Presonus Audiobox 44VSL problem?

[James Steele]

I'm trying to press an old iBook G4 into service to play live backing audio tracks and MIDI. iBook is running 10.5.8 which is last OSX version it can run. Audiobox is supposed to be core compliant, but its a newer unit and its utilities only run on Snow Leopard. I'm running DP 7.24 so I can use DP Control on iOS devices.

DP keeps losing communication with the Audiobox. It happens randomly and MAS resets. Also, sometimes DP freezes with the beachball. This latter issue may be because the iBook G4 has only 768MB of RAM. Although it does seem to work just fine at times. I'm not using any plugs and only 5-6 tracks of audio.

The vexing thing is why the Audiobox periodically loses connection (via USB). I bought it off of Craigslist. I'm going to experiment with using my MacPro 1,1 running 10.6.8 and see if the issue goes away.

Contemplating purchase of a used early generation MacBook (Intel) and using DP 7.24/SL combo for backing tracks. I don't need much oomph, but it looks like I need to go just a bit newer than my old iBook G4 (at least Intel/SL).

[rickorick]

Hi James, I've been doing the same thing trying to get some laptops to use live. Now I do mix
everything before I go out but I've been working with backing tracks for 30 years (started with cassettes). But I picked up a use 2006 Macbook Pro but the same day the hard drive failed so
I figured why not try to replace it so I watched the video on OWC bought a 750 gig 7400rpm
drive bought a copy of Snow Leopard and got it working. By the way the MBP was only $200
so it was just the cost of everything else to get it running. I haven't started using DP live
although it does work on the machine I've been using DJay from the App store to play back my
already mixed tracks. So far so good. Also I found a 2008 Macbook($250), I replaced the Hard drive in it also (much easier take the battery out 3 screws pull out the drive done). Then right before
Christmas 1 of my students said she was getting a new MBP and I asked her what she was
going to do with old one(2011) and she said the Apple store would give her $500 so I got
that one as well, and of course that one seems to run the best although it seems a little slower
because the drive is 5400 rpm. So if I were you I would keep looking around there are deals to be had on the newer machines and just like everyone else here I'm trying to move into the intel
machines. I also recorded a rehearsal recording 11 tracks on the 2011 MBP with 2 828s and
that worked. Hope this helps a little, Good Luck.