Mac vs PC for music production? Discussion in 'The Vestibule' started by Moodi, Dec 28, 2014. Hello, I just bought a firewire 2626 interface for multiple trach recording for an old slow hp vista computer. I want to buy a MacPro Book. It has both firwire and usb3 connectors plus thunderbolt. Do you need an Apple computer for music production? 646 Views View 2 Upvoters Answer requested. Which is the best laptop for programming in Apple MAC? Which is the best Apple Laptop for Programming? Which company makes the best laptops after Apple?
- Best Pc For Music Production
- Best Mac Computer For Music Production 2017
- Best Mac Pc For Gaming
- Best Mac Pc Computers For Music Production
If you change your spot more often when making music, a laptop for music production is highly recommended. Today’s laptops (notebooks) have enough power to mix your tracks properly and make music wherever you need or you want.
On the market, we’ll find many models are suitable for making music. To know which laptops are best for music production, google for this for appropriate tests. Many notebooks are tested on different websites.
Recommended laptops are with a numeric keypad. This can be used for shortcuts (start, stop, record).
Especially with a 15-inch notebook, it is sometimes difficult to read the name of the controller or the numerical values of some digital instruments or effects. It’s best to get an additional screen, which you can then connect to the notebook. Recommended sizes are 24 or 27 inches. Choose a matte screen to avoid annoying reflections.
So you can, for example, display the mixer on the laptop screen and the trace view on the main screen. It would also be possible to close the laptop and only work on the main screen or connect to another screen. Be sure that your laptop has two outputs on the graphics card.
Notebooks basically have a smaller number of USB ports than PCs. These can be extended with so-called USB hubs. However, all devices connected to the USB hub share the speed of the one USB port. For USB dongles, mouse and keyboard but that should not be a problem.
This post comes as a continuation of the Best Laptop For Music Production ( Buyer’s Guide). (We recommend you to read this first to get an better idea on what you should choose next).
Here’s a list of some of our recommendations on the best laptop for music production for those who use Windows but also for those who prefer MAC OS:
Windows
Asus Zenbook
Windows based laptop with best performance.
This is one of those fancy ultrabooks you keep hearing about. Pricey, yes, but man does it pack a punch! They’re also praised for being lightweight, making them extremely portable. You can look into other ultrabooks too, but Asus has a reputation for a reason.
Acer Aspire
Budget Windows-based laptop.
These come highly recommended, even if you’re not just looking for a budget. They offer higher specs than you would expect for the price, but keep in mind that there’s always a compromise.
MAC OS
Macbook Pro
Mac/OSX based for best performance.
The Macbook Pro is the leading powerhouse in the Apple world. Again, pricey, especially if you opt for their retina display, but you’ll never need another laptop ever again. You can actually do apple mac leasing which means it’ll only cost you a few pounds every week, making it so much more affordable!
Macbook Air
Budget OSX solution
There’s not much to say here. It’s a Mac that’s not as powerful as the Macbook Pro, but still good enough to fulfill all your music production needs.
More recommendations:
Lenovo ThinkPad
Portable solution for live DJing and recording on location.
It’s a tablet/laptop. This thing is sturdy, compact, compatible, good battery life, matte screen option and backlit keyboard. Need I say more? If you’re going to use your laptop as a mobile audio studio – this is what you need!
Dell XPS 13 (new 2015 version)
A promising option to look into.
This model is praised for being a 13″ screen packed in 11.6″ casing. It’s also got incredible battery life (they claim it’s 12 hours), matte screen option, backlit keyboard and the components pack a punch! This might be a great option for a portable studio, but it’s a bit early to tell.
So, what do you generally recommend?You’re really asking me this? Didn’t I say it’s relative? Okay, I’ll give you a recommendation: if you can afford it – go all-purpose. This means those pricey “best performance options”. Why? So you’ll be more future proof. The more expensive options will stay relevant for at least 5 years (often 10) and you won’t have any problems in case you suddenly realize you want to take your laptop out or make it the center of your music production studio.
I would definitely take a notebook that also has a SSD hard drive and HD display. It should also be a fast i7 of the current generation. If you are traveling a lot, weight is certainly to be considered.
When deciding what to buy, make sure you buy something you’ll use for a long while. Don’t think in terms of “I’ll replace it later” because as audio engineers there’s more important equipment to spend money on.
Best Pc For Music Production
What is the best DAW?
Go back 30 years and the DAW - Digital Audio Workstation - as we know it today simply didn’t exist. Sure, we had MIDI sequencing software, which could be used to trigger synths, samplers and the like, but the computer was just one part of a much wider music-making setup.
As technology progressed, these sequencers became more powerful, with the introduction of larger and faster hard disks enabling us to record audio into them. The scene was then set for PCs and Macs to become the centrepieces of our studios; early versions of Steinberg’s VST standard made it possible to add plugin effects, and it wasn’t long before virtual instruments became a thing, too.
Still, even at the end of the century, there were those who scoffed at the idea of a wholly software-based studio, but we don’t hear them scoffing now (although, to be fair, they might just be scoffing very quietly). Yes, there’s still something to be said for involving a hardware synth or drum machine in your electronic music-making, but the fact that you can Do It All within a single piece of software is now undeniable.
Spoilt for choice
Best Mac Computer For Music Production 2017
As far as DAWs go, the class of 2018 is certainly the most powerful yet. What’s more, these applications are getting more and more accessible, and offering alternative ways of working that will appeal to both beginners and diehard producers who are looking to change their creative ways. But the fundamentals of the DAW remain the same: fire one up and you can record, arrange, edit, mix and master your music right there on your computer.
Best Mac Pc For Gaming
These are the basics, but it’s also true that every DAW enables you to go about your music-making business in a slightly different way, and the right software for one person won’t be the right software for everyone. Ultimately, the best DAW will be the one that enables you to get your music-making done as effectively and painlessly as possible.
Best Mac Pc Computers For Music Production
However, what’s life without a bit of healthy competition? This year, as in others, we asked you to pick the best DAW in the world right now by voting for your favourite, and you did so in your thousands. What follows is a ranked rundown of all the contenders, so you can get a good idea of each DAW’s strengths and weaknesses and see exactly what other musicians are using.