Gramsci wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 3:59 pm Apple computer question.

I’ve got an old 2013 iMac that I use for mostly GarageBand for my kids. It’s been updated as far as it can be but is grindingly slow. Anyone know if this is due to having upgraded the operating system beyond its capabilities, and if so is it possible to roll back the OS? Blanking it is fine.

Sometimes it's just time for a new one.

twelvepoint wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 8:26 pm Can you throw more RAM at it? It was awhile ago, but I had a Mac mini (2011ish) that slowed after an upgrade and I was able to run it pretty well for a long time with a RAM upgrade.

Unfortunately the RAM is soldered in on that model.

It’s just for the kids to use GarageBand with a keyboard. I did a bit of googling and it looks like a full OS reinstall could be the trick. Nothing to lose so I’ll try.

Benson Preamp pedals - what's your opinion on these? I see them everywhere, and Electrical Audio Experiments did a collaboration with them, which makes me suspect they're not crap. But they seem pretty hyped up.

jirbling rake wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2025 11:58 pm Benson Preamp pedals - what's your opinion on these? I see them everywhere, and Electrical Audio Experiments did a collaboration with them, which makes me suspect they're not crap. But they seem pretty hyped up.

I have one and really like it. It’s designed to mirror the preamp section of one of their amps with FETs instead of tubes, but at the end of the day it’s just another overdrive pedal. I’d love to try it direct in front of a cab IR though and see how it sounds. Just haven’t yet. I use it when I want a richer more saturated sound out my Princeton Reverb at reasonable volumes. It’s got a nice voicing and the treble and bass controls are usable through their range. It’s a little noisy.

You’ll either love it or be underwhelmed depending on the type of person and expectations you have. I’m the type of person that really likes multiple gain stages in my signal to find my overall sound most of the time.

Does anybody have any experience with these little guys?

Ampeg SVT Micro VR 200-watt Classic

https://imgur.com/a/8hWclnc

Will it pair nicely with two big ol' GK 4x10 cabinets?
It's not for practicing at home, it's for playing loud.

We've been borrowing a little Quilter bass thing since the old GK400RB quit and that works pretty well for us, it's just time to stop borrowing it all the time.

twelvepoint wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 8:26 pm Can you throw more RAM at it? It was awhile ago, but I had a Mac mini (2011ish) that slowed after an upgrade and I was able to run it pretty well for a long time with a RAM upgrade.

Actually a rather laborious complete wipe and reinstall worked like a charm.

Nice! I don't think I'd dare do that with a Mac - go backward on the OS, but well done!

twelvepoint wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2025 3:25 pm Nice! I don't think I'd dare do that with a Mac - go backward on the OS, but well done!

considering Apple have in the past forced obsolescence with updates, I would dare.

Kniferide wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2025 4:41 pm

twelvepoint wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2025 3:25 pm Nice! I don't think I'd dare do that with a Mac - go backward on the OS, but well done!

considering Apple have in the past forced obsolescence with updates, I would dare.

I’m reasonably IT savvy so it was relatively straightforward, just work. If anyone has an old Mac 2013 on, that’s grinding like a stripper I’d recommend doing a complete rebuild. I backed up the files I wanted to keep and wiped it back to the boot disk. Before you do that download Catalina from Apple and put that on a compatible hard drive. Make sure you have any apps like GarageBand, iMovie on your App Store previously installed list.

Then reinstalled Mountain Lion from scratch. That’s so old almost nothing works. You can’t even open the Apple website. Immediately install Catalina. Then update it. From there I found an old version of Opera 140, which works and has a free vpn for those sweet Piratebay torrents. You can also install Transmission for said torrents. Sign in with your Apple ID.

For Apple apps just download via App Store in your previous purchases. It will prompt you that you can install a compatible version.

Honestly, it’s now working like a dream.

Teacher's Pet wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2025 1:54 pm Does anybody have any experience with these little guys?

Ampeg SVT Micro VR 200-watt Classic

https://imgur.com/a/8hWclnc

Will it pair nicely with two big ol' GK 4x10 cabinets?
It's not for practicing at home, it's for playing loud.

We've been borrowing a little Quilter bass thing since the old GK400RB quit and that works pretty well for us, it's just time to stop borrowing it all the time.

It's a very fun unit. I know Christian from Wh0res used it as a backup guitar amp for euro tours, since it can take global voltages.

For bass, it can be right on the edge of being enough. If you're in a screaming loud band, it might not do it. Otherwise, solid. I think the woman who played bass in the most recent Gang of Four tour used one live. Still, they played legit venues with good on-stage sound and FOH systems, so if it wasn't quite enough, they could cheat it.

It will pair great with big cabs, and probably sounds better that way. The fan can be quite noisy. People around work have replaced them with aftermarket fans

These heads rule ass, and I helped with a bit of the SGT design.
https://ampeg.com/products/venture-bass-amplifiers/