Switching... need help!

[rest44]

Hi everyone! Me and a friend of mine are working on audio edition and recording for sometime and we always worked on a pc; but after a very nice experience with logic we thought we would get a MAC next time we needed a new computer for our studio.

That time has come and we´re thinking really serious about switching to a mac system, our problem is: what mac to get?? We´re not running on a big budget so this investment as to be taking serious and with a lot of patience and research. So we want to ask you, mac devoteds, what mac do you think fits our needs?

Option A: A less powerfull computer with less expandable options, but more afordable? Lets say: imac 20", 2.0ghz, 2gb ram and a firewire external harddrive?

Option B: A powerfull computer to be an investment for the future? Lets say: Mac Pro 2.5 (or 2.0) with 2gb ram and a second internal drive (like a seagate 320gb)

What option you think is the best??

PS: we run our setup on a presonus firepod firewire interface (maybe expanding to a motu 24/io in the future), and we record live bands and do also production of albums in the computer.

 

[rest44]

!!

no reply? :x

 

[dsnort]

That's a personal preference, depending on how YOU want to spend your money. Personally, I'd go for the Mac Pro, even the 2.0. It's going to be a long time before you outgrow that beast.

 

[Abstract]

Yeah, I'd go for any Mac Pro. Forget the iMacs. You'll want a Mac Pro and 4 GB of RAM (but don't order the RAM from Apple). Use the monitor from your PC.

 

[FFTT]

This all really depends on how many simultaneous input tracks you plan to run.

A well equipped iMac can be fine for a small project studio, but if you're recording
live drums or other multiple instuments at the same time, you're going to need
a much more powerful system.

 

[mduser63]

Another vote for the Mac Pro. It seems to me like one of the major markets for Mac PCI cards is audio equipment. The expandability of the Mac Pro is a big plus. It may cost more up front, but it will also last you longer before you have to spend money on a new computer.

 

[FFTT]

Tony Belmont over at Gearslutz.com was test running his new 2.66 GHz MacPro with Logic Pro 7.2 and able to run 150 simultaneous SSL channels with Waves plugins at 3/4 processor load. 😀

 

[amac4me]

I say go with the Mac Pro. Good luck and congrats on your decision to switch to mac.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Get a Mac Pro. Even if you can only afford the most basic model you can always upgrade piece by piece, and it will have a longer useful life than an iMac.

Welcome to the Mac universe and good luck.

 

[FFTT]

The big issue with a major upgrade is figuring out what to do with your current
3rd party connection hardware.

Any PCI or PCI-X audio cards pretty much ending up traded in or on ebay.

Your F/W interfaces should be O.K. but if you decide to run Logic and ProTools
you may need to consider which DAW will work better for you and buy interfaces
accordingly.

Some users heavily invested in PCI or PCI-X audio cards are opting for a refurb
G5 Quad instead of going for the MacPro, but for a total system upgrade, the Mac Pro is far superior and MUCH MUCH quieter and more powerful.

The only other issue is plugin compatibility with the new Intel format.
Most developers are coming along fine, but some like NI are dragging their feet.