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Ableton live perfomance question
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Kitnam
Mantik
Started Topics :
110
Posts :
1151
Posted : Jul 18, 2005 17:56
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Hello,
i am preparing a liveset and plan to buy a notebook with a centrino 1.6 Ghz, 2MB L2 Cache, 1024 MB DDRAM, soundcard: mdaudio FireWire Audiophile.
my question is about ableton, is the setting fast enough to perform stabel with ableton live? the CPU Ghz is a bit low in my eyes. dont know, any experiences?
thx |
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Colin OOOD
Moderator
Started Topics :
95
Posts :
5380
Posted : Jul 18, 2005 18:23
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Spindrift
Spindrift
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
1560
Posted : Jul 18, 2005 22:34
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The CPU and amount of RAM should be fine.
I manage to produce ok using live on a AMD +1800 with 512k, and for live I would never run that much plugs nor audio tracks.
There is a limit how much you can actually control and one sure don't want to push a system to the max in a live setting.
Some 10 audio tracks, a couple of VSTi's and maybe 5-6 FX would be the maximum I need for a liveset anyway.
The stability of the system is more important than a spec by numbers in my experience.
The only way to really assure stability is to make sure there is other users running the same machine with the same soundcard and same software.
When I got my laptop for example it had a problem with the BIOS and would glitch when the fan turned on. It took a few months before there was a fix so I could actually use it properly.
I still use it now though...a DELL 866Mhz with a magma box and Pulsar card...and it still manages to do what I need and I have been running both Abelton and Logic on it live.
As long as the machine is well built when it comes to choice of components and you have a reliable soundcard I would not worry.
And be sure to tweak it properly and keep your discs defraged of course.
 (``·.¸(``·.¸(``·.¸¸.·`´)¸.·`´)¸.·`´)
« .....www.ResonantEarth.com..... »
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z1P^
Megalopsy
Started Topics :
28
Posts :
535
Posted : Jul 19, 2005 13:19
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Hey there
Try to get a Pentium M (aka 'Dothan') or just Pentium 4 cpu in your laptop, Centrino's cpus are targeted for low/middle end mobile users, because it features long lasting battery by lowering the volt comsumption of the CPU, which results in lower performance.
Also, as Spindrift said, i think it doesnt matter how powerfull the laptop is, you must know your system well, you must know its limits and you'll manage to play live without problems.
Consider that Ableton Live is specially heavier than other applications, if you cant add the channels/instruments you need try moving to other multitrack app such as Logic or Cubase. This way you sacrifice the audio live tricks and its beutifull interface (which i love) but you gain audio proccessing power.
Hope it helped, Cheers!
(www) DarkPrisma.com.ar/ ~ FranticNoise.com.ar/ ~ Megalopsy.com.ar/ ~
providing shamanic euphoria until the end of the days! |
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Hayez
Started Topics :
8
Posts :
393
Posted : Jul 19, 2005 20:06
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I've used Live 4 on my Toshiba Pentium 4 1.8 laptop, the biggest problem was not the processing power but the hard disk. Live doesn't have efficient file handling like Nuendo has for example. My track count was more then 20 but I could only play 8 simultaneously because the drive is 4200 RPM. I think the best thing you can do is get an external firewireUSB2 HD. If all you have are just short loops then you can use them in RAM mode instead of HD streaming. 
"a new art came into my mind which only you can create, the Art of Noises, the logical consequence of your marvelous innovations." Russolo, 1913 |
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Kitnam
Mantik
Started Topics :
110
Posts :
1151
Posted : Jul 20, 2005 02:19
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i plan to run loops combined with trackstreams + midi into external drumcomputer and synthie. i just have low experiences with this system and the first gig is in only 3 weeks!
first experiences with ableton where nice but i had problems with syncing the long streams together with short loops, perfectly. i want it to be open for any bpm speed, so i would have the possibilty to decide on the party how fast i enter my set to the people. maybe i should give up this idea.
an other possibility would be to seperate each trackstream into more and shorter parts, means that i would arrange all parts live, but i have only 2 hands.
how do u work with it? |
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Optical Delusion
Started Topics :
2
Posts :
10
Posted : Jul 20, 2005 02:30
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u can maybe take somebody with u , u knows ure music best , and arrange it with himm , that he knows what to do when?..
Greetings from the Rainy Belgium
J.S. |
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Spindrift
Spindrift
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
1560
Posted : Jul 20, 2005 11:13
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It should not be a problem to do as you thought.
I use live for DJ'ing and put loops over tracks and it will sync nicely.
You just have to get used to the warp functionality to sync and line up the trackstreams.
Of course it's nice to be able to control the arrangement live.
Like you said you ony have two hands, and to mess around with 20 tracks live can be hard.
So I think it's a good idea to have the parts you will not mess around with mixed down as a backround track split up for each part of the arrangement.
From those I build up a basic arrangement step by step together with the parts I want to control live in the loop mode and just move thru the arrangement when I feel the timing is right by hitting the space key.
(``·.¸(``·.¸(``·.¸¸.·`´)¸.·`´)¸.·`´)
« .....www.ResonantEarth.com..... »
(¸.·`´(¸.·`´(¸.·`´``·.¸)``·.¸)``·.¸)
http://www.myspace.com/spindriftsounds
http://www.myspace.com/resonantearth |
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z1P^
Megalopsy
Started Topics :
28
Posts :
535
Posted : Jul 20, 2005 14:08
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Quote:
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On 2005-07-20 02:19, Kitnam wrote:
i plan to run loops combined with trackstreams + midi into external drumcomputer and synthie. i just have low experiences with this system and the first gig is in only 3 weeks!
first experiences with ableton where nice but i had problems with syncing the long streams together with short loops, perfectly. i want it to be open for any bpm speed, so i would have the possibilty to decide on the party how fast i enter my set to the people. maybe i should give up this idea.
an other possibility would be to seperate each trackstream into more and shorter parts, means that i would arrange all parts live, but i have only 2 hands.
how do u work with it?
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forget about splitting the waves into shorter parts, its better to have less longer waves in ur multitrack...
if you wanna use short wave blocks, its better to loop them with lives loop tool instead of duplicating them. this the same rule again, the less blocks the better.
the idea of a external firewire hdd could be nice, but i havent tried. Alienware is selling Raid0 (2x10k RPM) harddrivers coming optional with thier top level laptops. That is the solution for this problem.
if you can sync differnt waves try enabling and disabling the warp option and setting the bpm again.
hope it helped
b00m
(www) DarkPrisma.com.ar/ ~ FranticNoise.com.ar/ ~ Megalopsy.com.ar/ ~
providing shamanic euphoria until the end of the days! |
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Life Style
Life Style
Started Topics :
3
Posts :
31
Posted : Jul 21, 2005 02:45
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hi there,
guys, i use ableton 4 in my g4 powerbook... 1.3 Ghz... i use lots of wav samples and a nord lead with ableton efects like delay, reverb etc... and i never had a problem...
but when i use it in my pc... its more complicated... but i still dont have problem...
i think your configuration is ok for using it... |
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