[G4] G4 upgrades

[John Niven]

--- On Thu, 5/15/08, Tony Sheeley <t_sheeley at hotmail.com> wrote:

> > So what is your sound card? That seems to be the only
> thing that can't be done with a Mac-mini :-) The modern
> approach >is to use a usb or firewire connected audio
> interface which the mini could handle. The G4's 1.5Gb
> ram will not be usable in a >MDD.
>  
> I use an M-Audio Delta-1010.  It's a multi- I/O PCI
> card.  Why won't the memory be usable here?

Because the MDD needs PC2100 memory in the 1.0 GHz model, PC2700 memory in faster models. This is a different type from that used in the earlier G4's (PC100 and PC133).

> > I also use an ATTO UL3S SCSI card (because it's
> qualified for use with ProTools by Digidesign) and a couple
> of fast SCSI >drives. I think this helps speed up the
> system by reducing the load on the cpu's.
> Tell me more about this?  I just purchased a scsi card off
> ebay, as I would like to use Recycle with my hardware
> sampler. I don't know if I can, but I'd like to
> give it a try.

I am using the UL3S to hook up two internally mounted 18Gb 10Krpm U160 SCSI hard drives. One I use for the OS and apps, the second I use for recording the music too. The UL3S also has an external connector which could be used to connect to your hardware sampler. I presume it has a SCSI port. A UL3D (the dual channel version) would probably be better for that since you could put it on it's own bus. 
   
> > I have an upgraded (flashed PC) video card so I can
> run dual 17" LCD monitors. The extra desktop area
> really helps when >running ProTools. A couple of
> second-hand LCD doesn't cost that much but IMHO is a
> much better investment than the >typical cpu upgrade.
> I'm looking into this same thing.  I've seen a few
> fairly cheap on ebay.  I've also seen one, (I can't
> remember the model right now) that is carried by PCWorld,
> that is supposed to be able to be flashed.  I'm going
> to at least look into this. 

I bought from eBay seller "mac_geniuses". He does a lot of Mac video cards. I have no relation to him other than I have been a satisfied customer.

> > For straight sound recording and midi sequencing
> (which is what I do) I don't think you need as much
> horsepower as video >applications (for example). 
>  
> This is pretty much what I do, but I am now venturing into
> soft synth/effects.  I mainly work in midi(hardware), but
> also record vocals.  For the stuff I do, I'm looking at
> using Melodyne for timestretching/pitchshifting harmonies
> etc..  This can take a bit of horsepower.

I tried using my 867MHz G4 12" PowerBook with Ableton Live 7. It works fine when driving external midi, and sampled audio, (which is what I do) but couldn't handle the the soft synths without the sound breaking up. That doesn't bother me, but it got me realizing how out dated my "baby" is now.
I think we are really at the same point - only I've gone PC, and you're trying to go Mac :-)

There is a point here that LEM has been also banging on about and that is the lack of an expandable mid-range Mac tower in the current Apple line-up. We are both limited by our choice of a PCI soundcard to using either a PC box or an older Mac. The application I am wanting to run will run on both platforms, but to get the performance and PCI I have to run a PC. I could do it with a iMac and a firewire interface. But like most people, I try to keep my hobby costs to a minimum.

Maybe I need to turn it into a Hankentosh:
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?s=430356b45a5de0fe44300efd946f9caa&showforum=85

> I picked up the Dual 450 really cheap a while back, and was
> hoping to be able to slowly upgrade it into something which
> could be of 'real' use.  But my research says I
> won't be able to.  

I still refuse to do anything else on a PC. I'd rather a slower dual 450 G4 and OSX than XP!

John