A few questions before I buy Logic Pro (also anyone use M-Audio Ozone w/it?

Hello. I just bought a mac (my first one). I plan on getting Logic Pro, but have a few questions.
-Do I need an audio interface to use the program?
-Does anyone use the M-Audio Ozone with Logic? If so, do you recommend it? I know USB isn't as fast as Firewire
-If the Ozone isn't a good audio interface, which M-Audio interface do you recommend? (i might be using Protools M-Powered as well so that's why I want M-Audio)
-Is there a plugin similar to McDSP Filterbank for Logic?
I won't have too much hardware so I don't need too many ins/outs.
Thanks

Ok well do you have a piano? If you take courses you probably need a full piano unless you only want to do synths and pop music, the Ozone will not do. Do take this into consideration, 25 keys is very very small. The cheapest best piano IMHO is the Yamaha P60; piano playing needs weighted keys.
The audio interface converts analog sound to digital and transfers it to the computer. The latency comes from the transport (firewire, usb, IDE), from the computer (software, operating system and drivers) and from the analog/digital conversion. The audio interface also does the reverse, it provides many outputs for speakers and headphones. It can also optionaly provide MIDI I/O.
There are MIDI only input/outputs too, which allow you to plug in any MIDI device, such as a Yamaha P60 piano for instance.
The controller is usually a piano like device (some aren't, they provide only buttons) that sends MIDI information to other MIDI devices (like Logic, via the computer's MIDI I/O). Synths can act as MIDI controllers but provide much more (such as the ability to generate sound).
The Ozone is both, it displays itself as a MIDI controller through it's keyboard and 8 control knobs, as well as an audio interface with 2 inputs and 1 output. That's why it's good at what it does, it's cheap and compact and does all basic IO. But if you won't record anything, a normal MIDI controller is enough. But if you have monitors, maybe the output from the Mac isn't good enough. In terms of sonic quality the Ozone is okay.

Similar Messages

  • Few Questions Before I Buy!

    I want to buy this laptop in future for university but have a few questions before hand. Can you change the video card like on a regular computer or is that not on option? When I buy the laptop it comes with the current OSX, but when Leopard comes out how much will it cost to upgrade or is it free? Which Ram memory is suggested for installing after purchase? And finaly, Does BootCamp run effectively on this Machine. Thanks in Advanced.

    Can you change the video card like on a regular computer or is that not on option?
    The GPU cannot be changed.
    When I buy the laptop it comes with the current OSX, but when Leopard comes out how much will it cost to upgrade or is it free?
    The cost to upgrade has been $US129 in the past. Whether it stays the same for Leopard is unknown although it shouldn't be too different to that.
    Which Ram memory is suggested for installing after purchase?
    For simplicity you might want to think about buying the RAM from Apple. However, if you want to go 3rd party there's aplenty of choices such as Crucial, Kingston, Samsung etc. Just be sure to buy RAM that has been explicitly tested in an MBP (it'll say so).
    And finaly, Does BootCamp run effectively on this Machine.
    Very.

  • A few questions before I buy a new iMac/Mac mini and sign up for Creative Cloud.

    Hello Everyone,
    I am looking to purchase a new Apple computer and sign up for Creative Cloud within the next week and I have a few questions that should be answered before I proceed.
    My wife and I own a business and we will be using the CS6 apps to create brochures, Constant Contact mailings, product package inserts, edit product photography for print and web use, and short HD how-to videos. We are not graphics professionals or power users and wont be doing anything too complicated.
    Any help and answers will be greatly appreciated.
    I will start with the hardware questions first:
    I am trying to decide between the iMac and the Mac mini.
    The iMac is a 2.7Ghz Quad-core Intel core i5 and comes with 4GB of memory that is expandable to 16GB, which I will do for sure. It comes with a Radeon HD 6770M graphics card with 512MB of GDDR5 memory(not upgradable), and a 1TB HDD that runs at 7200RPM. This unit meets the specs required.
    The 2.5Ghz Mac Mini comes with 4GB of memory that is expandable to 8GB, I will also do this. It has a Radeon HD 6630M graphics card with 256MB of GDDR5 memory(not upgradable), and a 500GB HDD that runs at 5400RPM. This unit meets all the spec(I think) except for the speed of the HDD.
    Question: Will the mini run the software without too much of an issue considering the speed of the HDD?
    Question: Will the iMac run the software significantly better to justify the price difference?
    I already have 1 mini(purchased 4 months ago, with the same specs listed above) and will be purchasing a second computer for my wifes desk. If the mini will run CS6 fine, that is great and we can save a few bucks. If my mini will not run CS6 well, I will get the iMac for her desk as she will be doing the bulk of the work in that regard anyway.
    Now a couple of software questions.
    After reading hundreds of reviews and forum posts over the last few days I have seen many people having this or that issue. It seems to me that most of the issues are because of upgrades from Lion to Mountian Lion after installing CS6 first or trying to open CS3,4,5 files in CS6.
    If you want to know what issues have me concerned take a look at just this one forum:
    http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2012/07/adobe-cs-apps-mountain-lion-no-known-issues.html
    Similar issues are discussed in the Apple forums as well as many other places around the web.
    I am not a computer professional but I know enough to maintain my systems and keep them running smoothly.
    We do not have any Adobe software installed on my mini and will not be opening any files from previous versions of Adobe product in the new CS6 software. These will be a clean installs on pristine systems running fully updated Mountian Lion OS's on both machines and creating new files from scratch.
    Question: Should I be expecting any issues like the ones I have read in the forums and blogs or are these just the normal things that happen when upgrading to new software with multiple hardware configurations?
    My feeling is that we will not be having too much of a problem due to the clean installs and no files from previous versions.
    Next up, the Creative Cloud(CC) FAQ states that you can install on 2 machines but can't open stuff at the same time.
    Question: Does this mean we can't be using any CS6 apps at the same time or just not using the same app at the same time?
    Example: PS and PS on both machines at same time = No, PS on one and Dreamweaver on the other at the same time=Yes?
    The CC FAQ page says Adobe will add Lightroom 4 later in 2012 while the main CC page lists it as available now.
    Question: Which is true?
    My mini is registered to me, with my name, iTunes account, Apple ID etc.
    Question: Do I need to do the initial set-up of the new machine with all my information to ensure the CS6 suite works on both machines? Do the computers need to be registered(as far as Apple configuration is concerned) to same person for them to work on one CC account or can I install CS6 on any 2 machines regardless of how they were initially set-up?
    This may seem like a silly question but I want to avoid any problems before they happen.
    Well, those are all of my questions at the moment. To anyone who made it this far in my looooong post, Thank You so much for your time. I appreciate your expertise and knowledge and hope that you can help me make this decision.
    Cheers,
    Alex Bogdan

    Alex,
    I'll try and answer your questions as best I can.
    Qn 1 Which Mac.
    Ans:- As I understand it both units will run Adobe CS6.
              Which one really depends on what you wand from CS6. If you are looking for high end demand and performance, then I would go for the IMac
              Your Specs for the Imac are right. However if you buy your IMac straight from Apple there are even higher specs.
              You can get:-
                                  3.4 GHz i7 processor rather than the i5
                                   2GB video card as opposed to a 1Gb video card.
                                   Of course such a model will cost you more.
              In the end it is needs compared with money to spend. That is only a decision you cam make.
    Q2:- Will the higher cost for the Imac justify copst.
    Ans:- Again it depends on what demands you intend to make on the hardware and software.
              But I note you have a business and if that businees expects to high demand and high speedy performance then I suspect the Imac would be more able to provide your needs.
              Again only you will know the answer to that.
    Q3:- Questions about CS6 reliability
    Ans:- I have been with Adobe for way over 10 years.
             Speaking, only for myself, it is the most reliable software on the market.
              It is true that if you look down this form, like any other and I am thinking about the Apple discussions forum, you will find numerous instances of problems.
              Again this is only my opinion, but although all these problems are real for the individuals:-
              First it is not clear why they have the problem e.g. what have they done or not done.
              Second, they are in the minority of the total users using the hardware / software.
              The only problem I am aware of with CS6 is Acrobat X. I understand it has been sorted Adobe, however it cost me so much work I have removed it from my system and reverted to Acrobat 9
              So what I am saying is that there are only two comapnies I rely 100% on: They are Adobe and Apple.
             So if you are happy with my opinion I would not worry about Adobe CS6
    Qn 4:- CS6 0n 2 machines.
    Ans:- Yes you will not be able to run the same program similtaneosly.
               I believe, if it is important that you do run the same program together, that you can acquire a further licience from Adobe to do that.
               You would need to contact Adobe about that.
    Qn 5:- Lightroom 4
    Ans:- Lightroom is now available as part of Creative Cloud.
    Qn 6:- Set up for individual machines
    Ans:- I do not believe you do. Once you have set up your Creative Cloud account you go to the apps site and download the apps for each machine.
              Each machine downloads the apps and your machine and the apps are registered by Adobe.
             Here is something that you may want to know:-
              Because I was so unhappy loosing all the Acrobat data with Acrobat X I ended up deleting Acrobat X
              However as far as Creative Cloud is concered Acrobat X is still on my machine.
              It is not a problem for me because I am happy with Acrobat 9, it fullfils my needs and has not crashed and lost me all my bookmarks.
              However here is the point:-
              Adobe, when there was a problem with Acrobat X requested that no-one deletes the application.
             Though I do not know for certain I believe registration of the apps you have with Creative Cloud are registered with Creative Cloud in their database. Therefore were you to delete an app, it will still be registered with Creative Cloud and you will not be able to download a further copy even though the app is no longer on your    machine.
              Therefore it maybe not a good idea to delete an app when you no longer have a use for it. If you want it back I suspect you will have to contact Adobe Support
    Personal Comment:-
              It is true many unfortunately have had all sorts of problems, including me with Acrobat X.
              That said, Creative Cloud in my view has been a major advance in how Adobe delivers software. I have no regrets with signing up to Creative Cloud and I expect to remain with it.
    Hope all of that goes some way to answering your questions.

  • A few questions before I buy the 13" air.

    I need to buy a laptop within the next week so I have a few questions about the air.
    Does the 13inch i5 version support hyperthreading to 4 cores and turbo boost?
    Is the difference in performance between the i5 and i7 worth it?
    Would the air be good enough to use word/PowerPoint with a lot of tabs open in chrome with no lag? (School laptop)
    Am I better off getting a 13inch BBP? Or is the air the same performance wise? (I don't need the DVD drive or ethernet)

    All the intel chips have the turbo boost. No MacBook Airs have quad core chips. They are only duo core. You need the pro book for the quad cores. As a school laptop the air is great because of the SSD. It opens quickly after moving while studying here and there. You can buy a pro book then eventually put a SSD in it if that is what you are looking for. But because apple makes all of their parts and software, you do not need as big of a cpu as you would need on a PC.

  • Few questions befor i buy a camera

    hi all its me again asking more questions.
    so here it is, i cant afford to buy a brand new camera looking at either the panasonic ag-dvx100 or the sony pd150/170 models which ever i can get for the cheapest
    ive seen quite a few for sale but most of them are ntsc which are for sale in the uk i will be using all FCS 2 etc would it be best to wait for a pal model or would it be safe to go with a ntsc model.
    thanx in advance
    adam

    simple answer....if u live in the UK....get PAL, if u live in the US....get NTSC.

  • A Few Questions Before I Buy

    Hi,
    I'm getting ready to buy a Mini(2Ghz, 320G, Upgrade to 4G RAM).
    I have a few things I could use some advice on.
    I plan to edit some video, SD not HD, home movies and self produced documentaries, nothing too complex.
    I would like to capture video from a MiniDV camcorder(FW) to an external FW400 drive. With one port, I'm not sure the best way to do it. Should I adapt the FW800 to 400, connect the drive then connect the camera to the drive, or should I get some type of hub? If I need the hub, I find plenty to split a FW400 port to multiple ports, but I don't seem to find anything that will connect to a FW800 port and split it out to FW400 ports. . . .
    I've spoken to a sales rep at the Apple store, and at 800-MY-APPLE. They both say this is no big deal just connect the camcorder to the Mini and away we go.
    Capture the video in iMovie, and then copy it to the external drive. OK, I'm no Guru here, but most of the information I've found on the www strongly discourages trying to capture DV to a 5400RPM drive, ESPECIALLY a system drive. I REALLY would like to hook up the External drive AND Camcorder at the same time.
    Once I have the video captured, I have a decision to make about editing software. Since my Camcorder doesn't have a mic input, I frequently capture my sound with a ZOOM H2 digital recorder. When I edit, I then have video, camera audio and a wav file from the ZOOM. To sync this audio track with the video, I need to slide the wav audio around the timeline with pretty fine resolution to match the video with good tight sync. In my experience with several PC editors, I've found this really difficult to do since most of them limit the editing of audio tracks to one frame accuracy, or 1/30th of a second, which is WAY too coarse to get really good sync with the picture.
    So, I'm wondering if iMovie would allow me to slide my audio around the timeline freely, or should I be considering Final Cut Express instead?
    After years of PC ****, I'm looking forward to the new Mac. Just want to make the right choices. . .
    Thanks for the help!
    JP

    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ministack/

  • A few questions before I buy an AirPort Extreme card

    My house and every house on my side of the street is just 10 feet shy of the "recommended" range of all DSL providers in my area. So, I have to stick with Dial-Up until I want digital cable, satellite, or until any one provider moves their office closer to my house. Since I don't want the first two, I've been thinking about buying an AirPort Extreme card, but I'm not 100% sure that it'll do what I want. If I buy one without a Base Station, will I be able to "piggyback," so to speak, onto one of my neighbors across the street's wireless network, providing they don't require a password form an outside source? My cousin has a MacBook G4, and he has AirPort Extreme already installed in the laptop; he's able to piggyback onto his girlfriend's network via her wireless router (I'm not positive what brand it is). I'm just wondering if I can do the same with my outdated, though reliable, computer.

    Hello Scrumptious Matt. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
    I've been thinking about buying an AirPort Extreme card, but I'm not 100% sure that it'll do what I want. If I buy one without a Base Station, will I be able to "piggyback," so to speak, onto one of my neighbors across the street's wireless network, providing they don't require a password form an outside source?
    The AirPort Extreme is 802.11g/b-compliant, and should be able to connect to any open Wi-Fi wireless network that is within range. For 802.11g AirPort base stations, the range is 50' for 802.11g, and 150' for 802.11b.

  • Few questions before I buy iPod 60GB

    Could I put DVD movies on this? How?
    Are there any real TV shows on podcasts?
    Are any better models coming out in the future(within a year)?
    Do the songs and videos I put on have to be from iTunes?
    Is this worth $400?
    iPod   Windows XP  

    You can put your DVD movies on your 60 GB iPod. I use Movkit-- you can download a free trial version. It's a one-stop converter from DVD to your iPod.
    I like the 60 GB. I use the extra space to keep a complete backup of my itunes library (obviously this is would not be of help if the whole ipod got lost or trashed, but is convenient for backups.) I also use the iPod as an off-computer backup for some of my other files.

  • Thinking Of Buying Logic Pro, A Few Questions.....

    Hi guys,
    I have recently just bought a 20" Intel imac and am seriously thinking of selling my current setup to buy Logic Pro 7;
    Current Setup
    Reason 3.0 (Def Sell)
    Mbox 2 + Pro Tools 7 LE (Def Sell)
    Roland V-Synth XT (May Keep)
    MPC 1000 (Def Keeping)
    The reason that I have listed my main components is so that you can advice me as to whether its worth me going through the hassle of changing, what I will lose / gain (as I understand that Logic comes with alot of built in instruments etc but may not have certain features of Pro Tools LE, i.e Beat Detective etc, but I am sure its prob better overall).
    I haven't really used Pro Tools LE yet so changing DAW isn't a problem from the standpoint of learning something new as I haven't yet learnt LE.
    I understand that I will need a new external sound card as well (like the Mbox) so any reccomendations on that would also be great.
    I also understand that Logic Pro 7.2 (the intel compatible version isn't out for a month or so) but thats fine as thus far my newly purchased Mbox 2 isn't compatible anyway and I am happy just getting my head round the new operating system for the MPC for the next month anyway
    So in a nutshell, to the Logic users out there, whats it like, pros / con's etc? Also what main differences are there between Pro and Express?
    Im gonna try googling a few reviews online but I have always trusted peoples opinions on here more so than magazine reviews so thanks for any advice in advance.
    Cheers, Nathan
    P.S, sorry for the long post and amount of questions but this is going to be a big change for me and just want to make sure I don't dive in head first and then regret it.

    I do all sorts of music (R&B, Hip hop, salsa, reggae and all that )
    and logic has never been easier
    I see most of friends using cubase with reason and its a pain to what they go through
    example
    open cubase then open reason
    save cubase as a project then save reason as well
    rewire then start recording both together requires more CPU than having 10-20 EXS24 as plugins in logic
    after you are done save cubae then save reason
    when ever you need to go back again open cubase the open reason before your song will play and sometimes if you make a mistake then reason will change the tempo when you launch then you gotta remember what the original tempo was
    worse thing ever is if you wanna continue at another studio you gotta make sure the person has both reason and cubase then the whole open and open starts again
    I was always bored each time i went there
    I gave him some bass line and old school samples and it wouldn't match his tempo
    but in logic i can change the tempo and it it matches (its not 100% but for hip hop with short samples like 8bars chipmunk samples is perfect
    even Kanye West feels Logic and he has been know to be the ultimate champ of sampling
    but don't throw or sell any of your analogs or external synth
    alotta people will pay alot to get em again ( trust )
    all i can say is with MPC and Logic, there is nothing you can do when it comes to hip hop
    alotta cats are on Fruityloops I still use it for drums sometimes
    stash

  • A few questions before buying a spectre x360

    Hi I'm considering buying a 13" Spextre x360 once Win10 arrives in final version -  but have a few questions before going ahead. Mostly looking into the 4041no (i'm from Denmark) - or similar configuration. I need a configuration with at least 500 GB of hard drive and 8 GBs of RAM.  1. Will the spectre support all the new windows 10 touchpad gestures (similar to OS X/Mac gestures)? I have read something about the touch pad on the not being a "precision touchpad" but instead being run by synoptic drivers or something. Don't know exactly what it means. I come from a Mocbook Pro - and these gestures are so good.  2. One of the things some talk about in reviews is heat - that the x360 gets very hot to hold. Even just browsing the web. And also fan noise being loud. Any experience here - is it just a few unfortunate buyers, or are any of these issues generic. 3. Browsing the web there are so many different model numbers, that i can't keep up - and some of them seem to be identical configurations. Is there any overview of what is what. For instance 4041no and 4040no seem identical - but there is a difference in price, at the stores i have seen online. Similarly there is a 4030no and a 4032no. What are all these models. different numbers for every store/country/????. Any help here.. 4. The 4041no model i'm looking into has this QHD screen. Very high resolution. How is that in everyday life for surfing the web (mostly Chrome), Photoshop, watching movies local/streaming and more. It seems that everything will be very small, or is there scaling options or other stuff that makes this high resolution usable in real life. Or maybe lower the resoltion in settings. Any experience? I will soon try to find one in a real store to try out if possible. Think i'll start with those questions :-) And maybe also some generel feedback on the spectre x360. Thanks /Jonas  

    Hi Jonas,
    I have the 4014 model (core i7, 256gb ssd, 8gb ram and FHD screen) so I can answer some but not all of your questions.
    1. Touchpad is responsive and easy to use for me. Just upgraded to windows 10 and multi touch gestures are working fine. Three finger tap to open search, four finger tap to open the quick settings panel. Three finger flicks do app switching and minimising. The pad is controlled by the synaptic driver, but it has quite a few options and seems to work well for me.
    2. Heat is not an issue for me. Sure, it gets warm when running intensive tasks, but as long as you are not pushing the cpu for long periods of time, it will be fine on your lap. Browsing the web, the fan will come on briefly when I load 10 or more tabs at a time, otherwise the fan will remain off.
    Being an aluminium chassis, it has the ability to transfer heat out of the shell more easily than a plastic laptop, so you might notice it getting warm quicker, but it also cools down fast.
    The fan is no louder than any other laptop I have used.
    3. Can't help you with model numbers, sorry.
    4. I'm finding that a lot of applications do not scale correctly on my FHD screen, so I can imagine that the QHD would be the same or worse. Most of the time, you can get the applications to look better by turning off display scaling in the compatibility settings. Sometimes this means that the application then looks smaller on screen, though text, images and icons are sharp, they are harder to read. The QHD would make these apps even smaller. I do not think QHD is worth it on a small screen for this reason.
    In general the laptop works well. I use it in my job as a teacher, and being able to convert from laptop to tablet is a huge benefit. It is super fast to start up and easily gets me through a school day (quite often getting home with more than half a charge). I will just close the lid between uses and it sleeps, drawing very little power. It is capable of running Photoshop and office apps, while browsing the web and doing some light duty CAD modeling on the side.
    One small issue that I and a few others have had is a crackling, buzzing noise due to the processor power regulation. Only audible in really quiet rooms or when putting an ear close to the device, when the computer is idling. Not an issue for everyday use, but something to be aware of if you have sensitive hearing or are annoyed by slight imperfections.
    Hope that answers a few of your questions.

  • Hi, is it still possible to buy logic pro/express 6 as i have been given an imac g4 1ghz ppc and would love to see it in action, ps. never owned a mac before  cheers

    hi, is it still possible to buy logic pro/express 6 as i have been given an imac g4 1ghz ppc and would love to see it in action, ps. never owned a mac before  cheers

    eBay, if you are lucky. On the other hand: a used copy is probably more expensive than a new used Mac from eBay...

  • A FEW QUESTIONS BEFORE MY MBP ARRIVES

    Hi,
    I finally ordered my Mac yesterday. It's obviously a MacBook Pro and I have a few questions before it arrives.
    First of all, I want to install Boot Camp, and to do so, I must have the latest firmware. How do I find out if I have the latest firmware?
    Also, how much hardrive should I give Windows? I was thinking 80GB = MAC OSX, 20GB = WINDOWS XP.
    Obviously my last question, since I plan on only using Windows for games, how does it play? I have read a few reviews and some benchmarks but all the results are different. I also like to know if it would be worth clocking the GPU back to stock speed since it's obviously underclocked.

    This document and embedded links will explain the firmware issues, latest updates, etc. Since each model of the Intel Mac is slightly different, not all firmware updates are the same. Review the document and then check what update version you have on the computer when it arrives. Go to: Apple menu, select “About this Mac/More info… and look at “Boot ROM version.
    Anyway, this is what I can offer since I don’t use Boot Camp although I would recommend that your use your new Mac for a while before installing it. By doing so, you can validate your system’s integrity.
    Ref: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303364
    Regards,
    MBP-15" / 2.16 / W8612...   Mac OS X (10.4.6)   G4 Tower (OS 9/10), Dell 620 WorkStation (XP Pro), Gateway P4 (XP Home)

  • How can I buy logic pro 9?

    Hello!
    I have been running Logic Express on a dual G5 pro for a long time, and have had a used "late 2007" intel Mac Pro on standby for a few years. Time hasn't permitted the rebuild of my studio until now.
    Now I want to buy a later version of Logic Pro for the intel mac pro than the Logic Express I had. Logic Pro X requires Mac OS X 10.8, which in turn requires an "early 2008" intel Mac Pro or later, so I can't buy Logic Pro X. But Logic Pro 9 was sold through the App Store - which only offers Logic Pro X. I can't buy a used Logic Pro 9, nor can I buy a new one.
    How on earth do I go about buying any version of Logic Pro, when my mac is older than five years?

    It's not available on the App store anymore, but you can buy it on ebay for next to nothing since the launch of LPX.

  • How to buy Logic Pro X via PayPal?

    So, my question is simple... How to buy Logic Pro X via PayPal? I'm Serbia and it's only way for me to buy...
    Thanks in advance...

    Well... Of course that i've tryed that in a first place, but...
    1. There is no iStore and App store in Serbia, so i've opened (like 200.000 thousend users from Serbia) account on our friendly country who used to bomb us in 1999. USA!!! Heheheh...
    2. Of course, i've tried to connect my debit VISA card to my USA account but all the time i get the message that my VISA is invalid... Of course!!!
    So, please, can you try to give me some more suggestions?
    Thanks again...

  • So im trying to buy logic pro and just recently put enough money in gift cards on my account but every time i click buy app and go to billing info and then click ok it just shoots me to the first screen and did not charge for app how can i buy it ?

    so im trying to buy logic pro and just recently put enough money in gift cards on my account but every time i click buy app and go to billing info and then click ok it just shoots me to the first screen and did not charge for app how can i buy it ?

    This may sound stupid, but I'm gonna throw it out there anyway. Is it possible, that if I have enough junk on my desktop it might disrupt the signal? It seems odd, but it kind of looks like my signal is strong and relatively steady now that I've cleaned my desktop. I do tend to get very cluttered. I use a lot of reference images and save text clippings to use later... it just piles up very quickly.
    So, I wonder if all that extra effort my system has to do keeping up with the junk might have something to do with the drop outs?

Maybe you are looking for