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Thread help needed for equipment

11 replies
5 participants
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5 followers

angelie

350

AFfluent Poster

First post

1 Posted on 11/16/2014 at 03:23:09

Hi,

I work on a pc ( windows 7) with several audio software. This computer used to be a graphic design computer and thus a beast of a machine.
Graphic means calculating which basically eats up power. 3 graphic cards are linked together. This beast works fine but is getting older and all the fans (12 of them) are starting to make noise. A lot of noise.

I was searching through the net for an apple machine because i want to get rid of windows ( serveral reasons but the main thing is win 8. I hate it ).

But checking out several machines i got lost.
I have no apple experience ( no phone, no computer and even no mediaplayer)
So i got lost i therms and technical information. I know you can't compare pc and apple but the apple specs seams so low.
Low amount of internal memory, lower processor speeds.

I have no idea what to look for.
What is good and what is bad. What am i looking for and what do i have to avoid so that i can work with it for a few years.

My wish goes out to a laptop model
But not necessarily.

Who of all you readers can help me out by guiding me through the wonder world of apple.

Thank you

-Angelie

It's not about what you got to use .... but how you use what you got...

[ Post last edited on 11/16/2014 at 06:55:16 ]

EQlikeaboss

New AFfiliate

2 Posted on 11/17/2014 at 04:16:19

Quote from angelie:

But checking out several machines i got lost.
I have no apple experience ( no phone, no computer and even no mediaplayer)
So i got lost i therms and technical information. I know you can't compare pc and apple but the apple specs seams so low.
Low amount of internal memory, lower processor speeds.

I have no idea what to look for.
What is good and what is bad. What am i looking for and what do i have to avoid so that i can work with it for a few years.

Hey Angelie,

First of all, good job on leaving the dark side. While Apple's certainly not perfect, it's lightyears ahead of windows machine regarding dealing with any sort of media. One good thing about Apple is, even if the stats are less (slightly slower processor, a bit less RAM/hard drive space) it will still often outperform a Windows machine with more stats.

Now before helping you out, I need a little more information. What specs have you found so far? What do you consider to be "low"? What are the exact stats of your current machine? Is the OS the only thing you would want to change about it?

I can tell you, for example, that you want a machine that certainly has thunderbolt. Mac invented firewire but has been replaced by thunderbolt, and all newer models only have thunderbolt, so it's safe to assume many future interfaces, MIDI controllers, etc will integrate thunderbolt. And while there are thunderbolt/firewire adapters, they're not the perfect solution. For example, I use a thunderbolt adapter to use my firewire interface on my macbook air (which doesn't have firewire). The problem is, for bus powered interfaces, the adapter delivers far less power than a normal firewire connection.

There are lots of differences, but try and provide a bit more information and I'll try and help you narrow down your results (i.e. what's your budget, what are your must-haves, what specific products/specs dont you understand about apple, etc).

In the meantime, I can tell you one thing for sure: there's practically no switching costs. It'll take you far less than one day to effectively learn how to use OS X. So intuitive, simple, and above all, secure/dependable relative to windows machines :-D

angelie

350

AFfluent Poster

3 Posted on 11/17/2014 at 06:13:24

Thank you for the response.

Well i still work with a midi interface ( unitor 8) this machine has also an apple port and i like to continue to use it. I understand that drivers are still available.

I have seen apple machines with 8 gig internal memory while this windows beast has 16. Processors by the apple are most of the time dual core.

I will make a list of portable machines
And hope for the best.

A realy don't have a fixed buget so i can make some side ways to get what i need.
Aslong the prize is not going to be a castle tower high.

But so far... I understand that apple is a kind of Amiga in the old days. Slow on specs but the way it was build it outran the fastest way pc.
My must haves is a problem because i realy don't know what to expect.

Ok i make my little list and post them in the next reply

What i do know is that it has to run the harrison mixbus daw. I need some software to edit audio files. Perhaps a small photoshop kind of program....

Basically it is going to be used for audio applications.

It's not about what you got to use .... but how you use what you got...

[ Post last edited on 11/17/2014 at 06:20:16 ]

Mike Levine

1066

Author

4 Posted on 11/17/2014 at 06:32:51

Hi Angelie,
I agree with EQlikeaboss, you definitely want to get a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac in order to future proof your setup. Bear in mind, though, that Thunderbolt Macs have no FireWire ports, so if your interface is FireWire, you'll have to make sure that it will work through Thunderbolt with an adapter.
Whatever model you choose, get as much RAM as you can afford. You should have at least 8 GB and preferably 16 GB, if possible. While it used to be easy to upgrade RAM on Mac desktop machines, Apple — in its infinite wisdom — has made it more difficult on some models, so if you're buying a machine that you plan to upgrade, make sure it's user upgradable, unless it already has enough RAM in it.
Also, the models with more processor cores (a quad core or dual core rather than a single core -- on the Mac Pro you can get a 6-core) will give you better performance.
A new Mac Pro would be the best solution for a new CPU, but they're extremely pricey. Much less expensive would be a recently released iMac, which are all-in-one computers. There's one model with a 27" screen, which would give you a lot of space for opening multiple DAW windows.
If you want a portable setup, you can get some pretty fast MacBook Pro models. The downside is you'll have less ports than on an iMac or Mac Pro or Mac Mini.
If you're looking for a low-priced alternative, you could opt for the Mac Mini. Like with the Mac Pro, you'll have to supply your own monitor (and mouse and keyboard) for it, as it's just a CPU.
Apple sells refurbished Macs from its website, and you can often get pretty good deals on relatively recent models there, with full warranties http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac.
Good luck!

angelie

350

AFfluent Poster

5 Posted on 11/17/2014 at 09:44:44

Thank you for the like
I will take a look at it. :-D

so when choosing a portable system I should have the maximal amount of memory i can get.

say for example :

MacBook Pro Retina 13,3 inch (MGX92N/A)

Processor
- Intel Core i5 processor ( so it is better to have i7 )
- Dual core
- clock 2.8 GHz, Turbo Boost > 3.3 GHz
- 3 MB shared L3-cache

connections
- 1 MagSafe 2 power
- 2 Thunderbolt 2 ( so this is a good thing )
- 2 USB 3.0 2 ( and this makes my focusrite 18i20 happy )
- 1 HDMI port ( lets me connect my existing monitors )
- 1 SDXC-card

memmory
- 8 GB DDR3L mem
- 1600 MHz
- mem till 16 gb

for harrison mixbus i need mavericks and this machine supports that
so basicly this can work is i have more memory and perhaps a different processor

which would mean it shouyld be this one :
Apple MacBook Pro MGXA2N/A

It has an i7 processor and 16gb memory and a bigger harddrive.

I must say the prices are way higher than for windows machines and the thunderbolt equipment too.

It's not about what you got to use .... but how you use what you got...

[ Post last edited on 11/18/2014 at 01:31:14 ]

surfrock

New AFfiliate

6 Posted on 11/18/2014 at 02:43:04

Quote from angelie:

MacBook Pro Retina 13,3 inch (MGX92N/A)

Processor
- Intel Core i5 processor ( so it is better to have i7 )
- Dual core
- clock 2.8 GHz, Turbo Boost > 3.3 GHz
- 3 MB shared L3-cache

connections
- 1 MagSafe 2 power
- 2 Thunderbolt 2 ( so this is a good thing )
- 2 USB 3.0 2 ( and this makes my focusrite 18i20 happy )
- 1 HDMI port ( lets me connect my existing monitors )
- 1 SDXC-card

memmory
- 8 GB DDR3L mem
- 1600 MHz
- mem till 16 gb

for harrison mixbus i need mavericks and this machine supports that
so basicly this can work is i have more memory and perhaps a different processor

which would mean it shouyld be this one :
Apple MacBook Pro MGXA2N/A

It has an i7 processor and 16gb memory and a bigger harddrive.

I must say the prices are way higher than for windows machines and the thunderbolt equipment too.

That first option would be good enough IMHO. The second one (MGXA2N/A) would easily get the job done. It's true Apple, particularly macbook pros, will be more expensive than windows alternatives, but hey, they work!! Also, the newer retina display ones will be more expensive than any that were built within the last 4 years which don't have the retina display. So if it's an audio-dedicated machine, I wouldn't shy away from going back 1-4 years for a more than sufficient machine that won't be nearly as expensive.

Mike Levine's right, a desktop like the iMac will be the most cost-effective solution amongst macs, so if you don't mind sacrificing portability, I would just go for a powerful desktop model.

Above all, don't get sucked into the hype about what's 'the newest and greatest' new feature. Any Mac machine with 8GB RAM, more than 2.5 gigs of processing power, thunderbolt ports, and a large enough hard drive should be more than enough to use for music production. Good luck

angelie

350

AFfluent Poster

7 Posted on 11/18/2014 at 04:45:09

Thank you all for your replies.

I guess this is going to be more difficult than i thought. I will search for some desktop / towers too and see if there is something i like

Meanwhile if somebody has some tips / remarks please post them. More information is better and i hate to bet on one horse.

It's not about what you got to use .... but how you use what you got...

angelie

350

AFfluent Poster

8 Posted on 11/19/2014 at 10:44:11

Apple Boys,

I think i have a stuppid question but i hope you can help me. I took a good look online and must say for now the desktop pro is to much to handle and i like to see if i like apple, more important if he likes me :-D

I stood still by the larger and havier imacs.
With i7, fusiondrive and 16gb of memory.

While standing there i was wondering how to get software on that thing because i noticed it had no cd/dvd drive in it.

Are there outboard drives i have to buy
Or does this also work differently then i'm used at the pc world

Thank you

I feel so stuppid right now. I know my way with pc and all its glory and bugs.
But this bugs me

It's not about what you got to use .... but how you use what you got...

[ Post last edited on 11/19/2014 at 10:46:12 ]

larry.orsen

New AFfiliate

9 Posted on 11/20/2014 at 03:54:58

Quote from angelie:

Apple Boys,

I think i have a stuppid question but i hope you can help me. I took a good look online and must say for now the desktop pro is to much to handle and i like to see if i like apple, more important if he likes me

I stood still by the larger and havier imacs.
With i7, fusiondrive and 16gb of memory.

While standing there i was wondering how to get software on that thing because i noticed it had no cd/dvd drive in it.

Are there outboard drives i have to buy
Or does this also work differently then i'm used at the pc world

Thank you

I feel so stuppid right now. I know my way with pc and all its glory and bugs.
But this bugs me

These days, most software is downloadable, either through the App store or through the software developer's site. Come to think of it, I don't remember the last time I've used a CD since switching to macs permanently in 2005. At the time, the operating systems were distributed as CDs, but now, even those are available directly through the app store.

None of your questions sound stupid, don't worry :-D