Can I Use A Power Mac G4 400mhz For Pro Tools?, Digi 002 Options

[Mikkel]

Anyone have experience with PT on "slow" machines...?

[PristineRec]

I have been using a G4 466 running PT 5 under OS 9.1 with a Digi 001 for a few years with no problems. I have gotten up to 19 tracks (never tried any more than that) at 24 bits at 48k, along with about a dozen RTAS plugins. I record to an internal Ultra 160 SCSI drive.
If you're using the Digi 002, then you're also using OS X, which puts a bigger drain on the system than OS 9, but I can get quite a bit going on my system without choking it to death.
If you check Digidesign's website, I believe it does say that the slowest G4 that is supported to run the Digi 002 is the 733Mhz model. So officially they don't stand behind the Digi 002 running on a machine that slow, but that doesn't mean it won't work for your purposes.
It will definitely be a less than optimal system, but it's been working for me since my 466 was brand new 3 years ago.
The only time I run into trouble is trying to run too many plugins at once. That's the biggest drain on the CPU. As a workaround, I use PT to bus tracks together and into an AUX input and add the plugins (reverb is the biggest CPU hog) to the AUX input.

This post has been edited by PristineRec: Mon 26 Jan 2004, 07:18

[Synthetic]

I had PT 5 LE with Digi001 running on a 350mhz G3 machine for about a year and half. I was only limited to how many plugs I could use.

[Bullzeye]

I use a Mac PowerPC G3, 233 HHz (beige desktop) with Free ProTools version 3.4

I have been using it for years.

Insturment/mic -> to small mic line mixer -> to an Audiomedia III sound card I installed in the Mac.

I allocate 100,000 K of RAM memory to PT (I have 448MB of RAM total). I only ever record one track at a time. This weekend I was mixing, at least 10 tracks, playing back 8 tracks at once. It did everything I needed without any problems. I don't think I have ever needed more.

All is good ... until I am forced to upgrade my System Software.

Jam on!

-Bullzeye

[vape]

ok well maybe someone can help me out here a little. like I wrote before I got a g3 400 and when I do a simple loop of an audio track in protools and add any of the plug-ins, the loop doesnt preview good. there's a sec gap to where it starts the loop again. I allocated like 200mb of memory to this thing and still the same problem. tnx.

[PristineRec]

Are your audio files on your startup drive?

I seem to recall from the manual when I was setting up my system that Digidesign said that you should always record to a SCSI drive (which is why I plunked down a LOT of money for the fastest card and drive). The reason that was given was that using a drive that was connected differently would cause a slight delay in the start of record or playback, causing problems if you were trying to punch record or something instantaneous like that.

Since in loop playback the computer has to go back and read the same small piece of the audio file over and over, maybe there is a small delay in the computer accessing the audio file on the drive and playing it back.

Given the slower speed of your machine, maybe when you tax the CPU more by adding the plugins it's hesitating a bit between loops.

Just a guess. But quite an explanation, though, huh?

[vape]

yeah that's very good. tnx. I'll probably end up buying a new mac anyway, this is my first one(someone gave it to me)so I was just testing it out. I wonder if anybody has this problem using a laptop since u can't really run a SCSI drive with a laptop(or can u?) I'm asking this cause I want to buy one. or should I just go with a g5? tnx again for your reply