Hey everyone,
Thinking about upgrading my whole setup in the near future-- currently I have an 08 macbook that's just not fast enough to record everything I'd like it to. I get maxed out from any pro plugins pretty quickly. I want to stay in Mac territory, and was thinking about an iMac. Also, my other problem is that I want a better audio interface... I have only a stereo input to record from, and it's a pain, as I've got a collection of 4+ synths I'd like to be able to sequence and record instead of recording one, and swapping out the cables a hundred times. Basically I'd just like to get in to a better workflow-- what do you think is more critical here, a better computer to handle more plugins, etc, or a better audio interface (I might be able to borrow someone else's that's got more inputs) so I can handle more of my synths at once? I'm tired of getting bogged down when I sit down either by changing hardware synths and the computer maxing out.
Thanks!
Upgrading my music production: What should I buy first?
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Stab Frenzy
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Re: Upgrading my music production: What should I buy first?
How much can you afford to spend? Have you considered a second-hand iMac and then you've still got money left over for the interface? Also consider a patch bay to make swapping inputs easier.
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garranimal
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Re: Upgrading my music production: What should I buy first?
Ditto on the second hand iMac. There are some authorized resellers that offer refurbished (used, tested) systems. Tweakheadz.com is a good resource for getting up-to-speed on the features you may desire.
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Kidney05
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Re: Upgrading my music production: What should I buy first?
I have no budget right now. I've got a job starting monday (part time, i'm still a student) and was thinking about holding out until I had enough money for an i7 iMac, then I was going to upgraded the ram myself. I'll check out tweakheadz. What helps you guys have a good workflow?
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Stab Frenzy
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Re: Upgrading my music production: What should I buy first?
Second-hand imac prices tend to be determined more by screen size than processor or ram, so you should be able to get a good one cheap if you're happy with the 21" screen. I record on a 2010 dual core i5 2.4GHz MBP with 4GB of ram and it's great, don't feel like you need the i7 if it's gonna cost a lot more.
Regarding interfaces, there's a lot of pretty nice stuff on the market at the moment. Again if you've got no budget then looking second hand will save you money, and the interfaces that were cutting edge a couple of years ago are bargains now. I picked up a Motu Traveler for $350 a while back, the market is flooded with Travelers, 828s and Ultralites so you should be able to get one cheap. They sound decent and their mac drivers are good.
Regarding workflow I find what's helped me the most is consolidating my gear to a small setup that can all be plugged in at the same time, all play and be sequenced at once and anything that doesn't fit into that doesn't get used, and then gets sold. It was also a great help when I got my setup into a case with custom length leads joining it all together so it was always set up and ready to go. Since then I've replaced a couple of things to make it smaller and don't have a case set up and I'm getting much less done. It doesn't need to be a case either, if you've got a table that's just for music making and can have it all set up all the time so can start doing stuff without having to plug things in it helps your workflow immensely.
Looking at the gear in your sig, this is what I'd do to improve workflow:
imac: Use this for recording and sequencing.
Juno 106: If it were me I'd probably sell it, but if you really like it keep it for those Juno sounds. Have it able to be sequenced from the computer via midi.
Little Phatty: Have this as your main keyboard, hooked up over USB to the sequencer.
Mopho Keys: I'd sell it to fund the iMac, it's nice but kind of redundant with a Juno, LP and Tetra in the mix.
Micron: These are sound nice but the keyboard sucks and they're a pain to edit. I'd consider how much you're using it and probably sell it.
Tetra: I have one of these too, they sound nice and the multitimbrality is good, they can be controlled over USB which is good, but editing them on the box is no fun. I don't have the software editor but I imagine that helps a lot. Selling it could fund your audio interface, or if you keep it I'd sell the Micron and maybe the 106 too.
That would leave you with:
LP hooked up over USB as your master controller and your main bass/lead synth; 106 because they're fun and sound like a Juno, controlled by the sequencer; Tetra (or Micron) for any additional stuff you want. With the money you get from selling the other stuff you could probably pick up an imac and Ultralite, and then you'd have a great integrated setup for making music. Stick it all on a table and have midi and audio hooked up all the time and you'll make as much music as you ever will.
Once you're running a sequencing and recording program you don't need as many synths, you just record a part and then you can reuse it for something else. Anyway that's just how I'd do it, you don't have to follow my advice.
Regarding interfaces, there's a lot of pretty nice stuff on the market at the moment. Again if you've got no budget then looking second hand will save you money, and the interfaces that were cutting edge a couple of years ago are bargains now. I picked up a Motu Traveler for $350 a while back, the market is flooded with Travelers, 828s and Ultralites so you should be able to get one cheap. They sound decent and their mac drivers are good.
Regarding workflow I find what's helped me the most is consolidating my gear to a small setup that can all be plugged in at the same time, all play and be sequenced at once and anything that doesn't fit into that doesn't get used, and then gets sold. It was also a great help when I got my setup into a case with custom length leads joining it all together so it was always set up and ready to go. Since then I've replaced a couple of things to make it smaller and don't have a case set up and I'm getting much less done. It doesn't need to be a case either, if you've got a table that's just for music making and can have it all set up all the time so can start doing stuff without having to plug things in it helps your workflow immensely.
Looking at the gear in your sig, this is what I'd do to improve workflow:
imac: Use this for recording and sequencing.
Juno 106: If it were me I'd probably sell it, but if you really like it keep it for those Juno sounds. Have it able to be sequenced from the computer via midi.
Little Phatty: Have this as your main keyboard, hooked up over USB to the sequencer.
Mopho Keys: I'd sell it to fund the iMac, it's nice but kind of redundant with a Juno, LP and Tetra in the mix.
Micron: These are sound nice but the keyboard sucks and they're a pain to edit. I'd consider how much you're using it and probably sell it.
Tetra: I have one of these too, they sound nice and the multitimbrality is good, they can be controlled over USB which is good, but editing them on the box is no fun. I don't have the software editor but I imagine that helps a lot. Selling it could fund your audio interface, or if you keep it I'd sell the Micron and maybe the 106 too.
That would leave you with:
LP hooked up over USB as your master controller and your main bass/lead synth; 106 because they're fun and sound like a Juno, controlled by the sequencer; Tetra (or Micron) for any additional stuff you want. With the money you get from selling the other stuff you could probably pick up an imac and Ultralite, and then you'd have a great integrated setup for making music. Stick it all on a table and have midi and audio hooked up all the time and you'll make as much music as you ever will.
Once you're running a sequencing and recording program you don't need as many synths, you just record a part and then you can reuse it for something else. Anyway that's just how I'd do it, you don't have to follow my advice.
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Kidney05
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Re: Upgrading my music production: What should I buy first?
Yeah, I know I have alot of gear but... I'm attached to all of it. I simply won't sell any of it, I sold my DX-7 a year or two back and miss it, I miss the keybed and everything, even though that was a pain. I'd rather keep it all on staff just so I can have a nice set, even if it means stuff is overlapping a bit. I've never really considered used macs, but I just would be afraid of buying one, and then sitting down to do it all again and maxing out the CPU and saying "s**t, what did I just do this all for". Regarding the audio interface, if a used one's software still worked, that might be the best investment-- I'm really looking for a s**t ton of inputs so I can have all my hardware going at once, and maybe some outputs too so I can incorporate outboard effects some day as well. On one hand my brother has one of these http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SaffirePro40 that he's lent to a friend and says I could have if I were to put it to good use. Problem is, I'm not exactly sure how many that takes in (and I have at least 4 synths I'd like to hook up together). I'm not really an expert on interfaces--- this one seems to take 8? Well, I guess this is a waiting game now for the bank account to fill up-- plus maybe if it came to it, me waiting would let me have access to the next generation of iMacs, and I wouldn't have to buy a new music computer for many, many, many years. Thanks for the help Stab! Sorry if this thread was a little pointless but I learned something from you.
NINJA EDIT: Do you have any recommendations of those motus for someone who just wants a ton of inputs? which one has the most for the cheapest price? also, I see alot of mk1s and 2's on ebay and the main ones they well now are mk3's, is there much difference? will some not work with the newest mac os?
NINJA EDIT: Do you have any recommendations of those motus for someone who just wants a ton of inputs? which one has the most for the cheapest price? also, I see alot of mk1s and 2's on ebay and the main ones they well now are mk3's, is there much difference? will some not work with the newest mac os?