Mac Mini

[ToneKing]

What are the opinions out there concerning the mac mini for recording purposes? What other interface is needed for a guitar? Will guitar port work???
I admit it, I'm uneducated when it comes to this sort of stuff.

 

[Chiba]

Personally, I wouldn't do anything more advanced that what an MBox can handle on a computer - Mac or Windows - that you can't upgrade. But that's just me.

--chiba

 

[onemind]

Guitar Port to date is not Mac Compatible. I think the mini will handle most recording chores as long as you don't get carried away. A fast external firewire drive will probably be best for audio.

Steve

 

[dehughes]

Question, somewhat on topic:

Why would one opt for an external hard drive when you can get a very fast internal hard drive? I see everyone using externals...why not another internal?

Thanks,


david

 

[onemind]

Why would one opt for an external hard drive when you can get a very fast internal hard drive? I see everyone using externals...why not another internal?

In this case there is not room for an internal, The Mac Mini is just too small for a second internal drive. And Ideally the audio drive and the drive containing the application are seperate. I think using externals for audio is largely a matter of convenience...unplug and bring it to the studio, bring it along to edit on a laptop etc. No doubt there are screaming fast internals (seagate cheetahs at 10k etc.) But there are plenty of people playing back 24 tracks plus off an external firewire hard drive.

Hope that helps,

Steve

 

[Play by Tone]

The mini would do fine for recording with an external FW drive, even USB 2.0 drive, just don't try to get fancy with softsynths and it will track like a dream..

 

[dehughes]

Originally posted by onemind
In this case there is not room for an internal, The Mac Mini is just too small for a second internal drive. And Ideally the audio drive and the drive containing the application are seperate. I think using externals for audio is largely a matter of convenience...unplug and bring it to the studio, bring it along to edit on a laptop etc. No doubt there are screaming fast internals (seagate cheetahs at 10k etc.) But there are plenty of people playing back 24 tracks plus off an external firewire hard drive.

Hope that helps,

Steve

Yeah, that helps. I was just going to get another internal (a fast one...) for my PC and dedicate it solely to audio. I take it that would be just as good as an external, being as I'm not going to be taking my HD anywhere.

Thanks,


david

 

[MichaelK]

Originally posted by dehughes
Why would one opt for an external hard drive when you can get a very fast internal hard drive?

My question would be the opposite: why bother installing an internal when you have so much more flexiblity using one or more hot-swappable externals?

 

[aleclee]

Originally posted by onemind
In this case there is not room for an internal, The Mac Mini is just too small for a second internal drive. And Ideally the audio drive and the drive containing the application are seperate. I think using externals for audio is largely a matter of convenience...unplug and bring it to the studio, bring it along to edit on a laptop etc. No doubt there are screaming fast internals (seagate cheetahs at 10k etc.) But there are plenty of people playing back 24 tracks plus off an external firewire hard drive.

There's another advantage to having a dedicated data drive. While the internal drive is used to load executables, write temp & swap files, and other misc tasks, the data drive can focus on streaming audio files to/from the disk. The spindle would be jumping around a lot less, providing for better performance.

 

[dehughes]

Originally posted by MichaelK
My question would be the opposite: why bother installing an internal when you have so much more flexiblity using one or more hot-swappable externals?

Sure. That'd be great if you were taking your HDs with you, or needed to swap. My situation is one that does not require me to swap anything, or take my HD anywhere, so I'll opt fo the internal (cheaper alternative).


david

 

[aleclee]

Originally posted by MichaelK
My question would be the opposite: why bother installing an internal when you have so much more flexiblity using one or more hot-swappable externals?

For me, the answer is "cost". Those hot-swappable externals are convenient but if I'm not going to take advantage of that feature, why pay the premium for an external drive?

 

[dehughes]

Originally posted by aleclee
For me, the answer is "cost". Those hot-swappable externals are convenient but if I'm not going to take advantage of that feature, why pay the premium for an external drive?

Exactly...


david

 

[OneMileWish]

Originally posted by dehughes
Sure. That'd be great if you were taking your HDs with you, or needed to swap. My situation is one that does not require me to swap anything, or take my HD anywhere, so I'll opt fo the internal (cheaper alternative).


david

From the Pro Tools manual:

Although Pro Tools will let you record to your system drive, this is generally not recommended. You should record to system drives only when necessary-for example, if your computer system has just one hard drive, or if your other hard drives are completely out of space.

From the reading that I've done, it mostly has to do with what aleclee already wrote about.

P.S. One day soon I shall have a mac mini and an mbox, I've promised myself!

 

[TAVD]

Originally posted by MichaelK
My question would be the opposite: why bother installing an internal when you have so much more flexiblity using one or more hot-swappable externals?

Bandwidth & Throughput. Uncluttered desktop.

If you need an external HD:
Buy a dual interface HD so you'll always be able to keep it on a seperate bus from the audio interface for max bandwidth.

 

[MichaelK]

>> My situation is one that does not require me to swap anything, or take my HD anywhere, so I'll opt fo the internal (cheaper alternative).

That's fine. But just out of curiosity, then why did you ask?

 

[MichaelK]

Originally posted by Denyle_Guitars
Uncluttered desktop.

An additional internal drive will also place an icon on your desktop, if that's an issue.

 

[TAVD]

Originally posted by MichaelK
An additional internal drive will also place an icon on your desktop, if that's an issue.

Sorry, I meant physical desktop, not Win desktop. Gotta watch out for those space consuming icons too, however.

 

[LSchefman]

>>The mini would do fine for recording with an external FW drive, even USB 2.0 drive, just don't try to get fancy with softsynths and it will track like a dream.<<

Actually, the mini is about 3 times faster than my G4 equipped tower, and I run softsynths (retro and rebirth) in digital performer, reason as a plug in, and a soft sampler all at once with no problems.

I have also never run out of audio tracks.

The cool thing about the mini is that it's so quiet! Far less annoyance. I would buy one in a second, but my MOTU 1296 requires that I connect it to a PCI card.

I like the sound of the 1296, so I'm stuck getting a G5 tower when I upgrade, unless something else comes along.

 

[juniorspecial]

Originally posted by dehughes
Sure. That'd be great if you were taking your HDs with you, or needed to swap. My situation is one that does not require me to swap anything, or take my HD anywhere, so I'll opt fo the internal (cheaper alternative).


david

I hear you. The internal's cheaper now. And cheaper now feels better.

But one of the great things about the external is that it will be plug 'n' play with your NEXT computer upgrade.

I mean, let's say you put 120 gigs of great audio projects on your second internal. What do you do with all that when you get a new computer--which you will do, eventually, or sooner. Burn it onto 200 CDs? Or 30 DVDs?

Migrating data to the new computer is one of the major, major drags of the computer product cycle. I figure a firewire hard drive will make that a snap. (Unplug from old computer. Plug into new computer.)

It might be possible to swap out the internal hard-drive and put it in the new 'puter--but it might not, depending on what changes occur in computer architecture.

I figure the price difference--internal v. external--will a little hard to swallow now, will pay off big-time when I go to the next computer.

 

[MichaelK]

>> But one of the great things about the external is that it will be plug 'n' play with your NEXT computer upgrade.

Or in anyone else's studio. Or your laptop.