mac or pc with protools

hello,
i'm about to get me protools hd1 etc , but i'm doubting about running it on a PC or on a MAC, are there any obvious reasons to buy a MAC or PC for protools, i'm curious about what u guys think or the experience people have with both systems , meself is a windows man , never worked with MAC before but i hear very good things about it regarding HD recording.
i would apreciate the feedback on this

anybody?
ty cappy

This was a really hot topic and I'm waiting for what the answers will be.

(I have used Mac since 1986 and PC since W95 and use still both. Guess which OS I like the best?)

If you have the $$, I'd go Mac all the way. They are way more solid than PC for A/V production.
I read a review on the G5, where the reviewer inserted about 150 dsp hungry plugins on PT le (which is completely processor dependent) and the box did not even hiccup! I'm lucky to get 30 on my PC without bogging it down. Just my uneducated opinion!

Cheers,
Caine

I think a properly set-up machine of either platform is a good solution. The dual G5 are beastly machines and can do a lot of stuff but can be matched by a dual processor opteron for sure....

Read into this what you will but Digidesign use PCs for all of their trade show demos and the new Venue live console runs on a dedicated PC system based on a stripped down version of Windows XP.....

I sit on the fence, seen massive problems on both PC and MAC based systems. There are a few problems with the latest release of OSX10.3xx with PT. Random crashes etc.

Cheers Tom

just use the platform you are most comfortable with. if its pc then use a pc if its mac then use a mac.


me personally.. ive always had better experience running PT's on a mac. but thats probably because of what I started with

I have worked with PT on both and I preferr mac... If it was me, I'd get a Dual liquid cooled G5, but I think both mac and pc can be very close and alot of it is just personal preference. Like Tom, I've also seen horrid crashes on both systems... One thing to think about is compatibility, swapping drives around, etc...

Peranders wrote:
(I have used Mac since 1986 and PC since W95 and use still both. Guess which OS I like the best?)

should I guess? Windows 3.1 :twisted:


I used Protools 24MixPlus on Pentium II machine since 1998 and never had a crash. For many years I don't use Protools [and probably never will, although it is good to never say never] but I supose now the situation on PC is better so You should choose what you feel is the best OS.

chrissugar

I prefer Mac. I ran PT on PC for a couple years. The performance was fine actfually. While the sessions themselves are cross-platform, anyone's portable drive is going to be formatted for one or the other. I was sick of roundabout file conversion processes, so I went Mac. My life has been much easier since. I take my drive to bigger studios to mix. Or musicians bring me their drives for tracking. Mac is surely the more universal choice for PT.

Good point Miko, cross platform compatibility can be a real bitch. I think as long as you format the portable drive as FAT32 (not NTFS) it can be used on PC or MAC.

The real issue with compatibility is setting the drives as record/playback volumes in PT. I don't think PT (on a MAC) likes portable drives formatted via PC when setting to record or playback volumes. They are fine for transfer/storage though but I may be wrong.....so I guess it may make sense to go the MAC route if you will be transferring sessions to and from other MAC based HD rigs.

Tom

FWIW I have set up tons of Pro Tools systems in PC and MAC area. It used to be that there were not a lot of Pro Tools pulgs available on PC, Now it's down to very few not being available. It used to be that there were crash problems with PC now there are not. So basicly what major problems there used to be are pretty non-existant(SP?) so I suggest using what is ever comfortable to you in terms of use and price. I do howevere recomend a G5 because those things are unbelieveable and Pro tools originally was designed to run on mac and the PC version was afterthought.

For TDM ?

MAC

... simple ... sorry Kev has spoken :green:
VIRUS and AmpFarm alone makes it worthwhile and to be honest , a no brainer.

It is also likely you may find that having FCP PRO is something your clients may appreciate in the future.

for LE both PC and MAC has great things to offer. I now am not running one MAC LE system as they all seem to have become PC/AMD based systems.
I didn't plan that ... it just happened that way. I'll have to get one back across to MAC soon as it is handy to have both.

Yeah, i've totally not been sold on the whole mac hype. I've used both macs and pcs in both audio and graphics application and Itruly prefer the pc.

Easier to find help for one, and programs are much easier to come by for pc.

I'm trying to find the article, but the most stable and fastest recording computers this year are amd based pcs, sorry mac users but it's true...

My favorite thing in the world is when someone goes on and on about how macs are hands-down better, and when you ask why, the answer is "they just are"

Don't get me wrong, I love OSX and I really like working on macs, but as long as they are double the price, I stick to buying extra gear instead of "sexy-looking" computers.

"don't, don't, don't believe the hype" - Public enemy

I've used it on both but greatly prefer mac just because of work flow and operational preference with keyboard commands, etc. Removing my bias from the situation I see little to no benefit from either system granted the hardware is matched and you really know how to set up your OS properly (i.e. disable background apps, etc.). The only benefits for mac I can cite would be a) Pro Tools was originally designed for mac and I can only imagine some of the legacy code in there likes mac better. b) If using the internet and Pro Tools on the same computer a mac is MUCH safer and easier to control. DON'T use a mainstream browser such as IE or Netscape. Ideally use some open source and/or highly customizable so that you keep a low profile, keep everything else out and manage the cache, temp files, etc. yourself

I think at this point in time, you can probably go with whatever system you are more comfortable with. The fact that PT HD uses the dsp on the card for it's hardcore tasks means the system will heve less of an impact on your performance than a fully native one. If you're running a commercial operation, however, I would strongly recommend using a mac as that's what the lion's share of the world's facilities use. As far as file interchangeability goes, there is no problem mounting a PC drive on a mac, they can read and write to PC volumes no problem-I just wouldn't recommend running a session off of one(I would recommend just copying the files to a mac formatted drive and then copying back when done). You would need third party software to mount a mac volume on a PC, though. I believe there is something called 'macdrive' that works pretty good. One caveat with moving sessions back and forth-in PT there is a mac/pc compatabilty box to check when creating a session. Only use it if you are definitely going to move from one system to the other. On macs, I have seen nothing but problems stemming from protools sessions with the .pts extension- both in OS x and 9. These session files are highly prone to corruption, so much so that it is now policy here that if one comes in the assistants must do a 'save session copy' and de-select that option. If you try to close a session and are presented with an endless parade of error dialogs(mostly assertion errors and waveshell-dae errors) that you cannot get out of, or have problems saving your session, this is the solution. In 99% of these cases either the resave as a non mac-pc compatible session or creating a new session and importing the tracks from the old will save the day. Anyway, good luck with whichever platform you choose.

Zach

the most stable and fastest recording computers this year are amd based pcs, sorry mac users but it's true...

Click to expand...

Comparing speed from mac to pc is not so clear cut. They excell in different areas of processing. Also, the coding of the software you are using can make a big difference...

I believe there is something called 'macdrive'

Click to expand...

Macdrive! ARGH! !:evil: I have not had great experiences with it, though it does work. I just woldn't choose to work that way.

in PT there is a mac/pc compatabilty box to check when creating a session. Only use it if you are definitely going to move from one system to the other...These session files are highly prone to corruption...

Click to expand...

I have had the same experience, hence I now own a mac. And, I can also say that in my local area, 90% of the pro studios I have been in use mac... Compatibility really is a huge issue... It never works like you think it should. That said, I still love my PC, and use it regularly some PT sessions, but mostly Nuendo.

Another detail worth considering is that the G5's cooling system is pretty complex, and WAY quieter than the old (noisy) G4 systems. I'd venture to say you (almost) don't even need a sound-proof box for it.

And the engineering is pretty incredible. Talk about a bad-ass layout! It's inspiring to me, being a DIYer and all.

-E.

I am running MAC LE and also cubase on a PC... both are fine and stable. I do a lot of audio for post at work and have to work fast as time is big money in our AV house. You guys are going to think I'm nuts...
I prefer my old Dyaxis II running OS 9.2.2 on a beige G3.
Works fast and sounds great for TV comm. I like It better than PT.
Guess I'm an old Mac man!

Gary

As Kev pointed out, consider what plug-ins you'll use. Not all are cross platform. I'm a total Mac guy but these days both platforms are extremely friendly, fast and stable.

byron

The G5's cooling systems are definitely quiter than the old G4's but far from silent (and the case looks cooler too, but that's beside the point :grin: ). The most silent computer I've ever heard (or not heard for that matter) was built by a guy Rob Hindley in Sydney, check out this link:

http://www.musiccomputersystems.com/home.htm

The case just by itself costs something stupid like $1000 AUS, the whole thing is one huge heatsink built from insanely wide metal. I think you could run a tank over it and the tank would wind out worse off. The end result is amazing... though you never ever want to try and move it by yourself!!

Justin.

I am looking to upgrade to a G5 as some HTDM plugs use alot of power. UNfortunately the one I priced is going to run upwards of 6000.00 but that would be if i purchased mac memory. I can get the same style momory cheaper but still out of the price range...