Mac Mini Server as VE Pro Slave?

[mdvirtual]

Hi all, I'm new to the boards and enjoying all the discussion here. Has anyone tried using a Mac Mini Server (the newer 2.66 Core Duo with two HD's) as a VE Pro Slave to host VIs? I'm looking for something very small and portable to supplement my MacBook Pro when I'm on the road. I use Pro Tools 8.04 LE as my sequencing/mixing platform with VE Pro hosting E/W Play and NI libraries, NI Komplete 6, etc. Would love to be able to network in a Mini via VE PRo to get more horsepower. I guess the question is - will VE Pro and VIs run on the Snow Leopard Server OS? I thought about loading the standard Snow Leopard OS on the Mini, but Apple support says it's incompatible with the server configuration Mini. The other alternative would be to upgrade the regular mini, replace the optical drive with an HD or SSD, add RAM, etc. If anyone had any experience with minis I'd be very interested to hear how you made out. Cheers, Michael Damon Composer/Sound Designer Virtual Productions

[dmuckala]

I wouldn't recommend it. I've already tried going that route. You have to figure out a way to obtain a copy of Snow Leopard Install disks, but only the ones that come with the regular mac mini, specifically 10.6.4, will work. You cannot just install an off the shelf copy of Snow Leopard onto it.

[Cyril Blanc]

@dmuckala said:

You cannot just install an off the shelf copy of Snow Leopard onto it.

Why ?

I have just bought a Mac Mini server, I will use it as a Mac OS X server and as a VSL server.

Apple told me that 99 % of the software should run on a Mac mini server

VSL, have you try this ?

Best

Cyril

[dmuckala]

Go for it, but i'm telling you i've tried it. The off the shelf SL is an earlier version than 10.6.4. Only the install disks that come with the 2010 mac mini have the drivers to correctly install on a mac mini server. and you can't run audo softs on SL server because it only has the core of OSX in it, not all the extra stuff we all need to use it as a daily OS

[dschweitzer]

VSL - is this true, that you can't run VE Pro on OSX snow leopard server? I have a regular mac mini I've been using as a slave and it's been brilliant (virtually silent, small, fast enough), but I was thinking of getting another, but getting the server version because of the faster hard drives on it. But I will avoid if it's not useable with audio software (I'm using Kontakt as well as vienna softare).

D

[Paul]

Hi,

IIRC, we have used 2 Mac Minis with OS X 10.6 Server on our west coast tour last week. Worked very well.

Best,

Paul

[MontrealMusicLabs]

yup - worked great! Sexy too....

[dschweitzer]

Thanks - that's good to hear and, although it's probably not the right forum to ask on, did that also work with Kontakt, and do you know if it would work on a network connected to regular Snow leopard / leopard machines? many thanks.

[Cyril Blanc]

Hi Paul

Great news !

How many instrument did you manage to load per Mac Mini server ?

Is there is a way to set the VSL process so it has the maximum privileges agains Mac os X server process

Best

Cyril

[Paul]

Hi everybody,

I just used the Mac Mini, there was no time for tests. But it worked fine and was reliable.

Best,

Paul

[Cyril Blanc]

Hi Paul

Was it a Mac Mini or a Mac Mini Server ?

Best

Cyril

[PierreFunck]

Using a Mac Mini with Snow Leopard Server as a VSL slave for half a year now. Works fine, no issues.

Pitt

[MontrealMusicLabs]

It was a mac mini server. You can run the imperial on it - which is what a lot folks i know use it for. As for how many vienna instruments it will - as always, it depends. It is about as powerful as adding a macbook pro or imac slave if that helps. Cheers, Shane