Configuring A Workhorse, Separate user account for Logic? Options

[KingBarbarossa]

Hello everyone,

My question to all you tech wizards:
My computer G5 dual is being used really heavily for graphic design, communication of all sorts and... well, of course music.

I am encountering often many problems when I start Logic. Often configurations seem to be not remembered correctly, audio or midi has to be re-configured - almost every single time when I want to start any work in Logic. This is frustrating and time consuming. These things occur randomly and can never be tracked down or repeated for proper troubleshooting. (I am running numerous hardware synths, as well as plugins and a Kontakt2 in addition to Logic., I also use an Emagic mt4 midi-interface and a Presonus Firebox)

My plan is to get a new Mac Pro in a few months to move all the music production over to a seperate machine.
But in the interim, to reduce some of the problems or at least stabilize the work environment I thought it might be advantagous to make a seperate user for the music production. This way the machine could be booted without all the fonts and extra drivers etc. which are needed for graphics applications.


So my questions are:

Does it makes sense (and to what extent and why) to maybe use an extra harddrive to put the music apps on? maybe even a complete additional system installation on an extra drive?
Does separating out the music apps to a different user account on the computer help at all - will it be beneficial in attempt to gain stability for Logic etc., free system memory or even speed up certain things?
If this is advisable, how do I get a third internal harddrive into my G5 dual (i already use an external for sample libraries)?

What is your advice, how would you solve this?

[KingBarbarossa]

Ok, a separate user account still makes sense...?

What exactly are all the things that can be made user specific?
e.g. I know, I can move all my fonts into the user specific fonts folder and they should not show up in the new user's account.

What else is user specific or can be made user specific in order to streamline the music user account?
Any kind of drivers?

Oh, yes, I don't use Adobe's Version Cue. I don't like things that do some ghosty things in the background.


I don't know if my problem comes from any 3rd party plugins. What I am using is Kontakt2, EastWest Symphonic Choirs, Orchestra Gold and StormDrums, impOSCAR, Korg Digital Legacy and Motu Ethno. Does anybody know, if any of those are known to not live peacuful together...?

[lepetitmartien]

Ok, a separate user account still makes sense...?

From OS X on, no, but to cure/track some issues, sure it can help.

A better use is to have 2 normal users, one for everyday jobs, the other to test things.

What exactly are all the things that can be made user specific?
e.g. I know, I can move all my fonts into the user specific fonts folder and they should not show up in the new user's account.

What else is user specific or can be made user specific in order to streamline the music user account?
Any kind of drivers?

Almost everything.

As an Admin, you install stuff for every user
As a simple user you install only for you (with an admin pw though.

All the prefpanels settings are user defined
Most App seetings too (save the apps which have their preferences in the root library folder.

To me more general, when you have something in your user library and not in the root or system one, it'll be user specific.

Oh, yes, I don't use Adobe's Version Cue. I don't like things that do some ghosty things in the background.

Good, at least it's not this s…t.

I don't know if my problem comes from any 3rd party plugins. What I am using is Kontakt2, EastWest Symphonic Choirs, Orchestra Gold and StormDrums, impOSCAR, Korg Digital Legacy and Motu Ethno. Does anybody know, if any of those are known to not live peacuful together...?

The best things to try are:
- launch and work with you audio software but after taking ALL plug-ins from their relevant library folder. If it's all right, and nothing fishy, you'll have to track the bad boy.
- if it goes to nothing, try a new user account, if it's the same, it's being esoteric, we'll see from that point what can be done.

There's 95% of chance it's a plug-in problem, maybe 2% it's account related.

Also, download OnyX and clear all the caches with it and repair permissions. At least we'll know it's not something stupid in this direction.