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Metro System Requirements
 

System requirements for versions 6.5.1 or later: *
 

Windows
  • 1 GHz intel processor or equivalent.
  • Full version only: SSE2 required.
  • Windows XP or greater, e.g. Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.
  • 64 MB free RAM minimum.
  • 10 MB available hard disk space.
  • For audio recording/playback, compatible audio hardware required.
  • For MIDI recording/playback, compatible MIDI hardware required.
  • ASIO support may require compatible hardware and/or drivers.
  • Fast hard disk (7200 rpm) strongly recommended.
  • Internet connection required for registration. Optional for web help.
  • QuickTime for windows required for 32 bit version only.
  • Support for 32 and 64 bit VST plug-ins.
Macintosh
  • Apple Macintosh Intel or PowerPC processor (G4 or G5 required for the full version only). To use the software audio through feature a 450 MHz G4 processor or equivalent and a full duplex audio driver (a driver with synchronized input and output) is required.
  • OS X, version 10.3.9 or higher required (as of Metro 6.5.1). OS X 10.4 or greater required for 'SharpGray' or other add on color schemes.
  • 64 MB RAM minimum.
  • 10 MB available hard disk space.
  • For recording/playback at greater than 16 bit and 44.1 kHz appropriate audio hardware required.
  • Core Audio or ASIO support may require compatible hardware and/or drivers.
  • Fast hard disk (7200 rpm) strongly recommended.
  • Internet connection required for registration. Optional for web help. 
  • Metro is an application package. This is really two applications. A PPC version and an Intel version. This has the advantage that Metro can more easily exploit different operating system features. The appropriate version will be launched when Metro is double clicked.

  • Support for 32 VST and AU plug-ins only.

Important changes since 5.0

The internal sound engine has been replaced with QuickTime instruments. Anyone needing the simple sampler features of version 5.x should buy an inexpensive plug-in sampler or load the samples directly into Metro. The internal sampler was removed because OS X does not support the sound manager functions that enabled this feature. For versions prior to 6.2.1.7 only, channel 16 of the internal sound engine (QuickTime) maps to a metronome function that directly plays MBar.aif and MBeat.aif (bypassing QuickTime) both found in the Metro folder. These sounds are set up automatically by using the new factory settings button of the metronome dialog. For version 6.2.1.7 or higher, channel 16 is just another QuickTime Musical Instruments channel and the default Metronome sound is created using an included, sample accurate, plug-in.
The previous context-sensitive help system using QuickHelp has been replaced with browser type help. Currently this is online only, meaning one must be online to use it, however we do have available an off-line version of the Metro manual ready for download in our downloads page.
 

Installation:

Run the installer and follow the directions.

Plug-Ins:

For OS X, VST plug-ins must be carbonized (PPC only) or Mach-O and placed in the ‘OS X VST plug-ins’ folder in order to be found. This folder is inside the Metro folder and is really just an alias to /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/.

For Windows, VST plug-ins are supported. 

More information on supported plug-ins can be found here.
 

Help:

Metro now uses online web browser based help. To use help either an internet connection or Metro version 6.3 is required. Metro 6.3 or greater supports local off-line web browser help.
 

Known issues & problems:

Windows and OSX

  1.  Metro (windows version 6.5.2 and greater and OS X version 6.2 or greater) supports propellerheads Rewire. In order for it to work correctly, all of the applications (mixer and devices) must be run in the same bit width, either 32 or 64. So if you are, for example, rewiring Reason and Metro they must both be run in either 32 or 64 bit mode. If the bit depth is wrong you will most likely get a 'Rewire Library Error' message. Metro on OS X is currently only 32 bit.

OSX

  1. Quicktime 7.4 has a bug in it which causes the Save function of Metro to produce a -54 error. A workaround had been released in version 6.4.1.1 of Metro. If you only have an earlier version of Metro, upgrading to Quicktime 7.4 is strongly discouraged. More information can be found here.
  2. It may be necessary to restart the computer after first installing Metro 6.x under OS X.
  3. There is a known problem in the OS X version of Metro 6.0 regarding the Plug In Effects Processor which is accessed from the audio plug-ins submenu of the Edit Menu. Please visit the downloads page for a free upgrade to 6.0.1 or later.
  4. If the Audio Buffer Packet size setting is changed to greater than 1024 in the advanced audio dialog, AudioUnits plug-ins may fail to produce audio.
  5. The key command cmd-? invokes the online context-sensitive web help in most situations. While the content is mostly up on the web site, it is not completely updated.
  6. Notation and Lyrics windows (and printing) are implemented in the OS 9 version and in the OS X version starting with version 6.1.
  7. VST (OS 9 or earlier only), VST carbonized, VST OSX only (Mach-O), AudioUnits V1 for versions prior to 6.1 and AudioUnits V2 are all supported. For AudioUnit version 2, Music Devices, Effects and Music Effects are also supported. If a MusicEffect is used, the only logical place, prior to 6.2.1.6, to use it (because it needs both MIDI and Audio) was on an aux buss. To learn how to setup a music effect click here. It is possible to place a synthesizer plug-in (such as a VST instrument) on one track and send it MIDI from other tracks. This should be avoided and instead an aux buss should be used. A track should not be used because it may lead to confusion when performing an operation such as mute. Muting a VSTi track will mute all tracks assigned to that VSTi port.
  8. The connection to Bias's Deck software is only available in OS 9.
OS 9
  1. Metro 6 does not run as far back as Macintosh Operating System 8.6. If you need to run in an older operating system before 9.1 you should use version 6.0.8.x. Please contact support for more information.
  2. Metro is distributed in an application package and thus it may be necessary is some situations, namely in OS 9, with certain VST or ASIO plug-ins to get access to the folder where the application is stored. The Metro application is stored within its own package folder. To open it from finder: while holding the ctrl key, click on the application, select view package contents, open the contents folder and then the Mac OS folder. This is where, if need be, you can add folders and/or aliases, so that, for example, a sample playing plug-in can find its samples.
  3. Sound Manager requires free memory to load its sound channels. Therefore it may become necessary to reduce the memory allocation of Metro in the finder. From the finder, 'Get Info' on the Metro application to change its memory allocation.
Both OS X and OS 9
  1. The Jukebox in versions of Metro before 6.3 will not play QuickTime 6 supported MP4 files or files written by Quicktime where the sample rate is greater than 64kHz. The OS X version of Metro will import, export and convert them to other audio formats. Version 6.3 or later will play these files under OS X.
  2. Some Color Schemes (setup menu) do not have fader vu’s and/or master fader vu’s.
  3. The movie text in the Movie Text window is not saved with the Metro document.
  4. Many VST and AudioUnit plug-ins leak memory. What this means is, when loading and unloading lots of plug-ins memory is lost. Re-starting the application will return the lost memory. If you are frequently loading a lot of plug-ins or files with embedded plug-ins it may be a good idea to restart the program occasionally.
  5. LX and SE version may require the user to save and reload a Metro document in order to free up some resources to load more soft-synths or other plug-ins. The reason is because old effects are loaded in the undo history and saving and loading with purge the undo buffers.br>

Other issues have been addressed. Please see the announcements section of the Metro Forum for more information on particular releases and pre-releases.

See Also: Metro Frequently Asked Questions.

©Copyright 2002-2013 Sagan Technology. All rights reserved. Metro is a trademark of Sagan Technology. VST is a trademark of SteinbergSoft- und Hardware GmbH. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner.

*System requirements subject to change without notice.