All the below tips are mine, Air_Pollo's, Dodge's and Gregory's and taken from the 'Optimize Your Mac For Audio' http://www.planetz.com/forums/viewtopic ... forum=3&29
I think they are more clear the way I sorted them (it took me about 2 hours hehehe) so please, don't ask here any questions - if you have one just ask it in the mentioned thread, or better in the Problem Solving forum). Let's keep this thread clean for everybody needing help...
::::::::AiR_PoLLo + Samplaire + Dodge + Gregory:::::::::
For Luna/Pulsar 2 -> 3.01
GENERAL MAC-AS-A-DAW TIPS:
@ use MacOS 9.1 or 9.0.4
@ Update Firmware to the latest version
@ use OMS 2.3.7 (instead of 2.3.8 provided with your card) . After installing the OMS soft - trash OMS Time Manager found in System Folder/OMS folder.
@ Perhaps this link will help you to understand the importance of OMS configuratuin:
http://linux1723.dn.net/forum/Forum1/HTML/004682.html
@ Use MacOS 9.1 or 9.0.4 (if you can - use 8.6)
@ If possible, format your HD in 2 or more partitions. Install the OS on the first partition and put a copy of that OS on the second partition. Whenever you install software on the first partition, copy the system folder to the second partition as a backup when you're done. If you keep more than one version of your OS on different partitions and one OS crashes and won't boot, the Mac boots from the backup OS.
@ Better yet, create three partitions. 2 Relatively small ones and 1 large partition. Use for instance a 1:1:4 or 1:1:2 ratio, depending on the size of your HD. Keep a minimum of 1 GB per partition though. On the first one, install the OS and your main software. Keep all your fonts and small files, like those html help sections, readme's etc. on the second. Finally, use the third (and largest) partition for your documents (audio) files. The ultimate would be to install separate internal HD's, but that's a rare and usually costly setup.
@ Another thing to check is to give your apps the right amount of memory. Sometimes assigning LESS memory avoids crashes, but never go lower than the minimum set by the author of the app. if you think your app needs more, assign more.
@ Remember that pulsar app doesn't need lots of MBs assigned to it (the default amount is enough). Pulsar doesn't [directly] benefit from more memory assignment since it shares the dynamic memory with the OS itself, so assign more to your sequencer...
@ Keep your setup as clean as possible. When you install software, keep the install logs, your might need them later for troubleshooting or to check where the files were placed. If you're using the Mac for music only, don't install every bit of free software you can find, it will most likely kill your system at some point. And more important, if the current setup works, and you're happy about the OS you're using (be it 8.x or 9.x), don't update to a higher version unless there's absolutely no other way! It's also best not to install the most recent version of system components like QuickTime on an 'older' OS.
@ If you want to experiment with demos, sharaware, to be able to connect to the internet - have 2 OSs ready on 2 partitions. It's easier to have the DAW setup clean that way.
ABOUT YOUR EXTENSIONS & CONTROL PANELS:
@ Reduce the extensions especially index scheduler... remember not to use indexing on the drive with the pulsar3 install (and an any other, at least during your work time). In general, get rid of internet, security related extensions and any other unuseful in your DAW but remember to disable them one-by-one because some of them may be used by your sequencer (you should have your internet setup in another Extensions set that you can easly build using the Extensions Manager);
@ Here you can find almost complete info on all extensions and their influence on your DAW (but remember the text is Logic optimized and some extensions they say to disable are important for Cubase:
http://www.logicuser.net./extensions/browse.php3
After reading all of those, please, consider also these:
@ The Monitors CP (useful only if you plan to change your monitor's settings like colour depth and pixel resolution, otherwise disable it and the 2 mentioned below) works only if the following two ext. are enabled: System Monitor plugins + AppleGuide
@ They say that FBC indexing scheduler should be enabled but if you read the above tips you read something 180 degrees different; the tip: disable it as it is important but not for DAW users.
@ Find by content ext. also should be disabled.
@ All the vBasic, vBig... etc. extensions (they say they don't know anything about them) refer to VelocityEngine founfd in G4 proc so they should be enabled /they are parts of 9.0.4 OS but are absent or in other form in 9.1 and above)
@ Colour Picker ext. - I believe I found a use for it somewhere in Cubase, so probably don't disable it as it does no hurt to other exts.
@ Multiprocessing extensions (the whole folder, found inside the extensions
folder) - just trash it (manually, because it is invisible by the Extension
Manager) if your mac is single-processor one. It can slow down
Pulsar and Cubase meters movement.
ABOUT 3rd PARTY EXTENSIONS & CONTROL PANELS:
@ Startup Doubler extension - don't use it because your pulsar drivers will
not initialize properly
@ Default Folder extension - if you must use it, don't do it in one case -
while installing any program (it avoids successful installation).
@ Install the USB floppy enabler extension (found in the net - http://www.macupdate.com for instance) - even if you don't have any external Floppy-like drive it increases your system stability.
ABOUT YOUR PULSAR/LUNA SOFTWARE:
@ Cset.ini file - backup it right after the initial configuring of your
system. It will be very helpful in the future (the file gets corrupted very
often).
@ If at least one of you r cards is Luna II then do one of the following:
a) keep the OMS app open during your whole Pulsar/Luna session - it avoids 100% of Cubase/Logic launching-crashes;
b) Don't include the "Luna Midi Source" * module in your project at all;
The 2nd tip is usefull only for those having at least one CW-but-not-Luna card in their DAW or having additional midi interface.
* the "Luna Midi source" module is "Active Sensing" sensitive and it causes your sequencer to crash. If your system is Luna II free you can forget about this tip.
OPTIMIZING/OVERCLOCKING TIPS
@ Two simple ones to do on older G4s and Yosimite G3 machines: change the main 5400 rpm drive to a new 7200 rpm drive; change the stock ATI 16 MB video card to a Radeon Mac Edition 32 MB. It can result in about 15 to 20% overall speedup.
@ for experts, only: http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~schrier/mhz.html
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF:
SoundManager drivers are not working properly (honestly, the SoundManager In (16 and 24bits) doesn't work at all) - so just trash them...
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The work is worth doing and though the tweaks take some time they will save your creative time in the future. If you do all the above your DAW will become a smooth and friendly - the creative part of work is in your hands
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_________________
Sam Plaire
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: samplaire on 2002-04-19 14:02 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: samplaire on 2002-04-19 14:10 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: samplaire on 2003-09-19 06:39 ]</font>
