Old G4 Too Old? Options

[razor_usmc]

Howdy everyone. I have been looking for a Mac that I can afford to do some music (and maybe home movies) with a MIDI keyboard and get started with creating a DAW.

My uncle has a very old dual G4 450 mhz that I could buy from him and start using in my home. Is there still software out there that I could use for a long while, is this Mac powerful enough for my recording needs, or is this way too old to really be worth my time? He says it has mac OS X9 currently as the OS. IS that a problem?

Where would I start looking to find the software I need to get started with this older machine?

Any other tips welcome/appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

Razor

[ronaldl]

Razor,

There are lots of options, but if you get a good deal on the G4 and want to keep things simple, you might try Pro Tools Free ( http://www.macmusic.org/software/view.php/lang/en/id/17/ ) which will run in OS 9, works great, and is absolutely free. If you don't use too many plug-ins you should be OK. I ran Pro Tools LE on my 800mHz single processor G4 in OS X for several years without problems.

Ron

[jeffty]

Yeah, that one is getting a little long in the tooth but there is a reasonable upgrade that will get you a couple more years of good audio service with that G4. First make sure you have a heapin' heap of RAM, at least 512MB and preferrably 1 GB or more. Next for a modest price you can upgrade the CPU and bring it up close to current speeds. The upgrades are easy to do and these days you can get a 1.4 Ghz G4 (or faster) for that Mac for under $250. This will enable you to use OSX and pretty much all the latest software with some practical limits, after all it still won't be a dual-core G5, I made this upgrade last year and it made my G4 733 useable again for pro audio production.

[mortalengines]

I would second the prior post though the review I read on upgrading CPU didn't sound THAT easy. You really do need something a little faster than 450mhrz speed & a MINIMUM of 512 meg of RAM to do anything substantial but if your initial cash outlay for this Mac is small, then you are well on your way.

[ptilou]

First make sure you have a heapin' heap of RAM, at least 512MB and preferrably 1 GB or more.
Next for a modest price you can upgrade the CPU and bring it up close to current speeds. The upgrades are easy to do and these days you can get a 1.4 Ghz G4 (or faster) for that Mac for under $250.
This will enable you to use OSX and pretty much all the latest software with some practical limits,
I made this upgrade last year and it made my G4 733 useable again for pro audio production.

I do agree cause i did the same with my G4 400 / agp/ boosted to 1250 Hz. And it's still runnin'.
If your Mac is agp (video card)
1/ Acc G4 1.8ghz (7447a Processor) for exemple Gigadesigns Pm Agp Bus 100 & 133
2/ you get some more ram 512 to one giga for exemple
and you'll get a new young good computer with OSX with a limited budget

[razor_usmc]

I would second the prior post though the review I read on upgrading CPU didn't sound THAT easy. You really do need something a little faster than 450mhrz speed & a MINIMUM of 512 meg of RAM to do anything substantial but if your initial cash outlay for this Mac is small, then you are well on your way.

Anybody got any ideas for websites to get these upgrades? Does apple.com still sell them online? What about other software besides protools free? Is it pretty good? What hardware would you recomment with it, etc. And where else could I get older software, say an older copy of MOTU or something. What peripherals are you guys using for older machines?

Thanks for taking the time to post!

Razor

This post has been edited by razor_usmc: Mon 31 Jul 2006, 19:39

[Jim Hoyland]

A good starting place is:

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/

Make sure you check as many forums as possible to check other users' experiences with a particular upgrade.

[strat54]

Howdy everyone. I have been looking for a Mac that I can afford to do some music (and maybe home movies) with a MIDI keyboard and get started with creating a DAW.

My uncle has a very old dual G4 450 mhz that I could buy from him and start using in my home. Is there still software out there that I could use for a long while, is this Mac powerful enough for my recording needs, or is this way too old to really be worth my time? He says it has mac OS X9 currently as the OS. IS that a problem?

Where would I start looking to find the software I need to get started with this older machine?

Any other tips welcome/appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

Razor

You really need osx and os9 on the same machine, as when you add to your audio plugins some are available in osx only, sticking with os9 will reduce your choice slightly. I have a dvd full of osx software and pluggins for sale. If your worried about the computer not being powerfull enough, use a dsp card. This will take the load off the computer, TC Powercore,UAD etc. Or protools MIx24 if you have the dosh.

Cheers
www.akorecords.com

[slexer]

"I have a dvd full of osx software and pluggins for sale."

is this all software and plugins you've developed? Or are you actually selling ...?

There is so much stuff available for free and I find it very dubious when anyone sells collections of software.

S

[MadDonna]

There is however a small thing everybody overlooks. It is a DUAL cpu machine. Although on a slow speed, it must be capable of working with all modern sequencer software.

I am working on a single 400mhz AGP machine with 640Mb memory. I can use Garageband 2 with 6 to 8 tracks without a problem. When I use real instruments I can go further. A dual cpu machine must have no problem with this kind of software.

Offcourse, a processor upgrade or buying a whole new machine is fun and you can do a lot more. But is it worth it? Because you need to answer first the main and most important question: "what do I want to do with it."

This post has been edited by MadDonna: Wed 2 Aug 2006, 00:18