Theocracy's computer/recording-esque question

[Rawshik]

So I've been planning on buying a laptop for music recording and stuff. I have a general idea of what I need on it (specs wise) to be fast enough and applicable for multiple tracks and etc.

But I just thought I'd ask you guys in Theocracy (Probably specifically Matt) because you do recording and stuff yourself. So what are the specs of the computer(s) you use? What recording programs do you use? Have you spent a lot of money to make sure your recording and editing process on your computer is as top quality as possible? Etc. Thanks!


If this actually gets a reply, I'll be surprised. But it's worth a shot.

 

[Shawn Benson]

I know matt uses Mac, and he was using nuendo but im not sure if he still uses it. I think his cpu os a pre intel g-5. thats all i know and it might not even be right

 

[Darknight6606]

WOOHOO we got a drummer here!

 

[Rawshik]

Interesting, thanks! Some info is better than none.

 

[I Rock 4 God]

I know matt uses Mac,

YEAH! Everyone I know is trying to convince me to switch to windows, but I HATE windows!

 

[Child Of God]

YEAH! Everyone I know is trying to convince me to switch to windows, but I HATE windows!

Hey guy, Windows is all good. You have the typical attitude Apple wants you to have : think that Mac is superior
I don't hate Mac, I don't hate Windows, but I make different use of each of them. I love to write music on my Mac, because on the Mac, nearly everything is simple, but Windows lets me have more "control" of my PC to do more advanced stuff... and sometimes developping software on a Mac is just horrible

But yeah, in music I think the Mac has a lot of good software, that are not on windows

 

[Aletheus]

I know matt uses Mac

 

[M@RS]

YEAH! Everyone I know is trying to convince me to switch to windows, but I HATE windows!

I personally use Windows (more software available), but I think Mac is a good option for some people (mostly those who are technically...challenged ).

 

[JayArby]

mostly those who are technically...challenged

Amen

 

[Darknight6606]

Exactly....I tried to reprogram a mac. You cant do a thing, theyre idiot AND genius proof- idiots cant screw them up, and geniuses cant revise them to make them better.

 

[JamesDS]

Amen

Exactly....I tried to reprogram a mac. You cant do a thing, theyre idiot AND genius proof- idiots cant screw them up, and geniuses cant revise them to make them better.

Hah, that's not really true, but regardless, I heartily agree with you ! As a software developer I actually use Linux. With Linux you get total control, a thriving open-source community constantly fixing and improving the system, and nothing gets in your way. Well, except for your own ineptitude when you're new to it...lol. To be fair, I'm fresh from Uni and only started using Linux this year - loving it though. Oh, and most distros are free.

The development work I do is not Windows friendly. I mainly do Ruby programming and the Ruby on Rails framework is my tool of choice for building web applications -i.e. things that sit on web servers, which are mostly Unix-based. Mac OSX is derived from Unix, so I have many friends who use Macs successfully. Obviously they're not as elite as me using Linux , but hey, if that's what helps them get the job done, good on them. Windows, however, is basically unusable in my work, as I have previously discovered...

However...I have a colleague at work, a front-end designer who uses a Mac, and I've had to spend a day in the past trying to get a database server installed on her computer when it took only half an hour to compile and configure on my machine. I now take to teasing her Mac whenever I get the chance.

So, Windows suits my entertainment purposes (such as gaming), and therefore it is the primary OS on my desktop. Ubuntu Linux is my choice for work and due to it's speed and flexibility, it's the primary OS on my laptop.

Sorry for a minor derailment...but yeah, to sum things up, everything has it's uses (even Macs...), so go for whichever helps you get the job done in the best manner.

...but also remember that LINUX RULES!

EDIT: Now, on topic.

I had a flatmate at Uni who used a dual-core Vista laptop (quite low spec and entry level by today's standards though) to do multi-track recording. He used Ableton Live and a Line6 USB soundcard with lots of cool inputs and stuff. I don't think you need heavily spec'd or expensive hardware/software unless you're going pro, but all the same, I'd be interested to hear what Matt uses for professional recording. I should note that I too have a Line6 soundcard - it's just for plugging in my guitar, but unfortunately the drivers aren't supported on Windows 7 so I don't use it any more .

 

[Ryan M.]

My bro is a programmer and he has used Linux before as well. I'm thinkin bout it myself lol

I'm actually downloading Ubuntu right now as I type. Almost halfway done. Gotta love Linux. I used it for some time, back when I didn't have my own PC. It is nice.

 

[Child Of God]

Yeeah a Ruby programmer !! I love that language (it is so beautiful, smart, elegant ! ), though I don't use it for web dev at all.

I know matt uses Mac, and he was using nuendo but im not sure if he still uses it. I think his cpu os a pre intel g-5. thats all i know and it might not even be right

I checked out the price of Nuendo and it's EUR 1,808.07... I hope you have a lot of money

 

[JamesDS]

I'm actually downloading Ubuntu right now as I type. Almost halfway done. Gotta love Linux. I used it for some time, back when I didn't have my own PC. It is nice.

Usual forum etiquette is to put some indication that you edited your post - I could have sworn you didn't say that when I read your reply earlier!

Great stuff, Ubuntu is a really nice distro and well supported, hope you enjoy it!

EDIT:

Yeeah a Ruby programmer !! I love that language (it is so beautiful, smart, elegant ! ),

Isn't it such . In Uni we used Java, which I liked and had self-taught myself before going to Uni. I did some dabbling in my own time with Ruby whilst in Uni and really enjoyed it. I resolved to get a job in it, and here I am, almost 4 months into my first job, very much enjoying it. It's got a great community and definitely has a future. If you're wanting to create some nifty websites then do check out the Ruby on Rails framework - it's a solid, maturing framework with all the elegance and fun of Ruby!

 

[athensbum]

Shawn has got to be one of the most observant people I've ever met!!

Apple did a smart thing many years ago... it got its foot in the door of the music and video editors, as well as the graphic designers and printers, and worked with software developers to create really awesome stuff for people that ran on Macs. So, even though PCs have caught up--by and large--there are plenty of things I find easier to do on my Mac. For a very long time, or example, ProTools was available only on the Mac. It had a great niche market and great hardware to go along with the niche software.

As a result, a lot of good software, plugins, hardware cards, etc. have been made only for Macs, so that's what Matt uses (with Nuendo).

Personally, I just like the way they look, the way they work, and how reliable my machines have been. My PCs by contrast couldn't really stack up (but man, I loved my first Gateway to death...). I think at this point, it's much more about personal preference than one really being consistently better than the other -- they both have their pros and cons. And don't believe anyone who tells you that Macs don't crash!

 

[Rawshik]

I see! Thank you very much! I don't know too much about Mac's, but exact specs would be great if anyone knows em! Which I'm assuming would be only Matt.

 

[Verbum Lux]

Apple did a smart thing many years ago... it got its foot in the door of the music and video editors, as well as the graphic designers and printers, and worked with software developers to create really awesome stuff for people that ran on Macs. So, even though PCs have caught up--by and large--there are plenty of things I find easier to do on my Mac. For a very long time, or example, ProTools was available only on the Mac. It had a great niche market and great hardware to go along with the niche software.

As a result, a lot of good software, plugins, hardware cards, etc. have been made only for Macs, so that's what Matt uses (with Nuendo)

You know, I've wondered from time to time why certain groups, such as graphic design people, often prefer Macs. That explains it.

 

[M@RS]

Gotta love Linux.

I used Ubuntu for quite some time last year and I hated it. EVERYTHING was a hassle. Most of that is because large companies aren't very cooperative when it comes to drivers for the open source community, but still.

 

[JayArby]

Mac crashes all the time. And all the industry standard graphics/video/music development tools run on Windows as well. Macs are very pretty, expensive paperweights.

Apple does the best it can to make you THINK they have the superior product. And sadly, they usually succeed.

 

[JayArby]

About Ruby...elegant??

Ruby allows the programmer to write code in fifteen confusingly different ways, so that a difference in style can result in complete unreadability. Then Ruby also replaces the elegant braces of C/C++/Java/etc. with clunky tags that look like variables...bleah...

Nothing can match the elegance of C.

Sorry, I know this is not supposed to be a programming forum, but I can't resist sticking up for good old C.