New Mac User?, Newbie questions Options

[qusp74]

Well thank you so mutch. It was supposed to be 'relative' but you know how the keybord acts...
Nevermind, thank you man. Frankly, I am very enthusiastic about making music and also to say I have lots of good (and really good) ideas.
About the Mac I'll buy, this event will take place not earlier than summer, so I assume I have a lot of time to make a research.
Steps:
--Buy a Mac (G5?) with good soundcard
--Buy an interface
--Buy monitors
-and then, either I'll buy Logic 8 or before that I'll use Sequel for a while. I have to say I was using Fruity Loops back in 2003 so the basic idea is acquired I suppose.
The rest will follow ofcourse, but I got a strong desire about analog hardware.
Moreover to say, I have Sony Soundforge 8.0 but not even tried it.

I'm sorry if I sounded a little condescending last night I was in a really bad mood and probably should've just gone to bed.

As far as I know, all of the current line of macs come with the same onboard audio chipset with a stereo minijack/toslink connector in and out; so you really dont have a choice of audio card like Pc's. While its enough to get you started its really only for consumer applications. For any decent input or output you will need an interface. I would suggest getting a firewire based interface as chances are it will outlast your computer; computer manufacturers have a tendency to change the expansion bus of their new ranges eg. PCI/PCI-X/PCI express. Firewire will be a standard for years to come so its a pretty safe bet that ou will be able to port your system with you when you upgrade instead of buying a new interface when you get a new computer. Also although firewire interfaces did have some latency issues when they first arrived but they are well and truly sorted out by now.
I suggested a G5 because I got the impression you might be wanting to save some money to enable you to buy the other bits and pieces and I have to say i'm still running a Dual G5 with no need to upgrade for a fair while yet, it has the power I need to run as many audio and Virtual instrument tracks as I desire for my purposes. If you've got the money though a Mac pro would be a dream come true for you though i'm sure.

[Mac Daddy]

Kaumbo

{Frankly, I am very enthusiastic about making music and also to say I have lots of good (and really good) ideas.}

Grasshopper, "Chillax"... let your music speak for itself. What you hear in your "Head" may indeed be REALLY GOOD, hearing it in the Real World can be a humbling experience.

Why not wait until you actually get your gear and hear before saying: "Lots of good and REALLY GOOD ideas you have". When making such statements your music better be "REALLY GOOD".

Such words get an Ummmmmmmmmmmmm. Not a Om.

This post has been edited by Mac Daddy: Sat 1 Mar 2008, 10:25

[deaconblue]

Kaumbo,

I use a G5 DP2.0Ghz machine (as mortalengines stated, 'old by current standards') and it handles Logic 8 very well. If you can find one used (ebay or craigslist or Mac Music classifieds, etc.) it'd be a great first Mac for music production.

If you end up buying new, a Mac Pro will be your best choice for long term. Expandability being the primary concern.

For soundcards, qusp74 is correct, the Macs use a 'built in' sound card (audio interface) that is a part of the Main Logic Board, but I would recommend a USB or FireWire interface to get your audio in and out instead of relying on the AD converters on the Mac's audio interface.

MOTU, M-Audio (pre- Leopard drivers), Alesis, ... There are a lot of great choices. You can scan these very forums for a wealth of information on various interfaces and their pros and cons. I personally use a MOTU 828, an Alesis io|26 and an M-Audio USB Pre depending on the task at hand (the io|26 and USB Pre are my portable devices so I can capture in the field/live recordings).

If you buy a new Mac, it should come with iLife (GarageBand is the audio app in that suite) and will get you making music quickly. If you get a used Mac, iLife is ~ $79 and you get a lot for that price. Plus, if you are really going to be using Logic eventually, this gives you the ability to open up ANY GarageBand project in either Logic Express or Logic Pro/Studio by simply opening Logic and then selecting that existing project. All your loops, patches, etc. will transfer over.

You can get some decent monitors for around $350 from Musician's Friend. Powered is recommended since you won't need an external amplifier. Get a good set of closed back headphones if you plan on recording anything live (vocals, acoustic instruments, etc.) or you can get bleed into the mic from monitoring with open back headphones. If everything is going direct, then it doesn't really matter, but open backed phones will relive some of the SPL from your eardrums. (IMHO)

Good luck! Looking forward to checking out your Mac produced trax.

peace.

This post has been edited by deaconblue: Sat 1 Mar 2008, 16:32

[qusp74]

Mac Daddy,

Thought I may have been a bit harsh on the poor guy glad I wasn't the only person left wondering

kaumbo,

please remember the only reason i'm spending time here on this thread is to put back into this website that has helped me a great deal; not because I like telling people what to do . I just thought it sounded like you were getting a bit ahead of yourself without realizing the time or money involved; I know because i've been there. chillout and take a breath.... you cant rush a good thing.........

peace

[Mac Daddy]

qusp74, you were NOT wrong... No way....

Regarding our "New Kid On The Mac", there are no bigger dreamer than we musicians... Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll... Actually, very few play Rock & Roll anymore, and those that do certainly are not doing it on a PowerBook! Can you imagine Keith Richards saying: "Mick, will you pass me the bloody USB Cable"? Not gonna happen, Rock & Roll has almost become cliche. I digress, yet again.

When I heard this "New Kid On The Mac" talkin' trash to those who are giving advice I had to jump in, especially when I heard the "I've got a lot of REALLY GOOD ideas" remark... It was like: "You don't have one piece of Hard or Software so spare the I wannabe a Fireman when I grow up crap". Let's see if you get out of Jr. High first.

You never, ever walk in to the new school and talk trash... unless you are really tough, very pretty or rich.

"Grasshopper San... you must first be able to grab the pebble from my hand before you talk trash".

This post has been edited by Mac Daddy: Mon 3 Mar 2008, 13:09

[deaconblue]

And now, turn to page 87 in the hymnal...

This is why I love this place. Everyone willing to jump in to help. And self police. Ah, if only the 'real world' operated thusly...

Y'all rock!

"Johnny was a school boy when he
heard his first Beatles song
Love Me Do, I think it was and from
there it didn't take him long
Got himself a guitar, used to play every night
Now he's in a rock & roll outfit,
and everything's all right
Don't you know?"

peace.

[qusp74]

Mac Daddy,

I'm not that well known for my patience in the face of stupidity; naivety I can stomach with more ease so I cut the kid a break and bit my tongue. Thanks for the backup though.

Oh, and as for 'rock and roll', the rock and roll we knew and loved (me only just because I am 33) is well and truly in the land where cliches go to die IMHO. (I'm sure that comment will get me a few flames), its spirit however lives on in the people that were there and even some that weren't; the rules have changed but the game remains the same. Some would say that all modern rock and electronic music is soulless crap and in a lot of cases they are right, the machine that is the commercial music industry means that money and productivity is the name of the game. Happily though; the wider distribution and ease of access to modern recording equipment means that there is a whole new world of people producing there own 'gems' and 'polished turds',

ROCK ON

[qusp74]

This is why I love this place. Everyone willing to jump in to help. And self police. Ah, if only the 'real world' operated thusly...

Y'all rock!

I'm with you deacon, it would be a lot simpler if the 'real world' could be relied upon to operate in this manner. Then Anarchism wouldn't just be a cool IDEA it might just work.

this place and y'all RULE OK he he

This post has been edited by qusp74: Mon 3 Mar 2008, 15:51

[Kaumbo]

1st 'apology'-- Sorry but I have no internet connection at home so that's why I'm late about checking your posts.
2ndly I have to say I'll buy a new Mac and very possible a Mac Pro (and by telling this does not mean I have a lot of money to spend).

Motu 828 firewire looks very attractive to me.

As for gusp74, I very pleased you fill me up with infos about the equipment.
Mac Daddy, you'r right about the expression 'relly good ideas'. Maybe I'm very enthusiastic.
No I am not that rich or tough but I CAN love the quality in psytrance/ambient and shit after watching this scene for 8 years (OK I agree with you, maybe 8 yrs are nothing). The only I ask is a guide from people who know things about Macs and music.

Could anyone tell me something about Sound Forge 8.0?
Shall I combine this with Logic?

thank you once more...

[qusp74]

There is no Mac version of SoundForge, SoundForge will only work if you run windows on an Intel MAC; Blasphemy as far as i'm concerned and you will need at least 3-4gig ram to Run both OS X an Windows at the same time while running intensive Audio applications. An equivalent program for audio clip and loop editing might be Recycle or PEAK pro 6.

The MOTU 828 Firewire has the advantage of having a set of Audio Units that will run natively using the MOTU to do the processing and leaving your CPU to do the rest.