G5 With Ibm Chips Options

[petra]

Hi,

I'm getting ready to buy a new computer for my future studio. After emailing, posting messages in forums, long considerations etc. it looks like I will go in the direction of a PC.

Why? I talked to an employee of Apple, and he told me that if I buy a G4 today, I should be ready to sell it when new processors come out at the end of 2003.

I wanted to ask Mac users, what do you think about this new, what I think they call "G5" and what is it going to mean for you? Will your current software and recording hardware work with the G5?

Also, how is Cubase SX with OSX?

Please elnighten me, I might still change my mind and go Mac if it makes sense.

Petra

[lepetitmartien]

I suppose you cannot add another processor to an iMac, right? Can you add another hard disk?

If I remember well you could accelerate the first Imacs but they are really closed computers so… and they are slow G3 so can be used for midi but audio work will be painful.

On HD, 7200 IDE are ok, but having 2 HD one for system, one for audio is good practice.

Excuse me? I'm still new to this.

HD is hard drive… IDE is a type of interface for CDrw, HD… 7200 is RPM (the turning speed)
I can do worse if I want

I suppose I will be recording plenty of audio tracks and using a lot of plug-ins - or at least I want to have the potential to do it.
For example: I want to do vocals - double, triple; background vocals, also double/triple; drums - probably dedicated track for each drum sound to be able to apply individual effects to them; (acoustic) guitar, bass and synth sounds and EFX, and plug-ins. Enough? I'm afraid it's going to require quite a powerful machine to handle it.

You bet!
You can breathe a little by bouncing tracks but if you want to use a bit of plugins at the same time, G4 at least and best is dual processor.
The Presto way is interesting, if you have a limited budget but still have a quality I/O on a good stylish computer. You are limited on the I/Os you can use at the same time, but you have a good interface, and a mac not too expensive that is kind on the eyes and powerfull enough to handle audio and plug-in reasonably. Later you can go with a bigger badder better one and keep the G4 imac for midi or internet
You can't upgrade the processor, but you can have firewire interfaces, HDs without problem.
One thing, as I've seen on a other thread… you don't rely on Apple screens only, with a little adaptor for the ADC and DVI ports on the cards of the G4 towers you can plug a iiyama or mitsubishi screen big and heavy, but less expensive.
Anyway, go for the more powerfull you can reasonnably afford. But don't neglect the G4 iMac it's a good little computer if you can round its "weaknesses" regarding the towers.