Which Mac?, Mac for DAW Options

[vijay]

Hi everyone..

I'm a beginner into DAW and doing my sound enginnering in India.Im so lost how to setup a Mac based DAW coz everyone is using PC coz its more cost effective here.I'm not sure what mac to buy?I mac or Power Mac... I macs are looking very cost effective but im not sure if its going to be useful to me... i have no clue what soundcard to use and how can i get the inputs? whether i can go for MOTU or get one of the 002 box...Im basically using cubase, protools and also reason... Please help me with the complete setup....Thanks for the same...

VJ

[lepetitmartien]

Welcome Vijay!

First what exactly are you doing with it? Inputs/outputs needed.

Restrain the question a little it'll help to answer.

Have a good read here too, a lot of config questions have been already asked and there's deep knowledge in it

[vijay]

Hi Martein
Im basically gonna record and mix around 20 channels...So ive choosen to buy a Motu 828...but then im not very sure tats a good idea but i heard tats a gr8 piece of hardware.can i use 828 with imac?is digi 002 is good than 828? both works on a firewire so it will work with imac rite?anyway getting a G4 is extrememly expensive in india say 100% more cost. tats why im looking for an i mac...but i want to make sure tat it should do well else il spend for a G4...thnks for ur help...

VJ

[kaboombahchuck]

an 828 will work fine on an Imac. In fact you will be very impressed with it's capabilities (828). Where your problems will start will be with the 20 chanels at one time, but that can be solved by instlling as much ram as the iMac will handle. My 350 mHz iMac with 192 megs of ram will run a maximum of 10 stereo tracks (depending on the length of track), I suppose I could run 20 tracks in mono, but have not tryed it.

[vijay]

Hi chuck
what software you use for mixing and editing with 828? i think 828 has only two XLR inputs so what have you done to have more inputs?is there any latency problem with i mac? thnks for ur help.

VJ

[kaboombahchuck]

actually I do not have an 828 at all, but all I have read has really left me wanting... but alas, no firewire on my mac However it is my understanding that the 828 had 8 audiio ins and 8 audio outs... I believe the 2 xlr's you are referring to are actually preamped with fantom power (for use with mics). I run all audio straight into the sound in of the computer via a 20 chanel mixer....that has 48v fantom power for 8 of the chanels (xlr).

[vijay]

so is it a good buy to buy a G4 1.25 i mac with 1 gb of ram a motu 828 ?do ya think its a good setup? or can i go for a power mac G4 and go for a pci based card?

[kaboombahchuck]

I think the G4 iMac and 828 will be a great way to go, as long as you do not forsee the need for some type of expansion. That is the true drawback to the iMac, when it comes to changing cards and such, it becomes a real pain, or impossibility... I went with an iMac because of the price, and then added everything else externally. It has been a realy great ride so far, but I'm looking to buy the new G5 power mac for expanability (ie changing of burner, addition of harddrive space, capabilities of utilizing true 5 point surround sound), but that is still a long time off.

[vijay]

Thanks for tat update
do ya recommend to buy a G5 now?i know it is not ready for a smooth ride...but im gonna invest money now so do u think its worth buying a power mac G5?i think 828 will work smoothly but the PCI is a bit different from the G4 isnt it?anyway a G5 1.6 is almost cost twice as a i mac G4 1.25 is it a worthy investment?

[kaboombahchuck]

The only reason I would go for a G5 is because it is the latest. I'm not sure if it is all that better than a G4, but anything is going to be better than the G3 I'm using now. I guess it all comes down to cost. If something cheeper will work fine for an accepable period of time, then go for cheeper. I go for something that is going to last the longest. There are alot of variables in the mix. If at sometime in the near future you're going to be able to get a G5 at a reasonable price, you might want to question the purchace of an iMac G4. If you're going to be stuck with your choice for a long period of time and funds might not be available in the future, go for the biggest bang... Also, you are going to be using a different platform, so it might be a wise choice to go for the iMac, as you may find it does not suit your needs (doubtful) vs. a PC. At any rate, the 828 is universal, and extreemly usefull.