Which Mac? Options

[musico2007]

I'd like to switch to mac but i don't know which mac to pick? i'm looking for a laptop which is decent for music production and audio engineering....i don't really want the BEST one out there because i don't really have a lot of money rite now as a matter of fact i would probably go with the cheapest option but idk just any suggestions as to which mac i should go with would be good...thx

[Mac Daddy]

Which Mac?
musico2007, Monday April 9, 2007. 01:54
I'd like to switch to mac but i don't know which mac to pick? i'm looking for a laptop which is decent for music production and audio engineering....i don't really want the BEST one out there because i don't really have a lot of money rite now as a matter of fact i would probably go with the cheapest option but idk just any suggestions as to which mac i should go with would be good...thx

Model: PowerBook G4 17"
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.3)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB
L3 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz

I've successfully run 60 Tracks of "Audio" without any problems with a 3 or 4 year old G4 PowerBook... Bass, Guitar, Percussion, 10 Tracks for Drums, Brass, Vocals, Strings (Real Ones), Keyboards (Real Ones) Backing and Lead Vocals... I purchased, out of curiosity, GarageBand, I encountered constant crash problems. I've since dumped it, as it took too much Memory... I found GarageBand to be like a novelty toy, I know some swear by GarageBand, but I just cannot imagine making a "Serious" piece of music with it.

BTW Have any "Hit's" have been created with GarageBand?

My Main Thang is a G5 Dual 2 GHz...

[mortalengines]

My little G4 powerbook has kept me happy for quite a while now. I understand the MacBooks (even the standard ones) are really nice to use and not quite as expensive as the MacBook Pro. I use alot of smartelectronix plugs and they aren't universal binary compatible yet (not sure if they ever will be either) so I am holding out as long as I can get away with it before buying a new computer.

[musico2007]

thx for the responses...could u also tell me what would u consider the minimum requirements for a decent music-making computer...cus i really don't know too much about computers let alone macs like i would probably end up buying this computer just cus it's the cheapest one i can find or i might end up going with a macbook ...are any of these good?

[apachateca]

i have a 1gb powerbook that i have used for five? years (has it really been that long?) and it's been very good- i use logic 7.1, don't really run a lot of plug-ins, but they will kill the speed- i also have a 250 GB external harddrive and store everything on there... also use keys and midi controllers... more power is better of course....

[azkid]

thx for the responses...could u also tell me what would u consider the minimum requirements for a decent music-making computer...cus i really don't know too much about computers let alone macs like i would probably end up buying this computer just cus it's the cheapest one i can find or i might end up going with a macbook ...are any of these good?

You didn't mention a dollar amount for your budget, but here's some things to consider ('cause I just went through this recently, did a lot of research...)-

1.) Minimum of 1GB Ram, but the more the better. MAX IT OUT! Less Ram, means less tracks and effects.
2.) Hard Drive speed- Most laptops have a disk speed of 5400RPM which is too slow for audio recording. But if you must have a laptop, and that slow hard disk is what you end up with, make sure that the laptop has firewire connections, and you can spend another $100.00 + for a 7200RPM, external firewire drive to record to.
3.) Hard Drive space- Audio files take up a lot of room... (but if you get an external firewire drive, get a big one, with as much buffer, as you can afford- see #2)

You don't have to have a PowerBook or laptop if you don't require portability? Laptops are always more expensive than IMacs or used G4 towers?

If you must have a laptop, be sure that it has the ability for the minimum Ram expansion mentioned above and firewire ports. And also be sure that the OS X version that it's capable of, will run the recording software that you want to use.

Do some research, search these columns and the web. There's lots of info out there on music recording with many different Mac computers and setups.

You also didn't mention what kind of recording you've been doing with a PC, or what interface you have? Are you going to invest in new software or interface also? Once you get more info on what's possible, but before you buy, maybe you can get back to us with more specific questions about your situation.

Good luck!

This post has been edited by azkid: Tue 10 Apr 2007, 18:40

[lovewell]

Just choose the one you need and you can afford.
The function is all suitable for you, and the price is just right.