tombitondo's Recent Posts

Hi Randy,
Aalto is also crashing under MainStage 3.
Please let us know when this is fixed.
We LOVE Aalto!!!
Cheers from NY.
Tom Bitondo

hi Fraser, hope all's getting better. Let me know if you need any other insight on the mainstage/aalto issues. I'd be glad to help any way I can. Stick with it, aalto is mind blowing! You deserve to make full use of it. Good luckz, and feel free to get in touch: tombitondo@gmail.com.
Tom

Hi Fraser,
8 meg is good, of course 16 is better! One thing to consider is that if you're buying ram chips in certain configurations, then you're kinda stuck if you want to upgrade. So make sure that if you're buying blocks of 2 or 4 meg, that you can change one of them out for a bigger one in the future if you decide to go for more ram. (Crucial are very helpful on this).
Also, if the mappings are weird in the concerts in MainStage, typically there is a controller that is being triggered that you're unaware of (I personally had a problem because I was resting my hand on the drum pads, then I realized they send midi info!) SO you never know. Best thing is to go with a simple controller setup and take it real slow. Good luck and KEEP PLAYING!!! Tom.

Fraser, A few things to consider: (1) Get a copy of MIDI Monitor (http://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/ ) to help you diagnose what exactly is being sent out, MIDI wise. You might be choking the MIDI pipeline with some conflicting MIDI messages.
Also -- simple thing but often neglected - when running any audio programs, be sure to keep Airport turned OFF. I can't begin to tell you all of the problems that has solved for me.
I doubt AALTO is the culprit - more than likely it is (was) a conflict in the MIDI hardware. Also - be careful when running controllers and other peripherals off of the "bus". The newer mac laptops (mine is a unibody one, about 1.5 years old) seem to have less voltage coming from the USB, than my older mac laptop. I'm sure someone who is an expert can verify this.
FInally - if you want to max out the ram cheaply, consider downloading the Mactracker app. It will tell you how much RAM you can install (the Apple site frequently tells you less; for instance, Apple told me I could only do 4 gig, but I was able to actually bump it up to 6 gig!) and RAM is very cheap. You can buy it from Crucial (they have an app that downloads to your computer and tells you the cost based on your model). Then, just get someone to install it (It's a pain to do yourself because the damn screws on the laptop are smaller than jeweler screwdrivers! trust me on this.) I realize money is tight.. for me too! SO, good luck and hang in there, dude!
Here's the Mactracker website: http://mactracker.ca/

Hey Fraser, hang in there, dude! The benefits you'll soon reap will outweigh the frustration. Check out the link I sent earlier; also, you might want to try RAX as an audiounits host. It's a lot less CPU hungry than MainStage. I basically use MainStage to perform with different bands; but when I'm running CPU heavy synths like AALTO, I sometimes work in RAX and then save my patches. One thing you will notice is that if you open the synth, make your changes, and close the "GUI", there is a lot less CPU typically being used. Hang tough, man!

Hey Fraser....

You might want to check this out:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3968453?start=0&tstart=0

Maybe it will help?

AALTO ROCKS!

Hi Everyone,
After reading the other post below on voices, I still am not seeing the different copies of Aalto running, per voice. In other words, If I make changes to "voice 1" and then press a key to enact "voice 2", when I change some parameters in "voice 2" it changes all parameters back. In other words, it always behaves like one voice. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Tom.
----- to put it even another way, is there a patch which reflects obvious differences per voice? 'cause I don't see anything changing on the interface. Some things sound different from voice to voice but there are no parameters updated per voice.

Ahhhh OK guys, NOW I get it! Thanks so much for your patience, randy and garf. I just had to wrap my head around this whole concept, and read the manual a few more times! The more I experiment, the more I can see the power of this amazing synth! Thanks again and CHEERS from NY! Tom Bitondo

Thanks guys, it's starting to make sense. Garf, the patch you sent was very very helpful! Ditto for your info, Randy. Just one question: what controls the ratio of change per voice? I.e., I can hear, for example, the pitches change proportionately per voice; as well as speed of lfo etc. But what is the determining factor for the rate of "change" (for want of a better term) between each voice? Thanks in advance, it's all much clearer now. Tom.

Ok, will investigate when I get home tonight; in the meantime, is there a list or chart describing all of the things that can be controlled via the "voices" output? So far you mentioned pitch, and lfo rates. Any other parameters? It'd help if I knew what to expect (or rather, what the possibilities are!) Thanks in advance for all of your great suggestions, will investigate. As I said, a chart on the different routings/etc. For the "voicing" output would be helpful.
Cheers!
Tom Bitondo

Hi, I just printed out a copy for myself. What a GREAT idea! Thanks so much for sharing your excellent reference with all of us. It will be a great aid in learning the ins and outs of Aalto. Cheers from NY! Tom Bitondo

Hi, I've been running the latest demo under Apple's Mainstage host. I get constant CPU overloads especially when changing patches. I really want this software to work out for me! I think the synth sounds really unbelievable, but I am afraid to commit to purchase if it becomes unusable. Thanks in advance, Tom.
MacBook Pro Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
6 Gigs Ram

I also just unchecked "I/O safety buffer", under the same audio tab in "preferences". This was also causing the CPU to hang up in the "red" a lot longer. I think it's just about perfect now!

I think I found the solution! First, go into Mainstage preferences, and click "Audio" at the top. Then, make sure that "Display audio engine overload message" is NOT checked off. Since I removed that option, I am now able to freely cycle through all of the patches in Aalto without Mainstage choking up on me, and displaying that message.
So far, so good! Will keep you posted but I think this is the soluton!

Thanks Randy, I will try to download Numerology. Talk soon! Tom Bitondo

Hi Randy, thanks for writing. In the meantime, could you suggest another host for live use? I downloaded Rax, will try it. Or maybe Ableton? I downloaded that also. Any insight you have is most appreciated. Tom Bitondo