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Using Cakewalk w/ VMWare for Linux?

thal needs help with the following issue: "I just installed the VMWare for Linux demo on my Pentium II 233 with 64 Megs of RAM to make a virtual machine for my Win95 partition. What I'd like to do with it is use the Cakewalk Win95 multitrack music recorder inside of the virtual machine so I don't have to reboot. I know that I'll have to upgrade my processor and memory to do this well, but I want to know for sure it will work well before I put down the cash. With my current setup, giving Windows 32 Megs of RAM, I can't even get an .MP3 file to play without sounding a little bit choppy. Is this an inherent problem with VMWare's interaction with the audio hardware, or is this something I can fix by throwing money at it? Would a Pentium II 450 with 128 RAM suffice? Or should I just scrap the VMWare thing and buy a simple dedicated machine for this task? "

9 comments

  1. VMWare and sound by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I own (and really like) VMWare, but if you are thinking of doing heavy sound/processor work, I would recommend getting a dedicated separate machine. Why? VMWare only supports SB16 sound output and even simple sound output is choppy on my K62-333 with 64 MB dedicated to VMWare. I read on a VMWare message board that anything machine intensive (like sound) really takes a large hit under VMWare and they are working on fixing this, but for the time being play it safe and get a dedicated machine. At least try VMWare on a similar setup before upgrading. Tyler

  2. vmware does not support midi by josepha48 · · Score: 1

    I just downloaded vmware yesterday, and they do not support midi sound yet. It will probably run the application, but you will not be able to use an external midi device. This may mean that you may not be able to use sound unless you save it as a wave or au file. I'd recommend that either you use Rosegardsn for your music composition, or you try wine. If neither of those satisfy your needs you'll probably need to have an actual windows machine to use it, which may mean a DUAL boot or a seperate machine.

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    Only 'flamers' flame!

  3. dedicated machine is the way to go by swonkdog · · Score: 1

    i do a lot of music composition and i've found that as much money as you through into putting a dual purpose machine together it's actually cheaper (and easier) to just build a dedicated machine. personally i use a low-speed machine for music (486-66), but it's dedicated and does the job very well (would be nice to be faster though), and a high-speed (k6/2-333) for linux. my suggestion is to use your pii 233 as the music machine (dedicated (using (gasp) windows) and go ahead and buy the parts for a pii 450 and use that as your linux machine. you will want to use the 128MB ram in the music box and swap down to 64MB in the linux box (unless you can afford to upgrade (if so, do it)) unless, of course, you do more music (or music is a primary source of income) then simply reverse my suggestion.

  4. Dedicated _MAC_ by The+Iconoclast · · Score: 1
    Get a dedicated machine, and make it a MAC! Sound processing was MADE for those things (or is it the other way around? :-)

    A wealthy eccentric who marches to the beat of a different drum. But you may call me "Noodle Noggin."

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    Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati
    1. Re:Dedicated _MAC_ by lscoughlin · · Score: 1

      all i have to say is
      ewwww

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      Old truckers never die, they just get a new peterbilt
  5. Take a MAC as dedicated machine,runnes Linux, too! by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    And if you do so: visit www.prosonic.com. The best audio software made, ever! angel'o'sphere

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    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  6. ARGGG! www.prosiniq.com by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    watch the 'Q', instead of the 'c'.
    angel'o'sphere

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  7. Sound solutions by X-Nc · · Score: 1

    As most responces have said, your best bet is to have a dedicated system for this. If you're going to be doing any seriuos sound work that is really the only viable option. As for using VMware a CPU and memory upgrade will help and the next version (v1.1) that's currentlly in beta has fixed a LOT of the sound choppyness problems but I don't know if they've got midi support (yet).

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    If I actually could spell I'd have spelled it right in the first place.
  8. Get a seperate box. by Trixter · · Score: 1

    Sound emulation is not something done lightly or easily under any OS/platform. Just set up a 486 or equivalent to do sound recording. Add a network card, and you can record to some network drive.

    Works for me very well.