Anyone Using Sonar on Mac via Bootcamp or Parallels?

I've been looking at this as well - you need to be careful with your audio interface, as to date, firewire does not work under parallels although I believe it does under bootcamp. I have also been wary that until the introduction of Leopard where it will be included natively, Bootcamp is a beta release with a time limit. I can't seem to pin down anywhere when the time limit runs out.

regards

Garham

Mac Pro is a sweet machine.
Do you have it yet? If so, which one?

If not... hold off for a few weeks (4-6).
Apple is gearing up for the next release of OS X (which is both more 64bit than Tiger AND contains the official, non-beta release of boot camp), as well as getting ready for several booths at Musikmesse, and also an April 15th release at NAB.

Announcement rumors are flying... speculation at this point, but here are some of the top ones:
- New version of OS X (this one's a given)
- New version of Logic Pro (LP8... I think this might actually happen this time, since it's the only Pro app that hasn't been updated in a VERY long time)
- New version of Final Cut (maybe...)
- 8 core version of Mac Pro (this one seems likely, since the quad Xeons are available)

I'm considering replacing my Core 2 Duo Windows machine with an 8 core Mac Pro, should they be available, dual-booting Vista and OS X on it.

Logic Pro 8 I'll definitely get within 6 months (if released), but my primary concern is replacing Adobe Premiere Pro, which I use now, with Final Cut (new version or not).
Adobe has announced that the next version of their video suite will NOT be Vista 64bit capable, only 32 bit, and since they have an 18-24 month new release schedule, that kills the app for me.
Why do video on Vista if your video app only sees 4GB of memory for nearly the next two years.
Bye, bye, Adobe.

Anyway, the possibility of an 8 core machine makes a 6 week wait not too bad, and even if you don't get one, the prices on the quad Mac Pros will likely come down, or you'll get more for your money.

Just something to think about.

- zevo

ORIGINAL: Graham

I have also been wary that until the introduction of Leopard where it will be included natively, Bootcamp is a beta release with a time limit. I can't seem to pin down anywhere when the time limit runs out.

All BootCamp really does is partition the hard drive and create a CD of Windows drivers for your computer's hardware. Once you've installed Windows, there's nothing to time out - you're now running a dual-boot Windows machine. It seems like Apple is just incorporating the language of a "time limit" so that they have no obligation to support the beta software once they release the true product under Leopard.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the upper end Mac Pro have two of these, and cost $3500:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819117110

Hopefully, they'll have something I can actually afford as well. I'd ditch both of my machines, and move everything to that, and dual boot.

We'll see.

- zevo

I'm not into the Windows on Mac either. I agree with Eratu ... if you want a Mac, just go ahead and use OSX. If you want a high end workstation to run your Windows DAW just build an Opteron or Xeon system, or have ADK do it for you.

You're lucky. :) I hope it continues well for you! And if it works, keep with it!

ORIGINAL: GVDV

So, Russell, if you wouldn't mind, could you go through what network adapters you disable, and any other settings that help in getting the MBox to work? Which drivers do you use?

I started by installing Pro Tools under Windows (in the Boot Camp environment), and following all of the instructions in the Pro Tools installation guide about making sure DMA is enabled for all drives, etc. It's really just the "usual" Windows tweaks - things like going into the Device Manger's Advanced properties and setting CPU priority for background tasks, etc. All of these tweaks really are optional on today's powerful systems, and the Pro Tools manual suggest that you try them only if you're having performance problems (with the exception of the DMA setting, which is a requirement). Since Digidesign's hardware and software are so incredibly selfish about wanting to be the only thing running on the system, I felt that if I could get Pro Tools solid as a starting point, then I would have a basis of stability for using the Mbox2 in other ways as well. I then discovered that Pro Tools wouldn't play back at all within Windows on a Mac unless I went into Device Manager and disabled all devices under the "Network" sub-heading. It was also suggested on a forum that I disable Bluetooth, which I did within Device Manager as well. I then discovered that SONAR would crash with the Mbox2 unless I unchecked the box in advanced audio options for multiprocessor support. Now everything's smooth - but a lot of these tweaks, while generally useful for streamlining an audio laptop, are probably unnecessary with the RME hardware.

ORIGINAL: GVDV

There is an interesting article in Electronic Music's 'Computer Music Product Guide 2006' which I will summarize and post elsewhere in this forum this weekend, which talks about optimizing Mac's and PC's but not using PC software on Mac, so anything you can say will be helpful to me.

I don't really think of it as "using PC software on Mac" - I'm using PC software in Windows. Just like any other PC. In this case, Windows just happens to be installed on a silver laptop with an ATI graphics card, a Realtek sound card, an Atheros wireless adapter, some major manufacturer's motherboard, an Intel processor, etc. (Or within Parallels, Windows is installed on a virtual machine, with Pentium specs, 1.5GB of ram - which is an adjustable value - and virtualized video, sound, and network devices.)

ORIGINAL: eratu

My advice: If you are hell bent on getting a Mac, just get Logic, PT or DP and be done with it and stick with OSX. Running Windows on a Mac can be touch and go in some cases, and you have to have the exactly right hardware config to make it work perfectly. And don't count on any real support.

Interesting point. When I went this route, I fully expected that I might find myself using PT all the time, especially since I love OSX. But frankly, I haven't had the time to learn PT as well as I would like. I am, fortunately, an extremely busy professional working musician and producer, and when I need to get stuff done quickly and done right, I still go to SONAR, which only runs in Windows. I can run a PT session if I have to, and I'm acceptably quick and proficient for most people, but my first choice (my comfort zone) is still SONAR, especially with S6's features. And if I haven't had time to get quicker in PT, then I'm certainly not going to spend the money, and time, to start from scratch with Logic or DP, both of which I haven't touched in at least 5 years. Man, I sound like an advertisement for SONAR. Maybe I should talk to Cakewalk's artist relations department.