Just Starting Out...a Few Questions. Options

[darkside]

Hey all,

I just subscribed to this place 30 seconds ago, so i thought i'd post this.

I havent actually bought a macintosh yet, but im seriously considering it. I'm applying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts: Sound Design degree at my university, i think i stand a decent chance of getting accepted too. If i do, its a 3 year bachelor degree learning programs like reason, logic etc. backwards fowards and inside out. I've written a couple of songs so far already, just on my home PC (celeron 700 mhz!!!) running FLStudio 4 (and dont say it sucks coz i can make this program do whatever the hell i want and it kicks arse so far, though i accept that other programs are probably much more powerful).

So first question... why mac? Ive started to use the macs over the PCs at uni lately, i love OS X... so much nicer than windows!!! But why is it that every music artist ive seen seems to buy macintosh? Are the programs better? Is the hardware better? And whats this stuff about core audio and core midi?

Also wondering what to get in the first place. I want a laptop, which at this stage rules out G5, and plus considering i'm a 20 year old student with no money, rules G5 out too. I can get 1.5 ghz G4, and can afford to slap 1gb ram in there, with 80gb hard disk. Would this be sufficient for music creation? I'm going to be making electronica mostly, either hard dance, electro, or chillout. I know the G5's are latest technology etc, but is G4 still sufficient for my purposes? And what about the clock speed? 1,5 ghz is quite slow compared to 3.2 ghz hyperthreading P4's.

I dont think i can afford logic. What's reason like? I can probably afford that. I've heard from some people it's terrible but i had a play on it at uni and it rocks.

mmm anyone that can answer this stuff for me is a total legend and i hope you become a super rockstar one day

Dave

[TheCatman]

HI Dave.
First of all, I hope to soon welcome you to the preferred musicians platform:)

Apps: Reason is a cool app for midi based recording (elektronik music), and i like it alot. But if you plan on recording somethin "real" like guitars or vocals or sjait, then you should consider ProTools or Logic as the best sequensers. Both Have rewire technology so you can open reason inside the sequenser and add that "reason-feel" to you tunes. If you buy protools you get a great soundcard included aswell. (mbox starts at 450$).

Choosing computers is tricky. if you need a laptop, than powerbook is the way to go with music. (the optional 5400 RPM drive is alpha/omega). i used to record on a g3 iBook and it was more than enough with 640Megs of RAm and an external 7200RPM HD. But 5400 is also fast enough, just stay clear of 4200 drives (ibooks.. you MUST have an external drive for iBooks..)

But if you don`t really NEED a laptop, than for less money than the 1,5G4, you CAN get an iMac G5 with a 40GB iPOd as well.. The G5 gives you alot more power, faster HD, and RAM i cheaper. So if you have acess to you own school computer, you can move files to and from home with the iPod, AND get great music on the go:). But if you NEED you own computer at school, than the g4 powerbook rocks.

Tell your local apple reseller what you intend to do on with your computer and he`ll tell you how much it needs to cost you, or call Apple Store.

Good luck

[editbrain]

well. imo

if you can afford reason you can afford logic. logic is only 499 with a student id. reason is 300+, or you could get logic express for the same price.
that is my opinion as far as apps.

as far as computers. any apple powerbook G4 will do fine.

[stratology]

Hi Dave,

You asked 'And what about the clock speed?'

Ars Technica had an excellent article a while ago, comparing the architecture of G4 and P4:

Part 1

Part 2


Very tech, very comprehensive...


Enjoy,

Frank

[mhues]

Be aware that BFD is very buggy and takes alot of RAM and Computer power...My Dual 1,8 G5 struggles..My advice go read lots of message boards from users! It is amazing and does sound good...oh yeah..when it works...Takes way too high of a latency setting to get it to work on my machine,,,my 2 cent opinion...

[nta303]

well it looks like i came to the right place, i have been using a pc for 10 years to make music but i'm about to bite the bullet and buy a mac as im sick of it. few questions tho...
i have 2 gina 20 sound cards that i would ideally like to use in a mac is this possible?
secondly i have a very limited budget of 3-400 quid what can i get mac wise for this??

any help is most welcome