Nabeel Ansari Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 If you're not worrying about graphics, a 2 1TB hdd's, core i7 3.4ghz 2nd gen, 16 GB ram, 700w psu desktop runs around the price of a dual core i5 macbook pro. Around $1K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 If you're not worrying about graphics, a 2 1TB hdd's, core i7 3.4ghz 2nd gen, 16 GB ram, 700w psu desktop runs around the price of a dual core i5 macbook pro. Around $1K. Is this for an apple desktop? I'd like to stay using logic But it sounds amazing. All of these are a bit far away from me right now but thanks for all the suggestions in a year or two I shall see these through and have wonderfully a powerful system! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Is this for an apple desktop? I'd like to stay using logic But it sounds amazing. All of these are a bit far away from me right now but thanks for all the suggestions in a year or two I shall see these through and have wonderfully a powerful system! If you wanted that in an apple desktop you'd be paying twice as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 If you wanted that in an apple desktop you'd be paying twice as much. ah I suspected so! Hmm, well i'll give it a lot of thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 ah I suspected so! Hmm, well i'll give it a lot of thought. Would you really be okay with spending $2k on a machine worth $1k just to use Logic? 0_o EDIT: Not even $2k, it's like $2.5k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Would you really be okay with spending $2k on a machine worth $1k just to use Logic? 0_oEDIT: Not even $2k, it's like $2.5k. hmm, i see - no thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I won't argue with people who suggest that upgrading your mac is outrageously expensive but you can enter the mac market with excellent specs for way way way less then that. Your figures are absolute worst case scenarios and misleading. Would you really be okay with spending $2k on a machine worth $1k just to use Logic? 0_oEDIT: Not even $2k, it's like $2.5k. I just bought (last week) an iMac with an i5 2.5GHz quad core and 12 gb ram (came with 4, bought 8 from crucial) for under £1000/$1600. PLUS it's covered for 3 years for any hardware failures. If you buy the basic one and upgrade, it's really not such a bad deal considering the build quality and design factors. Also Logic is a great all rounder imo. I would always buy a mac for it as a composing station. It's a real genre chameleon. The studio package is incredible value for money given the library it comes with and the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Another side of the story! I do heavily rely on logic and a system change might shake things up a bit. I'd probably like for my laptop and desktop (in this ideal future world full of money) to be same format so I see merits in this choice, particularly now that you've told me this new pricing option! Thanks for resurrecting the mac! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 If you're in education definitely call them up and order over the phone. Great discounts for basically no reason! And always buy ram from crucial <3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 If you're in education definitely call them up and order over the phone. Great discounts for basically no reason! And always buy ram from crucial <3. I am and I will! thanks for the heads up on crucial? Is it common to install ram yourself? Or is that a dangerous idea? I thinking of upgrading my ram from 2gb to 4gb right now to make the relative non-stress my computer is under just a little bit less stressful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishy Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Installing ram on an imac is very easy. You don't have to take anything apart (or void your warranty). Tiny little flap under the screen open it up and slot it in. Video: It's also pretty easy on macbook pros, just search for a video like that. Crucial's website will sell you the exact same ram, just enter what model you bought and when you bought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I just bought (last week) an iMac with an i5 2.5GHz quad core and 12 gb ram (came with 4, bought 8 from crucial) for under £1000/$1600. PLUS it's covered for 3 years for any hardware failures. If you buy the basic one and upgrade, it's really not such a bad deal considering the build quality and design factors. Maybe I'm just biased but that seems like $700 down the drain... (or rather, for "build quality and design factors"). I don't think it's safe to say that it's "not a bad deal" (realistically that's horrible) but I guess with macs you get what you expect and what you pay for, and I can respect that people just want to pay to be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Well, IMO what you pay for with a Mac: 1. The OS + built-in apps. OSX is a very nice OS that comes with some fantastic built-in software. Stuff like iMovie and Garageband adds a lot of value. 2. Support service. It's nice to be able to take any kind of Mac to any Mac store and get the same level of service anywhere. Technical support, repairs, warranty stuff, you've got one-stop shops all over the U.S. There just isn't anything comparable even for large PC manufacturers. If you get a PC built for you, it might cost an extra $75-100 on top of parts. Getting walk-in, all-inclusive warranty and tech support service might be another $200. Fill up with nice, well-made music-making, movie and photo apps... you see what I'm getting at. I think the argument that you pay for hardware quality is not accurate - these days, you pay for the software and service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Well, IMO what you pay for with a Mac:1. The OS + built-in apps. OSX is a very nice OS that comes with some fantastic built-in software. Stuff like iMovie and Garageband adds a lot of value. 2. Support service. It's nice to be able to take any kind of Mac to any Mac store and get the same level of service anywhere. Technical support, repairs, warranty stuff, you've got one-stop shops all over the U.S. There just isn't anything comparable even for large PC manufacturers. If you get a PC built for you, it might cost an extra $75-100 on top of parts. Getting walk-in, all-inclusive warranty and tech support service might be another $200. Fill up with nice, well-made music-making, movie and photo apps... you see what I'm getting at. I think the argument that you pay for hardware quality is not accurate - these days, you pay for the software and service. Keep in mind, I am very biased against considering software service to even be relevant because I can google and fix any problems that would come up in the way. I also don't need garbageband, so my opinion should be taken lightly for anyone seriously reading my posts. The opinions I express are a computer enthusiast (I'm not calling myself an enthusiast) point of view. (aka more computing power + lower price for that same power = better, computing power is everything, can fix most problems that occur, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Keep in mind, I am very biased against considering software service to even be relevant because I can google and fix any problems that would come up in the way. I also don't need garbageband, so my opinion should be taken lightly for anyone seriously reading my posts. The opinions I express are a computer enthusiast (I'm not calling myself an enthusiast) point of view. (aka more computing power + lower price for that same power = better, computing power is everything, can fix most problems that occur, etc.) Mmm, i see. Format is a big thing for me. I had enough trouble moving from PC to Mac and moving back again will mean for me a near absolute restart software-wise. So for my own learning time and buying new software money, the extra price and tech support (which i have found invaluable - I TOOK A BATH A RUINED MY MACBOOK KEYBOARD AND THEY REPLACED IT FOR FREE) seems worth it. It's something i'll really have to look into in detail though and that's a while away for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 an iMac can be more than enough power for music production these days. A Mac Pro is great if you can afford it but not necessary. I've got two of them in studio that work out for me quite well. I can't really comment on EWQL specifically, though, since I don't really use any plugins these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 an iMac can be more than enough power for music production these days. A Mac Pro is great if you can afford it but not necessary. I've got two of them in studio that work out for me quite well. I can't really comment on EWQL specifically, though, since I don't really use any plugins these days. This mac pro certainly looks pricey, although I could be wrong - my computer is freaking out for some reason but all i saw was about £2000, is this about right? There's the tension between really good like studio gear and quite good gear - because at the moment i'm definitely working in a little home project studio with minimal stuff. I don't know if buying super good stuff is just a shortcut because it'll be an inevitable buy or a needless waste of money for the the level i'm at now. I'm sure other people have gone through this in building their studios or collecting gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 This mac pro certainly looks pricey, although I could be wrong - my computer is freaking out for some reason but all i saw was about £2000, is this about right?There's the tension between really good like studio gear and quite good gear - because at the moment i'm definitely working in a little home project studio with minimal stuff. I don't know if buying super good stuff is just a shortcut because it'll be an inevitable buy or a needless waste of money for the the level i'm at now. I'm sure other people have gone through this in building their studios or collecting gear. Mac Pro starts at $2500, so yeah I guess roughly 2000, erm... (I don't have the symbol for pounds on my keyboard.) A computer that can handle your stuff is a must. I got so sick of my music making running like crap on my laptop that I just went for the latest core i7 processor and built a computer a few days ago. Runs cool, quiet, and fast as hell. Haven't been able to test music making yet, but I have a feeling I won't be running this processor near half of full load for a long time... So first step should be computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moseph Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Mac Pro starts at $2500, so yeah I guess roughly 2000, erm... (I don't have the symbol for pounds on my keyboard.)A computer that can handle your stuff is a must. I got so sick of my music making running like crap on my laptop that I just went for the latest core i7 processor and built a computer a few days ago. Runs cool, quiet, and fast as hell. Haven't been able to test music making yet, but I have a feeling I won't be running this processor near half of full load for a long time... So first step should be computer. Opening your DAW on a new computer for the first time and discovering that your stress tests don't even come close to overworking the processor/RAM is the greatest feeling in the world, especially if you built the system yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Hudson Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 As far as the package, I had a AMD Opteron 1.6ghz (oc'd to 2.4ghz) back in the day running with 2GB of ram. I definitely ran out of room quickly loading 20-30 tracks, and found myself freezing a LOT. The QLSO orchestra should run OK on your machine, but don't expect to run too many tracks. If you run it on your internal hard drive (not recommended), 2.5" drives don't have the robustness and speed as a typical 3.5", and you're gonna lose polyphony. On the other hand, even Firewire 800 will have its limitations and buffer issues. A laptop is not the ideal setup to house heavy hitting sample libraries. If you got one of the new Thunderbolt Macbooks with a thunderbolt drive, you might be OK. It's doable, but it's going to strain your system, even with 4GB of RAM. I recommend getting a decent PC tower for $500-$800, load it with 12-16GB of ram, and multiple 500GB-1TB drives....and a quad core processor. That's the more ideal setup. If you have some cash to spend though, an SSD for your OS is KEY for music workstations. Runs your software so much better. Site note: You'll also want a good soundcard, whether it be a PCI card or Firewire interface. M-Audio and MOTU are good places to start. RME if you get really serious and have moola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrap McNapps Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Unless you are doing real mobile recording, or DJing, it is just better to get a desktop. I would probably get an imac in this case. I think they are fine for project studios and don't brake the bank as much as a Mac Pro. You get a more powerful system and you get you get to keep using Logic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 As far as the package, I had a AMD Opteron 1.6ghz (oc'd to 2.4ghz) back in the day running with 2GB of ram. I definitely ran out of room quickly loading 20-30 tracks, and found myself freezing a LOT. The QLSO orchestra should run OK on your machine, but don't expect to run too many tracks. If you run it on your internal hard drive (not recommended), 2.5" drives don't have the robustness and speed as a typical 3.5", and you're gonna lose polyphony. On the other hand, even Firewire 800 will have its limitations and buffer issues. A laptop is not the ideal setup to house heavy hitting sample libraries. If you got one of the new Thunderbolt Macbooks with a thunderbolt drive, you might be OK.It's doable, but it's going to strain your system, even with 4GB of RAM. I recommend getting a decent PC tower for $500-$800, load it with 12-16GB of ram, and multiple 500GB-1TB drives....and a quad core processor. That's the more ideal setup. If you have some cash to spend though, an SSD for your OS is KEY for music workstations. Runs your software so much better. Site note: You'll also want a good soundcard, whether it be a PCI card or Firewire interface. M-Audio and MOTU are good places to start. RME if you get really serious and have moola. Thanks for more info guys! I don't have a huge amount of cash but this is a future purchase - i would ideally get an apple desktop as I am not at present willing to buy/learn a new DAW and do the platform crossover - i'm really comfortable in logic and have a lot of presets/files and stuff that I don't want to lose. I will probably get EWQL whilst on the cross-over between my laptop and desktop - would the 1tb hard-drive that comes with it be useless if I want to use SSD or firewire or something faster? Is getting a superfast mac with all the drives/processors/ram you mentioned an absolute killer for my wallet? I'll have to look into soundcards too but really I wouldn't know where to start with much of this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 2.5" drives don't have the robustness and speed as a typical 3.5" Er, I'm assuming you're not counting SSD's in this statement. It's doable, but it's going to strain your system, even with 4GB of RAM. I recommend getting a decent PC tower for $500-$800, load it with 12-16GB of ram, and multiple 500GB-1TB drives....and a quad core processor. You're going to have to skip out on a graphics card if you want to do this and not go with an i7. i5 Sandy Bridge and this config should work price-wise. I will probably get EWQL whilst on the cross-over between my laptop and desktop - would the 1tb hard-drive that comes with it be useless if I want to use SSD or firewire or something faster? Computers can use more than 1 hard drive. Just to clear this up: firewire is for EXTERNAL hard drives. SSD's are INTERNAL storage drives that connect to the same SATA ports that internal HARD DRIVES do. SSD's are the fastest out of all three choices, but you get very pricey if you go more than 60GB. You only want one for booting and storing applications and games, not for sample storage. Is getting a superfast mac with all the drives/processors/ram you mentioned an absolute killer for my wallet? Not if you think $2000+ is reasonable. You're gonna have to get a lower end Mac, possibly get a used last generation one if you want to buy a studio Mac on a budget ("mac" and "budget" aren't supposed to go in the same sentence unless you're saying that they're not supposed to go in the same sentence) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 This is a little old but I've dug up some information which is leading me to believe that my macbook can take 8gb of RAM: http://forum.notebookreview.com/apple-mac-os-x/529362-official-apple-macbook-upgrade-central.html According to this my macbook (7,1) which I bought at the end of 2010 has a max of 8gb RAM. Although there are mixed opinions around the internet - it seems that it's kind of officially 4gb but some have installed 8gb and it has worked although I'm wary as I'm not very clued up on this. My macbook info is: Mac OS X Version 10.6.8 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 2GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Macintosh HD If anyone could clear this up and suggest any good ones, i'm willing to spend up to £50 or so? I've already checked Crucial's website (on fishy's suggestion) and who stated that only 4gb will work... Thanks for any replies in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshaggyfreak Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 This is a little old but I've dug up some information which is leading me to believe that my macbook can take 8gb of RAM:http://forum.notebookreview.com/apple-mac-os-x/529362-official-apple-macbook-upgrade-central.html According to this my macbook (7,1) which I bought at the end of 2010 has a max of 8gb RAM. Although there are mixed opinions around the internet - it seems that it's kind of officially 4gb but some have installed 8gb and it has worked although I'm wary as I'm not very clued up on this. My macbook info is: Mac OS X Version 10.6.8 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 2GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Macintosh HD If anyone could clear this up and suggest any good ones, i'm willing to spend up to £50 or so? I've already checked Crucial's website (on fishy's suggestion) and who stated that only 4gb will work... Thanks for any replies in advance! I have a Macbook Pro with the same specs running 8gb of RAM right now. I upgraded it not too long ago and it's working out rather nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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