Mac for Bass

[metalmaniac]

Hey
Just wondering if anyone else on here uses a Mac for recording/effects processing or what have you.

If so what hardware/programs etc,

I find myself generally using garagebands to process my bass, mix it in with whatever i have on my itunes and practice this way as it gives me a great way to play along with my fave tunes without blowin anyones eardrums near me, and also gives a great deal of accuracy when working out basslines.
Recently ive been workin the entire album Morningrise by Opeth. Once its all mixed, goes through my headphones.. sounds brilliant.

Or by any extreme does anyone us Linux/Windows/BSD or any other sort of music programs/hardware?

[Simon]

Yo.

Yes, I use a MacBookPro to record.

Basically take my bass through an Mbox2 which then goes straight in to Pro Tools. Wouldn't use anything else to be honest.

Good luck!

[metalmaniac]

I havent got round to getting a USB or whatever input yet.. Ive heard some have latency issues etc..

Would you recommend this MBOX2 then?

[BigRedX]

1.25GHz G4 running Logic 4.8 under OS9. Recording using a MOTU 2408, beeing fed from either TC Finalizer for single/channel stereo recording or Tascam TMD 8000 Mixer for multi-track recording.

One day when I'll be upgrading to OSX but it'll be a while before my bass GAS is overcome by my recording GAS.

[metalmaniac]

OS9.. man thats more hardcore than runnin dos.

And theres me on 10.5....
erm i mean 10.4.9

[BigRedX]

I've been using Macs for making/recording music since the OS7 days, and consequently I have a large number of pre-OSX plugins that all need upgrading for OSX. Last time I looked the cost of upgrading to OSX was in exxcess of £6K. I know Logic under OS9 inside out, so I'll carry on with this setup until the Mac dies and then go for it...

[terryblyth]

I've recently switched from PC to Mac and found Garageband great for sketchpad ideas, running through an Edirol UA-25. If you're looking for more 'polished' sounding recordings, Logic Express should do the trick for most things - I've just done bass for a couple of Guitar Techniques columns and it's been deemed good enough for that (and the music editor has a reputation for being fussy!)

[metalmaniac]

Yes.. the problem with Mac.. support and the price tag.

Ive used Linux (Debian Based) with Ardour as an alternative to Mac or (lord-help us) recording on Windoze. Only probelm was you really have to know your stuff, and it also blew my soundcard. wooops

[jmesa]

[quote name='metalmaniac' post='50337' date='Aug 24 2007, 06:41 PM']And theres me on 10.5....
erm i mean 10.4.9 [/quote]

LOL

[Simon]

[quote name='metalmaniac' post='50319' date='Aug 24 2007, 05:53 PM']I havent got round to getting a USB or whatever input yet.. Ive heard some have latency issues etc..

Would you recommend this MBOX2 then?[/quote]

If you have a half decent Mac running OSX with Pro Tools then you shouldn't have any problems. Latency isn't the softwares fault, it's the power of the computer. Good idea to have plenty of RAM (1gb + these days).

[metalmaniac]

Yeah Im runnin 2 Gb on a dual core intel amc mini 1.6 ghz so im guessin i have power enough..
atm im makin do with just the 1/8th inch input on the back.. works great.

[ShergoldSnickers]

[quote name='metalmaniac' post='50319' date='Aug 24 2007, 05:53 PM']I havent got round to getting a USB or whatever input yet.. Ive heard some have latency issues etc..[/quote]
Latency shouldn't be a problem with any device that enables you to monitor the input signal before it's digitised. I usually mix some of this in with some of the processed signal, so I get a firm idea of both the timing and the sound. I have a Tascam US-122 (USB) that's more than adequate for feeding Garageband, but when it's replaced I'll go for a FireWire box, something like a Focusrite Saffire.

If you've got a fretless bass, try the Garageband 'Tight Acoustic Bass' treatment on it, rolling some of the low bass end off. If I could get that in a pedal... :wub:

[EOS650]

Yes. Pro Tools LE.

[andy67]

macs are great!

mbox 2 and protools for the home is most recomended - big learning curve then audio recording nirvana!!

I have just installed a digi 003 control panel coupled to a mac xeon and related hardware into a community centre for general use - fantastic...

ps protools is the industry standard and is now widely used in uk recording studios.

[thumbo]

I'm currently using Logic Pro with a little M-audio interface, it's awesome.

[Guest Jecklin]

Just a +1 to all the good things said about macs and audio.

I've been a user since 2001 and got my current set up in spring 2005 (dual 2 gig G5 running Motu digital performer through motu 828 mkII)

I took a long time to decide on this particular hardware/software combination>>all names were in the hat: logic, protools etc etc, but I couldn't be happier.

However these days my usage is rather reduced as i record everything in stereo with a location recorder (yup just 2 mics), then tweak that for a final version in digital performer. If i had a laptop I'd go direct to that, but would probabaly still only record in stereo. Of course what your chosen music is will dictate what you need.

Thomas

Edited August 24, 2007 by Jecklin

[Dread Bass]

jus got myself a mac and am upgrading.

Ita a g4 it was advertised as having 128 mb of ram but arrived with 640mb or something.

i got it for £21 of ebay with no software but my friend had osx with five licences so i got that. I ordered reason to do some midi and i am just waiting for my dvd drive to arrive so i can install garage band to start.

thumbo i was thinking about getting one of these they are good huh? is it the one you can get from thomann for like twenty quid now?

[GonzoBass]

Still running OS 9.2(.2) on my Graphite iMac and using ProTools.
I've got MicroLogic also,
but the learning curve was way steeper than ProTools.

Been running the USB direct out from a Bass Pod XT Live
and getting a great sound with no latency issues at all.

I do have a Dell POS laptop which hates me,
but it's cool because I hate it right back...

[Simon]

[quote name='andy67' post='50411' date='Aug 24 2007, 10:18 PM']ps protools is the industry standard and is now widely used in uk recording studios.[/quote]

Yes. I don't believe you will find a professional studio without it.

If there's one piece of audio software to learn, make it Pro Tools imho.

[ShergoldSnickers]

[quote name='Simon' post='50515' date='Aug 25 2007, 10:37 AM']Yes. I don't believe you will find a professional studio without it.

If there's one piece of audio software to learn, make it Pro Tools imho.[/quote]
I can see your point, but the world is littered with software that is 'standard' and really shouldn't be. Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, DreamWeaver, Windows even! These standards are often adopted out of fear of being different, not because they are necessarily any good.

Having said that, I've only limited experience of ProTools, so I wouldn't like to cast aspersions at it. I just automatically question anything that is a 'standard'. It can be a revelation to discover something else that isn't a standard and yet does the job far more efficiently. Examples:-

Windows -> MacOS
DreamWeaver -> Freeway
AutoCad -> VectorWorks

It would make a nice change to have ProTools as one standard that actually deserved the name.

Of course there is a personal element to this, what suits me doesn't always suit others.

[dr.funk]

I have just been deliberating over a Mac or PC laptop for recording and Uni. In the end I went for a Lenovo (~£400) because it seemed you got more power for a lot less money. I think it will do the job and if not I can return it.

My firebox should be here any day now - I'm getting pretty excited

[Simon]

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='50550' date='Aug 25 2007, 01:24 PM']I can see your point, but the world is littered with software that is 'standard' and really shouldn't be. Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, DreamWeaver, Windows even! These standards are often adopted out of fear of being different, not because they are necessarily any good.

Having said that, I've only limited experience of ProTools, so I wouldn't like to cast aspersions at it. I just automatically question anything that is a 'standard'. It can be a revelation to discover something else that isn't a standard and yet does the job far more efficiently. Examples:-

Windows -> MacOS
DreamWeaver -> Freeway
AutoCad -> VectorWorks

It would make a nice change to have ProTools as one standard that actually deserved the name.

Of course there is a personal element to this, what suits me doesn't always suit others.[/quote]

I hear ya. But Pro Tools really is that much better than everything else imo. To be honest, I don't think the top studios and the top recording engineers would use it if it wasn't the best.

[ShergoldSnickers]

[quote name='Simon' post='50618' date='Aug 25 2007, 05:21 PM']I hear ya. But Pro Tools really is that much better than everything else imo. To be honest, I don't think the top studios and the top recording engineers would use it if it wasn't the best.[/quote]
Time to do some research methinks. It's just about the only 'pro' recording software I haven't used in any depth on the Mac. This will have to be put right.

[BigRedX]

It used to be that when you bought ProTools you were buying into a standardised software/hardware system where all the component parts were made by the same company and were designed to work together. The computer was pretty much reduced to displaying what the system was doing and allowing you to interact with the hardware, while the custom hardware took over all the complex duties of turning your audio in zeros and ones, storing on the hard disk(s) and manipulating them in real time. However this method was by neccessity expensive.

Now there's a variety of different versions of ProTools and a choice of "compatible" hardware from manufacturers who are not Digidesign. While this puts the platform within the reach of those without big recording studio type budgets, it does add in a whole load of extra variables that can make the system less than ideal.

IMO if you're using ProTools HD with maybe Appogee or better DACs and using it to replace the traditional multitrack recorder and studio outboard equipment, then it can't be beaten. The way the software allows you to manipulate multitrack audio is just brilliant, and yes this is the main selling point of ProTools, but its the way that the software matches the HD (and previously the ProTools 24) hardware that makes the system so special. However if your method of working/composition also relies of a lot of the recording and manipulation of MIDI data then one of the other DAW sytems maybe more suitable for you.

Edited August 25, 2007 by BigRedX

[lonestar]

[quote name='metalmaniac' post='50303' date='Aug 24 2007, 05:43 PM']Hey
Just wondering if anyone else on here uses a Mac for recording/effects processing or what have you.

If so what hardware/programs etc,

I find myself generally using garagebands to process my bass, mix it in with whatever i have on my itunes and practice this way as it gives me a great way to play along with my fave tunes without blowin anyones eardrums near me, and also gives a great deal of accuracy when working out basslines.
Recently ive been workin the entire album Morningrise by Opeth. Once its all mixed, goes through my headphones.. sounds brilliant.

Or by any extreme does anyone us Linux/Windows/BSD or any other sort of music programs/hardware?[/quote]

How do you input your bass?