Apple laptop?

[dayslikefriday]

Hello everyone.

I've used PC's all my life, but I've understood Apple computers are great for creativity (photography + music). I want to buy an Apple laptop... Not sure how much of a difference between the G4's and Macbook's... If I got an Apple laptop, which should I buy? Or, should I buy some PC laptop that I don't know about... I'm really clueless.

The laptop would be used to record my own music.

What would I have to add to it where I can have the capabilities of recording my acoustic/electric guitar, my keyboard, and my voice.

Also, what are some essential software programs?

 

[rayc]

Whatever you do don't get an iBook.
We used them at work - nothing but trouble.
Additionally consider what local tech support/replacement/repair can be had to help you through teething & crashes.

 

[jaybriggs84]

I've got a macbook ive been thinkin about selling

 

[dayslikefriday]

I've researched a little bit on the web... Are you able to use any or all of the Mboxes with the Macbooks or Macbook Pros?

If I want to track my instruments individually, does it matter which Mbox I get?

 

[aidan_m]

I've researched a little bit on the web... Are you able to use any or all of the Mboxes with the Macbooks or Macbook Pros?

If I want to track my instruments individually, does it matter which Mbox I get?

mboxes work with PC or MAC

 

[cusebassman]

Correct about the MBox, and don't buy a G4. I have one and it works great, but its old technology. It uses a different processor type than the new MacBooks (the G4 is a PowerPC processor, and the new machines have Intel chips), which means that in the coming years of your laptop's life, software will potentially become available for new Macs that might not work on PowerPC, and Apple may eventually stop creating updates for the PowerPC version of OS X (which is getting updates now, but no new versions).

While it is unlikely that Apple will stop support soon (the next year or two at least), or that software won't be available for the PowerPC G4 machines (Apple created the ability for code to be compiled to run on both platforms), you might as well buy new since, from my latest research, used G4 machines aren't selling for a Hell of a lot cheaper than the new stuff, and the new stuff is by far faster technology.

Just one man's opinion though - I've used PCs and Macs for a long time, and would definitely recommend a Mac if you can afford it - stable OS, good hardware... and you can run Windows on it as well, if you feel so inclined. Best of both worlds, IMO.

 

[dayslikefriday]

Alright, thanks so far everyone. : )

Is it true that you can use Garageband, Logic, and Protools all together?



Or, does Protools not work with GB + Logic (These two I know are interchangeable... right?) .


Any thoughts on Logic Studio 8?

 

[Chuck Fry]

The MacBooks have 24-bit stereo audio I/O built in, and that will get you started. You'll probably want something better down the road. If your keyboard has a USB port, you won't even need a MIDI interface.

Most USB audio and MIDI interfaces already have drivers built into the Mac OS.

I have a 15 month old MacBook with the Intel Core Duo chip, and it has no trouble handling a dozen channels of audio in.

Garage Band comes standard on every new Mac. You might find it's enough for now. Logic Express 8 (and of course Logic Studio 8) will open Garage Band projects when you outgrow GB.

I don't know anything about Pro Tools, sorry.

 

[dayslikefriday]

The MacBooks have 24-bit stereo audio I/O built in, and that will get you started. You'll probably want something better down the road. If your keyboard has a USB port, you won't even need a MIDI interface.

My keyboard, Kurzweil PC2X doesn't have a USB port. It's MIDI, though... It's got an IN, THRU/OUT, and in OUT. Not sure about what's what. I've never recorded anything off of it. What do I need that you're talking about? Any examples.


Mbox is a MIDI interface, no?




Also, still hoping someone can shed shine some light on whether or not Protools works ok with Logic/GB?

 

[Freudian Slip]

I can't get past the prices on the mac stuff. I considered but, I could not justify it. My nieghbor is always telling me how grand mac is and how they never have problems but, I've been to his house more than once when his locked up to the point of having to unplug it.
We got a toshiba about a year ago with core 2 duo 1.66, finger print scanner, dvd, 2gb ram, pretty much as loaded as you can get for $1200. I would think now you could get faster for the same price.

I don't know, perhaps mac has lowered it's prices. I sort of doubt it though.


F.S.

 

[dgatwood]

I can't get past the prices on the mac stuff. I considered but, I could not justify it. My nieghbor is always telling me how grand mac is and how they never have problems but, I've been to his house more than once when his locked up to the point of having to unplug it.
We got a toshiba about a year ago with core 2 duo 1.66, finger print scanner, dvd, 2gb ram, pretty much as loaded as you can get for $1200. I would think now you could get faster for the same price.

What Apple doesn't really have is any low end offerings. Everything is pretty much top of the line chips or very nearly so. If you were planning to buy top of the line anyway, though, Apple's prices have been competitive with name brand (not build-it-from-parts) PCs for a long time. 2 GHz Core 2 Duo for $1099. The extra gig of RAM is probably cheaper elsewhere, of course.

If a computer is locking up, there's something wrong with it. Tell him to take it to an Apple Store and have them fix the bloody thing.... Using a single broken machine as a reason to dislike Macs makes about as much sense as seeing your neighbor driving around on a flat tire and using it as a reason to hate Nissan.

 

[Guitarer]

I can't get past the prices on the mac stuff. I considered but, I could not justify it. My nieghbor is always telling me how grand mac is and how they never have problems but, I've been to his house more than once when his locked up to the point of having to unplug it.
We got a toshiba about a year ago with core 2 duo 1.66, finger print scanner, dvd, 2gb ram, pretty much as loaded as you can get for $1200. I would think now you could get faster for the same price.

I don't know, perhaps mac has lowered it's prices. I sort of doubt it though.


F.S.

I owned a top of the line (at the time) Toshiba Sattelite which lasted a year before the mobo burnt out. That was about 8 or 9 years ago. My friend got a Toshiba Satallite, also top of the line, about 2 years ago, and his HDD failed, and customer service was as bad as it gets. He sent it in, through Geek Squad, and Toshiba sent it back, unfixed, saying there was nothing wrong with it, when there clearly was, and Geek Squad even defended him, cause they saw it was broken before they sent it in. He's still yet to have it back in working order, and this was 3 months ago.

I've owned my MacBook since they came out pretty much, and I love it. I have no problems whatsoever. Occasionally stuff will stall, I'm not gonna lie, but it's always 3rd party software like FireFox. I have Logic Express as well, which appears to be a great program, but I'm yet to really use it.

 

[dayslikefriday]

We got a toshiba about a year ago with core 2 duo 1.66, finger print scanner, dvd, 2gb ram, pretty much as loaded as you can get for $1200.

What do you record (guitar, keyboard, drums... etc.) and what kind of equipment do you have including software for recording?


I'm still pretty fixed on getting a Macbook Pro.

I have heard some good things about Toshiba's laptops...

 

[dayslikefriday]

I've owned my MacBook since they came out pretty much, and I love it. I have no problems whatsoever. Occasionally stuff will stall, I'm not gonna lie, but it's always 3rd party software like FireFox. I have Logic Express as well, which appears to be a great program, but I'm yet to really use it.

What are you recording and with what? Macbook or Macbook Pro?

 

[Freudian Slip]

What do you record (guitar, keyboard, drums... etc.) and what kind of equipment do you have including software for recording?


I'm still pretty fixed on getting a Macbook Pro.

I have heard some good things about Toshiba's laptops...

I plan to use it as a mobile rig for up to 16 tracks at a time with with cakewalk and then dump onto my main machine for mixing.

I use a custom pc for my main station and I record everything there.
I can just get so much more power with a tower for cheap that I personaly wouldn't want a laptop as my main unit. I also preffer PCI interfaces to firewire. I'll be getting a firewire for the laptop, but in the studio I use echo layla's.

Lot's of people go the laptop way and have great success with them. I'm sure Mine will be fine as well. If you do get a toshiba You will have to tweek the power settings. They come set to moderate power consumption. It's easy to change. I will more than likely dump vista for XP before recording with it.

That's one thing for sure, Vista is a bloated hog and most of the laptops are (or at least were) coming with 32bit vista anyway. So there's no advantage to having it really.

I'm 64bit ready on the main comp including software/drivers, but I'm waiting for the bugs to get worked out of vista before I dare touch it.



F.S.

 

[Guitarer]

What are you recording and with what? Macbook or Macbook Pro?

I record Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, and sometimes bass. My chain isn't anything good really though. Right now (for electric) it's Peavey Classic 50/212 > SM57 > Tascam US-122 > Macbook (w/ Garageband or Logic Express)

It's a regular MacBook. The only real difference bettween the regular and the pro is that the pro has a graphics card, whereas the regular is integrated.

With a good amount of ram, there's no need for a pro when it comes to sound. Unless of course you're interested in the little extras like the backlit keyboard and the LED backlit screen. I've got mine hooked up dual display right now to a 19" Samsung LCD. Makes things very simple.

 

[prestomation]

It was said before that you can run windows on a mac. This is true, but you must get an Intel(you may not be able to buy a powerpc macbook anymore).

You can get the mac, and if you don't like OS X, put windows on it. Or you can buy a pc, and if you don't like windows, put OS X on it!

 

[Chuck Fry]

All current Macs use Intel Core 2 CPUs, so they can all run Windows.

The difference between the MacBook and the Pro is the Pro has a bigger screen, a real graphics chip, and an ExpressCard port (PCIe) for high performance interfaces. The MacBook only has USB 2 and FireWire 400 ports. A MacBook will easily handle 16 tracks at 44.1 KHz/24 bit.

 

[dgatwood]

It was said before that you can run windows on a mac. This is true, but you must get an Intel(you may not be able to buy a powerpc macbook anymore).

You can get the mac, and if you don't like OS X, put windows on it. Or you can buy a pc, and if you don't like windows, put OS X on it!

PowerPC: Mac Mini, iBook, PowerBook, iMac, PowerMac
Intel: Mac Mini, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro

Notice the name changes. You never could buy a PowerPC MacBook because it was called an iBook.