iMac VS Mac Pro in a Recording Setup

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   Greetings everyone,
Thanks for taking the time to read.

My band and I are fairly frequent fliers in the realm of home recording and have thus far learned an amazingly large amount through tested and true trial and error. It's been a few years since I made some "serious" investments in recording equipment (AD/DA Converter, Pre's, Mics, Etc.) but have recently purchased the base model Mac Pro in anticipation of moving to a Pro Tools HD setup later this year. 

My question for anyone familiar with the technology is:

Has anyone attempted to put together/seen/heard of a high quality recording setup running on an iMac via Firewire, etc? Or is the more expensive route (Mac Pro) the only true way to "professional" results on a Mac? I ask because although Pro Tools is in the cards for the eventual future, my Mac Pro was purchased last week as a "wise" investment when viewed over the long-long-term - this of course created some financial strain in the short term and I've begun to wonder if I might be able to settle for a more affordable intermediate setup in the mean time which is still an improvement over my current one.

For anyone wondering I currently run my setup on a fairly robust PC using Sonar X1, through a Scope Creamware Luna Card and a couple Presonus Digimax racks.

Thank-you!  

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
Seleras Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: July 20 2011 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 16	Topic: iMac VS Mac Pro in a Recording Setup Posted: July 23 2011 at 04:19
	Greetings everyone, Thanks for taking the time to read. My band and I are fairly frequent fliers in the realm of home recording and have thus far learned an amazingly large amount through tested and true trial and error. It's been a few years since I made some "serious" investments in recording equipment (AD/DA Converter, Pre's, Mics, Etc.) but have recently purchased the base model Mac Pro in anticipation of moving to a Pro Tools HD setup later this year. My question for anyone familiar with the technology is: Has anyone attempted to put together/seen/heard of a high quality recording setup running on an iMac via Firewire, etc? Or is the more expensive route (Mac Pro) the only true way to "professional" results on a Mac? I ask because although Pro Tools is in the cards for the eventual future, my Mac Pro was purchased last week as a "wise" investment when viewed over the long-long-term - this of course created some financial strain in the short term and I've begun to wonder if I might be able to settle for a more affordable intermediate setup in the mean time which is still an improvement over my current one. For anyone wondering I currently run my setup on a fairly robust PC using Sonar X1, through a Scope Creamware Luna Card and a couple Presonus Digimax racks. Thank-you!

stonebeard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057	Posted: July 23 2011 at 04:35
	We use a Mac Pro in the main Pro Tools HD setup, and iMacs otherwise, running LE, Reason, etc. It's dependent on your work load. I'm not a Mac guy, but as I understand it you have more options as far as customization with Mac pros. You'll need all the RAM you can get to run a large number of tracks simultaneously in Pro Tools. Why are you wanting to get Mac if you're planning on using Sonar? There's really not a point in this day and age unless you're really tied to Digital Performer or Logic, or you're really into Macs. I'd rather not drop $3000 on a Mac Pro when I can get the same quality for $1000 in a customized PC. But whatever floats yer boat. Sounds to me since you're using a card that you won't be doing too many tracks at the same time. 8 max? You almost certainly won't need the kind of processing power our HD setup has, but more RAM and processing speed is always a plus, and you'll no doubt get that in a Mac pro.
	My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want!

Seleras Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: July 20 2011 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 16	Posted: July 23 2011 at 21:48
	Thanks for the reply stonebeard. I may have mis-communicated one particular detail - I currently use Sonar, BUT purchased the Mac Pro in order to accommodate Pro Tools. I won't be using Sonar on the Mac at all but will be using it on a PC until I can fully switch over. How do you find Pro Tools LE to be in comparison to HD? There's a fairly large price gap between the two and have contemplated starting in LE. Thanks again!

stonebeard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057	Posted: July 23 2011 at 22:00
	LE would almost certainly be sufficient for your needs. HD setups are for instructional institutions, pro studios, or doctors with $50,000 to drop on a studio. Lucky for you, Pro Tools 9 was released earlier this year, and now accommodates many interfaces, where previous versions require digidesign or Avid interfaces. Keep that in mind if you're planning on buying used. With HD setups you'll get their own interfaces, preamps, and stuff like that, and those units can be quite expensive. You don't need that, and few can afford it anyway. Also, PCs are compatible with Pro Tools, depending on some factors, so I hope you didn't think it was necessary to get a Mac. Might be good to take a look here too: http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/pro-tools/pro-tools_guide.php There's some good info to work around.
	My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want!

Seleras Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: July 20 2011 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 16	Posted: July 25 2011 at 14:40
	Thanks for the extra information - there were a couple things in there I wasn't aware of. I ultimately made the choice to return the Mac Pro and go with the 27" iMac. With the Sandybridge i5 processor and ability to expand to 16GB of RAM I think it'll do nicely. Next up - deciding what kind of LE interface to go with. Perhaps the 003 Rack Factory? Any thoughts/experience in that area? Thanks very much.