Discuss Notion Music Composition Software here.
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I did the update to macOS Catalina 15.2 on the 2012 MacBook Pro with no problems . . . :)

THOUGHTS

Then I did the update to Studio One Professional (4.6.0.55605) with no problems, although the first attempt failed due to network slowness (timed-out or something); but the second attempt was successful; and again no problems . . .

[NOTE: The local ISP throughput has been a bit odd for the past week or so; and the download speed for the first attempt was in Mbps (megabits per second), while the download speed for the second attempt was MBps (megabytes per second); hence the inference that the problem was ISP related. I'm not certain what is happening, but sometimes it takes a while just to open Amazon.com. And it's not macOS Catalina 15.2 related, because it's also been happening on the Mac Pro (Early 2008) running macOS El Capitan (same ISP but different location about three blocks away) . . . ]

Once Studio One Professional was updated to the current version, I checked NOTION for updates and there were none; so the current version of NOTION is 6.5.470 and is 64-bits, as is Studio One Professional . . .

I repeated the basic ReWire MIDI experiment, and everything is working nicely in macOS Catalina 15.2 on the 2012 MacBook Pro . . .

Next I will do a SuperDuper! (Shirt Pocket) backup of the 2019 MacBook Pro; update it to macOS Catalina 15.2; update Studio One Professional; and then do the basic ReWire MIDI experiment, which I expect to have the same results . . .

KONTAKT 6 (NATIVE INSTRUMENTS)

On a related note, I upgraded to Kontakt 6 last year when Native Instruments had their 50-percent discount sale; and so far have installed it to the 2.8-GHz (8-core) Mac Pro (Early 2008) running macOS El Capitan . . .

I also did the Studio One Professional update, and after the update it shows Kontakt 6 as being "blacklisted" and does not verify Kontakt 6 or allow it to run . . .

NOTION (current version) is fine with Kontakt 6 and had no problems enabling it for use as a VSTi virtual instrument . . .

I have both versions of Kontakt (5 and the newer 6), so this is not a problem in the sound isolation studio . . .

The new version of Reason (Reason Studios, formerly the Propelerheads) drops support for ReWire, but it coexists with Reason 10, which supports ReWire; hence no problems for me . . .

Reason 11 has a Rack Extension or whatever that appears as a VSTi virtual instrument, so I expect Reason 11 to work but as a VSTi virtual instrument rather than a ReWire slave; but I need to do some experiments to verify this . . .

I like Reason, but for the most part I have used it in ReWire sessions that nobody probably ever does--Studio One Professional as ReWire host controller and both NOTION and Reason as ReWire slaves, where in addition to NOTION and Resaon playing Studio One Professional-hosted instruments, Studio One Professional and NOTION are playing Reason-hosted instruments . . .

The primary motivation for the Studio One Professional, NOTION, and Reason experiments was determining (a) whether it was possible and (b) exploring how insane the capabilities are . . .

ReWire MIDI with Studio One Professional and NOTION is straightforward and not so complex once you understand buses, routing, and so forth--essentially the way the digital applications are interconnected--but making it vastly complex by adding External MIDI and all that stuff (a) works nicely but (b) increases the level of busing and routing complexity, plus while definitely possible is a bit far-out to the extent that I am not entirely certain anyone other than me would want to do it, even though there are some fascinatingly useful things one can do with it . . .

(1) NOTION is playing Studio One Professional virtual instruments (native and VSTi), while also playing its own native virtual instruments and VSTi virtual instruments it hosts . . .

(2) NOTION is playing Reason synthesizers, as is Studio One Professional--both using MIDI: for this purpose . . .

(3) Reason is playing VSTI virtual instruments hosted in Studio One Professional, along with playing native Studio One Professional instruments . . .

(4) Studio One Professional is playing Reason synthesizers via MIDI it sends to Reason . . .

Why anyone would want to do all this simultaneously s another matter, but it's possible with Reason 10; and it works . . .

Add recording real lead guitar and vocals to the blend, and the experiment verifies that everything works--even though few people in their right minds actually need or want to do all that stuff at the same time . . .

Here in the sound isolation studio, I like to know the rules . . . :+1

Lots of FUN! :)

P. S. I need to start installing and testing the various VSTi virtual instruments and VST effects plug-ins I use; so this also is on the list of verifications I need to do, which is fabulous . . .

Fabulous! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by michaelmyers1 on Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:31 pm
Surf, Kontakt 6 runs without a problem for me on Catalina in S1. You might want to rescan the plug-ins in S1. I think once it's blacklisted, it won't try it again until you tell it to.

iMac (Retina 5K 27", 2019) 3.6 ghz I9 8-core 64 gb RAM Fusion Drive
with small AOC monitor for additional display
macOS Ventura 13.4
2 - 500 gb + 2 - 1 tb external SSD for sample libraries
M Audio AirHub audio interface
Nektar Panorama P1 control surface
Nektar Impact 49-key MIDI keyboard
Focal CMS40 near-field monitors
JBL LSR310S subwoofer
Notion 6 + Studio One 5 Pro

http://www.tensivity.com
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by Surf.Whammy on Tue Jan 28, 2020 8:32 am
michaelmyers1 wroteSurf, Kontakt 6 runs without a problem for me on Catalina in S1. You might want to rescan the plug-ins in S1. I think once it's blacklisted, it won't try it again until you tell it to.


This was on the 2.8-GHz (8-core) Mac Pro (Early 2008) running macOS El Capitan 10.11.6) here in the sound isolation studio, but it's working now based on your advice, which is appreciated . . . :+1

THOUGHTS

I have not tried it on the macOS Catalina (15.2) MacBook Pro machines (2012, 2019) yet, but I know what to do now if there are any problems . . .

It took a few minutes of sleuthing, but I noticed there is a "Reset Blacklist" button, so I clicked it and then restarted Studio One Professional (current version), and it scanned and approved Kontakt 6 (current version), which I verified by creating a Kontakt 6 instrument (Audio Unit version) . . .

On a related note, I found an Apple 30" Cinema HD Display on eBay for $300 (US), including shipping; and it's fantastic . . .

I also got one for my photographer and graphic artist friend (running macOS Mojave on a 2012 mac Mini), and he says it's very nice. On the 2012 mac Mini it requires a Dual Link DVI converter cable and interface (looks like a deck of cards and connects the display cables to USB and Thunderbolt ports on the 2012 mac Mini. The FireWire 800 cable from the display connects directly to the 2012 mac Mini, so no converter required. And the display came with the Dual Link DVI converter, but the one I got didn't need the converter and connects directly to the Mac Pro (Early 2008) . . .

The one I got has a "StereoBotics" sticker, so I think it was used for something related to music, which is interesting . . .

These displays were high-technology in 2004, and they are in perfect condition. At the time, they cost several thousand dollars, which was outside my budget; but Apple makes good stuff and now I have one--15 years-old display on a 10 years-old supercomputer here in the sound isolation studio. Who builds stuff this good?

Apple does! :+1

And since it generates a bit of obvious warmth, I run a small fan to blow air across the display, which is nice in the winter due to my ongoing mission to bankrupt the local electric utility by not running the heater and air-conditioning unit . .

I have a small ceramic heater in the sound isolation studio, but the Apple 30" Cinema HD Display and Mac Pro (Early 2008) generate enough warmth that I only need to run the ceramic heater when it's in the 20's or 30's (Fahrenheit) . . .

I have warm clothes; have an electric blanket; and sleep in a recliner most of the time (avoids back problems, keeps everything aligned and so forth, very comfortable) . . .

This "rollback to the clock 100 years" strategy reduced my monthly electric bill by at least $800, so I like it; and even though I find people like Greta Thunberg to be obnoxiously annoying, I am "old school" green--except for the computer, of course . . .

It's not really about being green . . . :mrgreen:

I want to bankrupt the city and its very expensive electric service . . .

As you know, I like building houses; but when it's for me, I stop when it's weathered and has a proper asphalt shingle roof, which is a bit odd; but I like being able to see the framing lumber--which I reinforce fanatically with Simpson Strong-Tie metal connectors installed with Reisser wood screws from Germany that will stop a 1.5 horsepower electric Makita drill (not battery, but regular 120V electric), which requires Reisser or Snap-On star bits (T-25) . . .

The eye of Hurricane Rita went directly overhead--totally still, very surreal--but with wind gusts to 150 miles per hour for 12 hours before and after--with no problems. The walls shook a bit, but so what (11.5 ft. ceilings, first floor) . . .

I think the house will withstand an F1 or F2 tornado, but I don't want to do that experiment . . .

[NOTE: External sheathing is 3/4" Sturd-I-Floor® plywood (tongue and groove). More work to install but very sturdy. Tree stumps in foreground are oak trees that I had removed professionally so they wouldn't fall on the house after the top 40' of one of them fell, but missed the house. A few months ago, another one at the corner fell over but missed the house--blocked two city streets and knocked down electric wires but city took care of it (no charge). Cut power to several city blocks for about 12 hours. On the good side, the city takes care of stuff, so it's not all bad . . . ]

Image

It snapped 5 ft. diameter cedar trees across the street and large pine trees at the local Walmart Supercenter--snapped, not bent or blown over, looked like they were cut horizontally with a chain saw . . .

Try heating and cooling a 3,600 sq. ft., two-story house with no insulation and no sheetrock, using a Trane heat pump unit, air-handler, and electronic HEPA filtration (largest residential unit they make)--$1,000 a month for electricity . . .

Total waste of money, so I don't do it . . .

I live in a series of plywood boxes, really . . . :P

The sound isolation studio is a box within a box within a box; and I can have someone run a Stihl gasoline-powered chain saw in the kitchen and no noise in the sound isolation studio, but I can feel a bit of vibration, which is subsonic and doesn't matter . . .

It's all about music . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by michaelmyers1 on Sat Feb 01, 2020 10:58 am
Nice! "God is in the details" is one of my favorite architect quotes from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Those first Apple Cinema HD displays were amazing. I worked on a project for Apple in Cupertino where we had dual cinema displays being run by the early trash can MacPros. It was an amazing setup!

iMac (Retina 5K 27", 2019) 3.6 ghz I9 8-core 64 gb RAM Fusion Drive
with small AOC monitor for additional display
macOS Ventura 13.4
2 - 500 gb + 2 - 1 tb external SSD for sample libraries
M Audio AirHub audio interface
Nektar Panorama P1 control surface
Nektar Impact 49-key MIDI keyboard
Focal CMS40 near-field monitors
JBL LSR310S subwoofer
Notion 6 + Studio One 5 Pro

http://www.tensivity.com
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by Surf.Whammy on Sun Feb 02, 2020 5:10 pm
Great! Excellent quotation! :)

THOUGHTS

The local building inspectors are very diligent, but in our little town the homeowner can do everything--with the exception of running natural gas lines, which makes sense and is fine with me . . .

The first thing I did after the carpenters completed the plywood box was to start on the electric service entrance which I did myself . . .

Based on inspecting it, the building inspectors said I obviously knew electric wiring, so they said "no more electric inspections, but this was not the case with plumbing, since I told them I only had done some basic plumbing and had studied a few books on plumbing . . .

At first, the plumbing inspectors appeared at random times once or twice a day, which from my perspective was a bit annoying . . .

So, I devised a plan to make the plumbing inspectors "happy" . . .

Once I had run enough drain lines, vent stacks, and water lines to install a lavatory and toilet, the next time the plumbing inspectors appeared, I did a "show and tell" presentation, which among other things featured a viewing "cut-out" where the primary drain line exited underneath the house and connected to the sewer line . . .

The first presentation was the lavatory, which by design had a 2" diameter vent stack and drain . . .

I filled the lavatory with water to the overflow and then a helper and I each held two, gallon milk jugs filled with water, which we poured into the lavatory while the hot and cold water faucets were running a maximum, after we removed the lavatory drain plug, of course (1920s cast iron, porcelain lavatory, hence a drain plug on a chain and separate hot cold faucets). Also since nobody told me about a water pressure regulator, the water coming into the house is a full pressure and maps to a 1 inch diameter garden hose producing a stream of water 1 inch in diameter for about 15 feet, and that's after I decided to use a variable flow-valve to tame the incoming water pressure. It should be a proper water pressure regulator, but the way I did it is working, hence so what . . .

[NOTE: The house is not so far from the water tower, hence the water pressure is excellent even in the morning when everyone in town is taking baths and showers . . . ]

The lavatory drained rapidly with no water spills, and I remarked "There is no lavatory within 100 miles of here that drains this well"; and they agreed . . . :+1

The next presentation was even more impressive . . .

I put a Hostess Twinkie in the toilet and flushed the toilet, telling everyone to run outside to look at the viewing "cut out", which we all did; and sure enough after about a minute there came the Hostess Twinkie gently floating into the sewer line . . . :P

The key, as you know, is to have a very shallow slope to the drain lines, so that heavy stuff floats on the water and doesn't get stuck along the way . . .

After that, there were no more inspections--except for the occupant safety inspection, where after a team meeting, they agreed there was a window in the bedroom and enough external doors to egress when it was necessary . . .

Building inspections are important and necessary, but not two times a day for one house when one person is doing all the work . . .

They continued to do surprise inspections, but instead of being once or twice a day, it once a week or every second week; and since there was no sheetrock, they could see everything and check it if they had questions or concerns . . .

I like daylight--mowing lawns, trimming shrubbery, and gardening--but mostly I stay inside the plywood box, except for occasionally standing on the back porch after midnight in hopes that the Aliens From Outer Space will beam me to their spaceship and tell me (a) all the secrets of particle physics or (b) how to compose and perform a hit song, which so far has not happened, although I think I have discovered the secrets of particle physics, based primarily on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) detecting a grand total of zero particles predicted by the various supersymmetry theories . . .

The problem is that detecting tiny stuff requires massive power, and at the LHC it requires accelerating and smashing protons at 0.9999999 the speed of light, which in turn requires a huge and powerful accelerator, which overall allows easy detection of particles as small as 10**-16 to 10**-17 cm) . . .

But at the Plank length (10**-33 cm), the amount of energy required creates a miniature black hole, so you can't detect (or "see") anything, at least based on the current understanding of Albert Einstein's general relativity, spacetime, and all that stuff . . .

Making all the worse, the goofballs who devised the Copenhagen Interpretation tell us that if all the people on Earth were in North America and had never been anywhere else at any time in history, then Russia literally and figuratively would not exist until one of the humans traveled to Russia and observed it firsthand thereby causing Russia to exist due to being observed by a human . . .

Some of it works at the micro level, but it fails miserably at the cosmological or macro level . . .

My hypothesis is that Isaac Newton was a brilliant but superb trickster who created calculus to encourage people to believe two fallacies, (a) that there is a tiniest thing which can be represented by infinitesimally small "slices" and (b) that time is discrete, hence nothing occurs or exists between the tiny "slices" . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Fri Feb 07, 2020 3:00 am
Upgraded to macOS Catalina 15.3 and NOTION 6.6.478, 64-bit. No problems . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I upgraded the 2012 MacBook Pro to macOS Catalina 15.3 and NOTION 6.6.478, 64-bit, with no problems . . .

Then I did the Studio One Professional and NOTOIN ReWire test, also with no problems . . .

Lots of FUN! :+1

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
User avatar
by Surf.Whammy on Sat Apr 04, 2020 6:16 am
Upgraded the 2012 MacBook Pro (Retina) to macOS Catalina 15.4 . . . :+1

THOUGHTS

The install appeared to be stuck in a loop where there was a white Apple logo and a white progress bar on a black screen, which ran for about 30 seconds, after which the screen went blank and a few seconds later the MacBook Pro beeped "SOS" in Morse code . . .

This occurred over-and-over for 30-minutes and it was annoying, so I powered-down the computer and took a nap . . .

Later I powered-up the computer and it continued the "SOS" loop, so I called Apple technical support and the Level 1 Advisor suggested letting it do the "SOS" sequence for as long as it desired, which I did . . .

About an hour later, it moved to the next phase of the installation, and 15 minutes later macOS Catalina 15.4 was installed . . .

The Apple Level 1 Advisor stayed on the cellphone the entire time and said she wanted to ensure everything was working and the install completed successfully, which I think earns her and Apple an A++, and there was no charge or fee for the technical support . . .

[NOTE: I am a registered Apple Developer, and I was calling from my cellphone; so she knew my name and other information. The developer program probably includes two technical support incidences, so perhaps it was not actually free, but so what. Excellent technical support, for sure! :+1 ]

Later, I found some information on the Apple website that says the "S.O.S" sequence occurs on older Macs when the EFI ROM appears to be corrupted and needs to be reloaded . . .

The technical note says it takes a while, so let it run . . .

Now I am running macOS Catalina on the 2012 MacBook Pro (Retina), and everything is good!

Studio One Professional 4.6.1.55987 and NOTION 6.6.478, 64-bit (current versions) are working nicely--separately and in a ReWire session where Studio One Professional is the ReWire host controller and NOTION is the ReWire slave . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
User avatar
by michaelmyers1 on Sat Apr 04, 2020 4:24 pm
You are certainly a model of caution! I have been humming along on macOS Catalina now for months, but admittedly, my requirements are simpler than yours. I just need Notion to work with Studio One Pro and for my plug-ins and VST's to be compatible. I jettisoned the ones that weren't (can't even remember now what they were) and am very happy with the whole business, and safer too.

I tend to subscribe to the "Italian School of Driving - You don't get anywhere by looking in the rear view mirror!"

:D

iMac (Retina 5K 27", 2019) 3.6 ghz I9 8-core 64 gb RAM Fusion Drive
with small AOC monitor for additional display
macOS Ventura 13.4
2 - 500 gb + 2 - 1 tb external SSD for sample libraries
M Audio AirHub audio interface
Nektar Panorama P1 control surface
Nektar Impact 49-key MIDI keyboard
Focal CMS40 near-field monitors
JBL LSR310S subwoofer
Notion 6 + Studio One 5 Pro

http://www.tensivity.com
User avatar
by Surf.Whammy on Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:41 pm
michaelmyers1 wroteYou are certainly a model of caution!


There's a bit of truth to this observation . . . :+1

Knowledge is power, but it's important not to be encumbered by it . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
User avatar
by Surf.Whammy on Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:40 pm
Installed the macOS Cataqlina 15.4 supplemental update with no problems . . . :)

THOUGHTS

Everything went smoothly--no need to rebuild EFI ROM--and both Studio One Professional and NOTION (current versions) are working nicely . . .

Eventually, I will get around to doing experiments with third-party virtual instruments and effects plug-in, but I think it's all good . . .

Lots of FUN! :+1

P. S. In my ongoing effort to get every food and beverage delivered either (a) to my mailbox and front porch or (b) to the trunk of my car by PPE-clad Walmart Grocery associates (mind-bogglingly fabulous and requires zero human interfacing), I ordered a quart bottle of sorghum from Oberholtzer's Sorghum Mill in Kentucky, which arrived today . . .

It has a subtle flavor that reminds me of carrots--not a lot but a little, which is interesting . . .

It cost $30 and is the highest-quality pure sorghum, so I am happy . . . :+1

I was bored and curious, and now I need to find something to cook or bake that has sorghum as an ingredient--perhaps a pecan pie . . .

Sorghum has a different flavor than Steen's Pure Cane Syrup, Lyle's Golden Syrup, and blackstrap molasses, so at least tonight I am not bored . . .

Perhaps I will do a YouTube baking video featuring "The Cock-A-Doodle-Oodle Dance" (El Petardo & The Maglitos)--one of my pretend Cuban musical groups--as background music, which is fabulous . . .

phpBB [video]


Fabulous! :P

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
User avatar
by Surf.Whammy on Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:08 am
Everything is going along nicely, more or less . . . :)

THOUGHTS

My Mac Pro (Early 2008) stopped working, but I have a replacement ordered, and sit should arrive by mid-June . . .

Until the replacement arrives, I am doing everything on the 2012 MacBook Pro, and it's working nicely, albeit with a few odd bits . . .

SCREENFLOW

Apparently, the new version of ScreenFlow (Telestream) does not record audio from Studio One Professional, NOTION, and several other Digital Audio Workstation (DAQ) applications in macOS Catalina 10.15.4; but I found a way to get it working . . .

The Telestream support information suggests that reverting to v7.3 makes it possible to use ScreenFlow (earlier version), but that doesn't work, either . . .

I have been using ScreenFlow for about a decade to make YouTube videos; so I installed v6; and it records audio but not the macOS Desktop . . .

In the experiments, I installed and then uninstalled v9 and v7 several times, which included allowing them to access the screen for recording; and this requires granting them permission in Security and Privacy, which I did, and that part worked, but no audio . . .

As far as I have determined, once you authorize an application to record the screen, the authorization stays in Security and Privacy forever, and you only can uncheck the option, which is what I did, but I also changed the name from "ScreenFlow.app" to "ScreenF.app" . . .

Once I realized v6 was recording audio, I decided to authorize it to record the screen; but in 2016 no such authorization was required (or perhaps existed); so I had the idea to authorize "ScreenF.app" anyuway; and this solved the problem of v6 recording the screen . . .

I write about this because it's a bit beyond strange and bizarre, as well as being somewhat hilarious . . .

Apple does all this super secutiry stuff in macOS Catalina, which breaks the new version of ScreenFlow for recording audio from Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) applications; but I can run ScreenFlow from 2016 with no problems once I authorized a non-existent older version of ScreenFlot (renamed to "ScreenF.app")?

The Telestream folks apparently do not know how to get the current version of ScreenFlow working in macOS Catalina . . .

For all the paranoid work Apple did to "protect" me, I have no problems running an application from 2016--four years before macOS Catalina existed . . .

The v6 video editing is not so sophisticated as the newer version, but it's sufficient for making the types of YouTube videos I do . . .

phpBB [video]


There is an important observation, which is that macOS Catalina is like NOTION in the sense that if you do a few perhaps wacky experiments, then it does stuff that most folks never would imagine it can do . . .

In other words, when something appears to be impossible to do in NOTION, if you do some experiments and "think outside the box", then there nearly always is a workaround or some way to do what you need to do . . .

It might not be the first way you imagine, but the perspective here in the sound isolation studio is focused on finding some way to do stuff, even when it's what initially appears to be an unusual way to do ti . . .

SAMPLETANK 4

As part of moving digital music production to the 2012 MacBook Pro for a while, I installed all the IK Multimedia software I use; and T-RackS 5 Custom Shop works, as does AmpliTube. . .

SampleTank does not work in Custom Shop, since it is an earlier version; but SampleTank 4 Custom Shop works by itself, which includes the VSTi version . . .

Being more precise, there is a combined Custom Shop interface where T-RackS 5 and AmpliTube work, but not SampleTank . . .

But this is OK, since the current, separate version of SampleTank 4 Custom Shop works by itself and as a VSTi virtual instrument in Studio One Professional and NOTION in macOS Catalina . . .

Additionally, the SampleTank 3 sounds work in SampleTank 4 Custom Shop, so after a lot of downloading sounds, everything is there (approximately 40GB for all the stuff, more or less) . . .

I have not tried the new version of Kontakt (Native Instruments), but with EWQL ComposerCloud X I have a virtual festival of instruments and sampled-sounds . . .

I need to get Kontakt installed so I can use Realivox Blue (RealiTone), my favorite virtual female soprano, which I will do soon . . .

And I upgraded to Melodyne Editor 5, which is working nicely in macOS Catalina . . .

I did a few experiments--the first of which was to export the audio stem for the Solo Violin in the aforementioned J. S. Bach fugue and then to run it through Melodyne Editor 5 and export it as MIDI, which I imported to NOTION . . .

Works wonderfully! :+1

It's best to do it with a single audio track to keep everything focused along the way . . .

Since it works for the audio of a Solo Violin track, it generally works for everything; so if you have a lead guitar solo and want to see it in music notation, this is possible and practical; but it requires Melodyne Editor 5 rather than the Essential (Studio also does it) . . .

The key functionality is being to export from Melodyne as MIDI . . .

Depending on the complexity of a lead guitar solo, it might benefit from some adjusting once in Melodyne Editor 5, but generally it works . . .

It also works for recorded solo singing, where the key is to use a good but inexpensive studio-quality microphone and to sing clearly and distinctly . . .

From my perspective, this alone is worth getting Melodyne Editor 5; and while it's expensive if you do not have an earlier version to upgrade, if you can buy an earlier version of Melodyne Editor, then the upgrade to Melodyne Editor 5 is $99 (US) . . .

I have v2, and it qualified for the $99 upgrade . . .

SUMMARY

macOS Catalina 10.15.4 is working nicely for digital music production on the 2012 MacBook Pro . . .

I found a way to get a version of ScreenFlow from 2016 working in macOS Catalina . . . :P

My IK Multimedia software is working . . .

Melodyne Editor 5 (Celemony) is working . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

Surf.Whammy's YouTube Channel

The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
User avatar
by Surf.Whammy on Fri Jun 05, 2020 3:48 am
I got some information from Telestream customer support, which explains the problem . . . :)

THOUGHTS

The problem is caused by the Mac "Controller:, which is a "T1" or in new Macs a "T2" processor . . .

They had me check the "Controller" information for the 2012 MacBook Pro, and it doesn't have one . . .

They said v6 works, because it does the audio work via something called "KEXT", which has nothing to do with T1/T2 security controller chips . . .

[NOTE: I think "KEXT" is an acronym for "Kernel Extension" and is a UNIX thing. macOS runs atop UNIX, but I generally avoid delving into the UNIX level . . . ]

I told them I'm happy with v6; so they're happy that I'm happy, which is the way we left it for now . . .

This was all done via email, and as one might expect I could not resist the temptation to add an analogy, metaphor, simile, or allegory, which in this instance started by observing that I drive a 1987 Chevy Van--not because I can't afford a new car, but because it's very reliable; doesn't have a lot of stuff I don't need or want; and is easy to maintain and to repair . . .

I was going to observe that it has a steel frame, steel body, steel bumpers, and a class 3 trailer hitch (which connects to the rear bumper and to the frame); and while it does not have airbags, it benefits from the rules of Newtonian physics . . .

I shared a story about a friend who got a new truck and was very excited about the GPS navigation system, hence wanted to take me for a drive to show how it works . . .

We went for a drive, and the GPS Navigator voice provided excellent instructions for the route, which was great . . .

However, after a while i decided to introduce a bit of a reality and directed my friend to a large but empty parking lot where I instructed him to drive in circles . . .

After a few circles, the GPS Navigator voice said something like, "I'm confused. What are you doing? Whete are you?" . . . :P

It's a similar type of thing to being able to run an application from 2016 on a 2012 computer with a 2020 operating system which is supposed to prevent running applications that are not credentialed and all that stuff . . .

Drive around in enough circles, and the "technology" doesn't know what to do, because the software engineers who developed it never imagined someone would drive around in circles . . .

As noted, ScreenFlow is working for me, so that's good!

Today I received an email from IK Multimedia announcing a 35-percent discount on the SampleTank 4 upgrade, so I purchased it and used 38 of my Jam Points, which mapped to the price being $91 (US)--less than half the regular upgrade price . . .

Downloading all the sounds took about two hours, which was boring, but so what . . .

Next I plan to focus on Kontakt (Native Instruments) . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Fri Jun 05, 2020 9:57 pm
Making excellent progress on the 2012 MacBook Pro (13", Retina) . . . :)

THOUGHTS

Last year, the primary hard drive on the Mac Pro (Early 2008) had problems, and for a while it was looking like a lot of key data was lost; but I ordered DiskWarrior (Alsoft) and was able to recover everything before replacing the hard drive with a new one . . .

During this time, I wrote a chap;ter on archiving strategies and added a few steps to my archiving system here in the sound isolation studio, whichI am hoping will be worthwhile when the replacement Mac Pro (Early 2008) arrives in about 10 days . . .

As you know, I started this project on macOS Catalina at the end of last year using a 2019 MacBook Pro (with T2 security processor) and the 2012 MacBook Pro, which doesn't have a controller, at all . . .

At present, I am doing everything on the 2012 MacBook Pro, and it's coming along nicely . . .

The primary things I learned when the hard drive failed and I used DiskWarrior to recover key data are (a) that AUi, VSTi, AU, and VST presets are stored all over the place and (b) if you don't have backup copies it's nearly impossible to recreate the presets . . .

In the current situation, I am learning there is another key set of information, which is the accounts, passwords, key codes, and so forth for all the AUi, VSTi, AU, and VST components and virtual instrument licenses . . .

Fortunately, I have been using two email accounts for probably a decade or longer, and all the emails are archived, which makes it possible to get everything onto the 2012 MacBook Pro . . .

Generally, I forgot all the passwords; but nearly all the products has links to reset passwords, which is what I have been doing, with good success . . .

Over the past 24 or so hours, I have upgraded to SampleTank 4 (IK Multimedia) at a greater than 50 percent discount, and have installed all my Native Instruments products but focused on Kontakt 6 rather than Kontakt 5, which took several hours to download and install, as did the new SampleTank 4 sounds , , ,

Downloading the Native Instruments stuff was easy, since it's done automagically by the Native Access download and authorization application . . .

The SampleTank 4 sounds and SampleTank 3 sounds are downloaded manually are map to 40 or so sampled-sound libraries, which was so repetitive that I lost track of time and thought Friday was Saturday, but so what , , ,

Realivox Blue (RealiTone) was the trickiest component to get, and this was due to it being purchased in August 2015, which was a few years before RealiTone switched to a new customer management system . . .

I found the PayPal receipt and sent it to the RealiTone folks, and they found the information in the new system (started in 2019) and sent me the key codes and so forth, all within less than 6 hours fro the tine I emailed them with the support request, plus I forgot which email I used for the purchase; but they found it and sent me the licensing data , , ,

I did the same thing for my FabFilter Software Instruments instruments and effects plug-ins; so I'm nearly back in business on the 2012 MacBook Pro running macOS Catalina 10.15.4 . .. .

These are good companies, and they support their customers, which is important . . .

The next part of the plan is to get Cyclop (Sugar Bytes) and Whoosh (UVI) . . .

Curiously, Cyclop is included in the Native Instruments components, but I have a separate license for it--presuming I can find it . . .

Some of this would have been easier if I had all the licensing information for everything in one central location on a LaCie external hard drive; so this is another "lesson learned" the hard way . . .

On the other hand, I have a swappable, external hard drive "caddy" with a USB port; so I plan to do an experiment to determine whether I can use it to access the internal hard drives in the currently non-working Mac Pro (Early 2008) . . .

If this works, then I will have access to everything that was on the Mac Pro (Early 2008) .. .

Regardless, when a computer stops work, it's good to have an archiving and recovering strategy, which I think I do . . .

There are a few things I will do to make it easier, but for the most part it's coming along nicely . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

P. S. Kudos to the FabFilter Software Instruments, IK Multimedia, Native Instruments, RealiTone, and Telestream folks (a) for maintaining my customer information and licenses and (b) for responding quickly when I asked for help, which is fabulous . . .

Fabulous! :+1

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Sat Jun 06, 2020 6:35 am
Upgraded to Reason 11.3 (Reason Studios) and installed Cyclop (Sugar Bytes) . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I upgraded to Reason 11.3 (Reason Studios) to see how it works in macOS Catalina 10.15.4 . . .

No response yet from Sugar Bytes and UVI to change passwords; but Cyclop (Sugar Bytes) is included in EWQL ComposerCloud X, so that's the way I installed Cyclop (very easy) . . .

After doing some research, it appears Whoosh FX (UVI) is on my iLOK USB security dongle, so in a while I plan to unplug it from the non-working MacPro (Early 2008) and the plug it into the 2012 MacBook Pro to see if I can install Whoosh FX using the iLOK Manager for which I know the account and password, which will be nice if it works . . .

I need to install MachFive 3 (MOTU), and I know it has a USB security dongle; so this might be easy to do . . .

And I need to install the XLN Audio products . . .

The 2012 MacBook Pro (13", Retina) has a 1TB SSD that I installed last year; but it's getting filled-up, so I am thinking about upgrading to a 2TB SSD from Other World Computing--easy to install, but I need to do a full bootable backup with SuperDuper! (Shirt Pocket) to one of the LaCie external hard drives here in the sound isolation studio . . .

Unless I am forgetting something, I think this will be everything I use for digital music production here in the sound isolation studio . . . :roll:

Lots of FUN! :)

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Sat Jun 06, 2020 11:48 pm
Installed MachFive 3 (MOTU) . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I forgot my MOTU password, but I plugged-in the iLOK USB security dongle that has the license for MachFive 3; and MOTU sent me a password reset email. . .

Like RealiTone, MOTU has implemented a new customer management system, but I remembered my old user name, which probably helped . . .

I tried installing the latest MachFive 3 upgrade (v3.2.1), but macOS Catalina did not like it; so as I did with ScreenFlow (Telestream), I tried the previous version of MachFive 3 (v3.1.4) and it did not upset macOS Catalina . . .

Why would macOS Catalina not like new applications but have no problems with older versions?

Perhaps there is a "State Farm" list, where application versions on the list are considered automagially to be "Good Neighbors"?

It's comforting to know macOS Catalina is "protecting" me. I am assured of this . . . :P

MachFive 3.1.4 is woking nicely; and I downloaded all the soundbanks, which I did while enjoying Church's fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy but no fried okra . . .

They are out of fried okra until Monday . . .

I'm probably going to take a break, since all the clicking, double-clicking, ,and moving the mouse from place to place to do the downloads and installs is a bit exhausting, as well as being completely and totally boring; but it has to be done, so I did it . . .

While doing a bit of research at the MOTU website, I discovered the "legacy" MOTU 828m3 Hybrid external digita audio and MIDI interface here in the sound isolation studio has a USB port and apparently works in macOS Catalina; so this is yet another experiment to do, and if it works I can use my regular microphones, elelectric guitars, KORG Triton Music Workstation (88 weighted piano-style keys) and all that stuff with the 2012 MacBook Pro . . .

Sometime last year when I was in a strange mood, I wrote lyrics for what probably will be a Country Western/Heavy Metal song about an ex-convict, "The Ballad of Darryl Dupree";who against all logic embarks on a new crime spree; so I might record it once all this stuff is working . . .

It's inspired in part by Johnny Cash, so it night be interesting . . .

The lyrics are either (a) on a 3x5 notecard in my wallet or (b) in a text file on the primary hard drive of the non-working Mac Pro (Early 2008), the latter of which might be accessible if I pull it and insert it into the still unboxed external USB hard drive caddy or dock . . .

I also plan to remove all the empty cardboard shipping boxes in the living room, which were from the time when I went temporarily insane and ordered thousands of dollars of aluminum Guardian Serviceware and aluminum waiter serving trays from eBay . . .

Can you ever have too many 36" oval aluminum serving trays?

It's good stuff; and the serving trays are great when you are barbecuing several racks of pork ribs; so I'm glad I got them, but really . . .

In retrospect, I should have purchased an iMac, but I was young and had no sense . . . :roll:

Lots of FUN! :)

P. S. No word yet on the password reset from UVI, which I need to download my licensed copy of Whoosh FX . . .

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Mon Jun 08, 2020 9:23 am
Making a bit of progress . . . :)

THOUGHTS

This morning I unboxed the USB Hard Drive Caddy and pulled the primary hard drive from the currently non-working Mac Pro (Early 2008) . . .

The hard drive (6TB) plugs into the caddy (or "hard drive dock"), and everything is there, which means the problem with the Mac Pro (Early 2008) is not the primary hard drive . . .

I found the lyrics for "The Ballad of Darrel Dupree" on the Mac Pro (Early 2008) hard drive, and it's "Darrel" not "Darryl". It was in the folder for the "Cowgirl Underpants" album--the follow-up album to "Electric Underpants" but with a mostly Country Western theme, unless I decide to create a new genre. I probably will sing it as my Country Western persona, Ferliss Nuberton . . .

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The folks at UVI sent me a password reset email after I submitted a technical support request, and I now can Login to the website and the UVI Portal application, which is installing Whoosh FX at this very moment . . .

Whoosh FX (UVI) is working now . . .

Mello (UVI)--a Mellotron emulator--is working now . . .

I need to determine whether the MOTU 828mk3 Hybrid works with the 2012 MacBook Pro via USB, which according to MOTU it does . . .

I need to do a bootable backup with SuperDuper! (Shirt Pocket) to one of the LaCie external hard drives . . .

As best as I can determine, everything is working on the 2012 MacBook Pro running macOS Catalina 10.15.4--with the acceptable caveats that ScreenFlow and MacFive 3 are not the current versions, but so what . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:32 am
I forgot about Auto-Tune . . . :roll:

THOUGHTS

I upgraded to the new version of Auto-Tune EFX+ (Antares Audio Technologies), since I had an older version that works on the Mac Pro (2008) running macOS El Capitan 10.11.6, but not on the 2012 MacBook Pro in macOS Catalina 10.15.4 . . .

It's working nicely now, but it's a VST3 effects plug-in; so Studio One Professional can use it but not NOTION, which is fine with me . . .

NOTION requires VST2 . . .

With the USB licensing dongles and the hard drive caddy (USB), I ordered a Tripp Lite powered USB hub; since the 2012 MacBook Pro only has two USB ports . . .

I need to get the MOTU 828mk3 Hybrid external digital audio and MIDI interface working with the 2012 MacBook Pro; and I need to do a bootable backup with SuperDuper1 (Shirt Pocket) to a LaCie external harddrive . . .

Lots of FUN! :)

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The Surf Whammys

Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!
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by Surf.Whammy on Fri Jun 12, 2020 3:38 am
The MOTU 828mk3 Hybrid is working . . . :)

THOUGHTS

I did a full, bootable backup to one of the LaCie external hard drives using SuperDuper! (ShirtPocket) . . .

After doing the full, bootable backup I deleted all the downloaded sampled-sound files for all the VSTi virtual instruments--not the installed sampled-sound files but the ones I downloaded to do the installs . . .

This freed approximately 150GB on the 2012 MacBook Pro (13", Retina) 1TB SSD drive, which now has 228GB of free space, which is plenty and at least for a while avoids needing to replace it with a 2TB SSD drive . . .

Next, I installed the updated MOTU drivers for macOS Catalina 10.15 and got the MOTU 929mk3 Hybrid working . . .

I had to install the drivers two times, because the system-level stuff was blocked by macOS Catalina the first time, which the MOTU instructions said was expected . . .

The first install triggered a message about something being blocked, so I unblocked it; bu this didn't get it working; so I ran the MOTU installer a second time and everything is working correctly now . . .

For some unknown reason, this MOTU 828mk Hybrid doesn't like outputting to Main 1-2; but it like Analog 1-2 for output . . .

Since I am using SONY MDR-7506 headphones (a personal favorite), I set the headphone output to Analog 1-2, which works nicely . . .

The MOTU 828mk Hybrid doesn't have an output level control that macOS Catalina recognizes; so I have to adjust the volume level via a tiny volume level knob on the MOTU 828mk Hybrid, which annoying; but (a) it works an (b) the audio quality is superior to the Built-in audio of the 2012 MacBook Pro, hence I'm happy . . . :+1

It offloads a good bit of the audio work from the computer, which is good, especially considering the 2012 MacBook Pro (13", Retina) has 8GB of system memory, which cannot be upgraded since it soldered directly to the motherboard . . .

It's DDR3 1600 MHz memory, so at least in theory it's twice as fast as the system memory on the currently non-working Mac Pro (Early 2008), which when combined with an SSD drive appears to make the Mac peppy . . .

The USB Hub arrived, so I need to get it connected . . .

Doing everything with a 13" display is hard on my eyes, but at least it's a Retina display . . .

I might have access to an Apple Thunderbolt Display, which combined with a full-size Apple wired keyboard will be nice . . .

The replacement Mac Pro (Early 2008) is supposed to arrive in a few days; which will be nice . . .

Then I can use the 2012 MacBook Pro as a backup digital music production computer . . .

If nothing else, getting 2012 MacBook Pro working for digital music production is a good exercise in how to recover when the primary computer stops working . . .

It's a lot more work than one might imagine, especially when it includes a major operating system upgrade and upgrades to music software. . . :roll:

Lots of FUN! :)

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Sinkhorn's Dilemma: Every paradox has at least one non-trivial solution!

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