• Registered: 2010-03-25
  • Posts: 5

Topic: Have UFX... now need computer... PC / Mac?

Hi all,

Recently picked up my new UFX... very very impressed with the sound / all the features.. RME definitely on to a winner here..

BUT.. my old PC (specs below) is just not up to scratch it seems.  The PC was tailored to suit my Digi001 a good few years ago and has been performing pretty well since then.  But with the UFX plugged in, either with firewire or USB, the computer becomes periodically unresponsive and when I am able to record, anything less than 1024 buffer sizes causes glitches.

Have installed the latest drivers but didn't help.  RME have advised that the PC is likely to be the problem so I am going to bite the bullet and upgrade it.  I'm keen for suggestions about which way to go - Mac or PC, AMD or intel.

Cheapest option for me is probably to buy a new motherboard, CPU and RAM and stick them in my existing box.  If I do this I'll probably go for AMD as have had a good run out of my old PC (about 6 years).

But, I also like the idea of an iMac.  Haven't used Macs seriously for about 20 years(!) though, so would be keen to know other's experience with them & RME interfaces...  A few questions:

1. The fan in the PC is relatively noisy so I have to muffle it in a cupboard. My impression is that iMacs may be quiet enough to use in a single-room studio which acts as both the live room and control room.  Is this true? 

2.  Is it possible to use 2 monitors with an iMac (not essential, but nice to know I could)?...

3.  Can you use an external hard drive as the primary audio drive?...  Can an iMac run say 24 tracks of audio + compressors & eq plugins on each channel plus say 10 busses with reverbs / delays etc? 

4.  Can I install windows & run my PC software on an iMac?

5.  Will the iMac offer any other advantages with regard to stability / performance when teamed up with the UFX?


Any suggestions / comments welcome.

Cheers

Current setup:
- Windows XP SP2
- ASUS A7V600 MB, AMD Athlon XP 3000+, 2.17GHz
- 1GB Ram
- Cubase 3.1.1

  • Registered: 2010-03-25
  • Posts: 5

Re: Have UFX... now need computer... PC / Mac?

No one able to offer any gems of wisdom?

Keen to get things up and running (its truly painful to have a UFX and not be able to unleash its power!), and as no one has given any support to my whim of switching to an iMac, I think I'll just upgrade my current motherboard / CPU / RAM.

Looking at getting the following.  Nothing particularly flash, but performance-wise it should still be a decent step up from my current set-up and therefore should be able to handle my demands OK.

CPU: AMD Athlon II 250 3 GHZ Dual COre
Motherboard: ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO
RAM: 2 x 2GB Kingston

So... if anyone knows of any reason why the UFX and this motherboard combo should not be joined together in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace!

  • yavuz
  • AD/DA expert
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  • Registered: 2010-03-17
  • Posts: 43

Re: Have UFX... now need computer... PC / Mac?

somalade wrote:

Cheapest option for me is probably to buy a new motherboard, CPU and RAM and stick them in my existing box...

But, I also like the idea of an iMac.

Do a search for hackint0sh and Logic or hackint0sh and pro tools in google wink

  • Registered: 2010-03-25
  • Posts: 5

Re: Have UFX... now need computer... PC / Mac?

HA!  Never heard of that before... 

If I was to really analyse my reasons for wanting to move to Mac though, I'd have to admit that the coolness factor is one of them.  And given the Urban Dictionary definition of a Hackint0sh: "A type of mungrel-computer used by people too cool to get a PC but too poor to get a proper Mac", I just don't know if I could....

But on a more serious note, I will do some reading and see if it could be a goer in my situation.  One of the main sticking points though would be I would need to buy new software as I'm currently running on XP.

Cheers