Windows Guy Peaking Over To The Mac Side. Questions . . . .

[epu]

As Apple's profits rise, and issues with Vista/XP Compatibility, spec checks and RAM limitations of 32 OS's on the Windows side, I'm tempted to make a foray back into the Mac world for stability reasons.

The last time I ran Pro-Tools on a Mac was back in 2000 at my college. They had a studio in the conservatory which had a G3 (if I remember correctly) running PT 4 or 5.

I was thinking about purchasing a G5 just for running Pro-Tools. Questions which arise are

1) Are there RAM limitations similar to XP (i.e. 4GB max)
2) Do the G5s with dual cpus run as fast as Intel Core 2 Duo windows PCs

I'm not quite sure I'd want to jump ship, because something may come on the horizon in terms of x64 compatibility (64 bit OSs).

Let me just make it clear that I'm honestly looking for insight and am not looking to launch any type of PC vs Mac war.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

[flommer]

You don't mention what your current interface is, but as long as it isn't a digi001, I'd say go with a MacPro if you can swing it or a new iMac if you want to spend less..

The G5 Power PCs are a fading star..

I would not be surprised if Apple reaches the decision to no longer develop for PowerPC in the next 2-3 years. They are not shy about cutting off users of older system.. It's only "Universal" as long as Apple allows it to be. That is actually an advantage compared to Windoze, which is crippled by their need to support 15 million different old and new hardware configurations..

Note that my day job is as an administrator for a windoze network so my strong bias towards Apple is purely based on experience..

That said, go for the Mac and you'll be a happier person...

[sureno]

+1 iv converted never looked back

[epu]

Thanks for the information. I'm not putting down any windows users. I will continue to be a Windows users for the sake of software ability and for the fact that I have a pretty large software library that I don't plan on giving up anytime soon.

Me looking at a Mac would strictly be for Pro-Tools. I AM currently running PTLE 6.1 on my old school P4 desktop PC for recording, but mix on my Core 2 Duo Lenovo Laptop with 7.4 and an MBOX Micro.

[EGS]

Let me just make it clear that I'm honestly looking for insight and am not looking to launch any type of PC vs Mac war.

I would also like to know the most powerful LE config, regardless of computer platform. The Win/LE/Intel Quad guys (sunburst79 and others - check out the first post of THIS thread, as well as the last several posts) are getting about 300 Dverbs, with stable systems. What is the highest Mac/LE Dverb number? Of course there are other factors to consider, but what is the best Mac/LE Dverb number to date?

[citi]

You know, I love comparisons like the next guy, but when it comes to numbers like that I always question the need. It's like a Ferarri in rush hour traffic. I have never performed those tests but there has not been anything I have thrown at my mac that it hasn't been able to knock out of the park

We have to remember, it's LE...it's already crippled. Any modern day dual core "pc" with a couple or more gigs of ram should do just fine. Throw 8 cores into the mix and you won't be able to use the full for protools. Obviously soft synths and such but we fall back to the 32 voices lockdown.

But having said all of that, I love my mac and I was a PC guy because I love using my Mac outside of protools. Something that could not be said on the pc.

[Smithcok]

I would also like to know the most powerful LE config, regardless of computer platform. The Win/LE/Intel Quad guys (sunburst79 and others - check out the first post of THIS thread, as well as the last several posts) are getting about 300 Dverbs, with stable systems. What is the highest Mac/LE Dverb number? Of course there are other factors to consider, but what is the best Mac/LE Dverb number to date?

I have a 3.2 8-core with 10GB ram.
I've done 48 stereo audio tracks, and 64 stereo aux tracks, all with 5 D-verb, and the faders automating rapidly up and down without a flinch. (and that's with PT not being compatible with Leopard).

Haven't tried more, just got boring. It will run whatever you can throw at it, period.

[EGS]

...when it comes to numbers like that I always question the need.

The Dverb2 test is a standardized test to find out how much power a Pro-Tools rig can deliver before it can deliver no more. It has nothing to do with reverbs, of course. It also has nothing to do with platforms. Think in terms of estimated miles per gallon; nobody puts much faith in the number itself, but everybody wants to know what the official MPG of a car is, just as a standardized reference point. Of course there are other factors to consider (your mileage may indeed vary), but what is the best Mac/LE Dverb2 number to date? (The test must be done exactly as specified HERE to be meaningful as a comparison.) Thanks.

[citi]

I know what the Davec test is. I've been here long enough, plus I started protools on pc. What I am saying is that once you reach a certain performance threshold, it becomes a testosterone session on who's johnson is bigger, when the truth is, they are all big enough. (In this case anyway. ) I mean does it really matter that you got 300 instances of Dverb while I only get 250? Am I ever going to run 250 instances of Dverb? No so than I'm good as long as PT doesn't bog down within a session.

I understand your analogy about MPG and I believe you have a point, but it really applies more on the older machines that used to strain under the pressure of protools. If you had a car that gets 200 miles to the gallon or ones that runs a week on one charge of electricity, than I believe you are in line with an 8 core mac pro with 8 gigs of ram just to run protools. Overkill...but I would still take one. I got some video I need to edit.

[epu]

Well, us Windows users STILL have these limitations. There are few people willing to go to Vista, and I rarely hear of any windows users using more than 2-3GB or RAM. This is not because they can't afford it or install it, it's because Windows doesn't SUPPORT it! Vista 64 Bit and XP x64 is still a controversial topic amongst Windows PT users.

I should be thinking "just shutup and work on music and let the hits pay for everything (I should be saying that actually, lol), but I have an old P4 system which I use to record, a Core 2 Duo laptop to mix using 7.4 and another Centrino laptop to run soft synths, samplers when I need them. Why? I don't really have a choice!