Zippy Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 Hey. I searched the forums, but all of the answers and advice I saw assume that the person asking the question already has a computer. Anyway, here's my situation. I'm looking to do some remixing / composing. I have a decent synth ( Yamaha S08 ), but that's it. I plan to buy / build a computer, and I'm trying to decide what OS I should use for musical things. My inclination is to run Linux, and then to either go with something like Muse or else Reason through WINE. In your opinion, will that work out well for me (especially using WINE), or am I setting myself up for a bunch of headaches? If you would recommend either Win XP or Mac OSX over Linux, why? My budget is a couple thousdand dollars, give or take, but I don't have to spend all of it. My experience is limited to a couple of years of messing around with Cakewalk, and I didn't have to set up the hardware or software. So, based on this information, what should I do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverCoat Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 If you already have windows just use that, it has the most software options available and is generally pretty stable if you're not a moron OSX has some good stuff but the software available is less than 1% of what you could possibly run on windows XP or vista. Despite that, there's some pretty capable software, like Logic Linux has bullshit for audio apps, the only good option for Linux is to get Renoise, but if you hate tracking you're out of luck there. There are some DAWs available but they have a ways to go. It's not impossible to make music in linux though, and it's free, which is always a plus. Well, renoise isn't free, but it's very well priced considering how capable it is, though you could run it on Windows instead and get full VST support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 My inclination is to run Linux, and then to either go with something like Muse or else Reason through WINE. In your opinion, will that work out well for me (especially using WINE), or am I setting myself up for a bunch of headaches? Why do you incline towards Linux? If you are attracted to a Unix environment then OSX is your best option as far as music is concerned. Using Windows software under Linux is indeed going to be a bunch of headaches. Other than that, it is the software that is probably most important. The platform is secondary. Apple makes very good products but if you want to use Reason and you already have a PC then just save yourself the trouble and stick with that. cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoozer Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 Other than that, it is the software that is probably most important. it is the software that is probably most important. it is the software that is probably most important. it is the software that is probably most important. it is the software that is probably most important. Can't be repeated enough. You have Ableton, Cubase, Logic, Sonar, FL Studio and a load of plugins that determine what you should do; Windows, OS X, Linux are a result of that, not a starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brome Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 I have seen and experience all three OS (Windows, Mac and Linux) First all depends on what are you looking for and what are your expectations : - On Linux there's Muse and Rosegarden (a free clone of Cubase) however they aren't really professional, as we might say. There isn't a poor choice. Sure Wine might work, but sometimes when if you have a problem with the software, it's really hard to resolve it. I don't really advice to only use Linux, even if it's all free ... - On Mac there's Ableton Live, Digital performer, Logic Pro or Cubase. On what I've seen on a Friend's house, it depends on your tastes, personnally (although some people are going to angry) I don't really like how Mac works ... - On windows there's Sonar, Cubase, Fl Studio, Reason, ACID, Traktion. FL studio, if you look here, in the remixing section of OCR, Fl studio is by the far the most used Digital AudioWorkstation on OCR, because it is easy to use and it's versatile. Cubase is more performant but it's design for professional, and is not as user-friendly. Bottom Line : All this to say, personally I'd choose between Mac and Windows. Mac being a little more performant, but Windows being is easier to find. What you should is finding info to make the right choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy Posted December 25, 2008 Author Share Posted December 25, 2008 Thanks for all of the advice so far. If you already have windows just use that, it has the most software options available and is generally pretty stable if you're not a moron I don't have anything at the moment, but I'll count your post as a firm endorsement of Windows. Why do you incline towards Linux? I mostly use a computer for web browsing, word processing, lightweight image editing, email / IM / Skype, and programming. Linux suits me just fine for all of those things, and I'm spoiled on how easily I can find and install new software with Debian's package management. You have Ableton, Cubase, Logic, Sonar, FL Studio and a load of plugins that determine what you should do; Windows, OS X, Linux are a result of that, not a starting point. It looks like you're recommending against Linux, since all of the programs you mentioned are either Windows exclusive (Sonar, FL Studio), OSX exclusive (Logic), or Windows / OSX (Ableton, Cubase). I'm not sure, though, why you say the choice of operating system isn't a starting point, since it's the first piece of software I'm going to put on the computer. personally I'd choose between Mac and Windows. Mac being a little more performant, but Windows being is easier to find.What you should is finding info to make the right choice My main goal is to do what's going to be as easy as possible, so Windows sounds like my best option based on what I've heard so far. I don't mind putting effort into something, but I'd prefer that the effort went into my actual music instead of things like just making my setup work in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Vagrance Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 OSX has some good stuff but the software available is less than 1% of what you could possibly run on windows XP or vista. Despite that, there's some pretty capable software, like Logic Really? Granted, there's probably more TOTAL software out for Windows but the quality plug-ins are generally both Mac/PC, and don't forget boot-camp. That said, coming from someone who owns both (Macbook Pro & a producing PC), don't base the decision entirely on OS. Think about other things the computer can potentially be used for and base your decision off of that. If you want a desktop though, I'd be hard-pressed to not recommend a Windows machine, simply because of how cheap they are to build. Also, don't even think about going Linux for audio, you'll probably run into more problems than privileges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 I'm not sure, though, why you say the choice of operating system isn't a starting point, since it's the first piece of software I'm going to put on the computer. When you're making a music system, you should always have what you want as your first focus, so what programs do you want to use? You want to ask yourself what software do I want to use, and then you choose the system (and os) that gets you the best result. In other words, if you want to use Cakewalk and some vsts; you need windows. If you want logic, you need a mac. (< I wanted logic, i bought a macbook pro) If you start with what operating system you want, you're limiting the actual programs you can choose from. You said you want to use reason, linux would be complicating things when it works extremely well in windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pezman Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 What software you want is hard to nail down if you're just starting out, though. Take it from me. Based on my limited experiences and what I've heard on these forums, I've gone from Reason to FL to Logic to Ableton and back again trying to figure out what I want, and I'm still not 100% sure of the setup I want because I haven't actually made a tune yet. In short, starting from what software you want is not easy if you're not familiar with it. And you can't become familiar with it until you choose an OS (for the OS exclusive programs, anyway). However, I did settle on a Mac because of the Core Audio drivers (a big deal when I was trying to run Reason and FL on my PC and getting all sorts of problems) and the fact that I can still run Windows if I want. For me, that reasoning was enough. If you want a desktop though, I'd be hard-pressed to not recommend a Windows machine, simply because of how cheap they are to build. You do have that option with Mac as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC Ricers Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 I know that FL Studio has never been released on Mac OS X because that OS does not natively support the language FL was programmed in (Delphi). However... Is it possible to run Windows only software such as FL Studio through Darwine or Parallels, and run it reliably? I know those two OS emulators work differently, since Parallels requires you to have an actual retail version of the OS you want to run on Mac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoozer Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 It looks like you're recommending against Linux No. It's just that I don't work with or encounter Linux audio applications, so I don't have a list of 'm in my head that I can rattle off. So yes, there's Ardour, and I have no idea if there's anything else. I'm not sure, though, why you say the choice of operating system isn't a starting point, since it's the first piece of software I'm going to put on the computer. Because it's the sequencer you'll be working with most of the time. It's very simple when you go back in the history of computer music applications. People have been using Logic or Cubase for ages - Ableton's pretty young compared to them, Reaper younger still. Sonar came from Cakewalk which started in 1987. These applications have historical baggage. People working with them are going to stick with the programs, and that means when Logic moved to Apple, people moved to Apple, or moved to another application, spending a long time re-learning existing skills. Even if you don't have the baggage because you're jumping in now, you still have to keep the application's idiosyncrasies in mind. These pieces of software have a certain philosophy behind them, and the better it matches with how you want to make music, the more fun they'll be to work with; otherwise, you'll notice them even working against you, and no amount of open source idealism is going to fix that; if you don't match with Ardour, you'll not use it to its full potential. This is what I had with Cubase, (I started with Cubasis, then VST5, then SX1, then SX3) which I dumped after 6 years for Ableton Live. All I had learned in Cubase I could forget, but the application matches my style of working and my composition process so incredibly well that the transition period was short. This may not be the same for you. Also, there's the matter of having drivers for your audio gear. I know RME has drivers for Linux for their gear; but if your audio interface of choice doesn't have them, it does not make sense to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy Posted December 26, 2008 Author Share Posted December 26, 2008 In short, starting from what software you want is not easy if you're not familiar with it. And you can't become familiar with it until you choose an OS (for the OS exclusive programs, anyway). Exactly. Think about other things the computer can potentially be used for and base your decision off of that. The only other things I might do with this computer where my choice of OS would matter are gaming, where I'd want Windows, and graphic / video editing, where I'd want a Mac. If I go with a Windows box, I'll dual-boot Linux anyway, and if I get a Mac I can always put Windows on it. My question isn't really about where I can go; it's more about where I should start. Because it's the sequencer you'll be working with most of the time.... These applications have historical baggage. The only software I ever used was Cakewalk Pro 5, so that's where all of my baggage is going to be. It was also so long ago that I'll have to relearn most of it anyway, but I remember liking the interface and what I could do with it. In other news, I just actually spec'd out a Mac Pro, and the difference in price between one of those and a comparable Windows box is ridiculous. ($500 for 2GB of DDR2 RAM? $200 per hard drive? $800 for a RAID controller? $600 EACH for 20" monitors? They can't be serious.) Even if I were to buy all of that stuff at more reasonable rates and install it myself, the base configuration I want is already around $2.5k, and that's not even for a usable system. So, based on that plus all of the advice from you guys, I'll just place an order for a Dell or something as soon as I see a good after-Christmas sale. You can look forward to more newbish posts from me in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avaris Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Always buy extra ram and hard drives for Mac's from 3rd party vendors...don't ever buy them from apple. Prob once you comfortable with what spftware to use you will prob only use 3-4 synths on a regular basis IMO. Some people can juggle mutliple synths but it is much easier for the workflow to stick to select few. In terms of Yoozer's story with switching to Live due to his personal work flow is great example of making the right choice for a DAW. Start off with simple and cheap software. Learn your workflow and what type of samples and synths you like. If you want you can then move onto the more expensive after that once you have the knowledge to make the best decision FOR YOU. You'll end up saving tons of cash in the long run. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoozer Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 order for a Dell Why not build your own (or have it assembled for you?) You'll end up saving tons of cash in the long run. That, and more importantly, frustration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy Posted December 26, 2008 Author Share Posted December 26, 2008 Saving cash and avoiding frustration is exactly what I want to do. Why not build your own (or have it assembled for you?) Because for the caliber of machine I'm looking for right now (nothing too fancy), I think it will be cheaper to buy the whole thing instead of the parts. I'll doublecheck before I actually do it, though. Start off with simple and cheap software.... Good luck! That sounds like a plan. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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