Best Recording Computer?

  • Thread starter Thread starter FBstdminime
  • Start date Start date
F

FBstdminime

New member
Is a Macintosh G4 better for recording than a Windows PC?I'm currently looking on MacWarehouse.com and they have a G4 w/ Monitor for around $1600, and I plan to use a Tascam US-428 and a TM-D1000 with it. I've heard Macs are better for recording. When I go to music stores like Sam Ash, they always have a G4 and a mixer setup so you can mess around with it.


Eric
 
Macs are no better or worse. What you will find is that Macs might have applications that you prefer to PC ones, though most of the top apps are cross-platform these days. I think you might discover that you have less trouble getting audio hardware to work properly than with a PC, but your choices of compatible gear will also be more restricted.

-AlChuck
 
Get a G4! I got one a few weeks ago-same deal at Mac Zone with monitor. I had them put in a seperate 40 gig audio drive and 320 megs of Ram. Killer machine with digi 001 and Pro Tools. I have little experience with PC's-this is my third Apple (all are still in use).
Rock On!
 
I am a little biased but I would stick with the Mac. I am an engineer in LA and have worked on plenty of sessions around town for major labels. I have never scene anything but a Mac in a session for recording or edititng(lots of pc's for sequencing). Better than 90% of those sessions used some level of ProTools. The only downside to the Mac is the lack of PCI slots. Like all of the recent Mac's the G4 only has 3 pci slots. ProTools needs to see an UltraWide SCSI card so now you are down to 2 slots. I have the Mix Plus set up which takes up the other two slots. If I wanted to to add a second monitor(which I do) and another DSP MIX farm card for more TDM fx(again, which I do) I need to buy a PCI expansion cage. The MIX farms cost in the neighborhood fo 3,000 so I'm not ready for that yet, the cage is another 1500.
You could run the same type of set up on a PC but you need to be running WindowsNT. That would take care of the slot limitations, but my narrow thinking is if every session is using a Mac I'll contiue to get work by having a Mac.
Good luck
jamie

[Edited by jamiecer on 09-02-2000 at 11:25]
 
tim, do you have a link from mac zone of the computer you got?
 
How much did it cost to put in the extra hard drive space and RAM in?
 
If you have the cash, then I guess you really can't go wrong with a Mac running some level of Pro tools. But if you aren't going to go with Pro Tools then the Mac isn't really worth it. Configuring a PC is much more of a headache, but it can be a lot cheaper and mor flexable.

-jhe
 
The G4 with 17" monitor,second internal 40 gig audio drive and 256 megs of added ram (comes with 64) installed and ready to go was $2200.00.
Rock On!
 
SAVE A HUNDRED BUCKS

I f you want to save some money on that configuration, and if you have no fear of opening up your computer you can install the extra ram yourself. Zones, according to the September 2000 MacWorld advertisement is charging 374.99 for a 256 MB ram upgrade. You can get the samen thing from macsolutions and install it yourself in about three minutes for 269.00. Harddrives work the same way. Pick up a copy of MacWorld and get the best buy you can. Also, I have gotten the best deals from a company in Chicago called
CDW.

Good Luck,
Jamie

[Edited by jamiecer on 09-03-2000 at 20:22]
 
I do alot of graphics for newspaper advertising. All the publishers use a mac. Not a one, of the 25 or so dailys I work with, uses windows in their graphics dept. Right on mac . . .
 
Good Lord, Mac stuff is expensive. As James HE said, If you've got the cash and you're going to run Pro Tools then get a Mac. But otherwise you can expect to spend literally *half* as much money on a comparable PC system if you can build it yourself or have someone help you. Even the pre-packaged systems from Dell, etc. will be significantly cheaper than the Mac deals I'm seeing.
 
Just get a PC. They work just fine (same as mac, if not, better). Save the extra cash (like $800) and spend it on a good mic or mixer.

My .02
 
the right deal?

I'm a newbie and I'm going to start my electronic music course in two weeks.I don't really know much about the different systems yet but I can get cheap deals through my dad's work, at my uni they use pro tools and since I've seen that they work well with macs and these have been recommened for myself by my percussion teacher (he uses pro tools cause a lot of the software incorporates mixing ect. internally however he's also got a kick ass keyboard that makes a trumpet sound exactly like a trumpet due a huge amount of memory available to him.I heard from Ola however that you can get pro tools configured to pc's. So any other thoughts out there?

[Edited by maggie on 09-11-2000 at 08:39]
 
Mac / ProTools Guy

I've been running protools on a mac for some time and absolutely swear by it. My brother just bought the Digi 001 and has it connected to his windows 98 pc. He has had it for three days and is up and running with no help from Digidesign or me. While he is a computer wiz, he has never used any recording software or hardware. He also has had no experience with multitrack recording on any level.

From my brief conversation with him tonight he seems to be very happy with his set-up. He spent less than $800 on the software/hardware and is moving along learning the craft.
best of Luck
jamie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top