Ableton Forum

How much can i do with a ibook g3 800 with 640 MB of ram memory?
Someone have this configuration and can tell me something?
i'm worry about the mount of plugins and live fx i can use in live 3 and the number of channels.

not too much i would imagine

oh great! someone can tell me something more productive? i'm trying to use live 3 and i'm getting problems with the number of fx i can use.
something strange happends: if i put on the utility PROCESS VIEWER live works better, de % of cpu usage is lower. i don't know why it happends and if i can fix it.

i have a 900 with 384 and i hit the wall often enough. i can barely squeeze out two first class reverbs and a few clips. i don't mind it as much though. for me limitations are kind of a requirement, especially on computers nowadays where any sound in the world is at your fingertips. (what a load of crap that last sentance was! i've got a slow-ass peice of shit machine and there's no two ways about it.)

though i will say that i bought the damn thing in march and i've had the logic board replaced twice now. i'll never buy a low end apple product ever again especially an ibook (ooo! there's good logic, this company screwed me, so now i'll only buy their really exensive stuff!).

k

I have a 900/384 like Mr Studios, and the only thing that really kills it is the reverb. I can run a bunch of delays, more compression than necessary (if you know what I mean!) across ten odd audio tracks, and that's what I need, but a first class reverb will easily take 40% of the CPU.

TBH, I doubt I'll be upgrading my computer anytime soon - I'm much more likely to put the money towards hardware that I can play with

as to 'Not too much', well, Jamie, I reckon you're badly mistaken

-Paws

What can you do with an 800 iBook? As much as you can on an 800 G4 PowerBook as Ableton hasn't yet implemented any G4/Altivec enhancements. I'm still getting good mileage from my 667 TiBook (which yours should outperform when running Live) and hopefully it will last until Apple release a G5 PowerBook.

As the other posts have mentioned, certain FX will really bog the cpu down. Keep away and find alternatives and you should be fine. Also try to be creative in your approach to using Live. For example, if you really need that First Class reverb, render down the tracks that need it then that's one less effect you need in a live situation.

thanx to the g3 people who are giving me ideas of how to use live with my machine.

questions:
is more heavy for the cpu live 4 than live 3?
what 'cheap' rever can i use? i need to use a couple of them, but i don't care if aren't first class.

thanks.

tips: don't use ableton reverb. use Apple AU reverb instead.
don't use EQ3, use either EQ4 for eqing, or if you like the filter effects of EQ3 then use Apple's AU HiPass or Lopass.

this should fee up some cpu headroom for you.

and try to bounce down (aka resample) when you can.

SinisterDexter wrote:What can you do with an 800 iBook? As much as you can on an 800 G4 PowerBook as Ableton hasn't yet implemented any G4/Altivec enhancements. I'm still getting good mileage from my 667 TiBook (which yours should outperform when running Live) and hopefully it will last until Apple release a G5 PowerBook.

Not true - the system buss is slower on the iBooks and I'm not sure it has as much cache either; both have effects on audio performance.

-Paws

I've a similar setup. An Ibook 700mhz with 640mhz of ram.
I've had great results running fairly large setups. ie: 10-12 audio tracks with an average of 1-3 plugins on each.
Running Midi tracks with effects of course the limit is much more, but so are the options available. I've been able to work with pretty complex arrangments utilizing bank and patch switching from the clip envelope of each new clip. You can effectively run a different sound from the same plugin on each clip. Also as others have said it works well to know your tools and to understand that an instance of the Stylus Atmoshpere with a Dreamverb following is going to cost you. But in terms of being limited creatively, There are many ways to arrive at an abstract idea. It's reverse Occum razor theory. The simplest method is not always the best.

- you will get better performance on a powerbook than an ibook of the same specs

- you will notice an increase in cpu efficiency in live 4 over live 3

-noisetonepause is right...i can get away with quite a number of plugs but a first-class reverb kills, but it sounds really really really good and the apple au really really really doesn't in compare. i use the ecomony reverb unitl i mix down, when i use first class. you don't really need first-class in a live situation, as most p.a.'s sound crap anyway.

k

so live 4 is less heavy for the cpu than live 3?

ismapink wrote:so live 4 is less heavy for the cpu than live 3?

Yeah - but it'll let you do things that'll eat your power quicker than one two three. Like.

-Paws