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#1
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PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
Is there a big performance payoff for the dual processor models verses the single quad.....specifically for PT9?
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#2
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
Absolutely. The real question is; how much horsepower do you really need? If you plan on using lots of VI's and maybe running huge sessions, maybe with some video tossed in, I would try to squeeze the budget for an 8 core(just an opinion)
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#3
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
for what pro tools 9 is capable of I would say not really. Sure a difference may show, but really with quad core I wouldn't sweat it at all. maybe if you were comparing a Power Mac G5 single, dual and quad hell yeah it would make a huge difference, but the xeon processors are powerful as hell and were designed for intense animation, game design and servers not audio recording. but yeah it will do audio recording just don't spend the extra money when it could go into a bitchin new microphone or something. it's up to you entirely.
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#4
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
I'm shopping for a Mac Pro and would also like to find out if a Quad Core at a faster speed will be better than an 8 Core at a slower speed. I've been going thru the forums, Avid support pages, etc and I can't really find a good answer.
I'm trying to stay at around $2k so I'm specifically looking at these Mac Pros: 2.33GHZ Quad Core from early 2009 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Computer.html 2.26 GHZ 8 Core from early 2009 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Computer.html I'll be using PT9, mainly host based but may add an Mbox Pro in the near future. Most of my work will be working to video (shorts, docs and features, potentially several tracks at times) and conforming/editing music, audio and sound design to it. Also some music composing/mixing/production but no huge sessions. Any input will be much appreciated! |
#5
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
Quote:
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#6
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
The issue is how many DSP calculations the CPUs can perform in a given amount of time.
Newer generation Intels can do more calculations per clock cycle so it isn't quite as simple as the number of GHz. and CPUs. I've been told that anything over four cores is the point of diminishing returns from parallelism so the same generation 4 core processor at a higher speed may well offer better performance than a slower 8 core.
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#7
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
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I was told the Rain machines are pretty high end... but I could be wrong. Is that windows I guess? In addition, at the mac store, the salesman quoted me a price of 10 grand on a system. But I do not believe that was an efficient shopping session... but the guy probably was clearly not experienced DAW music production nor what the most efficient match-ups in DAWs and computers are. So if I go mac, what am i supposed to look for? And what is a reasonable amount to spend on a computer these days for a home studio wanting to sound like a pro one? (Right now I have an old Sony Vaio running PT7, with only 2 Gigs of ram, but i was considering getting PT9.... but only if it takes up less CPU running the same sessions than PT7 already on it.... and finally can I have both 7 and 9 on it? |
#8
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
I was also told Rains have the fastest processors.
So I have also tried a quote from the Rain shopping cart for a 12-core computer and it turned out cheaper than the Mac Store Quote. Element Selected options: Operating System: Windows 7 [64-bit] Processors: Two 3.33GHz Intel "Westmere" Xeon 6-Core Memory: 24GB Triple Channel (6 x 4GB) Hard Drive - Bay 1: 640GB SATA II 7200RPM (32MB Cache) Hard Drive - Bay 2: 2TB SATA III 7200RPM (64MB Cache) Hard Drive - Bay 3: 160GB Intel Solid State Drive (SSD) Hard Drive - Bay 4: None Hard Drive - Bay 5: None Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4650 [1GB] (2 x DVI) Optical Drive: StormDrive Dual Layer CD/DVD Writer Optical Drive 2: None PSU: 850 Watt Wireless: None RainCare Support: RainCare Support [1yr] w/ Free 30-Day Audio + Video Support Trial $8619.00 x 1 = $8619.00 But then i noticed this was mainly for a video editing machine, so then I got a 3 grand quote for only quad core Solstice. Now Im really lost! Because 12 cores would be killer. But then might not be compatible with the finicky stuff from certain plug-in companies. Is this Rain systems thing a better option, or is there an even better option out there for Pro Tools 9? I need a machine that is best optimized for music audio. I dont care about video, only basic editing with pinnacle studio for that. So in the end, what will be the most solid platform? Or is there something else entirely different and light years ahead of both PCs or Macs? (like in the technology of an Axe FX). Different OS maybe? Can any other different OS or computer altogether run PT9? As these are vital questions for a home studio trying to match the quality and performance of a pro studio. |
#9
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
Depending on what you're doing, you may not need a top line computer.
A Mac Mini can do many tracks and plugins without a problem. |
#10
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Re: PT9 - Mac Pro - One or two processors?
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Second - the Axe-fx is a specialized machine built to do one thing and one thing only - guitar fx and amp sims. It can't do anything else. Sure, it may do those faster than a general purpose computer but it's just a one-trick pony. For a third - you want a home studio to sound like a pro one? Well - that's going to take a heck of a lot of money, time, and work. First you'll have to make sure your recording space is acoustically as good as it can be. Without that you're just spinning your wheels. Then worry about the computer and associated hardware. Don't forget to leave room in your budget hardware-wise for decent monitor speakers, AD/DA converters, preamps, etc. Rain computers are Windoze only. And they tend to be a bit on the acoustically noisy side unless they've fixed things. Early reviews panned because of this. Good, fast machines but budget for an isobox if you get a Rain. No one can answer your last question as we don't know what's in your Vaio. Is it a laptop, desktop or what? Either way around, with 2 gigs of ram you're not going to be able to do much. You'll be more bound by ram constraints than cpu speed as all the cpu speed in the world won't help you if you're choking it with a small amount of ram. Basic recommendations and bang for the buck: get a single hex core 3.33 GHz MacPro and load it with aftermarket ram, hard drives, monitor (along with the rest of the audio gear you're going to need) and have at it with PT9. Edit for additional: Just ran up some figures from what's currently available online: Apple Mac Pro 3.33 GHz single hex core $3699 Apple Mac Pro dual hex core 2.93 GHz $6199 OWC 64 gig ram $1910 OWC 32 gig ram $970 1 TB Western Digital Caviar Black drives (3) $294 2 TB Western Digital Caviar Black drives (3) $597 Viewsonic VP2655wb 26" LCD 1920x1200 display from Provantage $916.38 So without all the audio goodies your'e looking at a price tag of $5879.38 with the 1 TB drives and $6182.38 with the 2TB drives for the single hex core machine. The dual hex core will set you back $9320 for 1TB drives and $9623 for 2 TB drives. I only consider 3 drive instead of 4 if you plan on keeping the stock 1TB drive that comes with the Mac Pro. Unless you're planning on big-time production in an acoustically perfect studio a dual hex core machine will be overkill. |
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