Mac versus PC and other recording questions

[SimpleMind]

Hei guys,
i am quite new to recording. I have an older PC 1GB ram. I want to get more serious with recording and am considering to buy a Mac. Like the new Macs were you have the computer build in the screen.
Now i am considering to stay with my old computer and get Sonar Cakewalk Powerstudio 660 or get me a MAC and go with Lexicon omega.
Thankful for every information/tip about the topic.
Andy

 

[SimpleMind]

Just forgot one tiny thing. Do i need active monitors and if yes whatfor?

 

[beej]

I'd say it largely depends which you're more comfortable with, Mac or PC. You can get great results with either.

A decent PC running Reaper is probably the less expensive option.

The recording interface is a separate question and really depends on what you need (# channels, USB vs Firewire, how good to you need the preamps to be, etc.) I have an Omega and use it on a PC running (you guessed it) Reaper, it's ok for what it is. There are a zillion other options out there.

You can get away with a good set of headphones for a while. Eventually you'll want monitors so you can acurately hear what you're mixing.

 

[Clumsy Fingers]

My own experience using PC/Windows is limited to a couple years, and I'm sure you can do great work on a PC. At this point, I've been using a Mac for many years, so naturally I'm biased. I just like the Mac platform better, and the core audio feature assures Mac users they won't have driver issues (which *used* to be somewhat of an issue w/ PCs, but it's been ages since I've kept up with it, so that may have changed).


What I can say is that I've had this trusty G5 running Digital Performer and lots of plug-ins pretty flawlessly for years. I don't have problems w/ projects crashing and losing hours of hard work, and that's really the important thing for me. I can't promise you'll have the same experience, but my friends who have switched have never regretted moving to the Mac platform.


If you buy an iMac, you'll get a lot of very usable and easy software right out of the gate, including Garageband, which is a very good starting point-it may be all you ever need, depending on how ambitious you are. If you have any friends w/ a Mac, bug them to let you mess around, and get a feel for things: it's the best way to know if it's right for you.


No matter what, though, it's the ideas and how you execute them that matters- have fun, and good luck!