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Requesting input on new equipment for Electro-Music 2006
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rbedgar



Joined: Dec 20, 2005
Posts: 110
Location: Sunnyvale, CA

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 9:55 am    Post subject: Requesting input on new equipment for Electro-Music 2006
Subject description: Will it work?
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The tower computer I've used here in the California bay area is too big to bring to PA.
What I'm looking at is a Macintosh PowerBook Pro 2.16 GHz Dual Core laptop, running Windows. Does anyone have any experience with this?

The functions it needs to handle under Windows XP are:

- Running Sonar 3 (reports are that it will work)
- Running Vsampler3 (simulataneously)
- Line out must work
- USB 2.0 must work with Tascam 428 mixer (reports are that it will work)

I believe it will all work, but would love verification before I make the purchase.

Thanks for any info folks.

Robert Edgar

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elektro80
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PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 10:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

That would be a Macbook Pro (MBP). The Powerbook line is IBM PPC only.

The Bootcamp software is still a beta and there will be issues with certain drivers and stuff. However, people are reporting that XP on the MBP works great. I reckon this is still a YMMV thingie though.

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rbedgar



Joined: Dec 20, 2005
Posts: 110
Location: Sunnyvale, CA

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2006 10:21 am    Post subject: reply
Subject description: right...
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Right, MacBook Pro, exactly. 17" screen.
Still morning here in California, I'm off for another coffee.

Looks like a beautiful piece of equipment, but I've read the reports of driver problems. I did see a report that the Tascam 428 would work with it, which calms me somewhat.

I may be able to get a loaner to try out. That would certainly be a help.

Thanks,
Robert

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elektro80
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PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 4:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I have only experience with the 15" model. I have never experienced any problems with it. Basically it is more or less ( also price ) like any top of the range PC laptop with a core duo cpu. It runs hot as they all do and battery life is not exactly fab. That said, all the comparable models from other vendors are almost the same with regards to battery life.. What you do get is that Apple design and this does also include the insides. It looks wonderful. As for the battery life, you get about an 1 to 1,5 hour of serious work out of it. The 17" model has that FW800 port they didn´t quite manage to ram into the first Macbook model. It makes a big difference.
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rbedgar



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PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Well, I hauled SONAR and Vsampler3, along with my Tascam 428 interface into the bookstore today. SONAR and VSampler3 loaded ok, launched and seemed to run. However, I couldn't hear anything. The system also never saw the 428's MIDI ins and outs (2 of each).

So I'm searching the web tonight for answers, and will go back tomorrow to see if I can get it working. I did get the specific report that the Sigma Tel Audio driver did not work with SONAR, so I need to find another driver somewhere.

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elektro80
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PostPosted: Tue May 09, 2006 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Personally I think getting a MBP for the XP compatibility alone is perhaps a bit too early. If you get it to work then all is fine. The computer itself is probably top notch. I am pretty sure it is. Give the concept a year or two and by then the macintel mac should probably be the most standard hardware for running XP. ( By standard obviously i don´t mean the most common, but rather the best documented platform ). Traditionally the Apple architecture has been easy to handle for software vendors. You won´t see all sorts of weird configurations of stuff that almost works.

An alternative is of course to consider an OS X based software alternative, but I am sure that is not what you need to hear right now. Very Happy If Sonar is your trusted DAW right now, then you should stick to it. However, it seems like you are not the only one who likes the MBP. I am sure some blog somewhere has the info you need.

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rbedgar



Joined: Dec 20, 2005
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Location: Sunnyvale, CA

PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2006 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

>An alternative is of course to consider an OS X based software alternative, but I am sure that is not what you need to hear right now.

Heh...well, I appreciate the suggestion. However, it's not just SONAR, it's VSAMPLER3 that I use for realtime triggering and modulation of samples. There is probably an OSX analog, but then there's the 428 and Roland GR-33 interfaces too...too much to switch, stabilize, unlearn, learn, relearn and practice before June 2.
So...I'll pound on everything this weekend and see if I can make it talk!

thanx
-r

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Robert Edgar
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rbedgar



Joined: Dec 20, 2005
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Location: Sunnyvale, CA

PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2006 3:46 pm    Post subject: Got SONAR working under Windows XP Pro on Mac Book Pro
Subject description: This is how
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Thanks for all hints!

For anyone else heading this way with a Mac Book Pro:

1. The drivers that come with it will work with SONAR.
2. Run SONAR.
3. Open Options/Audio Options
4. Click the "Advanced" tab
5. Open the drop-down "Driver Mode" menu, and select "MME(32-Bit)"
6. In your digital audio track output, select "Sigma Tel Audio"

Now it will work.

Robert

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