KVR Audio

zircon · Post by **zircon** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 4:48 pm

I recently bought a Mac Mini JUST so I could use Antares Infinity, and after setting up Classic mode (etc) I finally got it up and running. However, I can't say I'm anything but extremely disappointed with the results. Even though this is the only program I've installed on this machine, and I'm not running anything else (to my knowledge), playback in Infinity is jerky and unstable. Samples pop and click periodically, and sometimes the sample simply restarts itself, even though the indicator keeps moving. When auditioning a crossfade, for instance, the indicator often jumps around so much that it's impossible to use the tool. Nothing in the Infinity manual addresses these problems, and I can't find any sort of performance settings on the Mac OS itself (I'm admittedly new to them, however).

Not to mention the utility itself is producing less than desirable results, even with extensive tweaking. For instance, it consistently fails to detect simple cycles in an organ sample - I have to manually move the loop points, as the auto detect ones AND the ones selected by the Crossfade tool (on varying settings) simply aren't getting it right. I can't do anything in realtime either, for whatever reason - the loop points simply stay locked until I halt playback.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated. I've read the Infinity manual cover to cover but I just know I'm not getting something here.

Bob Nova · Post by **Bob Nova** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:40 pm

How much RAM do you have in your Mini? If less than 512 MB, that could be part of it.

Also,"Classic" mode means running an operating system (OS9) inside another OS(OSX) which doesnt help performance,either especially with audio programs. You might have been better off buying a used Apple Mac G4 that could run OS9 properly instead of in "Classic" mode.

With your Mini, you should get better performance using OSX apps in straight OSX.

zircon · Post by **zircon** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:43 pm

I have 512MB of RAM - but Infinity only requires about 4. Classic mode itself uses next to nothing.

I had considered buying a used Mac with OS9, but space is an issue for me, and I also plan on using a few other Mac-only apps in the future, so the Mini seemed like the best option.

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 4:02 pm

From what I understand,the Mac Mini's ship with a slow 4200 RPM drive which you should consider upgrading one way or the other,especially for Audio purpouses.

zircon · Post by **zircon** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 4:38 pm

My budet was sort of limiting here. I figured because I wasn't going to do serious audio work on this (I have my main daw PC for that) I could go with the cheapest new Mac I could find. The folks at Sweetwater assured me it would be sufficient. I think it does have a 7200RPM drive, though that shouldn't matter for Infinity because it loads stuff into RAM I believe.

Failed Muso · Post by **Failed Muso** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:00 pm

If I recall correctly, Infinity will not work correctly under OSX, even under classic mode. Steve Howell of Hollow Sun uses Infinity and I remember him saying he had to revert to a dual boot system, OS9 for Infinity and OSX for other stuff.

I will bring this thread to his attention and maybe he can enlighten you further

dusted william · Post by **dusted william** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:18 pm

my experience is that it only works with OS9 installed. NO osX at all on the machine.

dw

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:51 pm

I'm surprised Antares doesn't update this for OSX - what a cool program!

(and make a Win version while you're at it!)

hollowsun · Post by **hollowsun** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 7:29 pm

I couldn't get Infinity to work properly under OSX (compounded by the fact that I use it directly with ak.Sys for my S5000 and that combination certainly doesn't work in classic emulation).

Infinity is a really old Mac application (OS7 by the looks of it!). Sadly, I have contacts at Antares and to my knowledge, there is no plan to port it to OSX (and I am told it would be difficult to do so anyway due to the way it's written - it would need to be re-written completely it seems).

As Roberto says - this is why I maintain a dual boot system. Well... actually I don't - I only run OS9 at the moment following some unpleasantness with the drive that housed OSX (y'know what I am saying)! I haven't re-installed it coz the version I have is now so old as to be useless and it's hardly worth me getting the latest OSX anyway coz I have nothing to use on it (and all my peripheral hardware would be rendered useless). But we digress....

It looks very much like Infinity kinda works in classic emulation but for reasons of its vintage, not very well.

Shame really coz it is the best in its class IMO.

bduffy · Post by **bduffy** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 7:59 pm

That's really strange. Seems to me a lot of sample-library editors would want to have something like that. What do the pros use anyway? Wave Editor? Wavelab? Zero-X?

hollowsun · Post by **hollowsun** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 8:51 pm

bduffy wrote:That's really strange. Seems to me a lot of sample-library editors would want to have something like that. What do the pros use anyway? Wave Editor? Wavelab? Zero-X?

Ermmmmm.... Infinity!

zircon · Post by **zircon** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 11:30 pm

Well.. in that case, here's another question; some form of OS9 came on the OSX install CDs w/ my Mini. That's how I'm able to use Classic mode, but does this mean I can somehow set up a dual boot also?

hollowsun · Post by **hollowsun** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 1:03 am

zircon wrote:Well.. in that case, here's another question; some form of OS9 came on the OSX install CDs w/ my Mini. That's how I'm able to use Classic mode, but does this mean I can somehow set up a dual boot also?

As far as I know..... NO!

Modern Macs only boot in OSX... any OS9 support there might be is emulated in 'Classic mode'

Which is a shame! Despite what others might say about OS9, it's a proven OS that works well.

Steve Jobs (or whoever) thinks otherwise it seems.

Antares Infinity w/ Mac Mini.. CPU problems?