MacBook Pro

[DJCraig Ryan]

I'm thinking of buying a MacBook / MacBook Pro purely just for my Music, DJ'ing and production.

Would just like to hear people's views and opinions on them? And if anybody owns one, would you recommend them for Production?

Any help much appreciated...

[christian wagner]

I have an ibook and its ace, so the macbooks are gonna be awsome, iv had a play on them and there fast..deffo get one mate :)


plus you can then use logic :D:D

[RDR]

I have owned both a macbook pro and currently have a macbook

Pro = 1.83ghz CoreDuo 15.4'

Ups - I do VJ work and needed the grfx card.. the screen size was of obvious benefit but i always use a secondary monitor anway for production work.

Macbook = 2ghz Core2Duo 13.3inch screen

Ups.. lighter than the MBP

Downs - screen size

performance blisters on both of them, but the current MB i have is WAY WAY faster than the MBP i had mainly due to the 64 bit chip.

if you want it for DJing etc then the MB is the way to go, DONT spend money on getting the super drive.. esp when external DVD burners are so cheap..

DO spend the money on extra ram it makes a LOT of difference in a MAC

if you're gonna get one then you can either wait for Leopard to arrive or get a 'demo' version later.

I was thinking about quad core lappys but this link set my mind at rest

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=255583

an external HD will be worth your while, dont get a USB one though. firewire all the way.

iWORK 08 is now bundled with the MB and is an absolutely brilliant set of apps for media creation.

Now, as techmouse will tell you im a bit of a fanboy. my reasons are:

reliability - NEVER EVER EVER had a problem with any of my macs

speaking of which

DONT bother with the APPLECARE until the end of the first year as your machine is under warranty, its a bit of a trick by apple to get people to pay for it at the beginning, they get 3 years... or rather actualy only 2 years past the end of the standard warranty NOT 3 years i.e 4 in total.

PLUS

bootcamp means you can have windows on the MB as well, and it ISNT an emulation... my copy of XP is blazingly fast on my MAC and ultra reliable.

try getting second hand as well. substantial savings and hard to beat.

IMO of course.

[DJCraig Ryan]

I have owned both a macbook pro and currently have a macbook

Pro = 1.83ghz CoreDuo 15.4'

Ups - I do VJ work and needed the grfx card.. the screen size was of obvious benefit but i always use a secondary monitor anway for production work.

Macbook = 2ghz Core2Duo 13.3inch screen

Ups.. lighter than the MBP

Downs - screen size

performance blisters on both of them, but the current MB i have is WAY WAY faster than the MBP i had mainly due to the 64 bit chip.

if you want it for DJing etc then the MB is the way to go, DONT spend money on getting the super drive.. esp when external DVD burners are so cheap..

DO spend the money on extra ram it makes a LOT of difference in a MAC

if you're gonna get one then you can either wait for Leopard to arrive or get a 'demo' version later.

I was thinking about quad core lappys but this link set my mind at rest

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=255583

an external HD will be worth your while, dont get a USB one though. firewire all the way.

iWORK 08 is now bundled with the MB and is an absolutely brilliant set of apps for media creation.

Now, as techmouse will tell you im a bit of a fanboy. my reasons are:

reliability - NEVER EVER EVER had a problem with any of my macs

speaking of which

DONT bother with the APPLECARE until the end of the first year as your machine is under warranty, its a bit of a trick by apple to get people to pay for it at the beginning, they get 3 years... or rather actualy only 2 years past the end of the standard warranty NOT 3 years i.e 4 in total.

PLUS

bootcamp means you can have windows on the MB as well, and it ISNT an emulation... my copy of XP is blazingly fast on my MAC and ultra reliable.

try getting second hand as well. substantial savings and hard to beat.

IMO of course.


Wow thats cracking advice mate and helps alot, nice one!
Yeah its just gonna be for my DJ'Ing and for getting into Production. I mean i was thinking of getting a powerful desktop pc (As i prob could get one cheaper than a mac laptop and with plenty of power.) But what attracts me to the laptop is that i can take with me everywere to parties and gigs etc. And for me you cant beat that.

Just a couple of questions - What do you mean when you mention the 64 bit chip you had? And what is Leopard?

[DJCraig Ryan]

I have an ibook and its ace, so the macbooks are gonna be awsome, iv had a play on them and there fast..deffo get one mate :)


plus you can then use logic :D:D



Cheers fella sounding good! Think i have made my mind up already lol!

So are you into the production aswel?

[eyeswithoutaface]

to be fair mate, if i was spending this much money, i'd think hard first. What are you going to be using it for most, Djing or making tracks? because you might find that the laptop ends up spending more time on your bedroom desk or wherever you are housing it, instead of actually being out on the go with you, in which case i would strongly recommend getting a beefy desktop machine instead. You have to get yourself a good soundcard too remember so you'l have to budget for that and also a midi controller dont forget!

[RDR]

to be fair mate, if i was spending this much money, i'd think hard first. What are you going to be using it for most, Djing or making tracks? because you might find that the laptop ends up spending more time on your bedroom desk or wherever you are housing it, instead of actually being out on the go with you, in which case i would strongly recommend getting a beefy desktop machine instead. You have to get yourself a good soundcard too remember so you'l have to budget for that and also a midi controller dont forget!

Aye.. good points as well

A decent pair of monitors and a good soundcard is really where the money should go.

A macbook doesnt turn you into the best for sure.

[Debroglie]

No way get a Laptop , you won't regret it .... being able to go mobile and to take your music box to your mates, studio or club to jam is worth more then the extra Desktop power..

No disrespect to "eyeswithoutaface" and your opinion.

[eyeswithoutaface]

No way get a Laptop , you won't regret it .... being able to go mobile and to take your music box to your mates, studio or club to jam is worth more then the extra Desktop power..

No disrespect to "eyeswithoutaface" and your opinion.

none taken, but its a very serious point. I made this mistake myself this year, i got a new laptop and other bits with the aim to start playing Live, realised when i was getting into it that a) i didnt have the time to total do playing live justive and b) i didnt actually enjoy it all that much, and found myself using it more to sketch out new tracks, that i still had to produce to my usual standard anyway when i got on the desktop pc. So now ive sold my laptop anyway and bought myself a nice Tsunami desktop machine, no regrets at all

[MARK ANXIOUS]

i have a 15" powerbook and i seem to be doing more tracks on the road with this and a pair of headphones than i do in the studio these days. hmm i really want to waste money on a macbook pro but at the end of the day it'll be just that - a waste hehehe. :laughing:

no seriously, a portable mac is an incredible tool to have. as well as your mobile studio it also becomes your mobile office, because OSX works so well if you're on the move.

i think it's important to have a powerful desktop in the studio, cause it make you think you have a 'real' studio and of course the way you think about the studio is integrale to the way you make music. but if i had to make a choice between a desk and a lap, it would be lap every time.

ps make sure you up that memory to the highest it can go!!!!

[DJCraig Ryan]

Thanks for all the help chaps much appreciated and helps alot!!

Very good points on both sides of the arguments and it is a hard desicion to make. But i do think i'm gonna go for the mac, mainly because production-wise i would only be starting out so i think it will be more than capable of getting me into making my own stuff. And then if i do get into alot i can always buy a nice desktop at home (if needed.)

Also for the DJ'ing side of things the laptop will be ace. Looking forward to getting into the digital side, as i am old-skool at the minute and everything is done on the decks.

I will let you know what i buy in a couple of weeks.


Again, cheers!

[christian wagner]

Cheers fella sounding good! Think i have made my mind up already lol!

So are you into the production aswel?

I am indeed, some tracks on my myspace page if ya wanna have agander :)

www.myspace.com/fullspecmusic

[DJCraig Ryan]

i have a 15" powerbook and i seem to be doing more tracks on the road with this and a pair of headphones than i do in the studio these days. hmm i really want to waste money on a macbook pro but at the end of the day it'll be just that - a waste hehehe. :laughing:

no seriously, a portable mac is an incredible tool to have. as well as your mobile studio it also becomes your mobile office, because OSX works so well if you're on the move.

i think it's important to have a powerful desktop in the studio, cause it make you think you have a 'real' studio and of course the way you think about the studio is integrale to the way you make music. but if i had to make a choice between a desk and a lap, it would be lap every time.

ps make sure you up that memory to the highest it can go!!!!


Alright Mark. What software & programs have you got on your powerbook for making your stuff? And what results are we talking compared with your desktop in the studio? Can you achieve the same results on your mac?

[RDR]

Alright Mark. What software & programs have you got on your powerbook for making your stuff? And what results are we talking compared with your desktop in the studio? Can you achieve the same results on your mac?

The macbook for me becomes, like mark said, a sketch book. like an artists has a sketch pad i have an easel. If if want to write outside this framework i put my lappy on a desk, attach a second monitor, all my usb midi devices and treat is as a tower.

im 100% sure mark can achieve the same results on both machines in terms of creation. but its the environment that really matters in terms of mixing down and monitoring. what sounded good on the road often needs serious tweaking when giving it the studio treatment.

[MARK ANXIOUS]

ps dodgy i havent had this email you phoned me about :whoops:

[MARK ANXIOUS]

agree with dodgy.. i use my lappy as an easel, i have only ableton and a few of my fave plugs on there. i put things down very fast on my lappy and my headphones - on planes and trains and all types of weird and wonderful places hehe...

then i get back to the studio and use the power of my pc to really fine tune the ideas i had.

it's a wonderful way of working that i wouldn't change for the world :)

but if i had a macbook pro would i be able to do this?? hmm i'm not sure....

you do need power to make the finished results... that's why i use my pc.. bah.. i'll let other member comment on this ;)

but i do love the way i'm working at the moment - a substandard mac forces me to work quick and get ideas down fast.... i think that's very important in making music....

perhaps a big desktop would give you real power, then buy a 300 quid 12" powerbook from ebay for your sketchbook???

i'm think that might be the way to go... :cool:

[RDR]

ps dodgy i havent had this email you phoned me about :whoops:

Thats because you were supposed to email me...

:cheese:

[eyeswithoutaface]

i have to chip in here because i feel you might be a little disillusioned here Craig mate, and i wouldnt want to see someone spend so much money on something that might not do what they think it will....

re the production side of things, its not the actual laptop/macbook that will determine the quality or quantity of the music you make. It's pretty much everything else that is attached to it, such as soundcard, monitor speakers (most important!!!!) and other peripherals such as midi controllers or synths etc etc. The quality of these machines will have a much, much bigger bearing on the output as apposed to the quality of the machine your using to produce on, as the main difference between laptop or macbook is basically power, and you can always add or soup up whatever machine you went for anyway.

I think its very misleading when people say "oh yeah i do most of my stuff on the road on my mac" because it makes people who maybe dont know so much about production think that they will be able to pick up a mac and start knocking out professional quality production, when that's not the case at all. Alot of people fail to say that they use their laptop/mac as literaly a sketch book and still have to actually produce the tracks to a professional level once they get back into their studio's. I think this is a very important point that people need to point out more because i just think its pretty misleading, and like i say i wouldnt want anyone spending big amounts of money on something without really doing their research first

not patronising you at all by the way mate, your a sound lad and just trying to offer something important to think about.

I personally would buy a very powerful desktop and learn your trade on that first, you might find that digital mixing or even production isnt for you and you might not actually enjoy it, i've found this with dj'ing on a laptop and whilst being good at it, i dont actually get that much out of it and thus i never do it really, i get my buzz of just producing tracks now really, and i sold the laptop i hadnt long brought until i learn how to produce a live set to the level i want on the new desktop i got, and then il invest in the needed hardware as and when

[MARK ANXIOUS]

i have to chip in here because i feel you might be a little disillusioned here Craig mate, and i wouldnt want to see someone spend so much money on something that might not do what they think it will....

re the production side of things, its not the actual laptop/macbook that will determine the quality or quantity of the music you make. It's pretty much everything else that is attached to it, such as soundcard, monitor speakers (most important!!!!) and other peripherals such as midi controllers or synths etc etc. The quality of these machines will have a much, much bigger bearing on the output as apposed to the quality of the machine your using to produce on, as the main difference between laptop or macbook is basically power, and you can always add or soup up whatever machine you went for anyway.

I think its very misleading when people say "oh yeah i do most of my stuff on the road on my mac" because it makes people who maybe dont know so much about production think that they will be able to pick up a mac and start knocking out professional quality production, when that's not the case at all. Alot of people fail to say that they use their laptop/mac as literaly a sketch book and still have to actually produce the tracks to a professional level once they get back into their studio's. I think this is a very important point that people need to point out more because i just think its pretty misleading, and like i say i wouldnt want anyone spending big amounts of money on something without really doing their research first

not patronising you at all by the way mate, your a sound lad and just trying to offer something important to think about.

I personally would buy a very powerful desktop and learn your trade on that first, you might find that digital mixing or even production isnt for you and you might not actually enjoy it, i've found this with dj'ing on a laptop and whilst being good at it, i dont actually get that much out of it and thus i never do it really, i get my buzz of just producing tracks now really, and i sold the laptop i hadnt long brought until i learn how to produce a live set to the level i want on the new desktop i got, and then il invest in the needed hardware as and when

i totally agree. put much more clearly than me. :cheese:

[DJCraig Ryan]

i have to chip in here because i feel you might be a little disillusioned here Craig mate, and i wouldnt want to see someone spend so much money on something that might not do what they think it will....

re the production side of things, its not the actual laptop/macbook that will determine the quality or quantity of the music you make. It's pretty much everything else that is attached to it, such as soundcard, monitor speakers (most important!!!!) and other peripherals such as midi controllers or synths etc etc. The quality of these machines will have a much, much bigger bearing on the output as apposed to the quality of the machine your using to produce on, as the main difference between laptop or macbook is basically power, and you can always add or soup up whatever machine you went for anyway.

I think its very misleading when people say "oh yeah i do most of my stuff on the road on my mac" because it makes people who maybe dont know so much about production think that they will be able to pick up a mac and start knocking out professional quality production, when that's not the case at all. Alot of people fail to say that they use their laptop/mac as literaly a sketch book and still have to actually produce the tracks to a professional level once they get back into their studio's. I think this is a very important point that people need to point out more because i just think its pretty misleading, and like i say i wouldnt want anyone spending big amounts of money on something without really doing their research first

not patronising you at all by the way mate, your a sound lad and just trying to offer something important to think about.

I personally would buy a very powerful desktop and learn your trade on that first, you might find that digital mixing or even production isnt for you and you might not actually enjoy it, i've found this with dj'ing on a laptop and whilst being good at it, i dont actually get that much out of it and thus i never do it really, i get my buzz of just producing tracks now really, and i sold the laptop i hadnt long brought until i learn how to produce a live set to the level i want on the new desktop i got, and then il invest in the needed hardware as and when



Yo scot. That's a cracking read there and you make some very good points in which i need to consider. Yes you are right when you say i'm a little disillusioned because i am mate. It's alot to take in and consider because i am new to all this. To be honest i was thinking all about the spec/power of the machine and not your soundcard/monitors/midi controllers etc etc (as you point out) I'm going to have a shop about for some desktops pcs now. I have been looking at those Carillon Audio Pcs. Have you seen them and if so would you recommend them?

Cheers for the help, much appreciated.

Hows your productions going lad?

[eyeswithoutaface]

yeah Carillon are wikid machines, i know a few people with them, top draw by all accounts. You could probably get one built to spec with a soundcard of your choice built in if you approached some companies. There are a few people on these forums who build machines too mate i think might be worth asking some peeps here too

production is going smoothly mate, not long moved house so just getting used to my new studio space, but got plenty to be getting on with, various projects for vinyl and digital on the go :)

[Barely Human]

Yo scot. That's a cracking read there and you make some very good points in which i need to consider. Yes you are right when you say i'm a little disillusioned because i am mate. It's alot to take in and consider because i am new to all this. To be honest i was thinking all about the spec/power of the machine and not your soundcard/monitors/midi controllers etc etc (as you point out) I'm going to have a shop about for some desktops pcs now. I have been looking at those Carillon Audio Pcs. Have you seen them and if so would you recommend them?

Cheers for the help, much appreciated.

Hows your productions going lad?

The carillon pc's are very good, but they are pricey. You could knock something up yourself for a lot cheaper. I managed to build a tower for 600 which ive still not got anywhere near its limits. This all deppends on how much you know about building pc's though.

The main point i will make is this, the single most important part in your studio (IMO), is your monitors. They are the only part you can hear. So make sure you consider investing in some decent monitors at some point if your planning on making a decent go of it.

[RDR]

The carillon pc's are very good, but they are pricey. You could knock something up yourself for a lot cheaper. I managed to build a tower for 600 which ive still not got anywhere near its limits. This all deppends on how much you know about building pc's though.

The main point i will make is this, the single most important part in your studio (IMO), is your monitors. They are the only part you can hear. So make sure you consider investing in some decent monitors at some point if your planning on making a decent go of it.

+1 for the monitors everytime.

You dont need a lot of knowledge to build a P.C. just read the MOBO manual and you're away, unless you are a total n00b craig.