In a poll, I asked 10 people to name the top 5 MOST important pieces of equipment used in a professional recording. Below are the popular answers that they gave me:
1. Microphone
2. Console
3. Speakers
4. Headphones
5. Instruments
I can understand where these answers come from. When you look at any music video that takes place in the music studios, the things that take the main focus aside from the artist are the instruments and microphones and the console.
As a recording engineer, I would have to agree that the above-mentioned items are important, but even more important is the computer and software used to record the artist. The software allows for the recording and editing of the song but the computer is the powerhouse that drives everything.
Typically there is a choice of 2 computers to pick from for your recording studio, a Mac or a PC, but which should you pick?
Lets start with the Pros and Cons of each
Pros-
- More universally known
- Easier to service
- Actual computer is inexpensive
Cons-
- Thousands of known viruses and more susceptible to them
- Not as user friendly as a Mac
- Visually appealing
- Very user friendly
- Pro Tools is Native to Mac (meaning pro tools was made for use on a Mac computer only and then later redesigned to be compatible with PC), Making Pro tools have less glitches and software problems with Mac then PC
- Higher quality sound and video processing
Cons-
- Prices for a Mac are higher then for a PC (very expensive)
I might be a little bias when it comes to picking a Computer type because I currently own a Mac and think that it is one of the greatest inventions on the planet. But actually having worked with both a Mac and a PC in the actual studio, I have learned that working with a Mac is more efficient in all aspects. It is easier to work with Pro Tools and it is even easier to configure all devices to it. I have fewer Problems with the actual software with a Mac then with a PC. It is very common for Pro Tools to have problems and shut down but it seems to happen more frequently with the PC.
So since studio time is so expensive, you want to try and minimize the amount of time you spend troubleshooting. Even thought it is cheaper to purchase a PC, in the long run it will benefit you and your future clients to purchase the more expensive Mac.
