DJing with Live on new Macbook

Share your favorite Ableton Live tips, tricks, and techniques.
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espytwelve
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2005 1:34 am

DJing with Live on new Macbook

Post by espytwelve » Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:44 pm

I just got a new Macbook to dj on (2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo; 2 GB RAM), and am curious to know any other additions or setting adjustments I should make for my machine to run as efficiently as possible? What, if any, changes should I make in the Preferences, such as in Record/Warp/Launch? Should I be running 24 bit depth instead of 16? Do I need to upgrade my sound card? Is there anything else I maybe just don't know about?

After "collecting all and saving" one of my sets and transferring over to the Macbook, I still am experiencing some minor dropouts and digital hits that occurred with my much slower, only half a gig of RAM Powerbook. (I thought that was the only problem causing that issue) Could this instead be due to the fact that most of the songs in that set are MP3 files? Does the fact that this set is a copy of a copy affect the performance? Any insight and suggestions would be helpful..

Thanks,

dru
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Location: Perth, Australia

Post by dru » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:44 am


ArhiteK
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Post by ArhiteK » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:05 am

Clicks and cplips You are hearing are probably caused by to short latency setting. Just set higher value for buffer/altency and you will be fine.

Although faster processor allows for shorter latency, much stronger impac on this setting has an audio interface. If you are using built in sound output, ltency has to be relatively high. Try some kind of usb or even better, firewire interface (i'm using m-audio audiophile firewire for live act and producing, and m-audio xponent for djing). With better interface, latency could be much shorter, and without clipping and clicking.

Since too much latency can make live a bit unresponsive, try making it longer step by step and playing few songs/clips with effects at the same time. When there is enough buffers, clicks will cease.

vinkalmann
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Location: San Francisco, CA

Post by vinkalmann » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:37 pm

What version of Live are you on? If you're still on version 5, you need to be running the most up to date version or you will be getting poor performance from an Intel Mac.
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buzby
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Post by buzby » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:54 am

apparently playing aiff files is cpu friendlier - but take up a lot more storage space

bzzb
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tricil
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Post by tricil » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:59 am

buzby wrote:apparently playing aiff files is cpu friendlier - but take up a lot more storage space

bzzb
also sounds a hell of a lot better... =)
MacBook Pro T7600 / OS X 10.5.7 / Ableton Suite 8.0.2 / Peak Pro XT 6.1.1 / ReMOTE 37SL

sssean
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Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:06 am

Post by sssean » Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:25 am

YEP! same deal here!

Just got The same MacBook as you, installed bootcamp and have live 7 installed on windows... thats it, just live on windows... nothing else.

I am also getting the same thing.

Is there a better sound card available?

coolbox
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Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:16 pm

Post by coolbox » Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:55 pm

sssean wrote:YEP! same deal here!

Just got The same MacBook as you, installed bootcamp and have live 7 installed on windows... thats it, just live on windows... nothing else.

I am also getting the same thing.

Is there a better sound card available?
Sorry but why on earth would you run Live in Windows. OS X is a far more stable system. I would not trust Windows an inch if playing out!

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