need to here your inputs on an old mac

M

mojovoodoo

New member
ok this weekend iam psyched!!!i will be recieving a computer!!but ,the gift bearer says that this macintosh is anywhere from 5-10 years old.i am not gonna bitch,it's a gift!!but do you all know about this as far as home studio application?will i be able to use this for the newer stuff like cakewalk or digi001 ,(that seems to get the highest praise)anyway,i will make this the main computer if i can use it for all my studio work,if this is possible,and keep on upgrading,if that is possible,or.....should i just use this for menial tasks,and when i get my cash buy a home made studio computer,customized..i can get this ol'mac customized as well,for the person giving it is in the know on building my needs for me.please anyone care to tell me what i am in for.as far as my knowledge,in my first thread here i am just beginning with studios by way of computers,so way entry level------thanks
 
Don't get too excited yet or it'll be a long drop when reality hits you ;)

Seriously, a Mac that's 5-10 years old will not be able to do very much. Maybe if you hooked up a real ProTools system (not a Digi001, which requires a modern, powerful host computer) or something like that it might be useable. Or if you only wanted to run a MIDI sequencer... But it will almost certainly not have the right stuff to record audio. It'll be too slow to do very much at all.
 
ok,i can live with that,but,what if ,the computer got a little re-worked,like say it got some new stuff thrown in to make it faster,and contain more memory and all that?because like i said the person that is giving it to me,can build a computer for me with the right money,but is this pointless?sounds like,if i am right in assuming,it may be a pain in the ass.so,ok i will just use it for the internet,and really small things that it can handle ,like maybe a back up storage computer.then in 2001 buy myself a serious computer for my home studio,and do it up right.save myself freom any heartache,yes?
 
What is it ?

Hi Mojo! One Question, Is this mac atleast a PowerMac ? If not, you can prettymuch count it out for recording audio. I would say if your gonna record audio with a mac you atleast need a PowerMac that can utilize a PCI card. The earlier PowerMacs ran on what was called a Nubus system. You can still get a Nubus digidesign audiomediaII soundcard on like E-Bay or something, but your software choices are going to be very limited. Cakewalks Metro will run on the Macs sound manager so you don't need a soundcard, but your limited to only one track at a time. The biggest problem your gonna have with recording audio on a nonPCI Mac is that you'll most likley need a SCSI accelerator to speed up the data transfer to your harddrive which has to be big and fast, I would say 4GB 7200 RPM's for any kind of decent setup. And I would think that accelerator card will be tough to find for a Nubus Mac. But as long as you have atleast a PowerPC(PowerMac), your "golden" for midi sequencing, even some pre powerMac Macs will sequence. Say a big Quadra850 or 950.
GoodLuck Man, T.
 
Hey MJVD...

Sorry dude... these guys speak the truth... you can use it for word processing, maybe storing your recipes on (using FileMaker Pro or HyperCard), but not much else... you can sure as hell forget about audio applications!!!

Bruce Valeriani
Blue Bear Sound
 
it is only 4 years old,not that old ,but old enough.it is a mac proforma,my friend that was on it last night helping(not a musician,nor a computer whiz)but he says that it has a 7.1 mac processer?sounds like good for making health drinks,definitely not musical applications.it has a floppy disc format instead of the traditional discs all use now,i can't even seem to find a startr floppy disc for aol(that's the only free one,right?)because my brother configured the modem to be fast,it is gonna be my computer for the internet,spend all my time at my day job on this site,i used to get reprimanded ,but then i don't feel as bad as the other guys in this office who spend the whole day looking at pornography.in fact i love this site.i have learned more from talking with all you people than i wouldf asking questions in a music store(well ,those guys just want you to buy their equipment,they don't wanna educate,help,or advise,that ain't their job)anyway,as long as got the mac for contact with the other world,and maybe putzin around,then i buy my real computer,but,after readinfg several arguments,for and against computer recording.i am so undecided.i want to progress in the production world yes,like eventually hook up gigs doing sound and music for film,t.v. or whatever bread and butter is thrown my way,but i won't be able to do trhis or be taken seriously,lest i possess recording equipment in the computer /sound card world.am i coreect in that assumption?
 
Most old mac's that i've dealt with are major memory hoggs. Before you do anything with it, put as much RAM as it will allow in it. Sorry dude, sounds like you've got a clunker.
 
Check This out

It sounds like if it's a "PERFORMA" it's probably got a 68030 processor in it. If you look in the apple menu, you'll see right at the top, the "Apple Systems Profiler". This will tell you what processor is in there, Plus how many MHz your running at probably 33. The systems profiler might be in the control panels, depending on your OS. If this is a powermac it will say PowerPC on the front. Apple started another performa line after they came out with the powermacs. Not for long though. If this is the case, you probably have a 603 processor at about 180 MHz. If you look in the apple menu you will see first on the list, "About this computer". This will tell you what OS is installed. Also how much RAM you have. "DABLUESMAN" is right. (Even still) Apples are memory hogs. Load that sucker to the max. Let me know what you got my curiosity is runnin' wild now.
Good Luck, T.
 
but even so,then what ?i can't do anything right?it is still a clunker,i will be looking at it tonight and then let you know tomorrow,see this is a bitch i can't even get internet access ,because not one store has a floppy disc for starting a program.what happened?everybody throw out their floppy discs?so i am still limited to using the net at work,9-5 est,frustrating,because i would ultimately like to have the net at home in my studio so,if i got a question,i can go find out asap,as opposed to waiting the next day at work,and waiting for the weekend to be over.this is rediculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!.but i know exactly what you are talking about,i have been going in the system trying to delete all th unnecessary useless little programs taking up space,like games ,and term papers from the previous owner,all this pointless space used up for things i can't use,there is a folder for every little thing,even AOL was on there before,but i can't re-install withiout the hardware.i am so computer illiterate,especially mac,i am changing that,for i want to use as much to my advantage,but what you guys are saying,to put in as much RAm as possible right?you mean just for daily use without musical application?because i do not see how this will work for a starter studio.but the performer 6such and suchis right,that's what i have.i will go and find out tonight all the particulars.thanx,please respond
 
CD ROM

O.K., Is this a small thin looking mac, like say about 4" high ? If so there is no room inside for a CD ROM. You can always go to E-Bay and get an external CD ROM and hook it to the SCSI port on the back. The good thing about an External CD ROM is , You can always hook it up to a newer computer you get. So it's not like your sinking money into this thing. Think of it as sinking money into any future systems you may aquire also. As far as the RAM issue goes. "YES" I would boost your RAM just for everyday Internet use. You can never have to much RAM.
T.

;)I'm here with ya brother. It's not everyday I get to talk on here about my beloved Macs. I don't care what anybody says I love'em there Cool systems.
 
ohhhhh, no cd-rom!?! I work for an internet service provider, and I remember having one hell of a time tring to get those things up and running on the net.. good luck!
 
I don't understand

dabluesman said:
ohhhhh, I remember having one hell of a time tring to get those things up and running on the net.. good luck!
Click to expand...
Trying to get a CD ROM running ? What was hard about it?
 
aaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ok there is not one store around that has an AOL start software in floppy disc!!!!i am starting to think that floopy disc is obsolete.i just want to have internet access at home,i don't want much!!so now i got to call aol and wait for them to send me a floppy disc,could take forever,it's one of those "hurry up and wait "situations.no,t.j.on my computer,i don't believe i have any room for cd rom,pardon my ignorance,but,is the cd rom,the main part of the computer?the part with all the info and memory?that big tower ?or is the cd rom just a part of the tower?is the tower the same as the hard drive?and all this ,the cd rom ,that must be a small part of it,yes? irealize how silly and ignorant i sound,but i need to know a few things to better understand.i think i have a grasp,it;'s just that the lingo ,or vocabulary ,rather,so please a thousand apologies for all the stupidity and what you're saying about not having to buy a cd rom later,is it possible that what i get now ,will be able to do the job later for multi-tracking?and does the cd rom have anything to do with the RAM?and how much should i expect to pay for the cd rom?also,t.j.,i was not able to get to my computer last night,to tell you what it has.the drag is that it looks like i won't be getting the internet any time soon ,so the only time i can visit this site is at work.but the computer is a small monitor,nice color graphics,the hard drive(i think that's what it's called?the part where you put in the discs and the keyboard and the modem?)yeah it's like 6 inches high a little smaller than the normal ones ,but it's not thin in any way,the modem,is this small thing,like the size of an ART tube pre amp,but i was told my brother upgraded it to 56?(is that the rightnumber?or should there be a letter or more after or before?)anyway,i am gonna do that ,as you say,and try somehow to get the internet on floppy disc,because i won't get my tax return cash until at least february(i file asap ,get direct deposit)then i am gonna get a real computer,no fuss no mess no hassle,this is the right thing to do,yes?
 
This is very simple

O.K. The Part that your monitor sits on. Where you insert the floppy disk, and plug in your keyboard, monitor, and modem. The part you plug into the wall. That is your CPU(Computer Programming Unit/Central Processing Unit, I don't know). This contains your harddrive(harddisk),and your floppy diskdrive, If you had one it would also contain your CD ROM drive(what you put a CD into). If you had a CD ROM drive you could just get what ever you wanted on CD, and not worry about the floppy, which is still used but, "YES" just about obsolete. I think what you have is a desktop CPU. The Tower you are talking about is just another form of CPU that stands next to your monitor, rather than your monitor sitting on it. They both contain pretty much the same thing. Nobody makes desktops anymore there all towers now. I don't know anything about AOL because I think it "SUCKS", so I can't help you there. Is this unit all in one (the monitor and every thing is all one unit) if so you should have room for CD ROM. A CD ROM on E-Bay should cost anywhere from $15.00 to $50.00 depending on what you get. They are classified by how fast they run. There is 2x,4x,8x, 16x,24x,32x, they got faster as time went on just like everything else, and now they have DVD ROMs. Which can play DVD movies. I would recommend a 4x if we can use an internal drive. Atleast an 8x if we have to go external. Either way I need to know what this computer says on the front of it as far as, Is it a performa 476,575,6300 you know ? The numbers. Than I can tell you exactly what we are dealing with here. This CD ROM deal should not be a problem at all. If it can go inside, it should just plug right in. All the wires and such are already there.
Let Me Know, T.
 
hello?still out there?

tj,you still there?ok,finally,i am gonna get the internet this weekend(hopefully,i know these delivery things can be unpredictable!)i wanted to sit in front of the computer and tell you exactly what i gots.but i know it is a desktop, it has a separate hard drive(am i supposed to put the monitor on top?what about the holes for breathing?)no cd rom capability,so yes,i must buy one,need to hear you embellish on the 2x4x6x8x theory,still a bit overwhelmed and baffled by so much info,it's a b*tch catching up to this technology in a few months!!anyway,i think,i will tell you fer sure over da weekend,that it is a performa 6300,probably most likely.just last night i starting throwing out the previous owners personaL stuff,and going through apple's tutorials on how to use ,i kept thinkin'"wow this is old"and played a few games,old graphics,yet it is kinda neat.i am so used to windows from work w/ right click and left click.the mouse from the mac is click and drag,it's its own entity altogether.kinda cool though.i really wish i could use it for some audio applications.because i can't get the built custom computer 'til 2001,feb or so.anywAy i'm'onna' tellya whazup.thanx
 
Re: I don't understand

T.J.Hooker said:
dabluesman said:
ohhhhh, I remember having one hell of a time tring to get those things up and running on the net.. good luck!
Click to expand...
Trying to get a CD ROM running ? What was hard about it?
Click to expand...

Not tring to get a CD ROM installed, just tring to get those old mac's up and running on the net (without a cd rom.)
 
uh oh!

you mean i got even more headaches to look forward to?great!~!does it help any that my brother added a faster modem,like as fast as the mac will let it?
 
Don't get discouraged Mojo. A 56k modem is the fastest modem you can get.(good deal) As far as the CD speed(2x,4x,8x,etc.)
Look at it like this, A 10 horsepower motor is faster(morepowerful) than a 5 horsepower motor. An 8x CdROM is faster than a 4x CdROM. The CD is a necessary item. Otherwise your in for headaches as Dabluesman was saying. I'm still dyin' to know just what exactly this mac is.
I'm Here, T.
 
yo T.J.,here is ALL the specs from my computer,watch out there's plenty of info,and s

ok ,t.j.,this is what i got: 66/33-MHz Motorola 68LC040 with 32-bit data bus (66-MHz processor/33-MHz data bus)
Memory
* 36MB of memory. Utilizes 72 pin, 80ns memory.
Disk Drives
* One built-in Apple SuperDrive 1.4MB floppy disk drive
* One internal 250MB IDE type hard disk
* Optional internal CD-ROM drive
Video Display
* Comes with Apple Performa Plus Display: 14-inch RGB Color Monitor color
display, 640-pixel by 480-pixel resolution, 0.28-mm dot pitch, noninterlaced
* Supports Apple displays of up to 15 inches
* Works with a wide range of third-party VGA and SVGA displays
* 1MB DRAM display support, independent from system DRAM
* Standard 16-bit color for display of up to 32,768 colors on monitors of up
to 14 inches and on 15-inch monitors at 640- by 480-pixel resolution
* Standard 8-bit color for display of 256 colors on 15-inch monitors at
800-pixel by 600-pixel resolution
Modem
* Comes with TelePort/Bronze for Macintosh Performa from Global Village
Communications: 9,600-bps send-only fax and 2,400-bps send and receive data
Interfaces
* One Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) port supports a keyboard, mouse, and other
devices

-----

Power and speed
---------------
* 66/33-MHz Motorola 68LC040 with 32-bit data bus
(66-MHz processor/33-MHz data bus)

Memory
------
* 52 MBRAM

Display
-------
* Supports Apple displays of up to 15 inches
* Works with a wide range of third-party VGA and SVGA displays
* 1MB DRAM display support, independent from system DRAM
* Standard 16-bit color for display of up to 32,768 colors on monitors of
up to 14 inches and on 15-inch monitors at 640- by 480-pixel resolution
* Standard 8-bit color for display of 256 colors on 15-inch monitors at
800-pixel by 600-pixel resolution
* Two (RS-232/RS-422) serial ports
* SCSI interface port for connecting up to six external peripheral devices
(five in configurations with internal CD-ROM player)
* Internal expansion slot compatible with most Macintosh Performa 400 and
500 series, Macintosh Quadra 605, Macintosh LC II, LC III, LC 475, LC 520,
and LC 575 processor-direct cards
* Communications slot for future addition of either Ethernet card or
14.4-baud fax/modem card
* Video slot for NTSC, PAL, and SECAM video-input card
* Dedicated connector for internal TV tuner
* One standard monitor port also supports connection to external video-out
(NTSC or PAL) drop box
Audio capabilities
* 8-bit on-board Stereo sound output and mono sound in
Networking
* Built-in AppleTalk port
Keyboard and Mouse
* AppleDesign Keyboard
* Apple Desktop Bus Mouse II
Clock/Calendar
* Custom integrated circuit with long-life lithium battery
Disability Access
* CloseView, Easy Access, and the ability to substitute visual cue for beep
included with system software. These built-in solutions and third-party
options provide alternative input and output devices for people with
disabilities.
Electrical Requirements
100-240 volts AC, 50-60 Hz
Power: 45 W maximum, not including monitor
ADB Power Requirements
500ma maximum draw
Size and Weight
* Height: 4.3 in. (10.95 cm)
* Width: 12.6 in. (32 cm)
* Depth: 16.5 in. (41.95 cm)
* Weight: 19 lb. (8.6 kg) with CD-ROM player (varies based on internal
devices installed)
Operating Environment
Operating temperature 50 F to 104 F (10 C to 40 C)
Storage temperature -4í F to 116.6 F (-40 C to 47 C)
Relative Humidity 5% to 95% noncondensing
Altitude Works below 10,000 feet (3048 m)
 
Where did you get this info ?

What are the numbers on the front of your CPU ?
It should say performa and then a number like 476 or 575 or something like that. Your right, that is alot of good info, but a couple things don't seem to add up, like, I don't think there was ever a 68LC040 that ran at 66MHz. Also, I think IDE drives are fairly new in Macs. If you can get those numbers from the front of your machine, I can tell you exactly what you have, and what you can do with it. You can get all the specs for any machine apple ever made right from the apple website. Either way "CDROM is where it's at Brother". Floppys only hold 1.4 Megabytes so that's why there not to useful anymore. Most files are bigger than that now. I'm not trying to make this harder on you, I really want to help, but we need the numbers off the front of that machine.
P.S., I love this shit, it's fun is'nt it!? , T.
 
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