USB

http://youtube.com/perboysen


Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:46 am
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
Thank you both for your clarifications and prompt answer. I am very encouraged to take this route, just for fun I weighted my boxes (without amplifiers) and I carry about 160 pounds of rack mounted stuff.... it is more than what I weight!!!!... crazy.... felt like a drummer all of the sudden :D

I will get this moving forward, and report my progress back. I am thinking about a 15" MacBook Pro, I am tempted with the 17"... we'll see. I have an M-Audio Fast Track Pro (USB) interface so far, I will be shopping for a firewire interface soon, based on your suggestions. There is one made by M-Audio (ProFire 610) that looks good, I wonder if anyone has used it.

Thank you again!!!!

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Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:04 am
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Post Re: Mac Laptop Question
Here is the link for Apple Certified Refurbished machines.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/s ... OTY2ODY3Nw

I have had good experiences going that route.
These are the cheapest "New" machines, with full warranty.
Everything I ever got looked new, and ran perfectly.

Here are all the Mac prices.

http://www.pcprices.net/

Lee


Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:40 am
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