Cubase Se And Dongle Woes..., Struggling Mac newbie begs for help! Options

[Adrian Delso]

I recently bought a second-hand G4 Powermac Dual Processor. 450mhz, 256mb RAM, 60gb HD, with OS Xv1.5

I installed Mac Panther, because you can't upgrade from 10.1 to 10.2.8 any more.

After struggling with a Firewire410, I traded it for a M-Audio Ozone USB interface/keyboard and the Steingberg Studio Case.

The Ozone works fine under Panther - pre-amps, MIDI, interface, everything.

I then installed Cubase SE. Again, no problems at first...until I tried to print out a section of the manual. The printer no longer worked. I removed the Cubase dongle, updated the printer drivers and tried again. Phew!

Next morning, I installed the VSTis in the Studio Case - D'cotaSE, HALlionSE,Virtual Guitarist EESEGrooveAgentSE and The GrandSE. Cubase struggled to recognise them via the Devices>Virtual Instruments menu.

Then the mouse stopped working; then the keyboard stopped working; then Cubase repeatedly "terminated unexpectedly", every time I tried to open it. Then the printer packed up again!

I only have two USB slots on the back of the Mac and so, am using a four-port, powered USB hub. The Ozone interface goes into the Mac and the keyboard, scanner, printer and dongle are in the hub. The mouse is off the keyboard.(In fact, the mouse has just stopped, as I write. , until I stuck it into the hub.)

I feel that the problem is here, but don't have enough knowledge to correct it. Can any of you guys spot anything obvious?

(I can't find any new drivers specifically for Cubase SE and I don't know whether SL or SX is the right one.)

[Reedybloke]

Adrian
I have had similar problems with SL and 10.3.2
The Cubase driver does not work properly with Panther only with 10.2 which is the recommended OS in the SL/SX manual.
I talked with the company who supplied my Cubase and they said the Steinberg rep was in 'last week' and knew the problems and described the same bugs that I am getting.
The new driver is supposedly 'in development' for 10.3, but a rep would say that to a supplier wouldn't he.
I am also assured a new 10.3 compatible Cusasis is soon to be released 'in the next few months'
I guess its jam tomorrow but ships biscuits 'til then. java script:emoticon(':rolleyes:')

Chris Reed
movingspace@mac.com
UK

[Adrian Delso]

Just so there's no mistake...will Cubase SE not work properly with Panther, even without using the VSTis supplied in the Steinberg Studio Case?

I spent a tidy sum on this, which I can't afford to lose. Any idea who I go to for recompense? Apple, Steinberg or the retailer?

[ButtonMunky]

Adrian, I expect your really pissed with someone but in some sort of defence from a retailer myself.
Im a beta tester for SX on OSX and I have huge problems myself.
these problems are not general to SX but to OS.
Please remember that 10.3.? are groundbreaking developments on Mac and please also remember that the cutting edge is the bleeding edge.
Panther has not been fine tuned for audio apart from whats already working in 10.2.8 with this new technology always incurs painful setup woes.
I always try to keep my clients in 10.2.8 if using a G4 system.
New OS always have glitches and they always keep the main part of it working and leave us audio tech heads to last to get to.
Im not happy with performance on G5 yet and will not take to panther until they sort it out.
With any software it always seems like the retailer should take the crap , BUT the SALES guy is only as knowledgable as his passion for music technology. If you had boy/girl wonders selling you gear and they were an oracle of information do you really think they would be in a shop selling gear like this for retail wages.

Macintosh are a bit responsible for leaving bits out of Panther to make the whole thing work for the rest of them. They will get round to us but until they do OS 10.2.8 will do me fine. You have a nice mac do you really need any more eye candy, is it really worth it ?
Give it time.
I hope you get my point.

[Adrian Delso]

Thank you for taking the trouble to respond - I guess you're right and I will now have to wait for Apple and the music software guys to issue patches, etc until things work together. I wish could have got hold of Jaguar, but my timing was wrong!

I am now running Logic Express 6 through a m-Audio Ozone USB Audio interface. I have upgraded Panther to 10.3.2 and things are a little better. I am having more RAM installed someday soon. I have been spending way too much time with Logic tech support, as the manual is incomprehensible and the Tutorial CD it refers to, is officially 'not supplied'. Go figure.

[editbrain]

i know that you are using express, but here is apples quicktour of logic. it should get you started on some really good technique and how to get something out of it.

http://www.apple.com/software/pro/logic/quicktour/