First impression of M5.2 - very positive!

James Wilsey · Post by **James Wilsey** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 7:29 am

I also had problems loading the first DVD of sounds.... it would stop halfway, error -36.

Mac OSX Finder does not do the best job of copying files. I used a utility (Chronosync) to copy the DVD over, and it worked the first time, in about half the time of a Finder copy.

There's probably several utilities that can do the same....

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 8:29 am

I had an idea which I'm currently trying as I write this: I'm making a disk image in Apple's Disk Utility. We'll see if that works. If not, I may try Chronosync, and either way, I am still going to ask MOTU to replace the disk. I don't trust it.

All my disks came dirty, with fingerprints, smudges, and lots of mild gunk around the edges. Some had straight-line spattering of something on them. I used a soft lens cloth to get it all off, but that one DVD still wouldn't respond past the halfway point. I hope I have better luck with Disk Utility.

Shooshie

danworks · Post by **danworks** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:03 am

Open GL:

the graphic issue is basically on PC and if you have the wrong video card it's quite nasty. There isn't any graphic problem in a stock Mac as far as I know.

On import:

I've personally opened many different things of my library, from Roland disk (S-7xx series), Akai stuff, Kontakt, Giga and it worked. Did I have to tweak some parameter just to make it sound the same? Yes, I did but I was amazed I could open and use something from CD libraries I've bought on 1994.

About library:

I'm not crazy about it, but generally speaking I'm not crazy about most libraries out there: unless you don't spend a ridiculous amount of money, they're more or less the same, usually a lot of generic thing (that we ALL already have in a billion of formats), and a very poor instrument articulation.

But this one is part of the package so whenever I'll have time to go through all 32gig of stuff, I'm sure I'll find a lot of useful stuff to use. Is the M5 piano my favorite? Nope, but I've already spent enough money for a piano library (Ivory, Akoustik Piano, WhiteGrand & Sister, etc) so ... "a caval donato non si guarda in bocca"

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:46 am

Does that by any chance mean "don't look a gift horse in the mouth?"

Shooshie

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:48 am

Shooshie wrote:I had an idea which I'm currently trying as I write this: I'm making a disk image in Apple's Disk Utility. We'll see if that works. If not, I may try Chronosync, and either way, I am still going to ask MOTU to replace the disk. I don't trust it.

All my disks came dirty, with fingerprints, smudges, and lots of mild gunk around the edges. Some had straight-line spattering of something on them. I used a soft lens cloth to get it all off, but that one DVD still wouldn't respond past the halfway point. I hope I have better luck with Disk Utility.

Shooshie

Update: I tried both the Disk Utility and Chronosync, and all failed. It's just a bad disk. No cracking its code! I've got to get MOTU to overnight that to me. That shouldn't be more than about $25.

Shoosh

melenko · Post by **melenko** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:07 am

Shooshie wrote:Does that by any chance mean "don't look a gift horse in the mouth?"

Precisely, Shooshie.

danworks · Post by **danworks** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:27 am

Shooshie wrote:Does that by any chance mean "don't look a gift horse in the mouth?"
Shooshie

Exactly ... any relatives sparse in Italy or just interested in proverbs ?

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:03 pm

I've been learning to use the modulators, which can give you full MIDI control over sounds in more ways than I can write about. Any part of the interface that has a little red + on a button beside the pot for that feature (pitch bend, pan, filters, etc.) allows you to click that + and an overlay will drop down and give you access to add MIDI controllers easily and quickly to various features. There is a small learning curve, but it's quickly mastered. For example, to apply Ribbon Control pitch bend (CC#21), I clicked "Add MIDI Control," and it waited for input from the controller. I touched the ribbon, and it inputted its CC# to that parameter (I was in Pitch Bend). Next, I had to create a map for it. Click on "New Map," and establish a range: -24 to +24, which gives it a 2-octave portamento up or down from center of the ribbon. I gave it 256 steps to make it smooth. Then I had to draw a straight line (Option-Shift, drag) from corner to corner to "map" the controller's effective shape. It just worked after that. Prior to learning those steps, though, I was in all kinds of messes trying to make it work.

I'm blown away again. Getting these layers to work as I want them to is not nearly as hard as I had expected.

The filters, controls, layers, etc. are almost unlimited. I can see someone fully mastering this in about a week, maybe two. With total immersion and a working knowledge of how samplers operate, perhaps it would take only a few days.

My only complaint so far is about little things like there being no keyboard command for closing a dialog that you didn't want to open. I'd hoped that Escape would do it, but it doesn't. That's not a big deal. I mention it to illustrate the lack of things to complain about so far.

Some formats transfer into "rules" better than others. My Miroslav Vitous library from nearly 10 years ago does not load with any rules, but I'm not sure it ever did. On my Kurzweil, it was just a source of sampled sounds.

The interface of this thing is intimidating at first glance, but once you've used it and learned how it works, it's the easiest interface possible. It's hard to believe they worked so much complexity into this thing, and made it all accessible AND intuitive, but they did.

I'm getting more and more out of the sounds. I quite accidentally stumbled upon a Multi-FX that turns a mediocre sax sound into a great 1950's jazz sound with wonderful response. It also illustrated for me how significant the filters and controls are in bringing sounds to life. It's not just a rompler in which you push a button, load a sound, and hope for the best. It's an instrument in which you envision the ensemble you want, imagine how you want it to behave, and start bringing it to life with the many controls it offers.

This is what I dreamed of when I first bought Mach Five. It really fulfills my expectations for a sampler/librarian/multi-timbral performance instrument.

More specifics when I have something to tell.

Shooshie

gavspen · Post by **gavspen** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:41 pm

Kubi wrote:Also be sure to watch your RAM - if you load i.e. some of the new piano presets and don't engage streaming, you may be in trouble.

I tend to turn streaming off, since it puts greater strain on the CPU (doesnt it?), and for me, trying to load a preset larger than available RAM crashes DP

Pretty annoying, since I dont know how to check how much RAM is left, and how big the preset is. Is there a way?

How about an error message instead of a crash?... that would be nice....

Anyone else finding this?

Gavin

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 11:25 pm

gavspen wrote:
Kubi wrote:Also be sure to watch your RAM - if you load i.e. some of the new piano presets and don't engage streaming, you may be in trouble.
I tend to turn streaming off, since it puts greater strain on the CPU (doesnt it?), and for me, trying to load a preset larger than available RAM crashes DP Pretty annoying, since I dont know how to check how much RAM is left, and how big the preset is. Is there a way?

How about an error message instead of a crash?... that would be nice....

Anyone else finding this?

Gavin

The preset's size is indicated, along with the Performance's size here:

The Performance would show the total memory being used by Presets, Samples, Oscillators, and FX. There are many 3rd party utilities which can show you the available RAM, though it's not always easy to tell just what that means in regard to DP (or any specific app).

Shooshie

danworks · Post by **danworks** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 11:32 pm

gavspen wrote:
Kubi wrote:Also be sure to watch your RAM - if you load i.e. some of the new piano presets and don't engage streaming, you may be in trouble.
I tend to turn streaming off, since it puts greater strain on the CPU (doesnt it?), and for me, trying to load a preset larger than available RAM crashes DP Pretty annoying, since I dont know how to check how much RAM is left, and how big the preset is. Is there a way?

How about an error message instead of a crash?... that would be nice....

Anyone else finding this?

Gavin

Why you don't just try first to see if streaming does really kill your CPU? Maybe it doesn't on your system as it doesn't on mine ... By the way, you have a dedicated HD for your library, don't you?

There's a nice small app to install that shows you how much memory you've free, how much used, disk read/write, network activity etc.... It's called MenuMeter, it shows all the info you need to see on the menu bar and it's a freeware.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/17713
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/10451

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:00 am

danworks wrote:There's a nice small app to install that shows you how much memory you've free, how much used, disk read/write, network activity etc.... It's called MenuMeter, it shows all the info you need to see on the menu bar and it's a freeware.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/17713
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/10451

Thanks! I've downloaded and installed it. I couldn't be more pleased with a set of performance meters.

Shooshie

danworks · Post by **danworks** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:28 am

Shooshie wrote:
danworks wrote:There's a nice small app to install that shows you how much memory you've free, how much used, disk read/write, network activity etc.... It's called MenuMeter, it shows all the info you need to see on the menu bar and it's a freeware.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/17713
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/10451
Thanks! I've downloaded and installed it. I couldn't be more pleased with a set of performance meters.
Shooshie

Yeah, it is a lil neat utility, I'm glad you liked it

ciao

gavspen · Post by **gavspen** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:07 am

danworks wrote:Why you don't just try first to see if streaming does really kill your CPU? Maybe it doesn't on your system as it doesn't on mine ... By the way, you have a dedicated HD for your library, don't you?

There's a nice small app to install that shows you how much memory you've free, how much used, disk read/write, network activity etc.... It's called MenuMeter, it shows all the info you need to see on the menu bar and it's a freeware.

Yes I have a dedicated drive

I guess I'll try streaming and see how it goes, and thanks Dan, for that link to MenuMeters.

I'm, still curious though; what happens when you guys try to exceed available RAM? To have it crash is not helpful. Anyone get an error message instead? And by the way, lest this should all sound too negative, that's about my only complaint. I think for $200 it's a very good upgrade.

Gavin

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:28 am

I haven't had the problem yet, gavspen. After all this time, I'm still playing with it as a standalone. I want to learn it thoroughly before moving it into DP. I did have a beachball freeze when I tried to convert one of those large piano samples into RAM-based, and not streaming. I just toggled-off the "Streaming" button, and the ball started spinning. Pretty soon it just quit.

Shooshie