Starting over with an iMac

G

Gary Benny

New member
Hi People,

This is my first post here. Just thought I'd share why I'm here and maybe/hopefully get some suggestions for good resources and some specific help.

I started recording using Cakewalk around 2000. Recorded a lot of stuff on and off until about 3 years ago when my laptop died. Over the years I accumulated a lot of software, worked on a diversity of projects, and tried a lot of different gear. My last DAW was SONAR 7 Producer on a Toshiba laptop with an M-Audio ProFire 610. I had tried to minimize and downsize and switching to that laptop/audio interface combo never worked very well, so by the time the laptop died I kind of just bagged it...until now.

Got the itch to record again, and purchased an iMac 27" i7, w/8GB RAM, 3.4 GHz processor, and 1 TB Fusion drive. I was kind of skeptical about the Mac, but was convinced by some musician friends who swore by them for audio recording.

So far, I really like the iMac. it's fast and smooth and the experience is even fun. The PC always seemed like more of tool, where the Mac OS and built in features are really kind of cool. So far so good.

After messing around with it for a while, I have decided to see how far I can get with GarageBand. I may upgrade to Logic if GB doesn't do what I need it to. Everyone I know who uses Logic loves it. GB seems to do the things I need it to at this point, but I haven't taken it very far yet.

I'm not really looking for specific help with this post, but more advice on how to proceed with getting help that I need. I own a lot of software that I collected over the years and I am trying to figure out what I can still use on the Mac and what I will need to file away for the day I go back to Windows!

I've been having issues trying to figure out what I can still use, and if so, how to get it to work!

A few examples of what I've come up against:

I loved my B4. I see my registered copy on the NI website, but the latest driver is about 5 years old! I contacted their tech support and got a kind of condescending answer that suggested I buy Vintage Organs because they don't support B4 anymore. I was really just asking if it would work with Mavericks/GarageBand! Yes or No would have been good. I hesitate to install something that could go sideways and cause problems - it's happened before!

Stuck in an Authorization loop with T-Racks. No help from IK people.

Want to use Miroslav Philharmonik. Mac download and install went fine, authorization worked, but I get and error when I try to install the "sounds" which are kind of an essential part of it! Got nowhere on the IK user forum and no answer from tech support.

Even the Apple GarageBand user support forums don't seem all that helpful.

By the way, the DOD people were great to work with!! Got all my discs cross-graded for a great price and the people really seemed interested in helping.

So, I'm not really expecting you guys to give me specific answers, but I'm hoping you can give me some advice on how you all would handle these types of issues. I have googled myself to death with not much luck yet! In the past, my experience with SONAR/Windows was a slow process over a lot of years. Now I am trying get something new to work in a hurry. I don't recall having these types of issues with SONAR/Windows - problems with installing and authorizing. Plenty of other issues, but different.

Anyhow, thanks for listening and for any advice you can provide!
Gary
 
We'll OK! Is this a weird post? Surely everyone has had these types of experiences! Is it too long, or not specific enough. Anyone, anyone?
 
Last edited:
Yup, I know nothing about macs other than mac people say windows runs better on a mac than it does on a PC! But..twstwt?

Dave.
 
DM60 said:
It always has been a PC. Just not a Windows based PC.
Click to expand...

I think this could be debated until the cows come home.

What I'm referring to is that Macs used to run on a different architecture (i.e. PowerPC processors as opposed to x86 processors), but they now use the same Intel processors as your common-or-garden PC. This is why Windows wouldn't run on old Macs. The point I was trying to make is that it is silly to claim that Windows runs better on Macs than PCs as Macs are now of the same architecture as PCs (plus it is easy to specify, build and test a more powerful PC than any available Mac).

Macs are indeed 'personal computers' and always have been.
 
jonny deep said:
The point I was trying to make is that it is silly to claim that Windows runs better on Macs than PCs as Macs are now of the same architecture as PCs (plus it is easy to specify, build and test a more powerful PC than any available Mac).
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree but I will be honest, people making such a claim are so silly, it is not worth commenting on. Just a lot of people always said Apple and PCs, referring to at one time, IBM compatibles, then to Windows, then who the hell knows what they mean, I guess anything other than an Apple.

Superior hardware yields superior performance, I guess that is the part that keeps getting missed with many people.
 
Hi. Thought I'd try something new. As I mentioned, logic uses really seem to have a lot of great things to say about logic/Mac. It's not that my main objective is to just use all the software I already own, but want to find out what I CAN use.

I seem to recall reading about a VST wrapper for Mac, but don't recall what it's called. I used SONAR for years, and used to have to install a 3rd party wrapper to use VST - native format is/was Direct-X. IIRC, at some point they started including their own wrapper as part of the package.

Gary
 
Once you get into Logic, you may find you don't need the old software. Some old software you will need. But it has to have an AU version. For example, the VST version like on Sonar won't install in Logic. The best way to find this, is find the key to the software, log into their website and go to downloads or support. You will notice they have brand new downloads that make it work with Logic on mac. It's a tedious process. But it works!
 
I switched over to an iMac a couple of years ago.

I use Reaper,same as I used on my Windows DAW, and it's just fine with mac vst's
(be aware you cannot use PowerPC or windows vst's on an Intel Mac...)

I use a couple of outboard firewire drives and the same Motu828mkII I used on my previous daw.

BTW: I run Windows7 just fine using Parallels for those windows programs I still want to run (sony vegas, for one)

As for your specific authorization questions, I cant help as I don't have those products. But my Sampletank, Garritan JABB and Komplete Elements authorized without problems. You need to hammer the manufacturer's boards for help, they made it.
 
TimOBrien said:
I switched over to an iMac a couple of years ago.

I use Reaper,same as I used on my Windows DAW, and it's just fine with mac vst's
(be aware you cannot use PowerPC or windows vst's on an Intel Mac...)

I use a couple of outboard firewire drives and the same Motu828mkII I used on my previous daw.

BTW: I run Windows7 just fine using Parallels for those windows programs I still want to run (sony vegas, for one)

As for your specific authorization questions, I cant help as I don't have those products. But my Sampletank, Garritan JABB and Komplete Elements authorized without problems. You need to hammer the manufacturer's boards for help, they made it.
Click to expand...

That's another good point. If Windows must be used to use a tool that you need to work on music, windows can be used on the mac. I used to want to do that because some of my stuff didn't work when I first came to mac back years and years ago. But, as I went, I figured out there was a mac way of doing the same exact thing and then there never was a reason to put windows on the mac.

Plus with all the headache with windows and how expensive a mac is. There is no problem putting windows on a mac. But it was just too scary for me. Because I knew that with previous experience, windows was the reason that things were not going well for me. It was like playing a chess match with Windows to do what I wanted to do. So, I've always been reluctant to put it on a mac.

BUT if there was a tool that I needed on Windows, I'd put it on a mac. But since the popularity of Mac's these days. It seems, it might not be the same company who makes the tool, or the same name, but there is something on mac that does the same thing.

Used to people would put windows on their mac to run microsoft office. They needed that tool for their business work. Fast forward a few years later, microsoft office is on Mac OSX without putting windows on it. It's the same with music. Whatever is on the PC will be on the mac one way or another.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top