Hope I don't start annoying anyone with my barrage of newbie technology Qs. I've been saving $ to buy a desktop with Logic Pro X. Now that the new Mac Pro is out, I'm wondering if it'd be best to get it or stay with the choice of a 27" iMac (16GB, i7 processor)? My goal is to get my foot in the door as a professional composer--needing a good computer & DAW is my starting point (toward quality sounds/recording).
Any composers wanna chime in on whether the Mac Pro is worth the extra $--as a big enough jump ahead of a iMac? My thoughts are to buy the fastest, biggest machine I can afford. And hope it carries me a LONG way (trying to pay cash not credit and I am on a meager teacher salary, so LONG way means has to last a LONG TIME!). I appreciate any input from the more experienced with gear. (I'm definitely going Mac not PC, though) Thank you for any advice.
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I've found that as I get further into the realm of the music industry, particularly composing, that production knowledge and capability are paramount. I have an iMac myself - 2.5 GHz Intel processor with 4 GB of DDR3 memory - and while it CAN run several plug ins at once, I find it starts to drop out as I mix full orchestras (I use Logic Pro 9). If I could afford it, I would go with the Mac Pro. Not only will it be a longer lasting investment, but there will be fewer drop outs interrupting your creative process. And if you're trying to record live instruments on top of that… you really want a computer that can handle some heavy lifting. Hope this is helpful.
Hey David,
You want to get more ram into that iMac, the more the merrier!
David Hitchcock said:
Hah! Do I ever. This is the best computer my line of credit with Apple could buy me lol.
You can stick some extra in quite cheaply now.
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=7E74660AA5C...
Cheaper if you're U.S. based I think.
David Hitchcock said:
That's… amazing. Thank you!
Honestly Jenny, it appears though this whole thread has been muddied up a bit with a battle between Windows and Mac so I will try and keep my answer nice and simple based on my experience with my iMac.
Since it seems like you are just going to start out, an iMac is MORE than enough for what you need to be doing BUT, like others have mentioned, make sure you upgrade your ram to at least 16gb, or at least an absolute MINIMUM at 8gb. The computer that I have is a 2010 version Intel 5, 16gb of RAM and I am running EastWest Hollywood Strings samples and I can get more than enough tracks running no problem. Trust me, you are FINE with this choice. It is now 2014 and I have no intention on upgrading as this comp has served me VERY well and I am going to stick with it until it is chugging (and no signs of that...)
So go. Buy it. Now. And enjoy.
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