System overload

[tic_stu]

Hi All,

 

Just took delivery of my MBP and Logic yesterday, installed logic, and tried to play the killers spaceman demo track. Transferred to drive as DVD was not up to task (expected), but now when I try to play the project through in logic I get something identical to the issue experienced here:

 

http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=64528

 

I have read the advice in this topic but I have started a new thread as I need slightly different advice.

 

1 - I am not a rich guy, or particularly hardware literate (can cope ok with software, but I am primarily a musician). I have spent everything i have and more to create this setup for my band to play live with backing tracks and playing the logic instruments we have used in the studio (see my sig for whole setup).

 

2 - I have purchased all the hardware based around the macbook running logic (i.e. motu ultralite mk3 interface for max I/O with stable drivers for mac, axiom pro 61 for MIDI integration). The apple spec for logic mentioned nothing about hard drive.

 

3 - Now reading this forum's replies to the above topic, (people recommending daisychaining an external drive through the audio interface...something the mk3 cannot do ) it is looking like I will need to spend more money to get this setup functional, and that the MBP on its own is not up to running logic...there is no more money in the coffers and I probably can't send any of this stuff back...have I made a huge mistake?

 

I really need potential fixes that don't involve more money changing hands...to be honest, as a musician and not a computer fiend, I feel a little cheated [perhaps unjustly] by apple as I went purely off logic's system spec, and the 15" MBP seemed to tick all the boxes with performance to spare!

 

*the one thing that is really bugging me about all this, and why i didn't research the actual macbook as much as I did the other gear, is that the guy at the studio who recommended I switch to MBP has a basic 13" MBP 2.4ghz core2duo and he can play the killers project no problem...any possible explanations? to the i series processors not perform as well with logic?*

 

Appreciate any help...am at my wits end...all I want to do is make music! can it be done with my kit??

[triplets]

Did you update Logic to 9.1.3?

Also, one very important component is the external HD for laptops when you try to record multiple tracks.

You can get a FW800 drive and daisy-chain the Ultralite to that. So it would be laptop-FW800-Ultralite.

[lookatthisguy]

I really need potential fixes that don't involve more money changing hands...to be honest, as a musician and not a computer fiend, I feel a little cheated [perhaps unjustly] by apple as I went purely off logic's system spec, and the 15" MBP seemed to tick all the boxes with performance to spare!

 

*the one thing that is really bugging me about all this, and why i didn't research the actual macbook as much as I did the other gear, is that the guy at the studio who recommended I switch to MBP has a basic 13" MBP 2.4ghz core2duo and he can play the killers project no problem...any possible explanations? to the i series processors not perform as well with logic?*

 

Appreciate any help...am at my wits end...all I want to do is make music! can it be done with my kit??

 

Unfortunately, I'm not so sure are viable options that meet your requirements… As far as unjustly feeling cheated, I think I'd have to agree (on the "unjustly" part)—when I was originally researching options for DAWs and live performance tools myself, I don't remember any of the other options explaining setup suggestions, so I've had similar problems myself. And as it is, that seems reasonable to me: the company is going to tell you the bare minimum you need to function, but obviously bare minimums are bare minimums for a reason. Doing further research about the nature of the "sport" before making certain purchases, however, has been a big help. Essentially, it seems you jumped the gun on your purchase. Fixable, but that's unlikely without investing further capital.

 

Coming back to your issues, 5400rpm drives aren't normally a good idea, as David said in the other thread. And as triplets said, you can daisy chain your Ultralite to the new HD, as opposed to the other way around.

 

Though you did mention live performance, and MainStage is an option for that… but then you're concerned with playback of a recorded file… so what is it you plan to do with your band exactly? If you're only using Logic VIs and playback during live performance, you may be able to get away with just a faster internal HD (though I haven't had the need yet to use MainStage or Logic so in depth, so I couldn't say for sure). For recording, though, you'll definitely want an external drive as well.

[tic_stu]

triplets -

 

logic update seems to have done the trick with playing the killers demo!! Whilst I'm never going to create anything with 81 channels (i hope!) it's nice to know i can use that as a benchmark as to the functionality of the machine!

 

As for daisychaining via the external...sounds good (though I must admit...I'm having enough trouble just getting the ultralite to work at the moment...can't get any sound to move in or out of it! ...sure I'll get there eventually!)

 

Thanks for the help!

 

lookatthisguy -

 

Yep, mainly want this for a live solution (mainstage) for track, vi's and effects...not really recording...except for having the bounced track stems at home and coming up with new parts/sounds that I can just export to the studio (who run logic) as we're spending way too long in the studio trying to find sounds and usually end up in logic using theirs so want to get that out of the way at home. Not looking to set up an orchestra to record in my bedroom just yet so hopefully external HD can wait!!