What computer are you using?

Mixing and Mastering
#1

Hi I was curious what computers people are using? I currently have a mac from 2011 that runs fine but the GPU is slowly becoming more unresponsive, I can get it to work but at some point I won’t.

I don’t want to buy a new mac right now as I want to wait for the next generation to invest a lot of money in another long term machine.

So I am looking for a non mac solution to basic midi and maybe basic recording and running virtual instruments. You can buy a windows based computer for a couple of hundred but would it be enough to realistically run music software?

Is there an option for £2 - 300, that isn’t a waste of money?

I posted this in news wasn’t sure what category to post in thank you.

1 Like
#2

maybe a hackintosh system is a good choice for you, if you are willing to invest some time.
i have a pc and a laptop running with a fully functional mac os system without having spent tons of money.

if you are interested, www.tonymacx86.com is the best and probably only ressource you will need.

#3

I tried to set up a Hackingtosh system a few years ago on a gaming PC but I could never get it to run properly, the computer kept overheating and I didn’t enjoy it. It seems to get a hackingtosh system working I would need to invest quite a lot in a custom build. I don’t mind just using a pc system and windows. I just want something stable.

#4

it´s a lot more easy now then a few years back. but i totally understand that it must be a nightmare for you, thinking of that.

configuring my laptop to work took me a lot of work and brought me a lot of frustration. but especially for classic pc´s, its some kind of plug and play now, if you have compatible hardware.

#5

I am in a similar predicament, I am running a 2012 Mac Pro, which often won’t start and has to be reinstalled from a Time Capsule. I am patiently waiting for the new Mac Pro to land, who knoes if that will be this year or not. To be honest, I am hoping this machine will hold out.

#6

I"m still on an iMac 2011 and a MacBook Pro 2012. They run pretty well. I am running external sessions off of firewire drives. The internal drive only has the DAW and plugins. I still have a 1tb 7200 RPM Serial ATA drive. That needs to be switched out with a fustion or SSD drive. I think after that I can get some more mileage out of it.

#7

Hello!
I have been working in the IT field for 9 years now. MCP and a few other certs.
Building your own Machine is IMO the way to go, you can get top of the line components for a fraction of the price you pay for retail.

I am using a Windows 10 PC with 32 GB of RAM. I have an older quad-core processor i7 4790k overclocked to 4.5Ghz on all cores. To keep it all cool I use a Corsair H60 watercooler. I use two SSD Drives. 1 500 GB drive for the operating system and apps, and a 1TB drive for storage. I also installed an AMD Rx 580 Graphics card.

I spent less than $1,000

Our school is AMAZING! I cannot say enough good things about it. That being said it is also very CPU intensive. You can buy a Mac with similar Specs I have listed above but, you will pay an arm and a leg for it. If your willing to look at a PC build. I can spec out a Machine for you, and you could build yourself. I would be willing to help or possibly build it for you.

Hit me up on chat if you have any questions!
John

#8

Hey John

That sounds amazing thank you!

Im trying to squeeze as much life out of my mac so I think I can get a few more months out of it, but I will have to buy a new one at some point, so I will give you a message.

Doing a custom build scares me a bit because I bought a pc off a friend but I think they sold me a bit of a lemon because the fans kept overheating and running it seemed unstable, and I know my way around a computer in a basic way, But I’m not tech enough to know about specs and how to build a proper system.

Thank you that would be a great help

#9

You are very welcome! Feel free to reach out when you are ready, and don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have.

#10

Thats great thank you, I really appreciate it!