Digital Film, Digital Audio Question from a Newb

locobaker said:

Ok, first off - I have searched the forums many times. I'm a true newbie. Anyways, I am a PC user (Ahh!) but I am switching to Mac in roughly 2-3 months, planning on getting a 15 inch Powerbook with all the features, pimped out, etc etc. If anyone has any specific reccomendations, let me know. My primary use is digital software which obviously needs a lot to run on.

The reason for getting a mac is the software and the "simplicity" and all the good things that Mac has to offer and all the crap that the PC offers - basically, I'm fed up with the PC and I need a good notebook for digital video editing as well as digital audio editing. I use Final Cut Pro for video because I love it and know it relatively well. That's what I plan on using on the new Powerbook. This brings me to my first question, how well can the new powerbook handle FCP? I assume pretty well, but I want to know.

Secondly, I plan on pursuing a digital audio program (as a hobby, video is my career). I'm confused on what the hell to use. I'm a songwriter, I play guitar. What's the best program to learn and use for apple? At first, I was thinking to get an MBOX which comes with Pro Tools and go with that. But I've been reading so many different opinions. What audio editing program should I get, and which works best on the mac? Am I going to be able to incorporate my vocals and guitar easily with the mac? What's the best way to go? MBOX w/pro tools or is there a better/easier solution? Let me know! Don't be shy.

I know thats lots of questions, but if anyone can help me out that'd be awesome. I mean... I am joining your team aren't I?

Click to expand...

FCP runs just fine on my 17" 1Ghz, although you have to wait around a bit for the rendering sometimes, and a separate FW800 drive is a neccesity, I edit and export to DVDSP on a regular basis, and while a dual G5 would be quicker, I can be anywhere I like doing it.

I also teach Music Tech at a London Uni, and I've been a recording engineer for nearly 20 years, my advice is simple, if you can afford ProTools, get it, if you are going to be working a lot with midi and soft-synths/samplers, get Logic or DP4, but be aware that the learning curve on both is STEEP...

ProTools is a very easy system to use for audio recording, and it does basic midi as well, but has no internal synths, you'll need to supply those yourself. As an "out-of-the-box" solution ProTools LE is excellent, and if you need to do acoustic recording, the hardware works just fine.

You could always go the garageband route, but you'll need some input hardware and it doesn't run that well on the PowerBooks (it runs OK, but they tend to run out of legs pretty quickly).

ProTools isn't in all the big studios for nothing, (yes, I know there are plenty of US studios that don't use it), but AIR Lyndhurst, Abbey Road, Real World, Metropolis, Sphere and Whitfield street all use it, (to name a few) and there is a commonality in the main global studios that centres on ProTools as a destination system. Plus nearly all the big film post-production houses are moving to ProTools now.

Lots of folks don't like it, but lots of folks do, and in the end, it does exactly what it's supposed to do with a minimum of fus and a reasonably shallow learning curve.

locobaker said:

f anyone has any specific reccomendations, let me know.

Click to expand...

osxaudio <--- this is the place for mac based audio (OSX). You'll want to get a full DAW if your working with video too (soundtracks in you future?) OR get Live/Reason if your not too concerned with precise soundtracking (though there are ways around that).

You'll love your Powerbook. Go for the 17"!!!


peace.