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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2014 15:02:14 GMT -6
My company has a computer program that gives me a discount and has it come off my cheque, so I grabbed me a 13" Macbook Pro and will pair with the Antelope Zen, in the previous thread regarding the Antelope purchase I was worried about USB ports as I will need one for an E Licenser, Ilok, Mouse and of course the Zen. I'm still planning on running Cubase (probably just going to upgrade to 7 but 6.5 has been great), Wavelab.
Have any of you guys made the switch from PC to Mac? What were your experiences?
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Post by svart on Jun 16, 2014 15:18:53 GMT -6
I tried maybe 6 years ago. The "recording ready" mac needed OS updates, which cost more money, then the drivers wouldn't work right when I had multiple USB devices plugged in. Within a year the video started getting lines and crapped out. Apple said it would be 300$ to replace the motherboard. I found online that most apple laptop motherboards failed within a couple years and apple never admitted a hardware fault and just charged people to fix their 2-3 year old lappys. I figured out that it was poor BGA soldering of the video IC and reflowed mine with a heat gun. The video worked fine after that but I could never get the mac to work right with the combination of devices(since there is 0 ability to muck with the OS subsystem like you can do with windows) I wanted to run so I ended up selling it and going back to windows/PC. Never had a PC problem yet.
Meh, sorry it's not a mac love story.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Jun 16, 2014 15:19:21 GMT -6
I made the switch in 2002 and haven't looked back. Biggest change is getting used to different shortcut keys.
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Post by warren on Jun 16, 2014 15:41:23 GMT -6
I haven't switched because I currently use both and I like both  |
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Post by Ward on Jun 16, 2014 19:40:56 GMT -6
The biggest difference is everything just working with less work to do. No worries about work-arounds, viruses, crashes etc.
I just turn it on, load PT or whatever else and go straight to work. I never have an issue.
I like that.
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Post by warren on Jun 16, 2014 19:56:38 GMT -6
I've had Protools freeze on a Macs before too. I agree with less work, it's a much simpler platform to operate. Might need some getting used to since you're just making the switch but you'll get the hang of it. You might get frustrated that some functions that's second nature to you on a Windows machine is different on OSX though  |
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Post by svart on Jun 16, 2014 23:35:50 GMT -6
I know just as many professional folks with Macs that have crashed, as those with pc's, the mac problem being that it costs 4x to fix it and recover your data. One person lost their photos from a shoot WHILE they were backing them up.. and lost a huge contract because of it.. never seen a pc do that..
I also worked IT for a while in college and had just as many Mac failures per capita to deal with there too.
Both osx and Windows have been based on Unix for years, It's not like they are vastly different. Hell, now the Mac hardware is just pc hardware in an expensive shell.
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Post by Koln on Jun 17, 2014 6:36:07 GMT -6
"I found online that most apple laptop motherboards failed within a couple years" I never go into Mac/PC discussions as i find them childish BUT this needs to be corrected. Not most people do. Kids... |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2014 7:01:06 GMT -6
I switched in 2011 and now have two MacBook Pros. Prior, I was anti apple and refused to have an iPad. I went android first. I didn't like the thought of a closed system and like the tweak ability of android and windows.
Then I bought an iPhone. That was the first step.
I have recorded on windows since Digi001 came out. My experiences on windows and Mac could not be more different. On my Macs, Freezes or bugginess are 1/10th what they were on windows. You simply open and go. I reboot about once a week. As mentioned, things are easy and they just work. The only crux is that it is expensive and you can't spec a system unless you build a rogue Hackintosh which I may do next.
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Post by svart on Jun 17, 2014 7:10:36 GMT -6
"I found online that most apple laptop motherboards failed within a couple years" I never go into Mac/PC discussions as i find them childish BUT this needs to be corrected. Not most people do. Kids... Maybe it's better now, but back then it was an almost certainty. Seeing that I'm a middle aged man who still thinks he's a kid.. |
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Post by indiehouse on Jun 17, 2014 7:14:58 GMT -6
I built my Hackintosh in 2009, and still going strong. Granted, it's about time for an upgrade. I don't think I will go the Hackintosh route this time around, because WHEN something goes wrong (and it will), there is nobody to bail you out. It was a challenging, frustrating, and rewarding build and I got a Mac Pro for half the cost. But I'm gonna pick up a last gen Mac Pro tower this time around. Don't think I'm gonna shell out for the new trash can Mac's but want something with a little more horsepower than a Macbook. Most of my mixing DSP comes from my UAD system anyways, which is why I'm still on a MP with 2009 specs.
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Post by svart on Jun 17, 2014 7:19:14 GMT -6
I switched in 2011 and now have two MacBook Pros. Prior, I was anti apple and refused to have an iPad. I went android first. I didn't like the thought of a closed system and like the tweak ability of android and windows. Then I bought an iPhone. That was the first step. I have recorded on windows since Digi001 came out. My experiences on windows and Mac could not be more different. On my Macs, Freezes or bugginess are 1/10th what they were on windows. You simply open and go. I reboot about once a week. As mentioned, things are easy and they just work. The only crux is that it is expensive and you can't spec a system unless you build a rogue Hackintosh which I may do next. I have a 12 year old recording computer.. original installation of XP.. never crashed once.. i also have have a 6 year old Windows laptop i got to replace the horrid Mac.. still runs fine.. Not sure what you guys are doing to mess up your Windows to get all these crashes. I have all my recording software setup to auto start at boot, so i too just boot and go. I don't even have to start the programs.. |
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Post by warren on Jun 17, 2014 7:36:45 GMT -6
Never crashed? Let me use it, I can get it to crash haha. I can get a Mac to crash too In all honesty though, both system have their pros and cons. After windows XP, the OS became a lot more stable. And I find the newer windows, 7 and 8 even more stable. OSX is also stable, but like I said prior, I've had hiccups with it too. I think they're both good systems. Since macs went intel, I think they're even closer to each other now, as can be seen with hackintoshes. Bottom-line, use what works for you, just like DAW preference. Or shall we argue Protools vs Cubase? |
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Post by Koln on Jun 17, 2014 7:40:52 GMT -6
I never go into Mac/PC discussions as i find them childish BUT this needs to be corrected. Not most people do. Kids... Maybe it's better now, but back then it was an almost certainty. Seeing that I'm a middle aged man who still thinks he's a kid.. Correcting you twice today. How great. I've own Mac laptops since the black and white screens........never had any trouble with them. Back to the OP's question : What is YOUR experience. Mine with Macs? I consider Apple one of the reasons i'm still in business after 20 years. Enjoy your new laptop and have fun. Don't believe everything you read on internet. You have a great laptop with a full year warranty which covers your purchase good. Just don't consider it indestructible because i'm sure they're not. They are well built and contrary to what people want you to believe.....they are servicable by any good tech. The macbook pro serie is a pro laptop which will lasts you for years if treated well. Thunderbolt is backward compatible to just about everything from USB to firewire to network and HDs. |
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Post by Ward on Jun 17, 2014 7:45:19 GMT -6
Just a moment for some common sense here too, gang.
Have a separate computer for recording. do NOT connect it to the internet. Remove ALL non-music production necessary software from it. Back-up your files DAILY. Power down at least once a week. Restart before each NEW session, and restart your C24/HUI and interfaces at the same time.
That will ensure virtually optimal performance.
What about updates?
SCREW THE UPDATES! If it works, don't frig with it. Any vital update can wait at least 1 month until they update that update 14 more times.
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Post by Koln on Jun 17, 2014 7:53:05 GMT -6
Ward is right and should apply to any computer : Screw the updates!
When it works....it works.
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Post by svart on Jun 17, 2014 7:53:48 GMT -6
Maybe it's better now, but back then it was an almost certainty. Seeing that I'm a middle aged man who still thinks he's a kid.. Correcting you twice today. How great. I've own Mac laptops since the black and white screens........never had any trouble with them. Just look up "Mac motherboard failures".. forums filled with the stories and fanboy folks waving their hands and saying "nothing to see here!". Things got so bad at one point, there were multiple class action suits.. www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2012/08/class-action-filed-against-apple-for-defective-macbook-logic-boards.html |
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Post by Ward on Jun 17, 2014 7:58:42 GMT -6
There are bound to be lemons in any product line. I'm on my 4th or 5th Ford F150 now...a 2008 that still runs like a fine swiss watch. But I have heard, believe it or not, that the occasional one is a lemon too.
If that is true... anything is possible!
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Post by matt on Jun 17, 2014 8:11:23 GMT -6
I am along time Windows user but moved to a Mac Mini last year for music production. Honestly, my system is not very stable. I do not necessarily blame OSX however, since I have followed Avid's guidelines for optimizing Pro Tools and run nothing else at all, ever, on the Mini. I decided a few months ago to always upgrade software ASAP - I was already at a place where something froze or crashed during just about every session. So I am on Mavericks/PT 11.1.3/UAD 7.7.1.
The thing is, is that it is hard to troubleshoot problems. From a systems perspective, there's lots of layers to the cake, and any one (or more than one) could be the cause of Problem X: it could be PT, or the Apollo hardware, or the UAD DSP hardware, or the Euphonix controllers, or the UAD software and how it uses T-Bolt, or Mavericks, or PT, or EUControl, or any one of a number of plugins I own (UAD/Waves/Softube/Exponential/Soundtoys/Fabfilter/Celemony/Brainworx etc etc). This kind of complexity (software from nine+ different vendors, hardware from three) does not lend itself to easy analysis - or general stability, apparently.
I do not regret moving over, but my experience as a Mac user does not reflect the mythology of Mac superiority. Perhaps, when you move outside of in-house Apple software, the advantage of single vendor vertical integration is lost.
I think it's ironic, that if I were to strip references to Apple out of this reply, people would think I am talking about a Windows box. Not so. Apple is not perfect.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Jun 17, 2014 9:01:06 GMT -6
Working in IT over the past couple years, I've seen more Macs with logic board problems in the first 2 months or so of getting them than PC's. After the initial "2 months" the failure rate seems MUCH lower. It seems like if you get through those 2 months, you'll be good for years. Windows 7 has been much more stable and reliable than XP or Vista here. The majority of Windows issues that I come across are virus related or hard drives dying (which is more common on Windows here, but I don't see why it would be), both of which can be devastating. Either way, nothing is foolproof. IME, if you want to use your machine for internet and non audio related tasks, as well as in the studio, a mac is the only way to go. If you're going to be offline and have a dedicated audio computer, I don't think it makes much difference which platform you're on. Anyway, good luck with the new machine man.
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Post by winetree on Jun 17, 2014 11:47:14 GMT -6
I have a Mac Mini running Mountain Lion O.S., off line, for music only.
Any info as to "stripping down the system" or "removing all non-music programs" for a music only Mac Mini.
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Post by Ward on Jun 17, 2014 12:24:39 GMT -6
Delete EVERYTHING that isn't your DAW, iTunes, related music software and system software. Text edit? Trash. MS Office? Trash. iMovie? Trash. Pages, Numbers and Keynote? Trash. iDVD? TRash. and keep going and going and going. Prune that down to the raw elements and your DAW will work amazingly better.
Someone will disagree with my merciless mercenary approach. So be it.
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Post by indiehouse on Jun 17, 2014 12:44:02 GMT -6
What about updates? SCREW THE UPDATES! If it works, don't frig with it. Any vital update can wait at least 1 month until they update that update 14 more times. My UAD Apollo taught me this lesson the hard way. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2014 15:00:46 GMT -6
The biggest difference is everything just working with less work to do. No worries about work-arounds, viruses, crashes etc. I just turn it on, load PT or whatever else and go straight to work. I never have an issue. I like that. This is what I want to happen, if it happens to me Svart you can in all caps say I told you so. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2014 15:03:36 GMT -6
Never crashed? Let me use it, I can get it to crash haha. I can get a Mac to crash too In all honesty though, both system have their pros and cons. After windows XP, the OS became a lot more stable. And I find the newer windows, 7 and 8 even more stable. OSX is also stable, but like I said prior, I've had hiccups with it too. I think they're both good systems. Since macs went intel, I think they're even closer to each other now, as can be seen with hackintoshes. Bottom-line, use what works for you, just like DAW preference. Or shall we argue Protools vs Cubase? Let's not even go there hahahaha Has Protools implemented Macros yet? I'm not starting a war I'm just asking. |
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