Vegas Pro 10 on an Aging Mac Pro Computer?

[Ed Fiebke]

Hello -

I'm a Vegas owner and fan. I have Vegas Pro up to version 8, and even own earlier versions of the program when owned by Sonic Foundry. (Remember them?!? LOL!) I am also a big fan of the Logic Pro program and own earlier versions of that program since it was owned by eMagic. (Remember eMagic?!? LOL!) I was saddened when eMagic was sold to Apple and later versions of Logic (past version 5) no longer worked on PCs. Having tried other audio/sequencing programs on the PC, I decided to go back to Logic. It was then that I decided and needed to purchase my first Apple computer. It's a Mac Pro: 2 Xs 2.66 Duo Core (total of 4 cores), version 1,1 computer. It's their FIRST version of the Intel Xeon CPU computer.

Yes. I own Final Cut Studio 3. It's a fine set of programs that more than meet my very modest video editing needs. However, it's video-editing work-flow is not "natural" for me. No. At present, I have no plans on purchasing their new Final Cut Pro X program. Rather, I would like to go back to Vegas.

I'm a full-time ICU/CCU nurse for a very small hospital. One of my expected "extra tasks" for this hospital is to video-tape the educational in-services scheduled there so that the off-shift nurses can view them. I still video-tape in standard definition (although I do plan on doing hi-def at some point) and work with 2 cameras to help keep the taped in-service "interesting". I LOVED the way Vegas handled 2 or more cameras; I loved the overall work-flow of Vegas. I miss this program.

Here is the basic spec for my Mac Pro 2.66 quad (version 1,1) computer. It has 8 GBs RAM (soon to be 16 GBs) with 4 internal HDDs and a small small bunch of external ones either by eSATA or Firewire 800 connections. I recently upgraded the video card to the ATI Radeon HD 5770. For a sound card, I use MOTU's 2408 MK3 audio device. It's a fine machine. With my current set-up and programs, it is quite stable with very rare "beach ball" problems (and no crashes lately, knock on wood).

With using a divided partition on my main HDD (one for Snow Leopard and the other for Windows 7) can THIS computer with current hard-ware configuration be enough for the current version of Vegas Pro 10?? Can Vegas Pro 10 be used in 64-bit mode with this computer set-up?? Provided that Vegas Pro 10 can work on this aging Mac Pro computer, what might I need to do to ensure stable functionality??

I thank you in advance for your thoughtful input.

Ted

[Mark Holmes]

Well, I'm running Vegas Pro 10 on my Mac Pro, which is a 2.66 Ghz Quad Core Intel Xeon - I honestly don't know if it's the same as yours. I think it may be a generation after. I've got Windows 7 64-bit set up through Bootcamp on an entirely separate drive, 6GB of RAM, using Vegas Pro 10 64-bit. Don't even have the 32-bit installed. It's probably the best PC setup I've ever had. Stable and very fast.

Funny, though. My situation is very similar to yours - I have Final Cut Studio 3 installed, and use it occasionally, but have found myself more and more back only in Vegas. Nothing matches it, for me. We used Vegas to edit and output our first two feature films, but used an outside editor, on Avid, for our latest, as we shot on film, but I sure wish Vegas were more visible in the high-end shops. But until then, I keep editing on the most underrated NLE in the industry.

[Ed Fiebke]

LOL! Mark! I see you followed my "copied" thread seeking help from the Sony forum to here! LOL!

Honestly. . . THANK YOU very much for your replies! :)

I responded to your post on the Sony forum. I guess I'll respond here too. (Please forgive me.)

Again. . . You mentioned that you put Windows 7 on a separate HDD in you Mac Pro. I use all four of my internal HDDs for either audio or video editing projects. (I have one HDD filled with software-based instrumental libraries for my sequencing projects.) Rather than put the Windows 7 OS on its own drive, I was hoping to divide one large 2 TB drive into two partitions, one for each operating system (Snow Leopard and Windows 7). Then, for video-editing using Vegas Pro 10, I was going to purchase a large external HDD connected to the Mac Pro via eSATA (with its faster reading/writing speeds). The new external HDD would be used solely for the Window 7 based video-editing projects. Does this set-up sound like it would work for using Vegas Pro 10 on my aging Mac Pro computer??

I know that the HDD partitions need to be configured differently between the Apple OS and Microsoft OS. It is my hope that creating two different partitions on one large HDD, each configured correctly for the two different operating systems, will work. If not, I would be willing to sacrifice one internal HDD so that each operating system has its own HDD. I want to avoid this, though.

Again, thank you! :)

Ted (Ed)

[Mark Holmes]

Hey Ed,
Make sure you use the Bootcamp instructions and drivers and you should be fine. Here's the link to Apple's instructions, which I used. It's pretty no brainer.

Mac 101: Using Windows on your Mac via Boot Camp

I use separate drives because I'm a little paranoid about viruses and the like - I didn't want my Windows drive anywhere near my Mac drive. And one more thing, but important. I installed a program called MacDrive on the Windows partition (or drive in my case), which lets me render things in Vegas to the other drives, and still access it when in Mac mode, and vice versa. Just format all the other drives to Mac format, then install MacDrive in the Win OS. Makes life much much easier.

And yes, I often use copy paste between the forums... Silly, huh?

[Ed Fiebke]

LOL! Just read your post on the Sony forum! I'm going to resist temptation and only respond to this thread on this forum. LOL!!

Again, THANK YOU for your replies. At this point, unless there is a risk of substandard performance, I think I'll divide a larger HDD into two partitions and install the operating systems to their own partition. I am also going to follow your suggestions and get MacDrive. It all sounds like a good plan.

I just hope that my aging Mac Pro computer continues on for a few more years. Although it is old and will probably no longer be supported by Apple as the company moves on with its newer operating systems, this aging computer has been dependable and has helped me create & produce many music compositions (orchestral) and educational videos (for work).

Vegas Pro 10. . . I'm coming home! LOL!

Cheers. . . :)

Ed (Ted)

[Jeff Harper]

Ed, IMO partitioning a hard drive will slow things down to begin with and will beat your hard drive to death, but that is your call, of course. Partitioning is very old school, and yes people still do it, but it's really hard on a drive, and every time the drive has to do something it has to account for the partition.

To use a 2TB drive for OS is not really close to optimal, and then to partition it, yes it will be slow as molasses. Top it off with an aging Mac not sure I'd go that route at all, but again it is your call.

As Mark recommends, using same drive for both OSs, not good either. Again, people do it, but I wouldn't even but two Windows OSs on the same drive. I have, and it's a roll of the dice as to how it will work. Installations are never guaranteed to be begin with, and on top of it if you lose your drive you lose two OSs at once.

You may follow this route and it might work, but the scenario is pretty much like "how can I do this in the least effective way possible". At a minimum use separate hard dirve, if for nothing else speed. You have a lot going against you without the partioning, then to use a lumbering 2TB drive, it's all a bit much.

It's one thing to do things econmomically, but you can always use external drives for storage if you don't have room inside the case.

Windows 7 doesn't always work well with aging hardware, let alone an old Mac, we have seen this in other posts. But let us know how it turns out. Just sounds hinky to me.

[Ed Fiebke]

Hi Jeff -

Thank you for posting. You've given me more food for thought. I haven't bought anything yet. Although I am quite eager to use Vegas again (hopefully, on my happy yet aging Mac Pro), in the long run I really do not want to hurt the set-up that I already have. In the past, I've lost hard disk drives containing important projects. It was very painful. I wish to avoid the pain again.

Currently, I use all four drives on the Mac Pro. One for the OS, of course, the second exclusively for the instrumental software libraries (which are many), the third to house the audio and video projects and the forth for archiving and as a scratch/temp-file disk for the projects. Currently, I have three external HDDs for archiving (with one also used as a scratch/temp file drive for projects). I could change the function of that forth internal drive to have it used exclusively for the Windows OS and purchase a forth external HDD and connect it to the computer via eSATA. Does this seem doable/reliable?? Also, should Windows 7 (with the intent of using 64-bit) prove unreliable with my aging Mac Pro (version 1,1), how would Windows XP fair? How would it fair in 64-bit mode? Can I even purchase Windows XP (32 or 64 bit) anymore????

Without a doubt, I want stable. (Who doesn't?!? LOL!) Any recommendations toward creating a STABLE, double OS capable computer are most certainly welcomed. I rely on your collective expertise. (It's almost ALWAYS worked well for me in the past! And, I mean that sincerely and as a compliment.)

Much thanks for your continued input. . .

Ted

[Gerald Webb]

Ed, why dont you buy an external eSata hard drive (or use one you have as long as its a 7200rpm) and install Windows on that?
Advantages= You dont mess with your OSX drive
Its out of the way ( in Finder, and physically) when you dont need it
If you do buy another, you can get a really fast reliable drive for not much money because you only need a 250 or 320, get an SSD if money no object and speed is desired.

I do similar to this on my workstation, the other way round though, Win7 on, and Mac off. Works great.

[Ed Fiebke]

Gerald -

Interesting option. It never occurred to me to house an operating system on an external drive. (Now that I think about it, I do have my current OS drive faithfully backed up on one of the external HDDs and can start the computer through that drive.) As I was reading your post, I was also recalling other options as well. I have an empty bay within the Mac Pro that's normally used for a second DVD burner/player. I recall reading posts in the past where people have put a 5th HDD in that spot. I does seem like a lot of work. Still, it's also another option.

I'm beginning to see and appreciate the merits of having a Windows operating system housed on its own HDD. I plan on researching the pros & cons of where that dedicated drive should be stored.

I am motived to at least research all of this because I really love the work-flow that Vegas has provided me in the past. I miss that work-flow. I was comfortable with that work-flow. Having now spent some time with FCP 7 (and its associated programs) and having the history of working with Vegas, I think that I prefer the work-flow associated with Vegas. As mentioned in an earlier post to this thread. I am a full-time nurse. This profession can be exhausting just in and of itself. I've then come home to work on the work-related video projects and spent additional hours on them using Final Cut Pro. Don't get me wrong. I love this part of the process. But I think that I can shave off at least a couple of hours of time from the editing process using Vegas. On some days, that's time that I can simply use to sleep (I work nights both as a nurse and when composing/sequencing music and when editing video - on my days off from the hospital, of course). By the way, I don't get paid video-taping and editing these educational in-services for work. They're just "volunteered" projects that just keep coming my way. (I work for a very small hospital with significant budget restraints. We're all happy just to be open and operating!) This is going on my forth year of doing these projects with no end in sight. Although I still enjoy the process, it is getting kind of old. I am looking for efficiency as well as effectiveness. I know that Vegas will provide both. And, I really, really, really wish I can use Vegas on my current Mac Pro somehow.