Topic: powerbook g4 performance question

[georgedk]

I have searched to the end of the internet for insight on this issue and only have received half answered answers.  I'm considering investing in a 1.33 ghz powerbook g4 laptop to run protools.  With an external firewire drive (7200 rpm) and 512 megs of ram or a gig what kind of performance should I expect?  Will it be sufficient to run protools with 32 tracks with plugins going?  I know I expect too much from the powerbook but I plan to do live recordings, so would the powerbook handle recording 16 tracks (8 in from the digi 002 rack and 8 via lightpipe, stand alone from a motu 828) at 48 k?  and since the 12' powerbook g4 only has one firewire 400 port and I may have the digi 002 rack and two firewire drives daisy chained should i suspect stutters in performance. 

[jpschust]

you should be fine.  for more info on this you can ask over at gearslutz or tapeop, but you will be fine. 

also as a side note, which im sure you are aware of, you might want to get a master word clock for your system.  you are gonna have all sorts of problems with digidrift between the motu and the 002 and whatever other digi gear you might have. 

[georgedk]

thanks jspchust.  anyone else run a rig like this or has insight into this issue.

[jpschust]

i have run this only i have a slightly faster processor (not much).  and more ram, but you will be fine.  you might want to consider getting some more ram in the near future though.

[nic]

I realize I'm late on this topic...

with audio recording/processing, ram is not as big a factor with regards to system performance(of course, this can also be app dependant...not the case with Digital Performer).
of course, I would still have at least 768(256 on board + 512 dimm), but that is for general OS performance.

we use a 867MHz G4 Powerbook and routinely run 20 channels via firewire 400 daisychaining a MOTU828(8 analoug), MOTU828mkii(10 analoug + 2 spdif) and a Glyph 7200rpm hard drive with no jitter/artifacts.

when we need to sync slocks we can use either the 828mkii as the master, or slave that to a external...