Running multiple copies of a single Application?

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Level 1

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Running multiple copies of a single Application?

I was wondering if there was a good way to run multiple copies of an application simultaneously? To be specific: I am digitizing a large number of cassette tapes for a client using CD Spin Doctor. I would love to be able to simultaneously capture audio from the input while editing another file. I could probably do this using 2 separate applications (I am embarrassed to say this just occurred to me while writing this), but I used to do this on occasion on Unix (and VMS) machines, and would like to know if this is possible in OS X?

G5 2.3Mhz Twin Tower, +2 other, Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Posted on Mar 26, 2006 1:45 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 26, 2006 1:47 PM in response to Cguy

No, but you can open multiple files of the same application. Isn't it the same?

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Answer 2

CyberTaz

Level 3

715 points

Mar 26, 2006 3:44 PM in response to Cguy

Florin's reply should provide you with what you need, and once you open two separate files you might also take a look in the program's Window Menu for an 'Arrange All' (or equivalent) command that will tile the open windows for you. I'm not familiar with Spin Doctor, but most apps that allow having multiple files open - as most do - offer such a feature.

HTH |:>)

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Answer 3

Cguy Author

Level 1

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Mar 26, 2006 6:27 PM in response to CyberTaz

Unfortunately, you can't open multiple files (I tried a number of times). Starting a new recording or opening a new file prompts a save of the current file (or not, if it is already saved w/o edits) - and then starts the new recording or opens the pre-existing file in the main (and only) window.

Now, of course this could be a moot point - as Spin Doctor seems to suck up a lot of CPU cycles on it's own already - and trying to record and edit might just make it grind to a halt.

I am going to try running audio hijack or amadeus to do the capture, and at the same time run Spin Doctor to split tracks and remove noise - but I still would love to know if there was a way to open more than one Spin Doctor process at a time (I suppose I could have 2 users logged in ?!?)

Thanks for the replies, though!

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Answer 4

Mar 27, 2006 2:03 AM in response to Cguy

You can run multiple instances, if you run one from the Terminal. Just tried with SpinDoctor and it would indeed cooperate. First go ahead and launch it normally in the Finder. Now go to the SpinDoctor application, control click on it and select "Show Package Contents"--open the Contents folder that appears, then the MacOS folder. Inside of that folder there is the UNIX executable for the program. Launch Terminal and drag the UNIX executable into the Terminal window and drop it. Hit the return key et voila'! Dual running SpinDoctors. How well this will work, I'm not sure, although I did open aif album files in both instances and told one to auto create tracks while the other was playing its file.
Francine

Francine
Schwieder

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Answer 5

Cguy Author

Level 1

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Mar 27, 2006 3:45 AM in response to Francine Schwieder

See, the downsides to OS X Gui - I sometimes forget the terminal. Like I said earlier, Spin Doctor is a cycle sucker, but I am hoping that just recording with one process will not seriously affect track definition and noise reduction on the other process. At least I can try it now. Thanks, Francine!

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