Biting the bullet, buying a mac

[WarGirl]

@M²

…The idea that musicians like to spend more money than they need to is, quite simply, ludicrous. There was arguably better music editing software for mac way back when, but now that’s not really a factor. Today, I’d say people think macs are better for sound recording because they have garage band. Which is probably the best free recording software available. How the software, worth about $30, makes up for the hundreds of dollars extra you’ll spend to buy a shiny little apple on back of your computer, I don’t know.

theres good audio editing software on all platforms, and artists concerned with quality use analog equipment instead anyway.

[anonyo]

I was a windows user for the longest time. I’ve had 4 different macs since then and won’t ever go back. There is nothing I can’t do on a mac that I would need to do. My hard drive died on one. No big deal. It happens. It’s nothing more than a Sata drive anyway. It’s not specific to mac so… funny thing is it was out of warranty for a few years. There was a recall about two years before I got the computer and I still got a free upgrade from apple. Does that happen with any other company? Seldom. Apple forever in my book.

[Filledwithfire]

The most recent generation for MacBooks suck. They got rid of the disc drive and a few things I found great on the previous gen.
Even though I’m a Mac person, I still would prefer them used.

[patrickcondon (ＤＯＧＳ)]

Apple really has current users in a pinch regarding their ability to get anything onto the system without having it approved by Apple first. The removal of the disk drive really seals the deal on that. You’re constantly pressured to buy all of your music, movies, books, etc. from iTunes so they can control the media you purchased as they wish.

Gritting my teeth, because I have to buy an Apple for school. Certainly not getting the latest gen.

[sniffy]

@patrickcondon

Apple really has current users in a pinch regarding their ability to get anything onto the system without having it approved by Apple first. The removal of the disk drive really seals the deal on that. You’re constantly pressured to buy all of your music, movies, books, etc. from iTunes so they can control the media you purchased as they wish.

Gritting my teeth, because I have to buy an Apple for school. Certainly not getting the latest gen.

There are ways around the things you noted. Though I don’t appreciate the direction apple is taking either. The worse company ever to get defective parts replaced is now gluing them all together.

[WarGirl]

@Icthus

I was a windows user for the longest time. I’ve had 4 different macs since then and won’t ever go back. There is nothing I can’t do on a mac that I would need to do. My hard drive died on one. No big deal. It happens. It’s nothing more than a Sata drive anyway. It’s not specific to mac so… funny thing is it was out of warranty for a few years. There was a recall about two years before I got the computer and I still got a free upgrade from apple. Does that happen with any other company? Seldom. Apple forever in my book.

when did you switch? unless you’ve been using them for 25 years, you’re on a faster obsolenity cycle than with PC. just proves the point that they’re using outdated hardware. as long as it’s a defect and not your fault, most computer companies will replace parts. Asus has replaced video cards in two different laptops that were out of warranty. (and neither was physically broken; the firmware updates for them were corrupt)

[pickle24 (M²)]

@WarGirl

@M²

…The idea that musicians like to spend more money than they need to is, quite simply, ludicrous. There was arguably better music editing software for mac way back when, but now that’s not really a factor. Today, I’d say people think macs are better for sound recording because they have garage band. Which is probably the best free recording software available. How the software, worth about $30, makes up for the hundreds of dollars extra you’ll spend to buy a shiny little apple on back of your computer, I don’t know.

theres good audio editing software on all platforms, and artists concerned with quality use analog equipment instead anyway.

Not really. If you look inside most big recording studios, the center will be an incredible expensive computer, not a rack of casset tapes. This is assuming that by analog you meant its recorded onto an analog device, as there’s almost always an analog signal somewhere in the recording process. But the idea that going all analog for recording will give you better sound quality doesn’t hold… at all.

[WarGirl]

@M²

Not really. If you look inside most big recording studios, the center will be an incredible expensive computer, not a rack of cassette tapes. This is assuming that by analog you meant its recorded onto an analog device, as there’s almost always an analog signal somewhere in the recording process. But the idea that going all analog for recording will give you better sound quality doesn’t hold… at all.

i can tell you from experience, they most definitely record with analog microphones, and if they sell it on vinyl, they use an analog back up. (why would you want a 256kbps MP3 recording on vinyl?) [yeah, i can instantly tell the difference between a 256kbps and a 320kbps, and between a 320 and a .flac] and a low-end, consumer level audio card is not going to give you a clean recording. sure, editing is done on the computer, but any editing you can do on a mac, I can do in Audacity. (in fact, Google “best audio editor” and you have to go to page 2 of the results to find a hit that even mentions OSX [and most of the hits put Audacity on top, especially among the freeware])

To cap off: here’s the pros and cons (i see) with owning a mac

Pros:
Not many viruses (there are java viruses now, which aren’t very bad, but they’re there)
Specific support (genius bar is trained specifically for macs, so they know the system)
Sexy (definitely agree they’re pretty)
High resolution screen
Mid-tier hardware.

Cons:
Overpriced (see: mid-tier hardware)
Pay for service packs
DRM in general restricting what you can install on something you paid for (technically not a specific mac problem, just an apple thing)
apple is slow to admit to product flaws [so you might wait a long time for them to repair or replace busted hardware] (such as the iphone 4 reception issue, or the imac g5 caps)
Runs OSX by default (where the most customization you can do is superficial skin and wallpaper changes)
Doesn’t run the myriad of useful programs designed for windows without WINE (which most don’t know how to configure anyway)
[Nearly] impossible to repair on your own
[Nearly] impossible to upgrade on your own
Doesn’t have HDMI by default
Doesn’t have an optical drive (i know they’re becoming obsolete, but i like grabbing a redbox movie and using my HDMI to watch it on my TV instead of using netflix, because netflix’s movie listing got severely nerfed recently)
Scratches easily (cmon, we all know how aluminum scratches)
Slick texture makes them prone to being dropped (again, grinders know the physics, and all my friends who own macs have dropped them at least once)
and the #1 con to having a mac:

You won’t be taken seriously by the computer world. (tech guys dislike apple [for the most part, i know theres exceptions] geek squad won’t touch one, people see you as a snob, a hipster, or a sellout, and you’ll be completely out of the technology loop, because apple hasn’t invented a new technology since the 80’s.

[patrickcondon (ＤＯＧＳ)]

After I’m through with school, I’m definitely going to buy a new system. Just sucks that I won’t be able to sell the Mac because by then the iPhone 19 will be out and quadruple-retina and no-keyboard interfaces will be cool and my computer will be worthless.

Crap.

[pickle24 (M²)]

@WarGirl

@M²

Not really. If you look inside most big recording studios, the center will be an incredible expensive computer, not a rack of cassette tapes. This is assuming that by analog you meant its recorded onto an analog device, as there’s almost always an analog signal somewhere in the recording process. But the idea that going all analog for recording will give you better sound quality doesn’t hold… at all.

i can tell you from experience, they most definitely record with analog microphones, and if they sell it on vinyl, they use an analog back up. (why would you want a 256kbps MP3 recording on vinyl?) [yeah, i can instantly tell the difference between a 256kbps and a 320kbps, and between a 320 and a .flac] and a low-end, consumer level audio card is not going to give you a clean recording. sure, editing is done on the computer, but any editing you can do on a mac, I can do in Audacity.

I never said anything about the use of analog mics, nor did I say anything about using analog backups. But you seemed to imply that people who are serious about recording and good sound quality don’t record onto a computer, which is simply not true.

[WarGirl]

@M²

@WarGirl

@M²

Not really. If you look inside most big recording studios, the center will be an incredible expensive computer, not a rack of cassette tapes. This is assuming that by analog you meant its recorded onto an analog device, as there’s almost always an analog signal somewhere in the recording process. But the idea that going all analog for recording will give you better sound quality doesn’t hold… at all.

i can tell you from experience, they most definitely record with analog microphones, and if they sell it on vinyl, they use an analog back up. (why would you want a 256kbps MP3 recording on vinyl?) [yeah, i can instantly tell the difference between a 256kbps and a 320kbps, and between a 320 and a .flac] and a low-end, consumer level audio card is not going to give you a clean recording. sure, editing is done on the computer, but any editing you can do on a mac, I can do in Audacity.

I never said anything about the use of analog mics, nor did I say anything about using analog backups. But you seemed to imply that people who are serious about recording and good sound quality don’t record onto a computer, which is simply not true.

if they’re concerned about bitrate/quality, they don’t record onto a consumer grade laptop with a generic sound chipset. the editing might take place there, but the recording doesn’t

[yoyofoot]

@M²

@WarGirl

@M²

Not really. If you look inside most big recording studios, the center will be an incredible expensive computer, not a rack of cassette tapes. This is assuming that by analog you meant its recorded onto an analog device, as there’s almost always an analog signal somewhere in the recording process. But the idea that going all analog for recording will give you better sound quality doesn’t hold… at all.

i can tell you from experience, they most definitely record with analog microphones, and if they sell it on vinyl, they use an analog back up. (why would you want a 256kbps MP3 recording on vinyl?) [yeah, i can instantly tell the difference between a 256kbps and a 320kbps, and between a 320 and a .flac] and a low-end, consumer level audio card is not going to give you a clean recording. sure, editing is done on the computer, but any editing you can do on a mac, I can do in Audacity.

I never said anything about the use of analog mics, nor did I say anything about using analog backups. But you seemed to imply that people who are serious about recording and good sound quality don’t record onto a computer, which is simply not true.

He’s referring to macs having low quality, integrated sound cards, (definitely not something you’d want to record with) and not more editing power than anything else. Basically there isn’t a point in having one in comparison with something else.

[jhb8426 (Resident Curmudgeon)]

@WarGirl

…geek squad won’t touch one…

Ehhh, geek squad will never touch one of my systems.

[WarGirl]

@jhb8426

@WarGirl

…geek squad won’t touch one…

Ehhh, geek squad will never touch one of my systems.

Well yeah, same here. Geek squad can’t use Linux systems anyway. I just use it as reference because a lot of people do
Rely on them.

[WarGirl]

@yoyofoot

@M²

@WarGirl

@M²

Not really. If you look inside most big recording studios, the center will be an incredible expensive computer, not a rack of cassette tapes. This is assuming that by analog you meant its recorded onto an analog device, as there’s almost always an analog signal somewhere in the recording process. But the idea that going all analog for recording will give you better sound quality doesn’t hold… at all.

i can tell you from experience, they most definitely record with analog microphones, and if they sell it on vinyl, they use an analog back up. (why would you want a 256kbps MP3 recording on vinyl?) [yeah, i can instantly tell the difference between a 256kbps and a 320kbps, and between a 320 and a .flac] and a low-end, consumer level audio card is not going to give you a clean recording. sure, editing is done on the computer, but any editing you can do on a mac, I can do in Audacity.

I never said anything about the use of analog mics, nor did I say anything about using analog backups. But you seemed to imply that people who are serious about recording and good sound quality don’t record onto a computer, which is simply not true.

He’s referring to macs having low quality, integrated sound cards, (definitely not something you’d want to record with) and not more editing power than anything else. Basically there isn’t a point in having one in comparison with something else.

Exactly. Thank you. And apologies for the double post, I’m on my phone.

[dynikus]

I’m just gonna leave this right here…
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n98/yu_li_ii/mcvspc.png

[WarGirl]

@dynikus

I’m just gonna leave this right here…
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n98/yu_li_ii/mcvspc.png

woops, looks like the mac has better battery life, that’s definitely worth the extra $1400 [/sarcasm]

[pickle24 (M²)]

@WarGirl

@M²

@WarGirl

@M²

Not really. If you look inside most big recording studios, the center will be an incredible expensive computer, not a rack of cassette tapes. This is assuming that by analog you meant its recorded onto an analog device, as there’s almost always an analog signal somewhere in the recording process. But the idea that going all analog for recording will give you better sound quality doesn’t hold… at all.

i can tell you from experience, they most definitely record with analog microphones, and if they sell it on vinyl, they use an analog back up. (why would you want a 256kbps MP3 recording on vinyl?) [yeah, i can instantly tell the difference between a 256kbps and a 320kbps, and between a 320 and a .flac] and a low-end, consumer level audio card is not going to give you a clean recording. sure, editing is done on the computer, but any editing you can do on a mac, I can do in Audacity.

I never said anything about the use of analog mics, nor did I say anything about using analog backups. But you seemed to imply that people who are serious about recording and good sound quality don’t record onto a computer, which is simply not true.

if they’re concerned about bitrate/quality, they don’t record onto a consumer grade laptop with a generic sound chipset. the editing might take place there, but the recording doesn’t

Yes, but not many people ever use the integrated sound card (on just about any computer) for anything important. They just aren’t good enough, and they weren’t really made for recording. People use external sound cards, that are actually made for recording. The quality of the sound card the computer comes with his hardly ever a factor because very few computers (and certainly nothing sold by Apple) come with good enough sound cards to actually record with it.

[WarGirl]

@M²

Yes, but not many people ever use the integrated sound card (on just about any computer) for anything important. They just aren’t good enough, and they weren’t really made for recording. People use external sound cards, that are actually made for recording. The quality of the sound card the computer comes with his hardly ever a factor because very few computers (and certainly nothing sold by Apple) come with good enough sound cards to actually record with it.

exactly, so why would you buy an exorbitantly expensive laptop for “making music” when it’s an arbitrary laptop that has nothing specific to it for making music? it’s just pretty.

[PlasticWhip (WildCat23)]

@WarGirl

i can tell you from experience, they most definitely record with analog microphones, and if they sell it on vinyl, they use an analog back up. (why would you want a 256kbps MP3 recording on vinyl?) [yeah, i can instantly tell the difference between a 256kbps and a 320kbps, and between a 320 and a .flac] and a low-end, consumer level audio card is not going to give you a clean recording.

You don’t put mp3’s on vinyl. You don’t put any digital file on vinyl. Heck, you shouldn’t even use mp3’s if you care about sound quality.