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andyouandi
New member
if one were to get an eMac, would firewire/usb2 be the only option?
thanks.
thanks.
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manning1
Banned
i'm a puter engr for eons. respectfully i suggest you carefully look at some of the problems some folks seem to have with usb. i'll be real frank with you - i dont like usb. imho it needs to get much faster. its ok for slow speed devices like mice for example but audio is a different beast requiring high speed computer interfaces.
perhaps if you gave more detail what your trying to do would help.
if your looking for a blazing fast computer for recording work - i would advise you look very carefully at an amd 64 processor based pc.
people are finding these superb for pro audio work.
look around on the net at benchmark tests and talk to folks using these processors if you dont believe me. a step down from 64 is the athlon range.
folks are doing 80 tracks with these.
some more detailos on what you wish to accomplish would help please.
perhaps if you gave more detail what your trying to do would help.
if your looking for a blazing fast computer for recording work - i would advise you look very carefully at an amd 64 processor based pc.
people are finding these superb for pro audio work.
look around on the net at benchmark tests and talk to folks using these processors if you dont believe me. a step down from 64 is the athlon range.
folks are doing 80 tracks with these.
some more detailos on what you wish to accomplish would help please.
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andyouandi
New member
well, i'd be recording...
umm, i assume that the eMac doesn't have spare PCI slots because I've heard from someone who owns an eMac (not for recording) that they don't...
THUS i'm really answering my own question... YES. Firewire and USB ARE the only options apparently...
But that raises another question... is the audio-in on the eMacs strong enough for professional-quality audio?
Please answer me that, and not sell me an Athlon (i've looked at those too)
umm, i assume that the eMac doesn't have spare PCI slots because I've heard from someone who owns an eMac (not for recording) that they don't...
THUS i'm really answering my own question... YES. Firewire and USB ARE the only options apparently...
But that raises another question... is the audio-in on the eMacs strong enough for professional-quality audio?
Please answer me that, and not sell me an Athlon (i've looked at those too)
M
manning1
Banned
on the emac. it supports firewire and line in audio.
i would suggest line in initially , and only YOU know if the audio quality is good .
heres a test to do to see if line in is low noise and good quality.
record a track on the emac (just blank) with say a mixer connected with faders down. then look at the waveform which should be a horizontal line.
use an editor (hi lite) the horizontal line. and assess the db level of
the horizontal line. if its minus 80db or below. then this shows very good electronics design and you should be able to record well.
frankly i dont know why you dont want to look at athlons.
maybe a friend with a bad experience perhaps ? if so this is often due to people not knowing how to set up their systems correctly as a daw.
the EMAC while cute and beautifull if you look at the specs is only a 1.25ghz processor . a amd at 3ghz is far better imho.
i'd be real curious what reservations you have about amd and why.
there are all sorts of misconceptions floating around.
if you go on audioforums.com (pc section) there is a really interesting mac pc thread you should read. and i dont want to add to it.
but frankly nothing beats an amd 64 right now except amd's own high end opterons. look on gearslutz.com for a thread by brianT on the outstanding performance he is getting using opterons.
peace.
i would suggest line in initially , and only YOU know if the audio quality is good .
heres a test to do to see if line in is low noise and good quality.
record a track on the emac (just blank) with say a mixer connected with faders down. then look at the waveform which should be a horizontal line.
use an editor (hi lite) the horizontal line. and assess the db level of
the horizontal line. if its minus 80db or below. then this shows very good electronics design and you should be able to record well.
frankly i dont know why you dont want to look at athlons.
maybe a friend with a bad experience perhaps ? if so this is often due to people not knowing how to set up their systems correctly as a daw.
the EMAC while cute and beautifull if you look at the specs is only a 1.25ghz processor . a amd at 3ghz is far better imho.
i'd be real curious what reservations you have about amd and why.
there are all sorts of misconceptions floating around.
if you go on audioforums.com (pc section) there is a really interesting mac pc thread you should read. and i dont want to add to it.
but frankly nothing beats an amd 64 right now except amd's own high end opterons. look on gearslutz.com for a thread by brianT on the outstanding performance he is getting using opterons.
peace.
M
manning1
Banned
also if you dont believe me even on this bbs do a search on past threads on folks using amd athlon processors. note the excitement.
but its up to you.
but its up to you.
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Polaris20
Active member
The eMac has two FW ports, and USB2, both of which are fast enough for audio.
Get a firewire interface, a USB2 external hard drive, and you have a cheap, happening Mac system.
Get a firewire interface, a USB2 external hard drive, and you have a cheap, happening Mac system.
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AlfredB
New member
the problem w/ USB esp. ver 2 is not so much the (theoretical) throughput (480mbit if memory serves me right) ....
the problem seems to be that your USB controller shares IRQ (i suppose apples have IRQs too ) w/ keyboard, mouse or whatever ... and USB really tends to bog down your CPU ...
I have found a lot of people who did not experience ANY problems, but if you do ... they seem to be hard to track down. I for my part have a USB soundcard and have tried (nearly) all the tricks in the book (and meanwhile - thx to the folks here i am somewhat knowledgeable) and still get pops and clicks - not as much as i used to - but still .... it seems that the SUSTAINED throughput is just not there :-/
to a lesser extent this also seems to apply to FW (no personal experience, tho)
the problem seems to be that your USB controller shares IRQ (i suppose apples have IRQs too ) w/ keyboard, mouse or whatever ... and USB really tends to bog down your CPU ...
I have found a lot of people who did not experience ANY problems, but if you do ... they seem to be hard to track down. I for my part have a USB soundcard and have tried (nearly) all the tricks in the book (and meanwhile - thx to the folks here i am somewhat knowledgeable) and still get pops and clicks - not as much as i used to - but still .... it seems that the SUSTAINED throughput is just not there :-/
to a lesser extent this also seems to apply to FW (no personal experience, tho)
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andyouandi
New member
thanks guys.
i dont OWN an eMac, but I'm looking at Macs... I've used Macs and I prefer OS X over win XP any day... Just, I'm cheap... I was looking at the eMac because its the cheapest.. But Now i'm looking at the Power Mac G5 (dual processor) which claims to have 3 extra PCI-X (new PCI?) slots.. and thus i can theoretically use a card i have now (plus other cards)...
but I'm also thinking about getting an iBook for school. But then I'd only have the option of Firewire (one firewire port
) as well..
Oh well, this is something for me to think over... I'd like the idea of avoiding the "Tower" but I can probably live with a $2500 tower... even though i think thats really too much for a personal computer... BUT WORTH IT!
anyways, thanks
i dont OWN an eMac, but I'm looking at Macs... I've used Macs and I prefer OS X over win XP any day... Just, I'm cheap... I was looking at the eMac because its the cheapest.. But Now i'm looking at the Power Mac G5 (dual processor) which claims to have 3 extra PCI-X (new PCI?) slots.. and thus i can theoretically use a card i have now (plus other cards)...
but I'm also thinking about getting an iBook for school. But then I'd only have the option of Firewire (one firewire port
) as well..Oh well, this is something for me to think over... I'd like the idea of avoiding the "Tower" but I can probably live with a $2500 tower... even though i think thats really too much for a personal computer... BUT WORTH IT!
anyways, thanks
M
manning1
Banned
much as i'm not a huge fan of windows due to bloat , and hoping that linux will push out windows in the business world. i still feel you should look at some facts/realities...
1. when you get out of school, and need a job. you will be required to work often in a windows environment. you may not like xp, and as a computer engr i think its bloated, but the fact is its used all overthe real job world.
if linux takes over - youll need to know linux as well.
there is currently a battle going on to establish linux as the dominant OS in the next few years being waged by millions of teks/engrs supporting its development around the world as well as hi tech companies spending billions on development.
2. apples market share - while i like its ergonomics - is quite small.
because there are cheaper solutions. i can kit out a daw based round an athlon for about 1k including a good sound card thus saving 1500
bucks over a g5 which i can use for some good mics /pre's.
1. when you get out of school, and need a job. you will be required to work often in a windows environment. you may not like xp, and as a computer engr i think its bloated, but the fact is its used all overthe real job world.
if linux takes over - youll need to know linux as well.
there is currently a battle going on to establish linux as the dominant OS in the next few years being waged by millions of teks/engrs supporting its development around the world as well as hi tech companies spending billions on development.
2. apples market share - while i like its ergonomics - is quite small.
because there are cheaper solutions. i can kit out a daw based round an athlon for about 1k including a good sound card thus saving 1500
bucks over a g5 which i can use for some good mics /pre's.
P
Polaris20
Active member
Very true, everything Manning said. I myself have been reliably running an Athlon 2500+ clocked at 3200+ for nearly a year.
But I still think an eMac, iMac, or iBook with a FW drive, and a USB2.0 interface, or vice versa, would still make a very suitable and affordable recording system. And a nice alternative to the ever turbulant Windows platform.
Like I said before, I've got a buddy who's been recording on a 450-500Mhz G4(can't remember which) for a few years now, no problems.
Choose the software. That will choose the platform.
But I still think an eMac, iMac, or iBook with a FW drive, and a USB2.0 interface, or vice versa, would still make a very suitable and affordable recording system. And a nice alternative to the ever turbulant Windows platform.
Like I said before, I've got a buddy who's been recording on a 450-500Mhz G4(can't remember which) for a few years now, no problems.
Choose the software. That will choose the platform.