Common ??? I'm sure -- Mac vs PC for doing audio work

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Hi all,

I'm trying to help a friend setup a PC so she can record her songs to
save as MP3 and as demo CD's. It's mainly guitar, vocals, some
keyboard, and maybe a bass. She only has a PC (newer Dell with Windows
XP Pro) but me being a Mac guy and having toyed with Garage Band I'm
looking at that avenue.

Either method she'll need to invest in some software and hardware for
inputing the audio into the computer. If we go with Garage Band she
can use my PowerMac G4 (dual 867/768 Megs Ram) but she'll need to
invest in the input components. If we go with PC, what suggestions do
you guys have and what components are needed to get the audio into the
computer?

On the PC side I've heard of such applications like Cakewalk and
others, but I'm not sure what my options are. Also what's needed to
get the audio actually into the computer? Can someone make some
suggestions?

Sorry for the basic questions, but even though I know computers I know
next to nothing about doing audio work with computers
Thanks and take care,

Ringo

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Ringo Langly wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'm trying to help a friend setup a PC so she can record her songs to
> save as MP3 and as demo CD's. It's mainly guitar, vocals, some
> keyboard, and maybe a bass. She only has a PC (newer Dell with Windows
> XP Pro) but me being a Mac guy and having toyed with Garage Band I'm
> looking at that avenue.
>
> Either method she'll need to invest in some software and hardware for
> inputing the audio into the computer. If we go with Garage Band she
> can use my PowerMac G4 (dual 867/768 Megs Ram) but she'll need to
> invest in the input components. If we go with PC, what suggestions do
> you guys have and what components are needed to get the audio into the
> computer?
>
> On the PC side I've heard of such applications like Cakewalk and
> others, but I'm not sure what my options are. Also what's needed to
> get the audio actually into the computer? Can someone make some
> suggestions?
>
> Sorry for the basic questions, but even though I know computers I know
> next to nothing about doing audio work with computers
> Thanks and take care,


You'll need a mic preamp no matter what, so how about one of those
Tascam US-thingies (like 122, 422 I think) or other USB-input
mini-mixers-with-preamps-and-phantom-power. You already have
GarageBand, so there you go. If she wants to go back to her own
machine, that'll still be just fine.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 12 Jan 2005 08:41:57 -0800, "Ringo Langly" <rlangly@gmail.com>
wrote:

>I'm trying to help a friend setup a PC so she can record her songs to
>save as MP3 and as demo CD's. It's mainly guitar, vocals, some
>keyboard, and maybe a bass. She only has a PC (newer Dell with Windows
>XP Pro) but me being a Mac guy and having toyed with Garage Band I'm
>looking at that avenue.
>
>Either method she'll need to invest in some software and hardware for
>inputing the audio into the computer. If we go with Garage Band she
>can use my PowerMac G4 (dual 867/768 Megs Ram) but she'll need to
>invest in the input components. If we go with PC, what suggestions do
>you guys have and what components are needed to get the audio into the
>computer?
>
>On the PC side I've heard of such applications like Cakewalk and
>others, but I'm not sure what my options are. Also what's needed to
>get the audio actually into the computer? Can someone make some
>suggestions?
>
>Sorry for the basic questions, but even though I know computers I know
>next to nothing about doing audio work with computers
>Thanks and take care,


There's no possible reason for either of you to buy a new computer.
Do you want to work at her house on the PC or your house on the Mac?

Maybe you don't need much hardware. Both computers doubtless have
Line In and Line Out audio connections. (Well, I HOPE a Mac does? :-)
They'll do for now. You'll want a small mixer to interface
microphones and other instruments. If this is a vocals-based project
you'll need a half-way decent microphone. But this doesn't mean a lot
of money these days. So far, this is all portable between the Mac
and the PC.

Garage Band is the hobbyist offering from Mac. Despite the included
toys, I'm sure it does a simple multitrack recording perfectly well.
There's possibly more choice for PC than Mac now. You could play
with Audacity, which is freeware for PC. It's a bit clunky, but it
does the job. I think one of the computer music comics regularly has
free sequencers on the cover disk? Anyone? I'm not too
well-informed on that end of the market.

If you get into this more seriously, you may want to invest in a
better sound card. If you choose an external USB or Firewire model,
it will again be portable between PC and Mac.

CubaseFAQ www.laurencepayne.co.uk/CubaseFAQ.htm
"Possibly the world's least impressive web site": George Perfect

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

david wrote:
> In article <1105548117.377172.216780@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
> Ringo Langly <rlangly@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Either method she'll need to invest in some software and hardware
for
> > inputing the audio into the computer. If we go with Garage Band
she
> > can use my PowerMac G4 (dual 867/768 Megs Ram) but she'll need to
> > invest in the input components.
>
>
>
> Spend $425 on a Digidesign Mbox if she doesn't need to record more
than
> 2 live tracks at a time. Protools LE comes with it.
>
> Another interesting thing, Apple just came out with a $500 Mac mini.
> It's likely similiar in power to your once rather expensive dual G4.
> Add any keyboard, mouse & monitor and eventually an external Firewire
> drive if she really is gonna record stuff, and go at it with the
mbox.
>
> Apple's gonna sell a ton of these Mac mini's. The damn thing is 6.5"
by
> 6.5" by 2"!
>
> Also, Apple just announced a new rev of Garageband that can record 8
> tracks at a time along with instant note transcription and more new
> stuff.
>
> It ships as a component of a software package called iLife 05, which
> includes iPhoto5, iMoveHD, iDVD5, Garageband 2 and iTunes 4.71. The
> whole package costs $79. Jeez.
>
> I can tell you that iDVD, iTunes, and iMovie are wonderful apps.
> Haven't spent much time with the other 2.
>
> And iLife comes free with the Mac mini. So you can tell her to buy a
> mini cuz comes with Garageband and leave your G4 alone ;> And save
her
> money, don't buy the mbox unless she has to. Course the mini doesn't
> come with a mic pre.
>

Hi David,

Actually I'm trying to talk her into buying a Mini Mac, but she doesn't
have but a couple of hundred bucks for everything -- so she's looking
at the Tascam US-122 for now.

I'm an avid Mac user, and I watched Jobs' keynote speech for Macworld
last night -- AWESOME! I personally want to get a Mini Mac myself, but
my PowerMac G4 still does the job good enough for me. I also already
have iLive now, but I might invest in the next vesion to get the latest
vesion of Garage Band plus newer versions of other apps I use daily. I
live in iDVD, iTunes, and iPhoto.
Thanks for the info and take care,

Ringo

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Ringo Langly wrote:


> Actually I'm trying to talk her into buying a Mini Mac


I was gonna suggest that, she'll have a good upgrade path there.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Go the USB or Firewire route.

If she needs to get a keyboard, M-Audio, Edirol and Alesis make keyboards
with audio interfaces, some with (basic) mic pres and DIs.

Each of these will include recording software, usually a stripped-down
version of Cakewalk or Cubase, that will provide more than enough features
and performance for her to get started.

--
Doug Osborne

my day job: http://www.martinsound.com/

"Ringo Langly" <rlangly@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1105548117.377172.216780@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Hi all,
>
> I'm trying to help a friend setup a PC so she can record her songs to
> save as MP3 and as demo CD's. It's mainly guitar, vocals, some
> keyboard, and maybe a bass. She only has a PC (newer Dell with Windows
> XP Pro) but me being a Mac guy and having toyed with Garage Band I'm
> looking at that avenue.
>
> Either method she'll need to invest in some software and hardware for
> inputing the audio into the computer. If we go with Garage Band she
> can use my PowerMac G4 (dual 867/768 Megs Ram) but she'll need to
> invest in the input components. If we go with PC, what suggestions do
> you guys have and what components are needed to get the audio into the
> computer?
>
> On the PC side I've heard of such applications like Cakewalk and
> others, but I'm not sure what my options are. Also what's needed to
> get the audio actually into the computer? Can someone make some
> suggestions?
>
> Sorry for the basic questions, but even though I know computers I know
> next to nothing about doing audio work with computers
> Thanks and take care,
>
> Ringo
>