Dual G5 test...

kenn.michael · Post by **kenn.michael** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 9:21 am

So I ran the Live 2.1 Demo session on a Dual G5 at 49 sample buffersize... and the percentage meter never went above 10%!!!

Looks pretty good for a program with no Altivec optimization nor dual proc optimizations!

Per Boysen · Post by **Per Boysen** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:56 am

Wow - interesting! Did you get it this week? Where are you located? I'm waiting for a dual G5 here (Sweden that is) now and I'm hoping I will be able to play live instruments on it with Ableton Live "monitor through Live", using the software as a virtual effect rack. It's just a matter of latency. There's a couple of gigs/clinics by mid October and I'm hoping I can do them on the G5. Otherwis it will be a PC laptop with a split signal going directly to the PA instead of software monitoring thorough Live.

And what audio interface were you testing with?

I heard the M-Audio doesn't have good Mac drivers yet, and the firewire device from Ergo Systems is not shipping yet. I wounder if my Audiophile USB will give me a latency on the G5 suited for "monitor thorugh" live playing?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 1:53 pm

not trying to start a flame war, but if your pc laptop is recent (P4 2.? or centrino), and has decent amount of RAM (512+), it should be close to those g5 demo session specs, and with a good soundcard should allow you very low latency and lots of tracks and effects--why do you need to wait for a mac to monitor through live?? We all know that currently pcs are capable of more tracks and effects with Live, thats just the way the software runs on the two different os' right now. I gig out weekly with my toshiba monitoring though live with only 4 ms latency Out of Live (2 ms in ) with an RME multiface. Live is the ultimate effects rack and looping tool for live performace, no doubt, just wondering why your pc won't cut it for low latency, through Live performance?

mr mips · Post by **mr mips** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:02 pm

Your latency of 48ms seems a little high. If I use the built in soundcard on my tiBook 800 I get 12ms + 12ms = 24ms. Interestingly, if I use my m-audio quattro the latency changes to 15ms + 15ms = 30ms. I would hope the new G5s would be able to pull better numbers.

This is with Live 2.1.2.

Any thoughts?
James

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 5:53 pm

not 48ms.... 49 samples as in 1ms.

I'm in Los Angeles, and it was a stock Dual G5 unit - which seem to be trickling in around here. My personal machines are BTOs, so I expect them in a week or two.

Sure, we all know that PCs run Live better, but I was merely making a comment on how powerful this G5 is, and if you're making music on OSX, a dual G5 will give you a HUGE performance boost in most music software... including Live... But don't let me tell you how well Logic runs on this machine... it's scary.

kenn.michael · Post by **kenn.michael** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 6:09 pm

that last post was by me... the original poster.

skeptiktank · Post by **skeptiktank** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 8:19 pm

1ms latency, and from what I understand the G5 has 24 bits using the internal audio. Got to order one now.....ok, it is ordered. It might even be possible to use altiverb in live.

evoid · Post by **evoid** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 12:54 am

ken, thank you for your posting, i'm very interested in this topic, has i'm planning on buying one dual G5 very soon...

can you be more especific? how many tracks playing where you running on live?
how many reverbs can you pull simultaneusly?

please run this kind of test on your G5, and post the results with this kind of details, it would be reeeeaallly useful 4 me

TIA,
void

Per Boysen · Post by **Per Boysen** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 7:54 am

Anonymous wrote:why do you need to wait for a mac to monitor through live??

What I'm actually waiting for is the cash to get a PC laptop with firewire. And I'm hoping to find a firewire audio interface that can be used both in the studio (G5 based) and for live gigs (PC laptop)

Anonymous wrote: We all know that currently pcs are capable of more tracks and effects with Live, thats just the way the software runs on the two different os' right now. I gig out weekly with my toshiba monitoring though live with only 4 ms latency Out of Live (2 ms in ) with an RME multiface. Live is the ultimate effects rack and looping tool for live performace, no doubt, just wondering why your pc won't cut it for low latency, through Live performance?

Simply because it is a P3 700 MHz. But I'm cool with that for a while since I'm splitting the instrument direct signal to bypass latency. But your talk about "the ultimate effect rack" has me drooling. I'll definitely be upgrading my Live pc laptop asap.

kenn.michael · Post by **kenn.michael** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 8:00 am

hey evoid!

With 8 Live reverbs at FirstClass, the CPU read 80%. When they were all changed to Economy, the CPU meter read 40%. That's VERY high usage for a reverb - especially when I am able to run 28 of Emagic's new high-end SpaceDesigner reverb. This shows Live's lack of optimization, yet the Dual G5 should be MORE than enough for any production in Live. In Logic, I'm able to run 896 voices of their ES2 synthesizer, whereas on my Dual 1.25GHz G4, I'm only able to run 320. So that gives you some perspective.

Per Boysen · Post by **Per Boysen** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 8:20 am

Thank you Kenn. That was VERY interesting! Logic is the main reason for me to go dual G5.

Paul M. · Post by **Paul M.** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 12:54 pm

That's VERY high usage for a reverb - especially when I am able to run 28 of Emagic's new high-end SpaceDesigner reverb

I don't get this kind of comparing. It's like when you say 3000 $ must be the price of a (or any) car. Two different reverbs are two different issues. Beside that this test with a bunch of reverbs is pointless because it's unrealistic.

Dual G5 should be MORE than enough for any production in Live.

Why? I read the same statement for two years concerning a G4. Is there an intergalactic law that a G5 "must" be enough?

Meanwhile we all know that Live has no special optimized code, either for PC nor for the Mac. And they say that they want to improve it in the future and don't get me wrong, I really want to have it.

But these comparings are totally pointless.

Paul

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:41 pm

dude, if you read this whole thread, homeboy did that test on his own time as per someone else's request--cut him some slack, he's just going above and beyond the call of duty and doing a favor for someone he's never met--easy on him.

I think it is a valid test--people like Live's verb, but it definitely take up some CPU. A good test of a systems capabilites would be to see how many of these take it to its knees. I just opened a session view set with 8 clips, started adding high class Live reverbs, topped out at 6. This is on a TOshiba satelite 2430--XP Pro, 2.4 P4, 1 GIG ddr sdRAM--a very fast machine, with RME multiface set to 256 samples (4 ms latency into, 8 out of Live). 6 First CLasses brought it into latency pops and 87% range. 6 economies was working okay at about 47%. So, believe it or not (and this is coming from a hardcore pc fan), the G5 (granted its a dual processor desktop that cost way more than my whole rig) actually is performing solidly. I guess one thing I wasn't clear on the G5 test is if you had clips running through all those verbs. When not running clips, my cpu with the 6 first classes was only around 20% or so.

Ryan

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:47 pm

[quote="Per Boysen"]What I'm actually waiting for is the cash to get a PC laptop with firewire. And I'm hoping to find a firewire audio interface that can be used both in the studio (G5 based) and for live gigs (PC laptop)
[quote="Anonymous"]

It costs a bit more, and is not firewire, but the RME Multiface is the fastest, best sounding soundcard for laptop use, hands down. The PCMCIA cardbus has a faster data transfer rate than firewire (even firewire 2), so it is you ticket to the lowest possible latency. It also has superior AD/DA conversion--read about it on www.harmony-central.com forums, or rec.audio.pro (google groups)--many people have owned 828's, firestations, laylas, and other similar soundcards and have switched to the RME because of its superior sound. It has awesome mix software that is great for getting up to 8 totally seperate and savable monitor mixes at once. To make it work with desk and laptop, you have to have the pci card and cardbus card, so it is definitely not you cheapest option, but for the long haul, it is worth it. Other than that, the new MOTU 828 looks to be the best firewire device out there. Good Luck

Ryan

evoid · Post by **evoid** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 2:57 pm

thank you very much ken

that gives me a very good impression of the powerhorses inside the G5...

i just need to test one with protools LE running reason and live on rewire, and reaktor on rtas. and t-racks on the master fader eheh... if it runs smooth, i buy one!

i've already tested one g4 733mhz with 512 mb with this setup, and it did worked... but almost any movement in the apps did a stop in the audiosuite of protools.. but no crashes at all, so i really think it's a matter of processor power, and the G5 has it!

peace,
evoid

Dual G5 test...

Dual G5 test...

interesting latency

Why

Reverbs Live G5