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This
is the first installment of a series
of articles aimed at better understanding
the rapidly changing world of computer
music production and its benefits
to musicians. |
In
the age of rapidly changing and developing
digital technology, we are all a bit
timid when it comes to getting our feet
wet. Buying a computer—or any electronic
device—is a tiresome job. Will
my PC be outdated the day after I buy
it? Should I wait another month to see
if Apple ships an upgraded computer?
Do I need a dual-processor 500mhz or
a single 1.2 Ghz PC?
There
are as many answers as there are questions
(conveniently enough) and often times
even more! You'll find that opinions
vary as to how much you need, when you
need it, and when you should buy. But
there has never been a better time to
get involved in computer based music
production. Options abound. Prices are
down. And the winner is you.
I
don't claim to be an expert, but in
this first of a series of articles,
I will try to help you decide what computer
is best for you based on your budget,
needs, and desires.
APPLES
TO ORANGES
Perhaps
the most difficult question to consider
when buying a new computer is what platform
to invest in: Macintosh or Windows?
There are other platforms with which
to make great music—BeOS, Atari,
even Linux! However, since the two most
widely used are the MacOS and Windows,
I will cover those only in these articles.
Of course there are many benefits and
drawbacks to both OS's, and the zealotry
is equally disgusting on both sides.
Although I am currently an avid Mac
user, I used to be a die-hard PC guy.
Here I will try to offer the most unbiased
opinion that I can in order to help
you make an informed decision.
Please
note that for this first installment
I will only be commenting on items that
set the two operating systems apart.
Issues like RAM, HD space and soundcards
are somewhat universal in their consideration
and will be covered in our next installment.
PC's
AND WINDOWS
Microsoft Windows has made great strides
in the way that it handles digital media.
I've heard very good things about Windows
XP and its handling of audio and MIDI.
Once developers jump on board with XP
native applications, hopefully many
of the woes of previous Windows versions
will truly be things of the past.
For
the moment, however, many users are
still using Win9x or WinME. With this
in mind, Windows does not always handle
hardware and software installation easily
and seamlessly. Because there are so
many vendors of PC hardware, Microsoft
has to do a lot of extra work to make
sure everything cooperates with everything
else. This is a seemingly impossible
task and the user is often times confounded
with mysterious hangs, misplaced Registry
items, etc. The main point to consider
here is that if you are going to buy
a PC with Windows, pay close attention
to the quality of the hardware and software
that goes into it. I recommend buying
from a local dealer so that you will
have an actual person to take your computer
to should anything go amiss. At the
very least, make sure your vendor uses
name brand parts. Don't let them put
in that $20 soundcard. Don't let them
downgrade you to the slightly cheaper
motherboard. You will pay dearly
for these mistakes in the end.
Try
to avoid buying ready-made PC's
from dealers such as Dell or Compaq
as they are difficult to expand
and rarely up to performing as
a professional digital audio workstation.
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I
also recommend steering clear of large
PC dealers such as Dell, HP, Compaq,
etc for this very reason. Often times
these companies will build their own
motherboards with integrated audio and
video. This can be quite problematic
when trying to upgrade or add new capabilities
to the system. When I was helping customers
install new audio and MIDI devices on
their home PC's I would always cringe
if the system had integrated sound—the
workarounds were ALWAYS a nightmare.
If
possible, build your own PC from the
ground up. You will have to do some
serious research in selecting the components
that are right for you, but you'll be
glad you put in the extra work and in
the end you won't end up paying much
more for a comparable pre-fab system.
One
of the great benefits of using the Windows
platform is that there are SO many hardware
vendors to choose from. There are even
several processor manufacturers that
are turning out great products. Most
notably AMD, makers of the Athlon processor,
have given Intel—who used to have
a monopoly on the PC processor market—a
SERIOUS competitor. AMD processors are
generally less expensive, faster, and
every bit as reliable and compatible
as their Intel counterparts. Previously
some AMD processors (and more specifically
the motherboard chipset) had compatibility
issues with audio hardware in particular.
Provided you invest in a new Athlon
or Duron System, you should be fine.
PC's also have the benefit of having
the greatest software support in the
industry. Obviously, since there are
more Windows users than any other platform,
the software developers are going to
go where the users are. While there
are several programs that are Mac only—there
are exponentially more programs that
run only on Windows (Sonic Foundry's
Acid is a notable example). You will
have no problem finding a wide variety
of shareware, freeware, retail and…
ahem… borrowed software for your Windows
PC.
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Emagic
Logic
One of the most popular sequencing
and recording programs available
for the PC and Macintosh environments.
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The
final consideration for a PC is processor
speed. If I were going to buy a PC right
now, I would invest in an AMD Athlon
chip (possibly even a dual processor
system) running at at least 1GHz. If
you can afford higher clock speeds,
get there. If you can afford a dual
processor system, Windows XP and 2000
will thank you for it. You will need
to closely consider what your needs
are when choosing a processor. Will
you be running a lot of software synthesizers
and samplers? Get a fast processor.
Will you just be running your audio/MIDI
sequencer and use external synths? Spend
a little less on the processor and invest
in more RAM and HD space. Be democratic
with your choice—calculate your
budget and get the best you can in all
departments (CPU, RAM, HD space). Remember
that it is easier to upgrade RAM and
HD space, however. CPU upgrades can
sometimes be a bit tricky.
In
summary:
Pros
of buying a Windows based PC:
MACINTOSH
The
Macintosh has long been touted as the
Artist's Computer. Indeed, many studios
and musicians continue to rely on Macs
as their principal composition and recording
tools. However, as Windows continues
to make advances to its OS, the lines
have blurred somewhat. Not to be outdone,
Apple is making great advances in both
processing power and their new OS, Mac
OS X—which will bring audio and
MIDI integration to a whole new level
(when it is finished and supported by
third party developers).
Macintosh
G4
The latest generation of Apple's
amazing fusion of software and
hardware is "insanely great."
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PC
users often claim that Mac processors
are slower. Indeed, the fastest Mac
processor right now is the G4 866MHz.
PC's are upwards of 2GHz now. These
numbers should not be confused for real
performance value, however. Numerous
third party tests have shown that the
Mac processors keep up with, and often
times outpace, PC processors that are
"twice as fast" in numbers. The thing
to keep in mind is that a Mac G4 offers
similar processing value to that of
the most current PC chips - the Pentium
3 and 4, and the Athlon processors.
That
said, one of the key benefits of using
a Mac is that hardware becomes much
less of an issue. Only Apple makes Macs.
There is only one kind of processor
to choose from. Hardware vendors have
fewer things to worry about when designing
for the Mac, because the actual computer
specs are fixed. This tends to make
hardware installation a breeze. And
with the new cases, accessing the expansion
bays and slots is a snap.
Another
hardware plus for the Mac is its default
integration of Firewire. Many Firewire
based audio systems are coming online
now, which makes setting up a home studio
a total dream. (As I write this I am
devising a plan to obtain the newest
Mac Powerbook in order to move my entire
studio over into a laptop). The new
MOTU 896, for example, allows you to
connect their unit (which offers 8 ins
and 8 outs (with Mic Preamps!), plus
ADAT and AES/EBU) to your Firewire based
computer with a single cable. Plug the
device into your Mac, install the software,
and away you go. No screwdriver, no
PCI card. True plug and play.
However,
this hardware guarantee comes at a price.
Macs are, and will continue to be, more
expensive than comparable PC's. For
users like myself, that is a sacrifice
I'm willing to make because I prefer
the MacOS's ease of use, stability and
software packages (on the whole).
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IEEE
1394 aka Firewire
Currently the fastest and most
reliable form of high-bandwidth
data transfer is fully supported
and integrated into every new
Macintosh.
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Software
becomes more of an issue with the Macintosh
as well. Not as many vendors are willing
to invest time and money into a platform
that isn't selling millions of copies.
Other vendors will ONLY make software
for the Mac, because they know their
target audience will continue to buy
that software because the competition
refuses to make something comparable.
As a Mac user, there are very few software
programs that I covet that are unavailable
for the Mac. There are some FX plugins
and looping programs like Acid that
would be nice to have, but I can get
everything done that needs to be done
on my trusty old G3.
When
choosing a Mac system, processor speed
is of great concern, particularly if
you are thinking of eventually using
Mac OS X. As with PC's get a dual processor
system if you can afford it. If not,
get the fastest processor you can afford.
If you can't afford a new G4 system,
look into getting a used G3 or G4 with
a fast processor. Remember, too, that
older Mac G3's can easily be upgraded
to a G4 processor. Other issues like
system bus speed or RAM speed will prevent
you from getting new-G4-like performance,
but the compromise will be well worth
it if it is all your budget can handle.
In
summary:
Pros
of buying a Mac:
-
don't worry about hardware compatibility
issues (as much)
-
ease of use and stability are very
rewarding supported by large portion
of the "artist" community
-
Firewire is a big plus
-
OS
X will be amazing when it is widely
supported
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they
are more expensive than PC's
-
fast obsolescence factor (when the
new G5 comes out you'll want it!)
-
can't run all the software in the
world
Stay
tuned for our next installment when
we will begin to talk about other hardware
requirements such as RAM, HD space,
monitors, and soundcards.
-Indicator
