Gb, Cubase And Garritan, working with Cubase, Garritan and Garage Options

[taiqi]

I've been lurking for a while and thought I would bring up some problems I'm having. I have a 400 htz G4 ibook that I'm using with Cubase SX and Garageband with Garritan Strings. I mainly do ambient soundtrack like music, rather long tracks with a mix of live and midi instruments.

The first problem is that everytime I use Garritan with Garageband I can only get one sound. Each new track has to bring up a new Garritan keyboard. Can I assume that this is the midi limitation of Garageband?

I would use Cubase more but I find the effects for midi very limited. I love all the control I have with Garageband effects. Is there a way to get a fuller range of effects for the midi channels in Cubase without resorting to the end mix?

And finally (for now) suddenly it seems that I am not able to control the mix of the midi instruments through Cubase mixer. I've been all over the software looking for a way to control the levels. They show up in the mixer but don't respond.

thanks,
doug

[WhiteHawk]

Well, unfortunately money is the thing that springs to mind.

Mmmm, well I do know GarageBand is very intensive probably because the code isn't too efficient, and I heard that Logic 6 was able to do using the same instruments more tracks than GB can before the CPU shouted enough. I don't know how Logic 7 runs now that is out, it might not run as fast as 6 as it now has some of the technology that GB has but it might still be better than GB.

So you might want to look at Logic Express 7 as it has AudioUnit support for your Garritan Strings and you can use the other GB instruments and Apple Loops as well in that, I will be stepping up to either Logic Express 7 or Logic Pro 7 at some point soon and be using Garritan Personal Orchestra in that.

You said you are maxed out on RAM, you didn't say how much RAM you have though, I know GPO asks for 1Gig for the whole orchestra but I'm sure it needs more than that as if I use 5-10 or some of the bigger ones like the Steinway piano it can at some point give me a warning that RAM is low, and I have 1Gig of RAM.

Other than that as you said a Firewire drive, I don't know how much that will help, I assume a 5200rpm drive in that iBook is it?

Yep, it's all money money money, sorry, I think at the end of the day though its the lack of CPU power thats holding you back, you said you can upgrade the CPU on your desktop, I guess you should do that only if you can get one with a good speed, I know you can get 1.5Ghz CPU upgrades now but I don't know if they would work with your system.