View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
Chuck Davis M&M

Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 2389 Location: Where I love to be...Between the Vineyards and the Cows.
|
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:39 am Post subject: Maybe a Mac? |
|
|
Thinking of changing up my travel set up and trying.....a Mac. I've always been a PC guy and am very happy with my current studio PC but......
I'm looking at a Macbook Pro Dual Core i5 2.3GHz, 4gig ram, 500gb/7200hdd
Loaded with the latest Snow Leopard OS.
I'd be using it with PTools 8.0.3 and an MBox2...and my Rode NTG3
I'm betting I'll have to carry an outboard drive for audio...possibly a solid state in the 200-300gb range.
Any thoughts or suggestions? _________________ Wicked huge.....in India.
www.chuckdaviscreative.com |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Fran McClellan The Thirteenth Floor

Joined: 15 Feb 2010 Posts: 1314 Location: Middle of Nowhere, PA
|
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:28 am Post subject: |
|
|
I don't really have any thoughts yet as my MBP is on it's way still, but I struggled with the same decision. I have a really old Mac G4 Powerbook laptop that I used for non-VO work (it was not fast enough and too loud for VO, but that's largely, if not entirely, due to it's age...couldn't even upgrade it anymore due to incompatibilty).
I'm sure many folks here can give you a better opinion, but I can throw my 2 cents in after mine gets here and I get to play
Fran _________________ Back into the murky lurk from whence I came
--
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Bish 3.5 kHz

Joined: 22 Nov 2009 Posts: 3738 Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
|
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:31 am Post subject: Re: Maybe a Mac? |
|
|
Chuck Davis wrote: | I'm betting I'll have to carry an outboard drive for audio...possibly a solid state in the 200-300gb range. |
Do you want it for backup, or what?... a main drive of 500GB should be more than adequate, and if you need to back stuff up while on the road, there are plenty of cloud solutions available. If it's for speed, why not get a SSD as the internal? The SSD in a MacBook is certainly not the cheapest option, but from the reports I've heard, it makes for one sweet machine!
I've got no input on how the Mac will play with your PTools 8.0.3 and MBox2, but I'm sure there are others out there using the combo. The only other comment is that you should maybe look at the 13" to save bulk/weight/money. If you can live with the lower screen real estate, it might be a viable option.
As a fallback, as you've always been a PC guy, it may be worth investigating how your current software works under PC emulation like Virtual Box (free) or Parallels (paid).
Cheers
peter _________________ Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Chuck Davis M&M

Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 2389 Location: Where I love to be...Between the Vineyards and the Cows.
|
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks Peter. Actually Ptools usually wants it's audio to live on a drive other than the system drive where the application lives....hence the second drive.
I am looking at the 13". 15" would be nice but...there's enough $ difference vs screen realestate to make the 13 more practical. _________________ Wicked huge.....in India.
www.chuckdaviscreative.com |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Eddie Eagle M&M
Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
captain54 Lucky 700
Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago
|
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Chuck Davis wrote: | Actually Ptools usually wants it's audio to live on a drive other than the system drive where the application lives. |
I've been recording to the system drive of my Mac Mini going on years now without a problem at all. Is it shortening the life of my hard drive? who knows...? I think for one track mono vo recording, recording to the system drive is fine... Pro Tools recommends recording to an external drive because the majority of Pro Tools users are multi track users...Lot of fx, etc... |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
georgethetech The Gates of Troy

Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 1878 Location: Topanga, CA
|
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
+1 for what Captain and Bish said.
SSD internal, standard HD for external (Backup only). PT records just fine to internal drives, and SSD's are MUCH faster at seeking, so you'll have no issues there. BUT, never do ANYTHING Pro Tools without researching heavily at duc.avid.com. An SSD in the MBP makes for a wickedly quick machine. Boots from off to desktop in 15 seconds. Applications launch in 1-3 seconds.
G _________________ If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Chuck Davis M&M

Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 2389 Location: Where I love to be...Between the Vineyards and the Cows.
|
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Gotcha. I've always followed the "audio on separate drive" law. I do do some production on the road...but it never ends up being more than 5 mono tracks, 4 stereo and a master fader. I'll look into getting that machine with a decent sized solid state drive. I've been traveling back and forth to Boston with up to a 1Tb HDD....in the hot and the cold...running from cars to trains to subways to busses....no problem yet. I've been lucky. Time to minimize the risk....and the moving parts.
BTW - Funny show this week George! You guys make technical glitches fun. _________________ Wicked huge.....in India.
www.chuckdaviscreative.com |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|