Any suggestions?

B

bungiebunglebob

New member
I'm going to school for audio engineering and would like to have a small scale set up for my dorm. I'm thinking about a mac mini. I've seen from some older threads that some of you guys believe that a mini can handle stuff on a small scale and that's all I'll really need. If I need a big studio, I have a very nice one on hand at the school.

I've heard mentioned that a mini would need an external HD to really do anything. What are specs I should look for on those. I'm sure newegg has some and if you know of any other hardware search sites please let me know.

I'm probably going to get the m-audio starter pack and go from there. I've heard good things about m-audio and their equipment looks very reliable. Let me know what you think.

Peace.
 
ya a mac mini would probably do ok for a small setup. The tough part is that it only has one firewire port so either your external hard drive or your soundcard has to be usb. What software will you be working with themost at school? you should get a computer that is compatible with that.
 
Nutdotnet said:
You could always get a firewire hub.
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then you would be splitting bandwidth. it could certainly still work but that could get sketchy if you are using both devices heavily.
 
bungiebunglebob said:
I'm going to school for audio engineering and would like to have a small scale set up for my dorm. I'm thinking about a mac mini. I've seen from some older threads that some of you guys believe that a mini can handle stuff on a small scale and that's all I'll really need. If I need a big studio, I have a very nice one on hand at the school.
Click to expand...

What kind of computer are you bringing to school for classes, papers, internet, etc.? Wouldn't a decent laptop handle both your recording and academic needs? It sounds simpler than toting the mini plus a keyboard, a monitor, and second computer.
 
I remember hearing that the mac mini was basically the guts of one of the apple laptops stuffed into a little box anyway so a laptop might be a more convenient option if you can stretch the budget that far.
 
dwillis45 said:
What kind of computer are you bringing to school for classes, papers, internet, etc.? Wouldn't a decent laptop handle both your recording and academic needs? It sounds simpler than toting the mini plus a keyboard, a monitor, and second computer.
Click to expand...

The mini would be my main computer. I don't need to record anything huge with it, just enough power to get some basic stuff if I want to. Maybe work on a mix or two from the studio if I can't get in there.

Or should I just build a PC? I could probably build a decent system for what a mini would cost me. What do you think of that?
 
I'm not sure where your going to school, but my experience has been that a laptop is the best type of computer for the average university student. Being able to bring a computer to class or the library or a dorm study area is invaluable. Plus, if your school has a large wireless network setup, there is nothing like sitting outside and watching whatever students watch these days! And if you travel home during breaks, the computer follows you. Now, I'm basing this on my personal experience sending my oldest to UVa. (When I went to college, we used IBM card readers, punchcards, and a mainframe.) So, your particular school could be different. Chances are they have a web site with links to the university computing center. They can probably tell you what most people use. Plus, they will most likely give you insight into minimum requirements (hardware and software) for specific departments and degrees. You could also contact your department and ask if your program or major will require anything specific in terms of a computer. You might also get info about the schools audio facilities, what equipment they use, and how any equipment purchases you make will interface with their setup.
 
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