Would this work?

Right now I have a 2011 iMac, 1TB HD and I might get the 2013 Pro Mac when it's available.

So I thinking that I would have a 3TB hard drive and a 240GB SSD HD installed in my iMac. The SSD would be for the OS.

I would use my iMac monitor for the 2013 Pro Mac using target mode with Thunder Bolt.

I would also use the iMac as sample library slave using Vienna Ensemble Pro 5 over the ethernet connection.

Does this sound like it would work?

I'm sure the 2013 Pro Mac will have TB ports.

ChrisA

I doubt you could use the iMac for both a monitor AND a file server at the same time. You can only boot it one way.

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I would be using target display mode. There is no booting involved. It looks to me like the ethernet port functions in this mode and that open apps are also functional.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3924

Who says there will be a 2013 Mac Pro?

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Not I. I said Pro Mac.

Tim Cook promised in an email reply last year that Apple would be releasing something new for the Pros in 2013.

http://www.macworld.com/article/1167247/cook_apple_planning_professional_mac_for_2013.html

It looks like I would need another monitor, which I have, to set up VE Pro 5 because it uses screen sharing.

Once it's set up and I have all my libraries loaded then I should be able to use the iMacs display with the Pro Mac using target display mode.

CrisA

Can you boot the iMac for use as a file sever while using the target display mode? That is what I meant. I think it is either/or =not both at once.

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You may be right but I would trying to use target display mode while the iMac is in server mode which is pretty much the same thing. I need to borrow another TB ported Mac and see what happens or talk to a local Apple tech about it.

And why even do that? Pull out the drive from the old mac nd place it inside either the new Mac or an external drive enclosure. You's get much better performance that way. Then re-iuse the iMac as a monitor if you like. But I think you could sell it for enough to buy a good monitor and have some money left over.

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I've been told that using VE Pro 5 with a slave computer takes quite a load off your DAW, even if the slave computer is only a dual core, besides the convenience of always having your samples loaded and instantly available.

It all depends on what the new Pro Mac is and how much I want to spend.

I'm also looking into buying a bare bones PC kit from Tiger Direct and use it as the slave for my iMac. That is the most common way to use VE Pro 5. But then you have to figure where to put the PC it so you don't hear it.