Mac OS 9 Lives

Mac OS 9 Discussion => Hardware => Topic started by: Syntho on September 26, 2017, 09:33:06 PM

Title: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: Syntho on September 26, 2017, 09:33:06 PM: I want to get a laptop capable of booting OS9 so that I can do some late night composing. I'm not a VST guy at all so I wouldn't know if the last few G4 laptops that came out are powerful enough to run a VST or two.

How fast would I need to get in terms of mhz to solidly run VST instruments? I'm guessing it's pretty much impossible to do it with a G3 laptop.
Title: Re: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: nanopico on September 27, 2017, 06:16:34 AM: I by no means use a lot of VST instruments, but I use a 700mhz G3 iBook to do exactly what you are asking with no issue.
I've also used a 366mhz iBook as well, but there are lower limits on what it can do.
Title: Re: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: IIO on September 27, 2017, 01:53:10 PM: Quote from: Syntho on September 26, 2017, 09:33:06 PM
I'm not a VST guy at all so I wouldn't know if the last few G4 laptops that came out are powerful enough to run a VST or two.

it will be able to run 250 bitratereducers, but if you plan to use altiverb you should be prepared to do that in mono. ;)
Title: Re: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: Syntho on September 27, 2017, 02:48:38 PM: I haven't yet figured out what I will use, but most likely it will be a sampler for drums (Battery?), an orchestral VST like the Edirol one, and a software synthie or two. Do you think I can get away with all of that?
Title: Re: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: IIO on September 27, 2017, 04:07:15 PM: romplers yes, with synths there is a wide range of CPU hunger. many will work fine o a G3 - a few are still too hungry for the fastest G4s.
Title: Re: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: Syntho on September 27, 2017, 04:46:38 PM: Hmm. I wonder which ones are considered the best. There's a short thread in the VST section about it. There's the ReFX Vanguard, and Vibra 9000 which seems to be ok. I'll have to do a bunch of research and see what tickles my fancy.
Title: Re: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: IIO on September 30, 2017, 03:21:11 PM: i dont think you want to use vibra or vanguard as an all day synth.

and note that "best" is always objective. :) so... what are you goung to do with them?
Title: Re: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: Syntho on September 30, 2017, 04:33:10 PM: I don't use VSTs much at all but I'm trying to get into the habit of it. If I had to choose a good sounding VST, I'd say Diva. But diva is way newer. Is there something like it for OS9?
Title: Re: Macbook G4 - powerful enough for VST?
Post by: IIO on October 11, 2017, 11:38:59 AM: "best sounding" might be somewhere between g-force and arturia, but for my taste they simply need to much CPU on a G4.

my all day synth used to be the PPG before i got into programming my own. exciton is cute too. my favorite in the "special" category is dacota.