Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
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  • Mac Mini

    Hi

    I am thinking of purchasing a mac mini to add to my main computer to take some of the load off my DAW machine. I would prefere the mac mini instead of a PC so I can also use it as a node in Logic.

    I was hoping that there may be people using mac mini's here to run a vienna section on, say the strings. I know you can use midi over Lan, but how do you get the audio back in? Also how do you find the mac mini copes with running Vienna on it?

  • last edited
    last edited

    @Simsy said:

    Hi

    I am thinking of purchasing a mac mini to add to my main computer to take some of the load off my DAW machine. I would prefere the mac mini instead of a PC so I can also use it as a node in Logic.

    I was hoping that there may be people using mac mini's here to run a vienna section on, say the strings. I know you can use midi over Lan, but how do you get the audio back in? Also how do you find the mac mini copes with running Vienna on it?

    I am currently running 2 Mac Minis (2 GIG of Ram) into a G5 PPC with 4 Gig of Ram.

    Midi is by Midi over Lan

    Each Mac Mini has a FW Lacie external 250gig Hosting is currently by Plogue Bidule with Brass and Harps on one Mac Mini and WW and Percussion on the other.

    Each Mac Mini has an M-Audio Fw 1814 interface that gives ADAT and Analogue Audio outputs to a central MOTU 2408 which provides the Word Clock Source.

    All Inputs of the MOTU are in use so that Orchestral Placing can happen within the G5

    Main Audio out is a Metric Halo ULN 2

    (I also have a Muse Receptor for Atmosphere, Trilogy, Chris Hein Horns etc that works totally over ethernet)

    All items are Word Clocked together. Occasionally this needs resetting in one of the components.

    Sample storage and Record drives for the G5 are the internal drive and a Stack of 4 SATA drives

    My G5 has Strings.

    I get a lot of Core Audio overloads if everything is running until I dump the mac Mini Audio to the G5 and can then turn off the record enable button on Logic.

    Freezing String Track is also often necessary.

    I use the Altiverb with Early Reflections on section busses with the Tail on one main wet bus.

    The Mac Mini output need to be "Recorded" into Logic as it seems you can't bounce down with tracks record enabled.

    Hoping to upgrade to a Higher Performance Intel Mac Pro once I have researched.


  • i'd just like to add: you cannot use logic node for sample streaming, just for fx or non-sample-based plugins.

    however you can use the minis as *slaves* as sandpiper described above - the performance and reliability of the midi and audio routing might depend on many factors in such a setup.

    christian


    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.