Maybe switching to Mac-based studio...coupla' questions

[Matt Smith]

Well, my studio computer is giving me more trouble than anything these days, and since I do everything else on Mac anyway and I have a line on a really cheap G4, I'm thinking about just switching over. What do I need to know? I'm using Nuendo 3 (legit), which is Mac or PC, so that should be fine. RME Fireface should be fine. As far as I know everything should integrate pretty smoothly except maybe plugins...VST is the PC standard, but don't Macs use something different? I seem to remember reading that you have to install some kind of wrapper to run VST plugs on Mac, but I may be getting that confused with something else.
Anyway, I'm sure this stuff is easy to find online, but I figured I could get some quick answers here since a Mac vs. PC war is always only a blink away...

Thanks guys!

 

[Wolfeman]

Nuendo uses VST right? Then you should be fine using VST plugins on mac... You would need a wrapper to run Direct X plugins though....

 

[Loose Nut]

No Wrapper needed for Nuendo as VST is Steiny's own format. Not all your VSTs may have a Mac version though. What OS does the G4 have?

The Mac version of plugins you may be thinking about are called audiounits and Steinberg's DAWs don't support them yet. Logic needs a VST wrapper so that may be what you heard about.

 

[006]

Matt, I would suggest going for Digital Performer if you get a Mac-based setup. Or if you're really interested, then a ProTools setup. Mac does have another type of plug type called AU (AudioUnit), but VST's and VSTi's work too...the only problem is making sure that you have the Mac installer for them. I'm pretty sure by now most plugs you can get come with Mac and PC installers (.dmg/.iso and .exe, respectively), but unfortunately some don't. Digital Performer requires some kind of wrapper, either to MAS or AU, to use VST's and VSTi's. So the one from Fxpansion would be needed which cost's $99 US. Sucks, but hey...DP fucking rocks man.

Some pirated plugs, and I'm not suggesting you pirate plug-ins, only come for PC...All Waves plugs come with both platform's installers, so if you're heavy into Waves, like I am, then you'll be fine. DFHS, DFH, etc. all work fine on a Mac...BFD requires the wrapper disc that you have to buy extra (yet another reason I hate BFD...but this isn't the appropriate thread ), but you'll need that anyway to use VST/i's with DP, if you go that route, so whateva.

Converting your VST/i's to AU is extremely simple, nothing to worry about there. The most difficult part of the whole process is shelling out the additional hundred bucks.

~006

 

[GeertSamuel]

I've been using my MOTU1224 on PC first, mucho problemo's! Didn't like it at all!
A lot of latency problems ...

Then I switched to the Mac I've always been using Mac before since I'm a Graphic Designer and the step was small...I've started out also with Cubase and then tried Digital Performer, I think I prefer Digital Performer above Cubase. But since I have a licensed Cubase I won't make the step..only step I make is that I hope to get my Digi 002 Rack within a couple of weeks...

VST's work most of the time on PC and Mac (if made offcourse) but I mean most are downloadable if you have them licensed on PC they work on Mac...

 

[006]

Yeah they work, it's just making sure they can get installed on your system. For instance, some plugs only come with a .exe installer....well Mac's don't use that extension, PC does, therefore, the Mac won't even open that file. If you can't open it...how do you get it installed? Lol. That's all I was saying.

~006

 

[Matt Smith]

Thanks for the tips. My situation's the same as yours, Funky Animal; always used Mac for work (graphic design) and at home, but used a PC in the studio so far because that's all I had.
Anyway, I'm not sure now...my Nuendo box says a dual 1 gig processor is required, but apparently this G4 only has like a single 400 Mhz processor. Is it even worth bothering? I'm afraid by the time I ramped up the RAM and replaced the processor (assuming it's really needed) I'll have spent as much as I would have just buying a used G5.
Thoughts? I'm sure some of this stuff has been covered in the other mac threads on here, but for some reason I can't find any of them.

 

[Razorjack]

400MHz isn't going to hack it for a DAW, even upgraded the logic board and RAM will be too slow to deal with all the information you'll want flying around. If you can afford to get get a used G5 look at getting a dual 2.7 and put 4Gb of ram in there, you'll have more than enough processing power to keep you going for a few years.