I currently have a Mac desktop Dual 2Ghz. I haven’t received my big Toontrack order yet, so I haven’t got any experience with playing these large software instruments.
I want to be able to play them as an instrument from my Roland TD3KW. I would need a low latency. Maybe 64 samples is good enough. Quicker the better.
I am also planning on getting an Alesis HD24XR 24 track digital recorder. I will use this with an ADAT to firewire box (presonus firestudio lightpipe) for 24 channel A/D D/A converter.
So my laptop will also be playing back 24 tracks of audio.
But I won’t be running any plug ins. I am all outboard hardware mixing.
So the demands on my laptop will be 24 tracks of audio and an instance of SD2. Maybe some other software instruments. But mostly a simple traditional 24 audio racks or less scenario.
On the youtube videos for SD2. The guy shows various RAM saving features like switching SD2 to only load samples that get triggered. Or switching the sound to 16 bit.
These seem like potential strategies to lower latency.
Obviously we would all prefer to play SD2 with the most realistic sound. But if 16 bit allows lower latency then thats great. It won’t affect performance.
Lowering round robin or velocity layer resolution would make the kit’s less realistic. But may allow slower computers to get a low latency for the playing of the instrument live and recording.
So yeah I need to get a mac laptop that can fulfill the live playing and recording of SD2 with 64 samples latency or maybe 32.
In addition to, up to 24 tracks audio.
To be compatible with the firewire to Alesis HD242XR set up, I have been told that texas instrument firewire controllers work best.
I was looking at 2010 or 2011 macbooks. What latency would that give me?
