Mac-osx to win7-64 bit migration

Your projection is quite hilarious. It’s actually you who takes things personally. If I say something about Apple, you take it as a personal offense.

Just because you hate Mac and everything it stands for doesn’t mean it’s a wrong choice for anyone.

I don’t hate macs. I just said that there is no reason to buy one nowadays. And I see that you’re simply incapable of challenging my facts. All you can do is reply with platitudes like “it just works.” As if windows systems don’t…

Like I said, do you have any tangible proof that OSX is more stable than Win 7/8?
No, you don’t. All you can do is offer slogans like “it just works!”

Mac is WAY less popular outside the US. By your own logic, it means that all foreign musicians are masochists who choose to work with machines that crash all the time. Funny how you can read on many computer forums about people who allegedly switched to mac because their Win 8 computer went “blue screen” all the time… :unamused: (for the record, Win 8 has no blue screen.)

have you read my other post? I have a fairly fast family PC (i7, 16 GB), I formatted it about 2 months ago, I did a fresh OS install (Windows 8) and I tried to use my audio software with the same gear I use on my Mac. The result? crashes and hangs. Note that my PC is not self-made (so nothing that could related to my poor knowledge of PC hardware) is a branded PC. At this point you will say, “but it’s your PC”, “a problem of configuration”, “hardware compatibility”, etc…I don’t know and I don’t care. What I know is that as professional I want reliability, I want to plug & play.
So “it just works” for me…problems with that?

Maybe your Win computer is a cheap one with sub-standard components. In essence, you’re comparing your mac to a cheapie (apples to oranges.) Or maybe you have a defective machine.

The thing is, a GOOD win 7/8 system is not any less stable than a mac. And I dare you to prove otherwise. I know plenty of people whose macs have failed (including mine, when I used them.) Does it mean all macs are bad? By your strange logic, it does.

To answer the original question, things to look out for with Windows 7 64bit are:

  1. Avoid Windows 8 - Windows 7 is much more stable as a music platform.

  2. Firewire - if your audio interface is firewire then take care with the choice of motherboard. I have a MR816X and it has caused problems in the past with clicking and popping. I use Gigabyte motherboards as the firewire on those seem to be compatible.

  3. Buy a PC not a laptop. If you are hellbent on a laptop then seek out the DPC Latency Checker app and test it before you buy. It could save you a lot of money. You can also overclock a PC.

  4. 64 bit plugs - make sure that you have the 64 bit version of every plug you need. 32 bit/64 bit mix does not work.

  5. Noise - Some PCs are incredibly noisy when under load. If you build your own, look for a fanless graphics card, quiet CPU fan and power supply.

When you look at the list above, the MAC concept is quite appealing. No hardware compatibility issues for a start and as someone said, plug and go. MACs suit the non-tekky who just wants to get on with it. But that ease of use comes at the price of compromise. There is no MAC available that is custom built for audio like the PC that I have under my desk.

Good luck with your migration.

Most of my serious musician friends have moved from Mac to PC. The advantage of the Mac is gone nowadays unless you call paying more an advantage. All of my music apps and hardware work fine, never ever had a crash on several of my machines so reliability was never a concern.

  1. Not true. Actually Win 8.1 performs slightly better than 7 and it’s just as stable. But it’s true that it’s not “officially” supported by Steinberg yet. Anyhow, I’ve been using it for a while now, with zero issues.

  2. All my desktops use ASUS mobos. No problem with FW. What you’re saying might have been true some years ago, but it no longer applies.

  3. The tip here should be “buy a GOOD laptop and not a cheap one” ($500 laptops most likely will give you trouble.) My Elitebook has extremely low latency and works fine with FW. But yeah, good desktops with top-notch parts are still way better. Not to mention way more flexible because you can configure them as you please.

  4. jBridge solves virtually all issues with 32-bit VST’s and it only costs 20 bucks.

  5. Again, the tip here should be the same as above: don’t go for the cheap stuff and you’ll be fine.

Come on man, do your homework. The new Mac Pro is a killer machine. If you knew anything about Mac, you would know that the Thunderbolt ports (for one example) are for display, I have 4 connected to my Mac. They also offer one the highest grade video cards available. Are they expensive? For the average hobbyist, yes. But for a pro composer who needs a power house right out of the box, it’s a worthy investment. If you don’t like them, don’t buy it.

And as already mentioned several times, I work with Pc’s as well…of course they are reliable, I never said they weren’t. I can’t speak for Win 8, but 7 is solid. Just because I switched to Mac doesn’t mean I’m bashing Windows LOL!! I just love the no-nonsense approach of Mac, and I love how Mavericks works. Why? I can explain, but it’s just so simple…no screwing around with drivers, etc…

Actually, I still use Sonar X3 on PC, and do all of my Pro Tools work there as well. However, I do all my composition on Mac with C7 and Logic. I love it…nuff said.

And Merry Christmas to all!

thanks to all, really thanks

types and choices.

1: mac mini 2012 i7 , 2.6, 16 gb ram, 256 ssd 2
2 : pc I build …
components:


Motherboard ASUS Maximus V Extreme …
cpu … Intel Core i7- 4770K Haswell
ram … Corsair Vengeance 16GB CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10
ssd .
Samsung MZ- 7PD256BW , SSD 840 PRO Stand Alone 256 GB x 2
video card … ASUS 90- C1CS61 -
power supply … Corsair CP- 9020061 -EU Corsair Builder Series Modular Power Supply Cx750M CXM 750 W - 80 Plus Bronze
win 7 64 bit …

At present, he use rme Fireface 800 + rme adda 8 converter


on mac mini would go on a Fireface ucx
while on pc would opt out of rme pci expres AIO with a converter adda 8 that I have already in my studio

a little checking on the Internet both Mac and PC systems costing exactly the same … EUR in 1500 for mac 1560 for pc build …
time :
I am already having my macbook I would use for internet , photos, youtube videos , etc. etc…
I would use it exclusively for the PC to make music …
would install only cubase 7.5 and halion 5 and I’ve already …
for both systems have an external usb hd with libraries of 10 years of work …
Mainly I carry 2 different types of work ,

  1. 'm Writing soundtracks and background music for video screenings of documentaries
    and audio montages in general for photographic exhibitions .

2 music for the theater of my city

for my future I want to work in the world of music for video games …

I’ve tried over the years all platforms : logic , cubase , protools … I miss digital performer, but can not find anyone that has ever had.
logic sounds very good , even protools 10 has a phenomenal mixer , but for audio \ midi and the speed of work, cubase is unmatched.
then : I am not very techie and I do not buy many plugins to have the problem of the 32 bit …
until now use those cubase and I have bought the Sonnox limiter and the fab filter delay … I’m not interested in having 10000 plugins and does not drain from the network, I focus a lot on the sounds and effects.
noise, soundproofing videos, short films.
I thought the uad 2 quad core, powerful and compatible plugin for 64-bit with cubase. I would take out pci pci express on mac mini with firewire uad satellite.
'm really indecisive …
anyway thank you to all
Merry Christmas to you too
mirco

@mirco: I noticed that for the configuration 1 you put 1 SSD while for configuration 2 you put 2 SSD.

just in case you didn’t know, you can add a second internal HDD/SSD to a mac mini. I have a mac mini with 2 Samsung 840 Pro (2 x 512 GB)…

Ciao.

ok

thanks,
as you are with the mac mni and 2 ssd?
thanks

Yes I have the 2012 Mac mini (the latest one) with 16 GB of ram and 2 SSD (2 x 512 GB Samsung 840 Pro). To install the second SSD you need a kit you can find here:

What services do you have with cubase 7.5? thanks

services? what do you mean?

I’m sorry
I wanted to say that you have with the performance macmini?

zero performance issues. low cpu and asio usage…so very good experience in my case.

papi61 - my friend from your answers on this forum you seem to enjoy ripping into other people’s experience as if it is meaningless and wrong. I am not going to waste my time taking exception to what you wrote but you need to learn some respect. Some of us have been around a long time.

No question: Bang for the buck = Windows. Having said that, I am in the process of moving from Windows to Mac and I don’t regret the decision so far. :slight_smile: There are many reasons why I’m going to Mac, but adoption of platform is definitely a personal preference thing and your needs will be different than mine. The great thing is, that migration either way is not that difficult, so you can always move back if you dislike Windows.

For someone who is moving FROM Mac TO Windows, I strongly suggest that you do NOT build your own machine the first time around. I’d suggest going with a professional DAW builder. I can recommend ADK, who from personal experience, I can say really know what they are talking about. I’m not affiliated with them, but I have trusted them in the past and would trust them again to put together the type of computer you need and it will be tuned for DAW work. They know DAWs inside and out.

Also, as far as interfaces go, I’d also suggest you go with RME for their superior driver stability and performance. Unless you need some specific features they don’t offer, RME drivers have worked best for me over all other interface products (and I’ve owned and used quite a few). Lynx is a close second.

Good luck with your switch! You’ll definitely get more mileage out of a Windows machine for the same money. Personally, I’m quite happy going the other way – from Windows to Mac – and expect that when I need more CPU horsepower, I’ll just run VEPro and slave one of my remaining Windows machines. :slight_smile: I have yet to need it, although I have it for when the time comes. (I bought it a while back and used it on Windows.) The OSX workflow is better IMO, and most of my clients (including every filmmaker I work with) use Macs, so it was just a matter of time before I switched. But it’s very possible to make the jump, and Windows 7 is a totally stable platform for professional audio/music production, given the proper setup. So no worries there: Cubase has been and is fantastic on Windows. I now prefer C7.5 on Mac OSX, however, but it will work beautifully (and in fact will have even better low-latency performance) on a properly configured Windows DAW.

That was very politely put Graham. I’m sorry but I did take exception from this gentleman’s rudeness and will not be spending much time on this forum.
Also just for the record it is not only on this forum.

Ah yes, the age-old Mac vs PC debate returns and I’m glad.

It wasn’t until just recently that Apple even graced us with the knowledge that they’d be making pro-level Macs, again. Three years was a long time to wait.

I’m glad Apple hasn’t dropped the Mac Pro line.

I’m also grateful Cubase works on both platforms, many DAWs don’t.

I desperately needed to upgrade a dying 2006 Mac Pro right around mid 2011, but with the at the time overpriced 2010-era Apple hardware looking less sweet, I waited it out … painfully … until 2012 when I couldn’t wait and had to switch platforms, completely.

I was not pleased (understatement). This was a BIG change (it was more than just audio-related for me). It affected my business and personal life.

I felt betrayed. We creative professionals stood by Apple in its darkest hour. So where was this more-cash-than-a-government company now, once it had completed world domination; an iOS device in every hand?

Totally and completely missing in action. The Mac Pros, and the future of Apple-based professional content creators was to be a past era, or so it appeared.

Summer 2013: Well, well, well. Finally, I guess someone at Apple realized someone had to make all the fancy content to fill its iPads’ screens.

For me: Too little, too late.

I will never put myself in that situation again. For me, it will be cheap, easy to upgrade hardware, here-forth.

But, the fact we’re having the classic Mac vs PC debate does make me feel that somehow order in the universe has been restored.

Choices are good.