Hi all,
I'm getting to the stage where one machine is JUST coping with my orchestral template.
I'm still using regular hard drives, so my first step is to upgrade those to SSDs, but after that, I'm considering a two machine setup.
Can anyone offer some suggestions regarding where my money would be best spent?
As you can see in my signature, this is my current machine:
Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
OSX 10.10.5
2 x 3.33 Ghz 6-Core Intel Xeon
42 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
DP 9.13
The 3 options I'm considering are as follows:
1) Keeping my Mac Pro as my main machine and adding a purpose built PC as a slave (maybe even 2).
2) Using my Mac Pro as the slave and buying an iMac as my main machine.
3) Wait and see what an upgrade to SSDs do, and forget about the 2nd machine...
Am I right in assuming that once all my samples are hosted elsewhere the majority of processing will be lifted from my main machine? Or does DP still take a lot of juice to run?
Computers aren't my strong suit, but hopefully I know enough to comprehend your suggestions
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Justin.
Studio suggestions (VE Pro/slave machines etc)
Moderator: James Steele
Studio suggestions (VE Pro/slave machines etc)
Mac Pro OSX 10.10.5
2 x 3.33 Ghz 6-Core Intel Xeon
42 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
DP 9.13
2 x 3.33 Ghz 6-Core Intel Xeon
42 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
DP 9.13
- mikehalloran
- Posts: 15235
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:08 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Sillie Con Valley
Re: Studio suggestions (VE Pro/slave machines etc)
SSDs will give immediate gratification in the speed/performance department. The 850 EVO sets the benchmark. A PCIe blade will be faster on a Mac Pro but I don't know how noticeable the speed difference is. Enable TRIM in Terminal. If using a standard 2.5" SATA drive, you will need one of these brackets:
https://www.amazon.com/Fenlink-Internal ... SXE0KN73BM
Going to Sierra will improve the efficiency of 9.13.
You may still want to explore the other options but I'd start there.
https://www.amazon.com/Fenlink-Internal ... SXE0KN73BM
Going to Sierra will improve the efficiency of 9.13.
You may still want to explore the other options but I'd start there.
DP 11.31; 828mkII FW, micro lite, M4, MTP/AV USB Firmware 2.0.1
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4.1, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
2023 Mac Studio M2 8TB, 192GB RAM, OS Sonoma 14.4.1, USB4 8TB external, M-Audio AIR 192|14, Mackie ProFxv3 6/10/12; 2012 MBPs Catalina, Mojave
IK-NI-Izotope-PSP-Garritan-Antares, LogicPro X, Finale 27.4, Dorico 5.2, Notion 6, Overture 5, TwistedWave, DSP-Q 5, SmartScore64 Pro, Toast 20 Pro
- FMiguelez
- Posts: 8266
- Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:01 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: Body: Narco-México Soul/Heart: NYC
Re: Studio suggestions (VE Pro/slave machines etc)
I couldn't be happier with my Mac-mini slave farm. It just works great.
I got the best server models with double disks, which I replaced with SSDs and maximum RAM.
I thinK you can put now 32 GB of RAM on the newest models.
I used to have PCs for slaves, but I simply gave up on Windows. I kept experiencing random crashes, they wouldn't boot without me having to download Windows componente out of the blue, etc. Vey unreliable, and maintenence of 2 different OS is not very efficient or desirable.
PCs are not welcome in my studio anymore. I was glad when I threw them out and replaced them with my mini-monsters.
I got the best server models with double disks, which I replaced with SSDs and maximum RAM.
I thinK you can put now 32 GB of RAM on the newest models.
I used to have PCs for slaves, but I simply gave up on Windows. I kept experiencing random crashes, they wouldn't boot without me having to download Windows componente out of the blue, etc. Vey unreliable, and maintenence of 2 different OS is not very efficient or desirable.
PCs are not welcome in my studio anymore. I was glad when I threw them out and replaced them with my mini-monsters.
Mac Mini Server i7 2.66 GHs/16 GB RAM / OSX 10.14 / DP 9.52
Tascam DM-24, MOTU Track 16, all Spectrasonics' stuff,
Vienna Instruments SUPER PACKAGE, Waves Mercury, slaved iMac and Mac Minis running VEP 7, etc.
---------------------------
"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth." ― Richard Feynman
Tascam DM-24, MOTU Track 16, all Spectrasonics' stuff,
Vienna Instruments SUPER PACKAGE, Waves Mercury, slaved iMac and Mac Minis running VEP 7, etc.
---------------------------
"In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth." ― Richard Feynman
Re: Studio suggestions (VE Pro/slave machines etc)
Thanks both of you for your comments
Mac Pro OSX 10.10.5
2 x 3.33 Ghz 6-Core Intel Xeon
42 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
DP 9.13
2 x 3.33 Ghz 6-Core Intel Xeon
42 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
DP 9.13
- Michael Canavan
- Posts: 3579
- Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:01 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: seattle
Re: Studio suggestions (VE Pro/slave machines etc)
This is great news, I've been thinking about VEP for a while now, I have a decent older retina macbook pro 2.7 4 core, it's still in the running performance wise, Geekbench etc. it could easily handle being the main head for the Mac Pro as a slave here. Been contemplating this for a while, since the Mac Pro has 12 3.33GHz cores, but the Retina beats even the 12 core 2013 black trash can Pros in single core tests. In other words on a single track the retina Macbook Pro beats the 12 core. So for the main machine it can do mastering duties better etc.FMiguelez wrote:I couldn't be happier with my Mac-mini slave farm. It just works great.
I got the best server models with double disks, which I replaced with SSDs and maximum RAM.
I thinK you can put now 32 GB of RAM on the newest models.
I used to have PCs for slaves, but I simply gave up on Windows. I kept experiencing random crashes, they wouldn't boot without me having to download Windows componente out of the blue, etc. Vey unreliable, and maintenence of 2 different OS is not very efficient or desirable.
PCs are not welcome in my studio anymore. I was glad when I threw them out and replaced them with my mini-monsters.
Even with optimization you look at the CPU meter at 60% in DP9 and in Activity Monitor it's only using maybe 25% or less of each of the 12 cores. IMO this is because DP wants headroom for all the fool things you're going to do with the track running. It seems to me VEP having only one job it can chug along and grind out more CPU, plus of course the fact of running two computers etc.
M2 Studio Ultra, RME Babyface FS, Slate Raven Mti2, NI SL88 MKII, Linnstrument, MPC Live II, Launchpad MK3. Hundreds of plug ins.
Re: Studio suggestions (VE Pro/slave machines etc)
One more quick question re: SSDs.
Is there are 'real world difference' to be experienced when comparing performance of SSDs in the regular drive bays of a Mac Pro, to connecting them in a PCI port.
I was under the impression that the main benefit of an SSD is the speed it can be read, rather than the data transfer speed.
Any thoughts, my geeky friends?
Is there are 'real world difference' to be experienced when comparing performance of SSDs in the regular drive bays of a Mac Pro, to connecting them in a PCI port.
I was under the impression that the main benefit of an SSD is the speed it can be read, rather than the data transfer speed.
Any thoughts, my geeky friends?
Mac Pro OSX 10.10.5
2 x 3.33 Ghz 6-Core Intel Xeon
42 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
DP 9.13
2 x 3.33 Ghz 6-Core Intel Xeon
42 GB 1066 MHz DDR3
DP 9.13