Hi Guys I need your help,

I want to change my system from win to mac. So I really looked at every threat in the internet but I am confused and I don’t know what to do.
First of all what should buy these are my options

MAC Refurb 2012
Mac Pro with 3,2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processor (usual config)
2.199,00 €

EBay
MAC Refurb 2010
Mac Pro with 3, 2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processor
1.900,00 €
But with 16 GB ram and ssd included

IMac 27
I7 with and ssd and so on but I think that will cost amount 2400 €
And I have to buy an external storage for my hard drives I have 2 1tb drivers that I have to use.

And the next problem is what interface should I buy for mac pro or iMac with low latency and high performance.

So I need your advice thx.

 

Or build your own Hackintosh for ca. 900 dollar!

 

If you are doing music production, go for a Mac Mini with top CPU. Small but very powerful and current benchmarks show it performs are well as Mac Pro

http://www.barefeats.com/minivim.html
http://www.barefeats.com/minivmp.html


If you are doing film production, get 2012 iMac. The iMac just excels at video in particular, but harder to upgrade/replace HDD.


Both provide hight performance.

As for an interface, Presonus, Motu, TC Electronic, have affordable interfaces with high performance.

 

The iMac is not upgradeable. It's pretty much like a laptop in that regard. The Mac Pro is a desktop and it is upgradeable and expandable. I have Pro Tools 9 on my iMac 21' Core 2 Duo (2010 model) with 16 Gb RAM and I mostly have no complaints. However, if I wanted to run Pro Tools HD, a Mac Pro would be my go-to choice due to PCI slots and the capacity to better your specs if you outgrow your system.

As for the interface, I wouldn't worry about it because of Mac concerns (I guess all new interfaces are Mac and PC compatible). I'd focus on number of I/O, latency, clocking quality, build, resolution, and so on.

For the low-end inexpensive interfaces, I'd look at M-Box from Avid, Focusrite, or Presonus. They make affordable products that yield really nice results. On the higher end, I'd look at Apogee or MOTU. BTW, MOTU now has entry level interfaces, too.

I'd stir away from Hackintosh builds if at all possible. They are buggy, and even though they might have small quirks, the magic of Mac is flawless performance most of the time. I had built a Hackintosh before buying my first real Mac, and the difference is notorious.

 

Honestly, build your own. I'm using my AMD version and have, Triple boot with OSX Snow Leopard & Windows 7 Pro(x64 x86)It's great because Snow Leopard is compatible with most audio programs so It comes in handy.

 

+1 Hackintosh here since a couple YEARS. I just recently was building a ProTools HD Rig for a friend, 4 PCI slots filled and OS 10.7.4 on a industrial Board. He said, works for him like a HDX.

 

HAckintosh doesn't work for everyone. I have one.. its a BEAST, but I'm a cold blooded geek who builds computers as easy as making tea. Not everyone has a stomach for it.

 

Forget the Hackintoshes and go with a new imac 27 inch and the thunderbolt raid for all your storage needs. The new imac thats not out yet. OR wait for the new mac pro which I suspect will be the bomb.


Edit: The Promise Pegasis Thunderbolt RAID is the RAID I mean. Its screamingly faster than SSD.

 

Thank you guys for your answers I really appreciate that,

I now a hackintosh can be really a beast but I don’t want to get any problems with drives and so on.
I am looking forward for the mac pro or the I mac I have a lot of plugins and I also have the east Complete composers collections HD.
So if I am going to buy an iMac how about the power and the latency if I am using logic with all plugins and an interface like apogee duet 2. And which external case should I use for the storage thunderbolt or usb 3.0.
That is a problem that I am not going to have with the mac pro but which pcie sound interface can I use for the mac pro.ESI Juli@ XTe is that good one for the mac pro.
And should I buy the mac pro from eBay or from apple refurb with apple care.
So you see I have really a headache I hope you can help me out of this.

 

koschke : I am confused and I don’t know what to do​

.

Sounds like your already on the Mac ​

 

Yeah and i dont know what to do

I want to move from win 7 64x Cubase 5 to imac or mac pro with logic pro 9 to get a new workflow.
I worked with my old system since 2006 and I think it’s time for a change. *yes*

Ok I also think that the mac pro is a good one. But should i take it from apple with apple care or eBay.

 

Dude,
buy this one :
EBay
MAC Refurb 2010
Mac Pro with 3, 2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processor
1.900,00 €
But with 16 GB ram and ssd included

Why ? Mac Pro are more versatile and safe than others apple computers type. You can add, rebuilt, remove almost any component of this kind of machine.
For reading big Instruments Lib you need to have loads of ram, sure, but aswell quiet fast hard drive ( at least the one where your library would be)7200 t/m minimum .
That would be enough in term of investment . Waiting for thunderbolt is not really a good deal 'cause you have to wait around 2 years to see if it's really efficient on all machines, mostly when your
mac needs to read loads of data and process it in same time.

For an audio interface Apogee is great with mac and got really good preamps. But don't have midi interface. But if it's just to have a keyboard plugged to play your VInstruments a simple usb /midi interface works like a charm too. Depend of what you want to do e x a c t l y …

To be continued …

you can buy apple care separately, you just have to give serial num of the gear I think
more infos:
http://www.apple.com/support/products/faqs.html

 

unfortunatly not You can purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime within the one-year limited warranty period. but the one from ebay is from 2010.

 

ok i have been using Mac for 20 years from the start of me producing music i now have a 3 GHz Mac Pro quad core i do music and video production and now i'm at the point were i have to upgrade my Mac Pro so my advise to you is think about the future if you spend a lil more Money now and get a 12 core top of the line Mac pro you wont have to think about getting a new computer for at lest 10 years i'm already saving for my 12 core i really want the 16 core but i have not herd any thing solid on when they will be out a 12 core is around $6000 but well wreath it in the long run people that are serious about production need serious Tool's

 

If you are a serious musician or producer use Mac Mini, or iMac with the latest CPU, dont't waste your time with hackintosh this are very unstable and only for beginners kids... good luck.

 

Nice Joke! If you can't make a Hackintosh it's on you, not on the Hackintosh! Do you have an idea how many people are using a Hackintosh?
By the way! i have like 760 Plug-ins running fine in Logic! no problem at all!

Anyway, if you have the Money go for a Mac Pro, or for a iMac! If you don't wanna pay for the Name "apple" go for a Hackintosh!

 

My budget is amount 2500€ maximum.
What I am afraid of if I buy a iMac is the interface if I am using many VST plugins like from east west and withe an external usb 3 or thunderbolt don’t want have any trundles with them.

But the next question is what kind of pcie interface can I use with a mac pro and I only find this one ESI Juli@ XTe who fits in my budget.

 

A lot of wrong infos here ...

Hackintosh are as stable as a real mac if properly done.

But if you build an hackintosh with the same specs the macpro has ( same cpu, case, hd, memory etc...) it will cost you more than a real one !

Now to answer the question :

imac are cool but not as powerfull as a macpro is.
Xeons are far away better than any consumer intel.
Also macpro are upgrable while imacs are not.

Though for most use an imac is enough, it all depend your needs.

For the configs you posted i ll go for the macpro refurb 2012 but adding an extra ssd for the system on it.
I ll be far away faster than the i7 imac, no doubt.

 

You can have a pci card in the external thunderbolt (not connected to me just an example) brackets these days so that's a way to expand your 2012 imac with pci stuff

 

DUde I just gave you the best advice and the charts to prove the performance. Its really not a rocket science decision. Mac mini or iMac. DO NOT buy a Mac Pro. Its expense will not benefit you anymore than the two mentioned. And it will be big and heavy. Why do that? If you need pci, there are thunderbolt adapters that make it look like an external drive. Save space, energy, and money.

My help ends here with choosing the Mac