drakule Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 Hi = this is a question for peeps with probably knowledge of both macs and pc's.... im currently moving over to a mac, but have a very able PC still, with 2 X 100 gig drives. this storage would be quite useful, plus the extra system resources if i could run certain programs like plugins from this, through the mac. basically i run logic and protools and i was thinking perhaps i can use the PC as storage for more audio and sessions, but also run 3rd party plugins from it. the main OS is the MAC with the applications being run from there (also audio cards installed into the mac). Im using DSP's on the mac to freeup some resources for the heavier sessions, but say if i could run all my Waves plugins from the PC, that again will freeup more power from the MAC. does this make sense? anyone able to say that'll never work coz of mac/pc issues? any thoughts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x2k Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 It does make sence & it's centainly possible to some level from PC to PC when using VST plugins via a system called FX-Teleport (http://www.fx-max.com/fxt/), I've not heard about anything for plugins other than VST but I wouldn't be surprised if they exist. There is another thing you could consider (if it applies to you) is using the PC to run as a dedicated sampler (or synth if you prefer) by installing you're soft sampler (instrument) of choice (Kontakt, Halion, etc. or even absynth or z3ta+) then controlling your pc from the mac via a midi cable. You will however however need to then run an audio cable from you PC into you mac or both mac & pc into an external mixer to mix the audio signals from the two. Another thing probably worth mentioning is that to really make it useful you would really need an audio interface on the PC with a load of output otherwise all you will get is one pre mixed stream out of the PC and not have the ability to apply any effects to just one part. If you do have an multi output interface on the pc you could use more than just one application, you could use for example a softsynth & a soft sampler, set each one up to respond to a seperate set of midi channel and route their sound to different outputs. Then again all this is completely pointless if you don't don't use samples or sythasis, if you're just recording and applying effects then all this isn't for you. Anyway there's some food for though on this lovely thursday morning (if you can understand a word I've just said, I'm still half a sleep). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakule Posted August 3, 2006 Author Share Posted August 3, 2006 yeah does make sense i think....basically you're talking about turning the PC into a synthesiser ie. with audio outs into an audio input of my seequencer (Mac). certainly an idea...however, i would be losing the ability of automating my synths and obivously it wouldnt clock to my main sequencer. and any thoughts on Macs having an external drive as a PC?? i think its all a bit of a no go coz of the mac/pc compatability but you never know! ta tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x2k Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 yeah does make sense i think....basically you're talking about turning the PC into a synthesiser ie. with audio outs into an audio input of my seequencer (Mac). certainly an idea...however, i would be losing the ability of automating my synths and obivously it wouldnt clock to my main sequencer.Wrong, the synth will be triggered from your sequencer and all decent standalone softsynth and samplers will be completely automateable via midi messages, it works in the same way as hardware synth would. This is also pretty common these days, people do it because for the same price as a hardware sampler you can you get a really fucking powerful dedicated pc sampler with a much nicer interface. and any thoughts on Macs having an external drive as a PC?? i think its all a bit of a no go coz of the mac/pc compatability but you never know! ta tom. Just wack a network card into the PC and one in the Mac (if they don't already have them, they only cost about 5 quid), then just the 2 together with a crossover network cable (probably also about a fiver). Job done (apart from some configuration, I can't be arse to explain it now, I've already done if fairly recently on the board, I'll dig out the thread in a second Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x2k Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 Thread about connecting a PC to a Mac I think my kind of step by step instructions are on the second page of the thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 In my experience, getting PC's to talk to Mac's rarely ends without at least a couple of headaches, even for the most tech-savvy of people. Perhaps you could whip out one of those drives and stick it in a USB2.0 enclosure to use with the Mac. It's a doddle to do and the enclosures are all over eBay like a rash. Another other option is to part company with the PC and use the cash to buy extra stuff for the Mac. After all, the internet is a sellers market for computer bits. I seem to remember sticking a low end dual display Radeon of some kind in there, a 9200SE perhaps? It would work very well over DVI, that PC would make an excellent HTPC box for the lounge... get something like GameEX frontend on there to make it easy to use from your sofa, snag an ATi remote wonder, hook your hifi up to the optical out on your mobo and you'd have an all encompassing home entertainment system. That's just one idea... I think it works well to have one computer for 'work' and another for 'play', makes life simpler. Just my 2p's worth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x2k Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 In my experience, getting PC's to talk to Mac's rarely ends without at least a couple of headaches, even for the most tech-savvy of people. Perhaps you could whip out one of those drives and stick it in a USB2.0 enclosure to use with the Mac. It's a doddle to do and the enclosures are all over eBay like a rash. Another other option is to part company with the PC and use the cash to buy extra stuff for the Mac. After all, the internet is a sellers market for computer bits. I seem to remember sticking a low end dual display Radeon of some kind in there, a 9200SE perhaps? It would work very well over DVI, that PC would make an excellent HTPC box for the lounge... get something like GameEX frontend on there to make it easy to use from your sofa, snag an ATi remote wonder, hook your hifi up to the optical out on your mobo and you'd have an all encompassing home entertainment system. That's just one idea... I think it works well to have one computer for 'work' and another for 'play', makes life simpler. Just my 2p's worth... Why do people always say this, I've never had any problem what so ever doing this, plug it in and away you go has always been the case for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 Why do people always say this, I've never had any problem what so ever doing this, plug it in and away you go has always been the case for me. I had mad trouble in the past; mind you that was four years ago with an iMac, I'm pretty sure things are much better now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x2k Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 Why do people always say this, I've never had any problem what so ever doing this, plug it in and away you go has always been the case for me. I had mad trouble in the past; mind you that was four years ago with an iMac, I'm pretty sure things are much better now.Fair enough, I'm refering to this OS X malarkee, it's a piece of piss now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djFatNipples Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 There is another thing you could consider (if it applies to you) is using the PC to run as a dedicated sampler (or synth if you prefer) by installing you're soft sampler (instrument) of choice (Kontakt, Halion, etc. or even absynth or z3ta+) then controlling your pc from the mac via a midi cable. You will however however need to then run an audio cable from you PC into you mac or both mac & pc into an external mixer to mix the audio signals from the two. if you were going to pursue this...there is an audio routing vst that sends the audio from one vst on yr pcover yr network to a copy of that vst on yr mac.called wormhole.no audio cable needed.ive used it with 2 pc lappys on the regular. very easy to use. there are also midi over lan apps that do the same with midi on a network.haven't fudged w/that yet...but both midi and audio on only a networkcable frees up the clutters of cables,doubled up midi interfaces and soundcards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakule Posted August 3, 2006 Author Share Posted August 3, 2006 thanks lads, very informative - lots of stuff to digest there. just dont want to have a decent machine redundant when im sure theres some good use i can put it to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x2k Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 thanks lads, very informative - lots of stuff to digest there. just dont want to have a decent machine redundant when im sure theres some good use i can put it to! You thought about putting a bittorrent client on it and leave it to download porn all day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakule Posted August 3, 2006 Author Share Posted August 3, 2006 erm no, but an interesting thought tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 You thought about putting a bittorrent client on it and leave it to download porn all day? Does anyone download porn any more??? In this age of streaming video I'd have thought porno downloads would be dying off. I dunno about you but I don't tend to 'plan ahead' for my wanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iexist Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 umm.. you people need avatars.. NOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 umm.. you people need avatars.. NOW! Fuck an avatar. Come to think of it, fuck image posting, HTML, edits, linking and even new user registration. Let's keep it TTNN in 2006 y'getmehblud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drakule Posted August 3, 2006 Author Share Posted August 3, 2006 umm.. you people need avatars.. NOW! erm no ta! maybe one day, im stiil fooling myself i dont spend time on forums anymore. liam, re. planning wanks >> besides erm being fucking rank, its what i call 'sevensies'! (JK) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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