How to Optimize a MacBook for Ableton Live
Many DJs and similar electronic musicians use a laptop as the centerpiece of their performance setup. The MacBook, particularly the MacBook Pro, is a common choice. In a professional setup, the MacBook is used exclusively for music production and treated like an instrument in its own right. Ableton Live, a digital audio workstation platform intended mainly for live performance, is the go-to performance tool for many professionals and, although cross-platform, has a long history of use on Mac computers. There are a few basic steps that will help you optimize a MacBook for use with Ableton Live rig.
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Things You'll Need
- Defragmentation program such as iDefrag
- Mac-compatible external audio interface
- High-quality FireWire cables
Instructions
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Close all other applications and unnecessary background processes such as Dashboard to free up as much CPU and RAM as possible prior to performance.
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Disable Bluetooth and AirPort, unless they are needed to interface with another performance element, such as a Bluetooth microphone. Both can be turned off in OS X's System Preferences dialog, accessed by clicking its icon on the Dock.
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Choose an external audio interface that also functions as a sound card and is well-supported for the Mac platform, such as the Apogee Duet, RME Babyface or MOTU MicroBook. Apogee products in particular are designed to be used exclusively on Macs and offer excellent audio quality alongside compatibility.
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Take some of the pressure off the MacBook during performances by using the audio interface to do as much of the sound processing as possible. In most cases, these devices can function as sound cards, replacing the MacBook's internal sound card. Consult the interface's documentation for details on these functions.
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Buy the highest-quality FireWire cables you can afford if your audio interface is a FireWire device. Cable quality can make all the difference in effective data transmission.
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Run a disk defragmentation tool such as iDefrag on a regular basis. MacBooks used for everyday purposes generally do not require regular defragmentation, but audio production will exert a powerful impact on your machine. "Defragging" once every few months is generally a good idea and will help maintain the stability of your Ableton Live rig.
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Upgrade your MacBook's RAM to the maximum possible amount. As of the date of publication, most MacBook Pros can handle up to 8GB of RAM. The more RAM you have, the more room you have to run software synthesizers and samplers within Ableton Live.
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Tips & Warnings
Use the MacBook for nothing else if you intend to use it for live performances. In this case, it should be treated like any other dedicated audio equipment.
Resources
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
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Comments
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Its not necessary to defrag Mac drive everyday. But, if you are working with with large files and have low space at drive then you should defrag Macbook at least every week with Stellar Drive Defrag.
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Its not necessary to defrag Mac drive everyday. But, if you are working with with large files and have low space at drive then you should defrag Macbook at least every week.
