Macbook Pro/iMac question

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

My laptop needs a bit more juice, so I’m thinking about connecting it to my iMac with a lightening cable. What benefit would that provide me?

Would I be able to use the iMac using the laptop as my interface along with another screen? or would I be able to use the USB ports of my iMac as a hub coming in through the lightening cable?

I don’t know what I’m doing. Thank you

#2

Could you be more specific on what the limitations are that you are running into with your MacBook Pro?

#3

I’m trying to run an aggregate audio device that utilizes DT/A4 OB along with 6 tracks of audio from my UR44- and ideally audio streams from my iPad from the iConnect Audio 2+.

I think that there’s too many streams of audio being pushed through those 2 USB ports.

#4

No. Or at least not in any kind of straightforward way.

#5

Probably not.

#6

Usb3 should have have plenty of bandwidth

#7

I don’t think 2012 MBP had USB3? I could be wrong though

#8

2012 MBPs were the very first to carry USB 3.0 ports.
All 2012 MBPs have USB 3.0

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#9

Perhaps I need a better hub, then?

All I know is that I can either play both Elektrons, or one Elektron and my interface.

But that’s another topic, I suppose

#10

maybe VEP6? i played with version 5 and was able to run a bunch of instances of diva very well off of 2 macs.

#11

What is this?

#12

it’s basically a plug-in hosting app that allows you to use the processing of 2 computers simultaneously. you can even run windows w os x. vienna ensemble pro

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#13

Very cool! I’ll check this out! Thanks!

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#14

also, have you done all the mundane mac crap? login items, networks, etc? that may be all you need to do. i have a 2012 macbook pro and i can run pretty large projects at reasonable buffers w no problems

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#16

It’s hard to determine- I was inclined to peg it as an OB issue- but trying to record 22 streams of audio seemed to be a bit unreasonable to expect of OB AND of my USB ports.

Thanks for your input!

#17

I’m unfamiliar with what you’re referring to. Could you link me to more information please?

Thanks!

#18

As others have said, USB 3 (and your MacBook) will be able to handle 22 tracks easily. My 2012 MBP certainly does. What specifically isn’t working with the aggregate device you’ve created? Is it dropping out? No signal?

Whatever software you’re using should have an Audio Preferences section where you select the aggregate device you created in Audio/Midi Setup as the audio interface that the software should use. Once this is done you you should then set its audio buffer size.

The bigger the buffer the more stable the audio signal, at the expense of a larger delay between a sound being generated outside the computer and and being heard inside the software. Aggregate devices increase buffer requirements so experimenting with audio buffers will usually fix issues relating to aggregate devices.

Here’s the instructions that apply to buffer settings in Ableton, but you can apply these instructions to any audio software (start from step 2):

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#19

No dropouts- not really. Just adding pieces step by step. I can get it to the A4 and DT, and then as soon as I add my interface. No Audio comes through except for one device.

Thanks for the assurance of the power of USB3- how dare I have underestimated technology on account that we’re clearly living in the future. Seriously.

Thanks for the link!

#20

Here’s another one to make sure you’ve set up your aggregate device correctly, particularly step 7 which talks about drift correction:

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#21

try all this stuff too.

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