I appreciate what you're saying there, Jimmy. You can buy/ build a killer PC - but you're still talking in terms of specs, whereas I think it comes down to the platform, which is unpredictable. It stands to reason that it is. Too many variables with a PC's components in terms of quality, compatibility, updates etc. and you can't expect everyone to build the perfect PC. The Mac is a commercial product so it stands to reason, even its shortcomings are going to be well known within the community. Unless you get a bad one - and if you do, Apple will replace it. I'm not talking from experience but, ignoring the hype, this is what I understand so far.
jimmy69 said:
I just tested my Toshiba W7 laptop, and it ran 50 audio tracks, a buttload of CPU eating plug-ins, and it performed without a single glitch. I made no performance adjustments whatsoever. Even Aero and real time virus stuff was still running. Just stock out of the factory, and it's i5 processor performed almost near to what my home built i7 gives me in the studio.
How long have we been recording with PCs? The modern specs strike me as irrelevant, because PC recording stretches right back to single core technology... and professionals were using what was available then to good effect. In theory, I should be able to use anything with enough memory for my simple needs. Except, without the system throwing up stupidly annoying problems - some of which aren't even related to audio! So, reliability and consistency are more important to me than having a PC bursting with superpowers. If the basics are fundamentally flawed, I don't see the point in chasing more power.
I've just finished a show in Birmingham and it so happened I was working with
an actor who has written and produced the official Doctor Who radio plays. We, the cast were invited for lunch at 'chez James' before the matinee and on my 'guided tour' managed to get a good look at his home studio. A simple minimal room with an Apple Mac as it's centre piece. No treatment, no frills, just the Mac, pod mic (which records to itself), outboard compressor and I/O box. I have the chance now to get together with this guy and learn more about the craft... I've come away feeling inspired. Though all I can do for now, is patch up the PC and try to keep going.