Need basic advice - Mac vs. PC?, other basic needs...

[Celtozoid]

Though I've performed professionally-ish for many years, i'm stumped when it comes to digital recording. I'm using a decent PC now (700 mhz Pentium III), but I need to get another computer, and the new emac G4 (700 mhz) looks like the most likely choice. (Variety bein the spice o' life n' all).
I'll be mostly recording bagpipes, fiddles, guitars, vocals & the like- I don't think I need a lot of wierd effects, just the basics - eq, reverb, compression etc, but good quality. I would think 8 tracks would be plenty for now. just something to do demos on, etc.
Ok, so this is where ya'll come in
1) Mac or PC? (please don't get into esoteric stuff-just what works for you)
2) Software - is Protools free realy a viable option (mac)
3) Soundcard, or what would I need for a mac?
4) a to d (?) converter?
5) What am I leaving out?
Please try to indicate a price & where you would buy from, if possible.
I'm looking for reasonable value, (got two kids in private school!) -ease of use, good quality sound (not nessesarily state of the art) and cheap where possible. Thanks!

 

[eyeslikefire]

First off, Welcome!
Second, that PC you currently have will do a great job with the right software and some hardware.
Don't get me wrong, I love Macs but the "bang for the buck" just ain't there. If you definately need a Mac I suggest doing a search on this site. There are plenty, (I MEAN PLENTY) of threads here on PC vs. MACS.

 

[Seanmorse79]

1) Mac or PC? (please don't get into esoteric stuff-just what works for you)
PC. Without a doubt.

2) Software - is Protools free realy a viable option (mac)
No. It's full of bugs (as least the PC version). There are some decent shareware packages available though.

3) Soundcard, or what would I need for a mac?
M-Audio Delta 1010 / Aardvark Q10 / ST-Audio C-Port
...all of these have 8 inputs and are good quality. The C-Port is the least expensive of the 3. I got mine for 400 bucks, but I'm seeing them for 450 now.

4) a to d (?) converter?
This is built into the sound card. You can buy external ones, but you probably don't need to right now.

5) What am I leaving out?
Mics and a mixer. Unless you get the Aardvark Q10 (most expensive of the 3), you'll need a mixer that has 8 busses or channel inserts to act as a mic preamp for the sound card.

 

[Track Rat]

I've had both (G4 and PC). Everything for the Mac is more expensive than the PC equivilent. I sold my Mac and never looked back.

 

[littledog]

PCs are cheaper. No argument.

For what i do, Mac's are more reliable, more stable, easier to configure, and the software upgrades tend to come out first for the Mac, often months earlier. But I'm using a pretty expensive Pro Tools system with a lot of high end plug-ins.

Some others giving you advice may have experience with more basic systems that would be closer to your needs, and probably have more relevant advice than what I could give you.

But for me, no way would i ever switch willingly to a PC.