Optimize Your Computer for Live Performance

Whether you’re playing a small club or a major festival, optimizing your computer setup is key to a reliable and smooth Visibox performance. Here’s a step-by-step guide to preparing your Mac or Windows machine for the stage.

1. Get A Good Computer

• Processor: Aim for a quad-core CPU or better. Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, etc) is great, but Intel i5/i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 5/7/9 are also solid choices. In general, aim for a manufacturer’s mid-range option or better. Avoid entry-level CPUs, as they may struggle with demanding tasks.
• SSD: Prioritize a fast internal SSD — media-heavy Visibox projects can easily tax a spinning hard drive, so plan accordingly. Run your project from the internal SSD, not an external drive. If you have to use an external drive, make sure it’s a fast SSD with USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt 3/4.
• RAM: Aim for 16GB or 32GB, especially if you’re running other apps (like syncing tools or DAWs) alongside Visibox. Avoid memory swapping at all costs.
• GPU: Mid-range or better. Apple Silicon’s integrated GPUs are well-optimized. On Windows, avoid entry-level graphics cards.
• Batteries Required: Not only do laptops have a built-in screen ready-made for the Visibox Controller interface, but they have built-in batteries. So if someone kicks the power cable while you’re playing, the computer won’t need to be restarted. That being said, keep your laptop plugged in during the show. Many laptops will run slower in order to conserve battery life. Also, you don’t want your battery to run out in the middle of your show. If you’d prefer to use a desktop, make sure you have a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to keep your computer running in case of power outages.

2. Create a Dedicated “Performance” User Account

Set up a separate account on your machine specifically for shows. This will allow you to set up a clean environment without distractions. On the Mac, you can do this by going to System Settings → Users & Groups and clicking the + button to add a new user. On Windows, go to Settings → Accounts → Family & other users and click Add someone else to this PC. Make sure to set the new account as an Administrator.

Once you’ve created the account, log in and set it up. Here are some settings you’ll probably want to adjust on this account:

• Activate Visibox: Since this is a separate user account with separate user settings, you will need to activate Visibox again. Simply launch Visibox and follow the activation instructions. Note that activating Visibox on this account will NOT count towards your activation limit. Our activation system is smart enough to know that this is a separate user account on the same machine.
• Set the desktop background to black and remove all icons. On the Mac, you can do this by going to System Settings → Wallpaper, scrolling down to Colors and selecting a solid black color. On Windows, right-click the desktop, select Personalize, and choose a solid black background. This way, if you need to take Visibox out of full-screen mode, the audience won’t see your cluttered file icons and the desktop picture of your cat.
• Hide the Menu Bar (Mac): Go to System Settings → Control Center and scroll to the bottom. Set Automatically hide and show the menu bar to Always. Here again, this will help keep the audience from seeing your menu bar if you need to take Visibox out of full-screen mode.
• Disable background processes: disable background processes that may kick in during your performance. Dropbox, iCloud, One Drive, Google Drive, and backups. Slack, Discord, and Zoom (especially on Windows) can be culprits of this type of behavior – as well as Adobe Creative Cloud, Spotify, anti-virus software, Facebook Messenger, etc. The last thing you want is for your anti-virus software to decide that since you haven’t touched the computer keyboard in 30 minutes, it will start scanning your drive. On the Mac, go to System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions and disable as much as possible. On Windows, go to Task Manager → Startup and disable any unnecessary startup applications. This will help reduce CPU load and improve performance.
• Disable notifications: On Mac, go to System Settings → Notifications and set Show Previews to Never. On Windows, go to Settings → System → Notifications & actions and turn off notifications.
• Disable automatic updates: On Mac, go to System Settings → Software Update and uncheck Automatically keep my Mac up to date. On Windows, go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update and select Advanced options, then turn off Automatic updates.
• Disable automatic backups: On Mac, go to System Settings → Time Machine and turn it off. On Windows, go to Settings → Update & Security → Backup and turn off Automatically back up my files.
• Disable automatic syncing: On Mac, go to System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud and uncheck all options. On Windows, go to Settings → Accounts → Sync your settings and turn off Sync settings.
• Disable wifi (maybe): If you don’t need internet access during the show, turn off wifi to avoid any potential interruptions, cloud syncs, or notifications. On Mac, go to System Settings → Network and turn off wifi. On Windows, go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi and turn it off.

Share Your Project Between Accounts

Your Visibox Project needs to be accessible to both your daily and “Performance” user accounts. You can accomplish this by putting your project on an external drive. However, most external drives will not be as fast as your internal SSD, so if you can, it’s better to put the project on your internal SSD and share it between accounts. Here’s how to do that:

• On Mac: Create a folder in /Users/Shared/, then Right-click → Get Info → Sharing & Permissions to ensure both users can read/write.
• On Windows: Use C:\Users\Public\ or create a custom folder and adjust Properties → Security settings to allow access.

Alternately, you could create a separate partition on your internal SSD and keep your Visibox projects there. This is a bit more complicated, but it makes sharing your project between users a LOT easier. If you want to go this route, check out the following links for instructions:

• Create a partition on Mac
• Create a partition on Windows

Note: If your project is stored in a cloud service folder (like iCloud, One Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive), make sure you do not have “file offloading”, “storage optimization”, “smart file sync”, or similar features enabled. Many of these services will automatically offload files to free up space on your computer. This can cause issues if you try to load a file that has been offloaded. If you’re using a cloud service, make sure you have enough space on your internal SSD to keep all of your project files locally. You can sometimes configure this feature just for specific folders, so if you’re using a cloud service, check the settings to make sure your Visibox project folder is excluded from file offloading.

3. Favor Wired Connections

• Avoid Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — they can be unreliable in crowded venues.
• Use USB, Ethernet, HDMI, and other wired connections for all hardware when possible: MIDI controllers, Stream Decks, cameras, and video connections.
• Test your connections before doors open.
• USB/Thunderbolt hubs are great for connecting multiple devices, but make sure they’re powered and high-quality. Thunderbolt hubs are even better and offer much greater bandwidth, however they can be surprisingly expensive. MIDI controllers tend to be relatively low-bandwidth, but if you’re connecting high-quality cameras or video capture devices, you may want to consider a Thunderbolt hub.

4. Optimize Your Project

• Video files:
  • Resolution: Use the same resolution and frame rate as your output. For example, if you’re outputting to a 1080p projector at 30fps, use 1080p/30fps media files. This will help reduce CPU load and improve performance.
  • File format: Most computers these days will have a built-in H.264 hardware decoder. This makes H.264 a great choice for video files. If you have a lot of high-resolution video files, consider using H.265 (HEVC) for better compression and quality, but be aware that not all computers support hardware decoding for H.265.
• Image files: Use PNG or JPEG for images. Avoid using TIFF or BMP, as they can be larger and slower to load.
• Audio files: Use WAV for uncompressed audio. If you need to use compressed audio, use AAC or MP3. Avoid using FLAC, as it can be slower to decode.

5. Optimize Your Software

• Use the latest version of Visibox: Always keep your software up to date. New versions often include performance improvements and bug fixes.
• Use the latest version of macOS or Windows: Keeping your operating system up to date can help improve performance and security.
• Close unnecessary applications: Before starting your show, close any applications that you don’t need. This will free up system resources and help Visibox run more smoothly.

6. Check Your System Resource Usage

While I don’t advise you to stress about system resources during the show, you might want to check them during rehearsals and keep an eye out media files or cameras that may tax your system.

• Mac: Use Activity Monitor to check CPU, memory, and disk usage.
• Windows: Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) for similar insights.

7. Bring a Backup

• Thumb drive backup: Copy your Visibox project just in case — not for running the show, but to recover quickly in case anything goes wrong.
• Spare laptop: For high-stakes gigs, have a second machine ready to go in case of emergencies or technical difficulties.
• Backup cables: Bring extra cables for all your connections, including power, HDMI, and USB. You never know when a cable might fail or you may get caught up with HDMI gremlins between your computer and the venue’s projector.

Pre-show Checklist

☐ Performance User Account: Make sure you’re logged into your “Performance” user account.
☐ Visibox Launched and Activated: Make sure Visibox is activated on this account.
☐ Project Loaded: Make sure your project is loaded and ready to go.
☐ Laptop Plugged In: Make sure your laptop is plugged in and charging.
☐ Quit Other Apps: Make sure all other unnecessary applications are closed.
☐ Wi-Fi Disabled: If you don’t need internet access, make sure Wi-Fi is disabled.

Final Thoughts

The smoother your computer setup, the more confident you’ll feel walking on stage. Whether you’re just starting out or touring at scale, taking the time to prep your machine with these steps ensures Visibox runs clean, fast, and reliably.