Gig Performer | Optimize your Mac for a Gig

Gig Performer | Optimize your Mac for a Gig:

Apple computers running macOS have great support for real-time audio and MIDI and typically do not require much optimization – however you may still want to make sure that your performance is neither impacted nor interrupted by other running processes. We have compiled a list of tips to help you get the best experience out of your Mac for your live performance.

All tips and screenshots were made using macOS Monterey 12.1, the latest version of macOS available at the time of writing

[It might be easier to have a operate account for live gigs… unless the computer is dedicated to live performance. That’s a lot of stuff to switch on and off.]

Time to create

If you haven’t, you should watch “Get Back” the Beatles documentary. Because, ya know, The Beatles.

But if that’s not enough of a reason, here’s another. Many businesses, even those that wish to consider themselves creative in nature, don’t understand the need for slack time or space.

It’ll be easy by now to find a clip of Paul McCartney strumming his bass and pulling Get Back out of the ether. There was no “C’mon Paul, we’ve other things to do!” From the other band members, or the notion of “grinding” that some successful people have embedded in our culture. Work the weekends! Stay late! Up early. Work all day, train all night! That doesn’t work for creativity.

And to be certain I was guilty of the personal version of this when I stayed up late because I find the lack of “traffic” (phones calls, dropping in people to say hi, and vice versa, and lots more) soothing. No FOMO, no I can’t believe I missed you and had to give the gig to this other person.

Still, that’s not how creativity works.

I understand that if you are a professional song writer, or painter, or podcaster, there’s a certain amount of “Just get on with it!” that is necessary. And certainly you can create environments more or less conducive to inspiration. But in the end…as the saying goes you can’t hurry love.

It’s important to develop techniques for progress. Don’t get stuck on the words… anything that fits will do, as the word pomegranate fills in for future and final for George. But we shouldn’t confuse that sort of technique for setting a ten song goal if you want something inspired to be the result.

Don’t be afraid to leave time to create all kinds of stuff, and let them ripen in their own good time.

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