mac users out there.. doug i know your out there!!

Started by Ansil, December 04, 2003, 07:14:38 AM

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Ansil

mac users out there.. doug i know your out there!!

lookin at some macs on ebay. now i can't afford a real nice one for surfing the net but i should be able to get one i can record sound on and such..  and maybe get an externall cd writer. i am finding some really nice ones. for pretty cheap.. i mean heck i don't need 1.4ghz on a mac for just tinkering.  but what i want to know what do all of you mac users think..

also i had some software along time ago that let you play your computer keyboard like a regular piano type keyboard and do realtiem stuff..   anything that simple anymore.??   anyone got anything they would share..  

thanks
ansil

Zero the hero

Nice to meet another mac user!
I've got an old iMac rev. B the first iMac Apple launched 4-5 years ago and it still works well for me, and I use it for surfing the net, e-mails, photoshop, audio track management.
I used cubase to record audio track and to apply real-time effects (VST plug-in). In this case it's a bit slow, cause it can't manage 3 or more real-time effects without busying the processor... and the sound becomes choppy.
I suggest you to look for a used G4 if you dont' want to spend a lot. Or a fast G3. Remember that operating sys influences a lot the speed. I still use Mac OS 9. I switched to OS X but I noticed that it was TERRIBLY slow with my configuration, so I switche back to OS 9.
G5 are dreams, but they are too expensive.

ExpAnonColin

I've got a dual 1ghz G4 here :D

Bought it right before G5's came out :(

I'd recommend that if you just want to do simple recording, go with a slower G4 tower.  If you want to really get into it, you know, 10gig plus sized soundfiles in digital performer, you should get something even faster than my box.  This one DOES die out on me once I get over like 12 tracks with a lot of effects and automation.

However, I've done a lot of very small recording, and a lot of maybe 5-6 track 5 minute songs and this thing works just fine.

-Colin

Ansil

thanks for the reply.  i am trying to get back into the mac.. i thought about just getting a classic. if i could find one with a mic input.  lol
that way i could drag it where i wanted to and upload or just get a g3 laptop. i found one for 125$.. it works but the ac adaptor is broken..  can we say diy  i can.. lol  found another one for 100 bucks but the batt is dead and i dont' like to fool with batteries.

Ansil

cool  thanks for the tip collin.   i dont' usually complile massive tracks.. i am actually going to get back into midi as soon as i can get me a cheap dg-20
they rock so hard.  i have forgotten nearly everything i learned about midi stuff.. oh well. i will relearn it.

i figure i would get a cheap keyboard for a midi source
and a dg-20 for a guitar style midi source. and a sequencer. and go from there.

ExpAnonColin

I hate midi, but let's not get into that. :)

-Colin[/i]

Doug H

I have an ancient 603e-based 6500 power mac. It works pretty well with vision/dsp, but I can't get too many things going on at the same time. Can't do heavily loaded dsp/plugin stuff in real time.

Doug

aron

OK, don't take this the wrong way anyone.

First of all, I LOVE my Macintosh (Powerbook G4).

HOWEVER, if you have limited $$$, I would get an eMachines $399 computer bundle.

No, it doesn't have a DVD reader, but it has a lot of other stuff and it's fast. Faster than any Macintosh you are going to be able to get at that price.

It comes with printer, 17" monitor and a good CPU.

It will do all the Digital Audio you need.

The Macintosh is wonderful, but OS X is where the action is and no matter what ... there is a premium for this sort of quality/performance.

Doug H

Quote from: aronOK, don't take this the wrong way anyone.

First of all, I LOVE my Macintosh (Powerbook G4).

HOWEVER, if you have limited $$$, I would get an eMachines $399 computer bundle.

No, it doesn't have a DVD reader, but it has a lot of other stuff and it's fast. Faster than any Macintosh you are going to be able to get at that price.

It comes with printer, 17" monitor and a good CPU.

It will do all the Digital Audio you need.

The Macintosh is wonderful, but OS X is where the action is and no matter what ... there is a premium for this sort of quality/performance.


I agree with you 100%. We got an emachines bundle a couple years ago for our kids and we love it. I use it a lot at home. I love my old mac but we're stuck in obsolete hardware hell with it right now. I don't even know if it will run OS v. 9. (It's at 8.6 right now.) Yeah, OS X is where you want to be with Apple. Every time we think about adding a new periph I've gotta be extra careful to read all the fine print on what OS the drivers run on and etc. The 603e won't boot off the CD with this version of the OS, etc, lots of catch-22's. I've thought about getting a G3 board for it, but haven't checked the prices lately. For what they used to run I could get another emachines package. :D

I want to get a G5 eventually for my wife for her graphics stuff. (Then I will keep the power mac happily out of date in the corner doing my music stuff.) But if it wasn't for that I might be through with Apple. It's pretty pricey stuff, and the emachines/xp has been surprisingly solid and stable.

Doug


aron

QuoteI want to get a G5 eventually for my wife for her graphics stuff.

I should point out that if you can afford a G5, then there's nothing like it.....

The dual G5's are some of the most amazing units every made for musicians. If you don't mind a towering hunk of metal, it's what most musicians have been waiting for. Huge bandwidth, fast processor and an incredibly optimized music application (Logic Audio) for it.

XP is very good, but OS X is one step better for many things - mainly due to the unix layer underneath.

aron

I forgot to say, until you reach the price point of a G5, then for audio, you get more bang for the buck with a:

Centrino/AMD laptop for portable use + USB/PC card interface
or
PC Clone with m-audio or equivalent type PCI card. P4 or AMD chip.

Is a PC generally faster than a equivalently priced Macintosh? My general observation is unfortunately yes. XP draws faster and appears faster. Of course it could be the advanced graphics layer of OS X slowing it down, but the reality is that XP launches and appears faster.

AMD chips kick butt. They are fast. P4s are fast too.

G4's work, but right now the Pentium-M (as used in Centrino laptops) have the edge (I believe).

XP has gotten to the point where it is usable by most Macintosh users.

The good news is that while the G5 computers seem expensive, they are actually a lot cheaper in terms of price/performance.

Ansil

i found a g3 with g4 specs on eaby in box for 325... but i don't have that kind of bread.  heck i can draw better with old microsoft works paint program than i can anything else. it was so much smoother than a pc