PC vs Mac - audio production

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Pubblicato Venerdì, 02 Settembre 2011 13:06

Mac or PC for music production? What should I use for music making?

Really interesting article from www.matsc.net - I have to translate this in italian.

Is that a trick question? It’s not, but it is a question I’m getting asked a lot, In this text I’m going to bring you the “facts”, try to reason with myself and ask the questions you should ask yourself.
I'm using a grading system from 1 to 10 where 10 is best (its soooo popular to do that these days.).
And, I’m not talking about Linux. Linux is not a system that runs software with the flexibility you should demand of a professional music program today (even if there are a lot of interesting and use full software for music there), Linux is still for the nerds … sorry guys that's how (I think) it is.

What I’m writing about is using a computer for professional music production work, but I’m not writing about a commercial studio environment.
This article is for the project, “advanced home” studio setup.

What am I to say: I have worked with computers and music professionally since 1983. My first computer was a Mac+ and I used Mac exclusively up to 1999 when windows g second edition was released. From 2001 I have almost exclusively used PC and XP. I use a Mac from time to time, usually when I have to work on someone’s ProTools system. And, as I am a former Logic user (up to 2002), I can maneuver around in Logic if I have to (even if its not that simple any longer).
I work in an environment where there are lots of PC users an lately quite a few Macs. I build most of my computers myself but I also have bought from Dell (more about that later).

My main reasons, up to now, for using PC are six.

1. Money, Mac is much more expensive.
2. Compatibility, there are so many more PCs than Macs.
3. Software, there are much more to choose from (not only for music).
4. Access to information, and assistance. There are many more knowledgeable PC users than Mac users, It’s easy to get hold of ANY information about ANYTHING when it comes to PC. The expert is probably your 14 year old neighbor.
5. Professional support. In my country, Norway, there has been a long history of ignorant custom support from the Norwegian distributor. On a professional service level, they have been very hard to deal with. I know of several other countries (Sweden, France to name two) where it’s totally opposite (at least some years ago). This is something local but makes it difficult for us (me) in Norway.

Maybe I shouldn’t say this but... here we go.

There is one more thing and it doesn’t have to do with facts, I experience this over and over again (maybe I move in the wrong circles). If you ask a PC expert, someone that really knows about how a PC and Windows XP work, you usually get well informed answers. There are a lot of guys that know a lot about PC and Windows.
If you ask a Mac expert you get all kinds of answers and too often not what you ask for. They answers like this “My Mac never does that but hey, look here, this is a cool feature if you press this key and do bla bla bla, and then you do bla bla bla, … you can’t do that on a PC bla bla”.

They are so irritating and uninformed, it’s like talking to someone from the Scientology church, they just KNOW what is best and they HAVE to tell you.
The church of Mac, and its only a thing, a computer, it is hard for me to understand. Have you seen the Mac Expo key note when Steve Jobs tells about the new products? The audience behaves like they were on a church tent meeting in Texas. Embarrassing if you ask me (did you ask me?).
One Mac guy said to me a couple of weeks ago (he actually know a bit) a-You know Apple has decided that they never will release a bad product”. Is there some kind of brainwashing going? Okay, now I got that out of my system so here we go, let’s be a bit more objective.