Tools needed for MIDI Controller during jamming
- Thread starter nene
- Start date
For the processor and ram it depends on whichever vstis your are running. eg if you run ivory you will prolly need a pretty fast hard disk to stream samples, esp if you do layering or sth.
You will need an external sound card to reduce latency. The internal ones are pretty noisy and typically don't have ASIO drivers, but if you are on a budget you can go for ASIO4ALL first and try.
You may want to get a vsti host such as brainspawn forte, to ease the routing issues and help you with layering and splitting the keyboard.
You will need an external sound card to reduce latency. The internal ones are pretty noisy and typically don't have ASIO drivers, but if you are on a budget you can go for ASIO4ALL first and try.
You may want to get a vsti host such as brainspawn forte, to ease the routing issues and help you with layering and splitting the keyboard.
Cheez
Moderator
As amoslu said, it all depends on what VST you are using. If you are using softsynths that rely heavily on modelling (eg Arturia, certain Spectrasonics like Atmosphere), then make sure your CPU is powerful enough. Minimum 2GB RAM, but no harm going to 3GB if you are using XP.
If you are using softsamplers, then you'll need a fast external HD to stream samples. You'll still need lots of RAM as samples are pre-loaded into RAM before being played. RAM will determine how many samples you can load, while HD speed will determine latency and polyphony.
Soundcard-wise, anything that's decent should be sufficient. M-audio, echo etc - all OK. Just a word of caution - if you are intending to use Gigastudio or GVI, make sure your soundcard has GSIF drivers.
You mentioned external sound module. No special specs needed here. All you need is a midi interface to connect from your controller to the module. The horsepower resides within the sound module. Don't need a notebook.
If you are using softsamplers, then you'll need a fast external HD to stream samples. You'll still need lots of RAM as samples are pre-loaded into RAM before being played. RAM will determine how many samples you can load, while HD speed will determine latency and polyphony.
Soundcard-wise, anything that's decent should be sufficient. M-audio, echo etc - all OK. Just a word of caution - if you are intending to use Gigastudio or GVI, make sure your soundcard has GSIF drivers.
You mentioned external sound module. No special specs needed here. All you need is a midi interface to connect from your controller to the module. The horsepower resides within the sound module. Don't need a notebook.
MadWerewolfBoy
New member
I read somewhere that the XP infrastructure makes any ram above 2GB redundant. It's either that or one program is only able to access a maximum of 2GB ram. I haven't been trolling around gaming forums but from what I gathered last time, the general concensus was that 2GB on XP 32-bit.
However, on Vista, you can use 8 GB and they will be utilised (if your program needs it that is... I highly doubt so though).
Any IT savvy person can double confirm this?
However, on Vista, you can use 8 GB and they will be utilised (if your program needs it that is... I highly doubt so though).
Any IT savvy person can double confirm this?
Cheez
Moderator
There's a workaround for XP - called the "/3GB switch". You can use up to 3GB for XP. More for Vista.
Link to how to add the /3GB switch:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx
Link to how to add the /3GB switch:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx
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MadWerewolfBoy
New member
Oh wow okay thats new. Haha never thought I would be getting these kinda answers in a music forum! =)
Actually atmosphere is a rompler. It won't tax your machine as much as some of the other modelling synths out there. You can also use just a single voice patch, as opposed to 2 from their selection, and not use any of their reverb as opposed to a main bussed reverb.
You have to watch out for some laptops they are selling now at really cheap prices. Though they'll work ok if you want to do some low powered soft synths. Push it a little more and it won't work, degrading the audio with clicks and other stuff. Having said that most laptops will smoke whatever laptops that came out in 2000, but the synths themselves have become a little bit more resource heavy since then.
If you're one for carrying gear, try out some other soundcards than the onboard one, especially those with multi outputs. You'd be surprised what sticking a pedal into the signal chain will do for the sound. That way you can have the laptop play clean backing/samples, and then you can noodle a little elsewhere.
So minimum that would be good would be core2duo 1.8 and above on 2 GB ram, plus no rubbish like in built cam, at least 2 usb ports that are not physically in the same position, firewire, either a pcmcia or expresscard slot. Either a motu ultralite, tc konnekt 8/live, focusrite saffire, firewire 410. But as usual there will be people with niggling issues on all these interfaces. I think the cheapest and oldest card on that list is the firewire 410, so you can chuck that at people if they heckle you in gigs.
You have to watch out for some laptops they are selling now at really cheap prices. Though they'll work ok if you want to do some low powered soft synths. Push it a little more and it won't work, degrading the audio with clicks and other stuff. Having said that most laptops will smoke whatever laptops that came out in 2000, but the synths themselves have become a little bit more resource heavy since then.
If you're one for carrying gear, try out some other soundcards than the onboard one, especially those with multi outputs. You'd be surprised what sticking a pedal into the signal chain will do for the sound. That way you can have the laptop play clean backing/samples, and then you can noodle a little elsewhere.
So minimum that would be good would be core2duo 1.8 and above on 2 GB ram, plus no rubbish like in built cam, at least 2 usb ports that are not physically in the same position, firewire, either a pcmcia or expresscard slot. Either a motu ultralite, tc konnekt 8/live, focusrite saffire, firewire 410. But as usual there will be people with niggling issues on all these interfaces. I think the cheapest and oldest card on that list is the firewire 410, so you can chuck that at people if they heckle you in gigs.
Cheez
Moderator
Absolutely! PC/notebook is a tool in music you can't run away from. We all need to know it as much as our instrument. Musicians using PC/notebook has always been trying to sqeeze every ounce of power from their machines because music applications can be very resource hungry, and polyphony/latency issues are not acceptable. I almost always tweak my registry at a deep level - after optimisation, my PC runs at least twice the speed before it was optimised (not optimised meaning when it just had a clean install and untweaked).
Ac is right. Atmosphere is not a modelling synth like others. My mistake. All I know is users find it pretty CPU hungry compared to Trilogy and Stylus. And worse, they use the UVI engine which is a pretty sad state. I'm glad they have decided to come up with their own engine (Steam Engine, debut this NAMM). Things should get better.
And I agree with ac that some notebooks just don't quite cut it. Even with the same specs, different notebooks perform differently. Key is to make it a dedicated music DAW. And I would clean reinstall and remove all the junk and bloatware that comes packaged with the notebook.
