Tracking down a 'new' Mac ...

PaulBrewer

Here's my predicament ...

I'm running a perfectly fine G5 Quad Power PC with Protools HD 8.0.1cs2 ( the latest version to run on PPC.

It's stable and rarely runs out of steam.

However now I can't run the later Waves or SSL plugins as they're both intel .

What's a stable next step up ?

I don't want to spend a fortune .

Should I run the highest 8 or take a leap to 9 ?

I've heard too many Issues mentioned by Pros to consider 10 yet.


Any good sources for secondhand macs ?

woodsdenis

I am running 10 Native with no issues. Different strokes I know, I use a lot of VI's in VEpro. Clip Gain and caching to RAM make it incredibly quick.

I don't know of any issues in 10 that were not in 9 or 8, in fact many outstanding ones have been fixed. Main bugs always seem to appear when different OS come on stream. General consensus is that a 3.33 hexacore gives best bang for buck. Get at least a Nahelem.

With all of that said, my old G5 dual 2.5 running 7.4 did not crash in 2 years.(I am not joking) Unbelievably stable and I ran it every day.I think the real issue is with sloppy programming by developers and Avid who assume that everyone has super fast machines and they don't optimize their code well enough.

If yours is still working don't change, HDX is way too expensive and Waves have said they will not support it. Native is an option. Check out the Mike Shipley Native v HDX video on the Avid site.

PaulBrewer

Thanks for that Denis.

From what I hear it's the whole plugins palaver that's pissin lads off with 10- especially if they have and older and newer systems working on same projects.

I know a Film/TV composer who runs multiple systems simulataneously who is pulling his hair out too ( in fact I watched open mouthed as he told 2 Avid lads EXACTLY what he thought!)

My requirements are for the half a dozen projects I do a year and as a Demo system - hence the Waves/ Ssl requirement.

And I don't want to spend much !

woodsdenis

Yes keeping everything shipshape and up to date would be a nightmare on multiple systems. My system was so old I just started again, most of the plugs I use were compatible, but I don't use 30 different eqs or compressors. Do you have PCIe or PCIX cards.?

Mac refurbs on the Mac store are worth checking out. Second hand MacPros are thin on the ground here but in the UK there must be a healthy market.I still wouldn't get anything less than a Nahalem (the first Hyper threading one) I think its a 4.1

trackmixstudio

Your HD cards are toast if you upgrade to a mac pro.
I have a first gen mac pro running logic or pt and never run out of power.
I will upgrade as soon as I need to but it still runs smooth as anything no matter how many plugins and tracks I throw at it. I think processing power has been evolving much quicker than software.
I often use the PTHD G5 in windmill 2 and get very frustrated as it runs out of steam very quickly when you start adding RTAS plugs.
You will loose big money selling non PCIe cards so the best option would be to get HD native or get an RME PCI card or equivalent. I am running RME Digiface ADATed into A&H Zed-R16 and it flies with very low latency.
If you are not tracking and only mixing latency should not be an issue anyway so a HD system is OTT with the power of the Mac Pro.
Also the HD license upgrade price is extortion.(€1300 from V8-V10)
Best way to buy if you decide to drop HD is get the mbox mini with PT9 and free upgrade to 10 for €469 from Thomann. PT10 software alone from Avid costs €670.
http://www.thomann.de/ie/avid_pro_tools_9_mbox_mini.htm

I always buy my Macs from Jigsaw24.com. I wait for Apple to update and buy the old model a week later for massive discount. Jigsaw buy lots of "previous model" macs when there is an update and sell them cheap.
You are welcome to call over to the studio and spend a few hours running a mix on my rig to see how you get on.

PaulBrewer

Cheers Trackmix.

The reason I started on the G5 was because its PCIe .

I think I'll work my way up in stages.

studiorat

Running intel macs here with 10.5.8 and PT 10. Still trying to get to the bottom of a flickery GUI on the waves plug-ins problem. Otherwise going strong on native and HD systems.

If I was buying again I'd consider ethernet as an interface format and the hyper threading computer Dennis was talking about. I'd also drop protools and use logic and logic node networking up another computer if I was running out of CPU.

PaulBrewer

The main reason I got going with 'tools was compatibility - a lot of what I'd be doing has come from or goes back to Joe's place in Clara.

As I say I have a working system I'm happy with ( with no desire to be on the bleeding edge) and if I didn't hav the Waves and Ssl issues here I'd stay !

Neurojazz

trackmixstudio wrote: »

I always buy my Macs from Jigsaw24.com.

That's a nice site!

PaulBrewer

Got a 2.66 Intel with 10 gig of memory and 2.25 Terrabytes of drives for thruppence on EBay .. Thanks .