PC vs Mac For Recording

[Scar Symmetry]

ah you kids with your abbreviations!

of course I know what Pro Tools is

 

[Slampop]

I can only speak from my personal experience, so take it for what it's worth, which is very little:

I've never had a problem with a PC that I couldn't solve with little-to-no trouble.

I've never had a problem with a Mac that I COULD solve with LOTS of trouble. AND the 'experts' at the Mac store(s) are always pretty useless as well.

hahaha, they ARE totally useless, and really, it doesn't matter, what matters is what interface you use, how much memory you got etc. if the computer runs the damn program of choice, there will be no real difference. Mac is retard friendly for general stuff and PC can be completely pwned with a decent amount of knowledge. despite everything that has been said, with a mac, there is not a lot of easily obtainable cracked software as there is for PC, so prepare to be broke (depending on what you require of course, just saying PC has been a standard and there are many more "options" available)...not that i condone, nor take part in those sort of shenanigans. Also, PC being the "standard," you will find many more solutions to any problems that come up. i have used both mac and pc btw...i stick with PC for recording, and my mac has become my online computer, cause they are very user friendly and "virus free," but like i said, noone will ask after hearing a recording done by the same program with all the same equipment..."so...was that Mac or PC...sounds like a Mac." i don't know, just my hahaha

 

[Fionn]

of course I know what Pro Tools is

sorry i thought you didn't my bad!

 

[rahul_mukerji]

Personal experience:

I've been using Windows (XP) for the longest time with a Firewire interface and I've never had issues that made me think twice about switching. I must admit I did try Linux but that did not work out too well for recording purposes. My computers have been Pentium III's and I recently upgraded to a Quad Desktop.

Since Macs now run XP on them, you could just go in for a Macbook and install XP and have the best of both worlds. In fact if you take a Mac, install XP and then install Wubi or the Wubi for Mint (the linux flavour) over XP you'd have 3 OS's on a laptop and then you can rule this world with thy geekyness (which i will one day do ... just not yet )

I would say, whatever you choose make sure you do so based on a couple of things:

• Are the plugins you want compatible with the OS (some plugins may be mac-only or windows only) ?
• Are you already familiar with a certain software. E.g. if you already know DP6 or PT then you could go for a mac, but if you're well settled into Cubase or Sonar, Acid, then PC might be a better option.
• Windows generally has a lot more options as opposed to Mac, but since Macbooks can now run XP, thats almost insignificant.

Stability wise I haven't had too many issues with my PC's, except when I overloaded the PC with a ton of VSTi's.

 

[newamerikangospel]

Well, the biggest thing that I see in the Mac vs PC debate, is that most macs have the capability for 16Gbs of ram (and see the entirety of it). Plus, I haven't seen any standard market computers using dual quad cores in their machines. I haven't really researched it, but the $5k pricetag for a mac pro with 8cores and 64gbs of ram (or whatever the new ones hold) is about par with a custom PC built with the same specs. Also, Macs have a more solid operating system that I have seen (this isn't talking about freezing, but inconspicous things that cause PC errors, like memory allocation).

I can get a dual-dual core (4 cores) and 16gb capable Mac for $1500, with a 1gig video card that was made for dual monitors (has two dedicated outputs) and a faster bus speed then any PC I have seen for that price. But my little $500+upgrade (ram, video card) Compaq handles the recording I do now.

I guess its like there is probably a good playing squire out there (PC), but its more of a safe bet to go with a custom shop (mac).

 

[synrgy]

Well, the biggest thing that I see in the Mac vs PC debate, is that most macs have the capability for 16Gbs of ram (and see the entirety of it). Plus, I haven't seen any standard market computers using dual quad cores in their machines. I haven't really researched it, but the $5k pricetag for a mac pro with 8cores and 64gbs of ram (or whatever the new ones hold) is about par with a custom PC built with the same specs. Also, Macs have a more solid operating system that I have seen (this isn't talking about freezing, but inconspicous things that cause PC errors, like memory allocation).

I can get a dual-dual core (4 cores) and 16gb capable Mac for $1500, with a 1gig video card that was made for dual monitors (has two dedicated outputs) and a faster bus speed then any PC I have seen for that price. But my little $500+upgrade (ram, video card) Compaq handles the recording I do now.

I guess its like there is probably a good playing squire out there (PC), but its more of a safe bet to go with a custom shop (mac).

Yeah, that's all well and good on paper.



Now, show me a DAW program that can actually take advantage of any of that extra power. The software companies making the DAW programs are still writing their software to cater to the 32 bit OS crowd. (a 32 bit OS can only support 4GB RAM)

Your guitar analogy is terribly flawed. A Mac is hardly a custom shop. A custom shop would be a PC Built by a specialty company that builds the computer to your specs, just like a custom guitar, like the folks that built mine @ www.pcaudiolabs.com . If a PC is something like a Squire, then a Mac is something like an Epiphone -- totally comparable to each other, only really different on the surface (the brand name), and sometimes at the price tag.

Sure, an over-the-counter Compaq/Acer/Whatever PC is going to be a piece of crap, but so is an over-the-counter Mac, at least when comparing either one to a custom build.

 

[MF_Kitten]

i prefer macs in all areas, over pc´s. and as a result, i also do all my recording on mac, and i´m a million times more content now than i ever was with a pc. tadaah

 

[stuh84]

Yeah, that's all well and good on paper.



Now, show me a DAW program that can actually take advantage of any of that extra power. The software companies making the DAW programs are still writing their software to cater to the 32 bit OS crowd. (a 32 bit OS can only support 4GB RAM)

I'll point you directly to Apple.....given that Logic can use more than 4GB.

And OS X is 64 bit native now, it can run 32 bit apps, but runs 64 bit too

 

[Slampop]

THIS IS MADNESS!!!


...and the fighting continues, hahaha.

 

[GorillaSalsa]

Like I said in my post, 7-8 year old G4, so try reading what I'm saying next time.

If you read what I said, you'd know that I said that same G4 could be as new as 5 years old, so try not glimpsing over shit before you make assumptions.

Plus, the same DDR ram thats in most PC laptops is the same thats in Macs, you are looking at Apples site for it, not Crucial, or Newegg, you know, the same you would with a PC?

That's great, but I don't have to worry about voiding a warranty with my homebuilt PC. Try cracking open a mac to install ram without paying shitloads of cash or voiding the warranty.

I've been building and repairing PCs since about 1998, and I just got sick of it. I've got better things to do with my time than research different motherboards, work out which works best, see if there are any chipset issues that could affect the hardware I want to use with it, and then wonder why when I've got it, installed XP/2000/Vista/98/NT or whatever it was at the time, I still think "you know, this doesn't feel any faster".

As I've said in the various other posts in this thread, Macs do crash, but I've had nowhere near as many problems with them as I have PCs, this is MY experience with them, through running, building, reparing and using them for 8 times longer than I have Macs.

That's where the difference is in effort. If you're fine with just blindly clicking a few radio buttons and entering your credit card, that's fine. But if you've got better things to spend $2k+ on than a computer, a PC and a little effort goes a LONG way.

All I wanna know is, that PC from 2005, how well does it run Protools LE 7.4, with DFH Superior 2, a virtual orchestra (can't remember which one the guy uses, possibly Garritan) and virtual synths...without falling over? This is what I'm talking about. And as I said, 7-8 years old, not 4....

I wouldn't be able to tell you, but even if it didn't run those things well, I could build a new PC that did and add the cost of the old one and still have money left over vs. a mac.

 

[Origins]

I´ve been on PC for my whole life and only changed for Mac 6 months ago.
I´ve been an idiot to wait so long, just because of the price of such products.
Seriously.. there´s no way to compare a PC to a Mac.
It´s like comparing a Renault 5 to a Porsch
I know that there is always a way to upgrade a PC to get a monster, but if you are not a big technician or a lucky guy, it just drives you crazy, waste your time and your money.
So far I didn´t get any problem of any kind with my Mac.
The interface is clear, instinctive and much more logical (with a PC you have to get how to control it by any way you can, even if it doesn´t make any sens..).
I use Logic studio for my recordings, and I don´t need anything else. It´s just what I always expected from a computer about music.
Quality has a price, but I don´t regret it.
If you didn´t make your choice yet, give a try to Mac!!

 

[stuh84]

Edit: Removed this post, I cannot be bothered any more, going back to recording. On my Macs. Without issue....

 

[synrgy]

I'll point you directly to Apple.....given that Logic can use more than 4GB.

And OS X is 64 bit native now, it can run 32 bit apps, but runs 64 bit too

1. So you're saying you're fine with justifying 16gb of ram even though only ONE program on the market can make use of any more than 4? What about those of us that think Logic has the most unfriendly interface of any DAW on the market? (I wrapped my brain around cubase, ableton, reason, fruityloops, acid, reaper, and tons of other daw/sequencer programs without any trouble, but I can't wrap my brain around Logic to save my life..)

2. Windows offers the same options. The OS doesn't matter -- the software you want to run on the OS does.

All this is moot anyway. The OP was talking about recording specifically, in which case pc vs mac is basically "6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other".

 

[Scar Symmetry]

yeah people have started PC general vs Mac general, but I did specify for recording.

 

[Ze Kink]

This is becoming totally ridiculous.

I wonder how much of a performance boost the OpenCL in Snow Leopard will give.

 

[arktan]

i think that this sums it up fairly well:

Macs = good engineered (i'll call them "M" from now on)
Lots of PC manufacturers = bad enginereed ("B")
some PC manufacturers = good engineered ("P")

M -> good for recording
P -> good for recording
B -> bad for recording

The difference between M's and P's is usually just the OS. Not the quality of the system as a whole. That's why comments like
"OMG, lulz, pc sux" or "Omg, mah mac doesnt crush" or "Mac sux" and "PC is a Volkswagen and Mac is a Porsche" (car enthusiasts, do you see the irony in this? ) and so on are pure fanboyism (like me with my ThinkPad )

A good engineered Mac and a good engineered PC will both get the job done on a much higher level than we hobby-writers (and most non-hobby writers) need.

EDIT: I forgot to add a "From my point of view"

 

[Scar Symmetry]

or "Mac sux" and "PC is a Volkswagen and Mac is a Porsche" (car enthusiasts, do you see the irony in this? )

haha yeah

but surely some slapped together cheap PCs with lots of RAM and high processing power, if maintained well, will perform well enough too? I'm talking about HP and Dell here, HP in particular.

 

[synrgy]

haha yeah

but surely some slapped together cheap PCs with lots of RAM and high processing power, if maintained well, will perform well enough too? I'm talking about HP and Dell here, HP in particular.

It can certanily be done, yes -- though you may be better off (both budget wise and functionally speaking) just doing a barebone kit and adding the components you need.

If you go with one of the major manufacturers, you'll basically want to format the HD and re-install the OS first thing, to get rid of all the proprietary bull-shit software they install at the factory that's going to serve you virtually no purpose other than to eat up your precious RAM and CPU.

What's your budget?

 

[Scar Symmetry]

It can certanily be done, yes -- though you may be better off (both budget wise and functionally speaking) just doing a barebone kit and adding the components you need.

If you go with one of the major manufacturers, you'll basically want to format the HD and re-install the OS first thing, to get rid of all the proprietary bull-shit software they install at the factory that's going to serve you virtually no purpose other than to eat up your precious RAM and CPU.

What's your budget?

yeah as soon as I got it I'd install XP Pro alongside Vista and opt to never use Vista. it's a bitch that you can't delete Vista but nevermind.

my budget is like £500-£600 and I'm looking at a HP machine which is £530, this is the one:

HP Pavilion a6744uk Desktop PC and TFT Monitor from PC World - Cheap HP Desktop Computers and the latest HP Desktop PC deals.

will 2.3 GHz be enough to run Nuendo, Reason 4 (5?) and Superior 2.0 all at the same time?

 

[synrgy]

will 2.3 GHz be enough to run Nuendo, Reason 4 (5?) and Superior 2.0 all at the same time?

Oh fuck yeah. Thing to remember is that the GHz rating is basically 'per-core', so a dual core 1.0GHz is actually 2.0GHz, and this 2.3GHz quad core is basically 9.2Ghz. My rackmount is a 3.0GHz quad w/4gb RAM, and it fucking SMOKES. I haven't even been able to put a dent in the cpu processing while simultaneously running Ableton (or Cubase, depending on my mood)/Reason/multiple instances of Guitar Rig 3/multiple VSTi units.

That being said, for the price I still think you'd be better served by a barebone kit spiced up with your specific components, that way you're only paying for what you need. IE -- if you're wise, your new machine will NOT be an internet machine, so it doesn't need the wireless card that comes standard in all major maufacturer's builds, and that money could go towards something like a decent 3rd party PCI audio interface card. Plus, you probably already have shit like an LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse, a CD burner that works just fine, etc, so why buy all that again?