Cubase on Pc or a Mac ?

You are “bored” with Windows. Microsoft spends over four years inventing something entirely new. In less than twelve hours you rated it awful. You buy OSX which works just like Windows used to be, a desktop with icons. How bored you will be… Of course not, not really, because it’s called something different, made by a different company, based on Unix and I hear it’s good, very good.


The bottom line is, Apple make devices for consumers. MacOS used to be the top of the line OS, but Apple really did blow it, and now they run Unix with audio and graphics like any other computer. (There are several links in this regard and to comparisons on audio applications between OSX and other OS’s on this forum, if there is an interest.)

Microsoft makes software and hardware more for technical people. Windows 8 is their attempt to ingrain a consumer (a 'la Apple) centric interface into Windows, and people don’t understand the change because they didn’t have a choice. Therefor the entire Windows 8 experience it is awful, even though there (essentially) is a Windows 7 under the hood. (A perfectly natural reaction to change.)

Now, people can argue all day long, but in the end it comes down to one thing.

Sure, but you’ve apparently got your head in a place where you can’t read or think, so fix that first and I’ll think about it.

Right now, this isn’t an OSX vs. Windows thing. You’re making this an ego thing, and I think you’d best stop before you dig that hole any deeper.

I agree with what Jarno said in a few post back, and I have used only Macs for about 18 years myself before switching.

The problem I have with these threads is that one can rarely find any truths in them. Before I’ve switched from Mac to Windows for my DAW machine, I’ve read tons of threads on this, and all I have learned were that 1) people are really clueless when it comes to computers and 2) musicians will blame anything but themselves for their own doing.

Most of the people complaining about Windows also talk about their experiences from WAY back to say how horrible the platform is TODAY. This clearly won’t help anyone as none of the people who ask about Mac vs PC questions are looking to go back in time to buy those ancient machines.

It seems to me that people who think they have to do a lot of tweaks on Windows tend to have a lot of problems. I think people need to realize that most of those tips you can find on tweaks hurt the performance of OS rather than help it. I think the only tweaks you absolutely have to do on W7 out of the box for running Cubase are changing the power saving settings and turning off auto updates/defrag/scanning.

I don’t know how it is with cheap PCs with tons of crapware, but I don’t find W7 to be THAT different from Mac OS for daily use. Besides, I would be using Cubase most of the time anyway, and I would not see much of W7.

The advantages of using Cubase on PC are :

  1. ASIO direct monitoring
  2. Better lower latency performance
  3. availability of the newest generation workstation class CPUs if you want the most powerful
  4. availability of the mid-priced systems with good number of expansion slots if you don’t want to spend much for a new machine

YMMV, I guess.

Most of the people complaining about Windows also talk about their experiences from WAY back to say how horrible the platform is TODAY. This clearly won’t help anyone as none of the people who ask about Mac vs PC questions are looking to go back in time to buy those ancient machines.

I don’t know about “today”. Mine is one year back. I used to work, and I am currently working, on PCs, doing most of my daily work, which is as an organization counsultant, there. My employer has a MAC only profile, so they furnaced me with a MAC book. I bring it to work every day, but I do most of my work that involves a computer on my PC at home, and move the result to the MAC before going to work. That is how much I prefere PCs over MACs in general.

Cubase is however another thing.

I have not limitless, but at least an ample access to new PCs for low cost. So when I determined to take the leap to 64 bit and from XP to Win 7. I had someone (a professional company) build me a PC (payed for that) to run Cubase only. In addition to that, I got myself an out of the box PC with specs according to recommended for running Cubase PC/Win7/64 bit. Thought I would use them as a master/slave.

What was my experience? Well both PCs behaved almost identical. To begin with approx 30% of my 3. party plugs would not install or not install properly. I have invested in approx 200 plugs so this was a great let down. Most of the plugs (approx 70%) that did not install were 32 bit (at the time). But they would not show under the bridge either, or crash installation. I can’t even recon how many hours I spent trying to get it to work. I also experienced halts, freezes, sudden shut downs of both Cubase and the PCs themselves. Sometimes bluescreens. Cubase behaved sluggish. I complained to the guys who had put the PC together for me, but they said they had build the PC according to the specs so this was my problem not theirs. I then spend a lot of money to buy a MAC Pro. It was delivered at my door by a carrier, The one I got was soooo loud from hard disc spinning that is was very anoying to listen to. I then called Apple to have the discs changed. Thought I needed to quarrel to get it done and if they at all agreed to do the change, I would need to bring the computer to some Apple store. What happened was that they came to my house, took the MAC Pro with them and gave me all my money back - no questions asked. Even if that was not what I expected, it showed great service. I then gave the PCs another try: I upgraded one of my older PCs so I had 3 alltogehter to try CB/64 bit/Win7 on. I used to work in a computer company, building and testing computers, but my skills were of no help here. I even hired a consultant for help. Almost the same result as previously. Now many weeks had passed without making music. Making music was the reason for buying computeres and CB in the first place - not to be more educated in solving PC problems. I then bought MAC Pro number two. The maschine was silent as a grave. All but TWO, I repeat TWO, plugs installed without any problem at all (well actually only ONE did not install, the other installed but would not show in the VST list). I have during the last year experienced TWO, I repeat TWO, sudden close downs of Cubase (both CB7 after it was installed this spring).

TWO ONLY! And that is Cubase, NOT the MAC.

Later when upgrading to Mountain Lion alas another plug has been added to the list of plugs that won’t work on my MAC. That is 3 out of 200. And almost no hazzle with running CB and the computer. Even if the MAC was several times the cost of the PC it saves soooooo much time for me (due to no interrupted music making) that it was well worth the extra money.

Does this make me a fan of MAC in general? Nope, I still prefere PCs over MACs for my business work. But for my Cubase I will “always” prefere MAC. Do I think that everybody should run CB on MACs? No. I know people that uses PCs without the problems described above. But they do not have the exact set up as me in respect of connected hardware, soundcard and plugs. So I will stay with the computer that solved all my problems.

resistance is futile !!!

Most reasonable thing said in this entire thread. I tip my hat to you, sir.

Not totally sure what your point is but on the subject of windows 8.
Yes it was 12 hours experience with me but it was clear from the out set and from the hours of videos I’ve seen online that this OS was absolutely made for a tablet device.
full screen apps on a 24" monitor at 1080p…and then scroll bars at the bottom? Seriously.
No start menu? Forcing yu to go through the pain of the metro system.
Plus I HATE the design, I think it’s lazy and boring.
It did boot wonderfully quick though.
Either way ill have it installed on boot camp no doubt so any argument over what is better is completely irrelevant to me as I have my cake and I shall eat it.

Yutaka, you’ve got your head screwed on right :wink:

“everything just works on a mac”; “never has virus issues”; “never needs defragmenting”…

“Ignorance is Bliss!”

Never mind that man behind the curtain!

Had a neighbour once who drove a Chevy for 10 years, told us her car never required service, had never needed an oil change, and she’d only filled the tank maybe a dozen times. She was apparently quite oblivious to the fact that her son used to take care of all those things, and could never understand why other people seemed to have so much trouble with their cars, they should all buy a Chevy like she had and their lives would be much simpler. This woman would have been a MAC user.

PCs require a degree of understanding that not everyone can get their heads around. Some think they can however and usually end up over their heads but incapable of admitting it. These are the people who should be (and often end up) using a Mac where they will be cuddled and protected and made to feel special and better that all others, and all the dangerous toys and bad words will be kept out of sight…

Sure there are some people who don’t know much about the workings of a windows PC and the level of customisation you can get.
…But don’t under estimate that some people, even though they do know…just can’t be bothered with it!

I can accept that.
I’m no longer interested in the fine details of the PC anymore which is why I had my newest PC purchased on my general specification, and the guarantee that it would run the software intended. Previous systems I’ve built myself, but I can no longer be bothered. It just has to work and do what I bought it for.

the PC fanboys seem to think everybody wants to customise their poop to the nth degree … they assume everybody wants to be a technical computer genius by building their own PC to save some $$… they assume everyone wants to get in there and tinker with the inner workings of their OS … give me a break some people just want a decent computer to, god forbid, write music … who cares what the os is …


i prefer OSX… i like the window management a lot better especially over dual monitors . i prefer the audio and midi handeling by the OS . i dont run my system on the bleeding edge of performance i dont need sub 2 ms latency. hell i still have a core 2 duo suits me fine . and if i ever needed windows … guess what ? i can run that also

Too many "i"s there mate…

yeah there is a lot isn’t there :stuck_out_tongue: it’s all about me :stuck_out_tongue:

:laughing:

I think a lot of people don’t consider that issues can be caused by what is in your computer and not what your OS happens to be. Any computer can have software and external component conflicts. Some software developers are better at one OS versus another and never rule out user error.

But since this is about Cubase, and Steinberg definitely stated on the website that they recommend the HP Z series PC workstations, “guaranteeing highest performance and maximum reliability”, I’m really not understanding this debate. If you want great performance, according to the application’s manufacturer, there’s your answer.

Even if the quote is correct, the understanding of the actual situation is not. Steinberg only consider Cubase, and does not take responsibility of any other software. That is of course the correct attitude. However the environment does seldom involve only one computer and cubase. Many of us has much more software to integrate, in both the OS and the DAW of your choose. It is here the MAC outperforms most PCs. That is at least my experience. This does not make me a fan of MACs in general. All my daily work is done on some PC. I have 5 of them and “only” two MACs, but for my DAW I switched to MAC approx 3 years ago after struggling for 6-7 years with different PCs. That is MY experience and that is an experience, not just a fan statement of some kind. After years of struggling it was like taking medicine and feel the headache vanish. I´m not saying that this will be everybody’s experience, but it IS mine. No one can take that away from me, no matter how many quotes they come up with.

+1 and this is why as a looong time Mac user I am considering
the switch. But I must admit that new MacPro looks way kool.
I have been happy using a Mac but
I am not in love with any piece of gear.
They are just tools that will one day be a door stop.

When Steiny basically said;
‘We recommend this ax to run our programme’
Well to me having the most stable system
(to feed my family) is worth some serious thought.
No matter who makes the tool.

Perhaps for some Cubase users but for me:
Dis ain’t no party…Dis ain’t no disco… Dis ani’t no foolin’ around. —talking heads

{‘-’}

After building a dedicated music studio, it was time to update the software to the latest (Cubase 7) and outfit the studio with a state of the art Computer to run it. This time around Steinberg gave a recommendation for a PC family. I discovered that this was going to be a very expensive purchase being HP and because these are not stock items here it seems. Then I was introduced to Lenovo, and although somewhat skeptical, I was assured that Lenovo was respectable, being the true “bloodline” if you will of the original IBM machines, and that these were used onboard the ISS and other NASA projects for mission critical work. I figured why not, so I got a system with similar specs to the HP and haven’t regreted it at all - Cubase 7 runs like a charm.

Oh Cubase has bugs, there’s no getting around that, but I don’t have any of the problems with display or other oddball issues so many seem to be complaining about.
If one is serious about music and serious about their DAW, then it makes sense to ugrade from time to time to the latest i.e. current specs. Software is always (or should be) pushing the limits, and it seems to me we’re at a juncture where many existing hardware bases need to be replaced. This may not be an acceptable option for the amateur, and some serious consideration should be given as to whether they should continue with Cubase or perhaps find something that will run better on their hardware.
If you’re serious, look at the specs of the HP systems suggested and try to come as close to these specs as you can.

Dell always has good pricing on the latest intel i7 PC, I am currently running c7 on two of those pcs, and about two and a half years ago ran one main sequencer and three slave pcs, overall it got the job done well performance wise.

I buy the fastest i7 from them they have a t the time for around 800, go bare bones on other features to keep cost down, except opt for a large c drive, then add a strong video card, add more ram 32 gig is reccomended, install a ssd drive in the second bay to run your primary vst samples…split the c drive into two partitions, and use the biggest chunk for project file back up, or something else…around 1200-1,500 is the cost…

Anyhow with this set up I can run a lot of vst’s, strings, brass, winds, all 3 spectrasonics, drums and perc , spread out on two pcs , I have 16 stero in, into PC 1. I can do this now with 2 PC instead of 4 given the advent of 3rd gen i7…I run 4 monitors with one dedicated to the film. 3 of the monitors are straight out of the primary i7 PC.

I no longer run vst system link to lock transports between pcs via adat, to much random instability.

My experience on if the MAC PRO has power enough:

I run Mac Pro with Vienna, Omnisphere, PLAY and Kontakt, several instances at the same time, (32 at the most). No problem at all. The Mac Pro is 3,2 GHZ. It has 20GB memory and I have 4 TB disc space spread like:
1TB System Disc (where programs are)
1TB Library for all sound files
1TB For all projects and recordings
1TB For PLAY libraries

Some samples are light and some heavy. Guess I could run out of memory if I only use heavy samples, but so far I have not run into that.

The only problem I have is if many instances of Melodyne is loaded. I will then get crackling noises and freezes that buffer change won´t solve. So I internally sum those tracks and remove Melodyne.

I used to have occasional CPU spikes, but they are gone now after the 7.05 update and a regeneration of preferences files.

There is a new MAC Pro just around the corner. Looks interesting, but seems to need an external “house” if large disc capacity is needed. Judging from the video it does not seem as “upgrade yourself” friendly as the current ones.