About To Switch To Mac...general Questions, Multitrack recording & mastering on Mac Options

[EletrikGutar182]

I currently am, and have been, a PC user. I am making the switch to Mac this week. I am ordering a 14" iBook G4 (933 MHz, 40 Gig HDD, etc...)

I currently have a pretty basic setup involving a digital 8-track recorder that I record onto and then connect to my PC for mastering (SoundForge). I am thinking of downloading ProTools free to start off with, after I buy either the iMic or the Mobile Pre.

Will ProTools FREE work with OS X?

Would Garage Band be a good idea?

Will I be able to use the USB interface (probably the Griffin iMic...) easily with ProTools or any other software?

Does anybody have any other reccomendations besides ProTools?

As a fallback option, If I wanted to do mastering on the Mac as I did with soundforge, what is a good freeware or inexpensive mastering program I should use?

P.S., I am not a newbie when it comes to music and recording, so if there are any suggestions of good programs that aren't necessarily meant for beginners, That is fine.

Thanks in advance,
Alex

[dmrkh]

Mhm, insightful question.
But what I want to appreciate 1st is jamester's pov, footloose and light. Whereas mine has been that of homebase

I personally have passed on the 25-key combowombos with usb's infamous latency in favor of a 61-key MIDI board. Now that I'm seeking better inputs than that imic crap I took dry&unlubed, I'm inclined to acknowledge that you do get what you pay for.

So if my audio capture device can equally accomadate MIDI over firewire, then hi-end may be nece$$ary.