Taking the pressure off the CPU????

[e-clipse]

Derwood, can you use 3rd party Vst-plugins or Audio Unit plugins within GarageBand? You didn't mention using any other software for recording except GB. I guess Audio Unit plugins could be used. AI plugins are type of plugin that Pro-Tools is compatible with as well. Because, GarageBand could be totally awesome with Waves Platinum or Diamond Bundle.

I have noticed that reverbs can be the most intensive dsp plugins. When I had my latency issues on my guitar tracks, I did not even use the dsp effects, but did use a few amp simulators. Most of the guitar tracks were processed through a guitar multi-effects floor unit.

Do you think that your audio interface could make the difference in the ability to record numerous real instrument tracks? It might take some pressure off the CPU by taking some work off the core audio on the motherboard.

 

[Derwood]

...yep, Garageband will accept AU plug-ins although I've done a fair bit of trawling and, as yet, there seem to be fairly few available as universal binaries. Not sure about VST/AI compatability. I'm sure someone else can chime in and shed a little light on that.

You're certainly not wrong about reverbs being processor intensive plugins but as I understand it amp simulators also require some serious grunt. Steering clear might of these might give you a bit more headroom on the track-count front.

As for the audio interface taking pressure off the CPU? Hmmm... Perhaps, although I'm probably not best qualified to comment. I would think that by using an external interface you are removing the monitoring woes from your CPU. Don't know how much of a real-world impact this has but most interfaces have dedicated on-board direct monitoring. That's the only economy that I could see it would give you and what difference this makes to performance is anyone's guess.

When GBand choked on me recently I was running, as I said, around 15 tracks with a variety of FX. Did a quick flick to Dashboard and iStat Pro contained therein and it was quite clear that the bottleneck was the RAM and not the CPU. Processor was stepped down (uh huh!) to 1.5ghz and running at 22-25%, but the free RAM was floating around 7-10mb during playback. I'm assuming that the virtual mem read/writes must have been going like the clappers as well hence all the jitters and stutters.

Honestly, as soon as pay-day rolls round I'm maxing out the RAM, getting a BIG external firewire drive, iDrum and I intend then to start having some serious fun!

 

[e-clipse]

Me too! I know ram and an external drive with make things easier. I am gonna go with 2 gigs of ram for $163 with a CAS latency of 3. I am gonna by a 250 gig drive from Lacie for $139

My CPU usage on GarageBand is running lightly according to iStat. I guess a lack of ram is the main culprit in GB. I have around 6 megs of ram when running GB.

 

[e-clipse]

I will have my ram by the beginning of September. I will then give an update of my performance issues.