How to Choose Between Mac and PC for Recording Music

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You’ve seen the commercials: Macs are fun, PCs aren’t. All due respect to Macs, but there’s a lot you can do on a PC as well. Yet Macintosh users think they’ve got the best platform for recording music on the computer. PC users think otherwise. Let’s put the battle to rest.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

A computer

Step1

Set the price. Macs are more expensive for even low-end computers. The current Macbook starts at $1000. You could buy a decent PC laptop for half that. Keep in mind that the new Intel Macs (Pro level) have the capacity to run Windows so you can run Windows software.

Step2

Check for expansion capability. Macs come as-is: you can’t add new soundboards or other parts the same way you can with a PC. With Macs you can improve memory and purchase an external harddrive.

Step3

There’s a flipside to this: Macs come with everything you need so they’re less confusing—i.e. more user-friendly. You could spend all your time expanding—and figuring out how to put it together—and less time making music.

Step4

Check for software compatibility. Basically, most everything works on a PC. The same can’t always be said for Mac. Macs can run Logic (the main Apple platform), Cubase, Pro Tools, and Garageband. PCs can use Adobe Audition, Sonar, as well as the major DAWs.

Step5

Check networking. The majority of people use PCs, so if you’re sending files around to colleagues, clients, or band members, you’re probably going to need PC-compatible files.

Step6

Check the sound. Here’s where Macs and PCs are equal. There’s no qualitative difference between how music sounds on a PC or Mac—really, the most important thing.

Tips & Warnings

This looks like a Mac-bashing article. It’s not (this was written on a Mac). Music is probably not the only thing you’re going to be doing with the computer, so it should only be part of your decision. You’ve also got to factor in other types of software, internet, games, word processing, and anything else you might want to do. In addition, PCs are more susceptible to viruses and spyware so they’ve got other problems.