What Operating System?

[john]

Hey

Thought I'd start a poll to see what operating systems are being used for music creation... check all that apply!

If you think I have missed an important OS then subscribe to the topic, drop a post in reply with your suggestion, then you will be automatically updated once the choice is added so that you can cast/revise your vote.

Cheers

John

[Steve]

XP pro for me. I find it to be very stable.

[Roflcopter]

Oh, I'd go for Win 7 64 on my next machine, not much doubt there - will need all the RAM I can cram onto that mobo for After Effects CS5 when I upgrade. (16-24 gigabytes would be nice)

Bit surprised there's more people using Win7 64 than 32 bit, knowing about problems with drivers using old gear etc - you'd think musicians were still a bit wary about technical incompatibilities. Guess most problems there are more or less solved, by now, or else they all got new gear too?

[john]

hey

It's possible that people are taking the leap to get the extra RAM? Faced with the choice of a upgrading to a new operating system, perhaps it is simply in for a penny, in for a pound....

Cheers

John

[Retrosaurus Rex]

The 3.2GB memory barrier was a major factor for me in making the leap to 64-bit.

[MikeRobinson]

Most operating systems (and hardware) today is built to take advantage of 64-bit architectures, since memory has become dirt-cheap now. There's always a good reason to keep up with fairly recent software and equipment.

But... "which operating system?" That depends entirely upon the software that you want to run, and (if you have a choice, given that...) your own personal preference.

The operating system is the horse. The goodies are in the cart. The reason for the horse ... is the cart. (And the reason for the cart is the music!!)

Myself? I cheated. Look around me in my little cubbyhole and you'll find an example of Windows and OS/X and Linux. It so happens that I'm a computer programmer by trade and I therefore actually use all three on a very regular basis. Each system is there, nonetheless, for a particular purpose, and that's exactly what should drive your decision-making, too. Buy what does the job you want it to do, and (if possible) that does it in a way that you like.

Edited May 28, 2010 by MikeRobinson

[john]

good points Mike

I had to make my laptop dual boot win7 64 and XP Pro 32 due to the stability issues I was having when using VST instruments. A pain in the ass but at least it works... and I keep up with trends by always being able to switch back to Windows 7 64 bit as and when it becomes stable (I can test it on a regular basis)

Going through the exercise I can say that when it comes to a PC for music, nothing beats a PC that is dedicated for music creation.

[MikeRobinson]

good points Mike

I had to make my laptop dual boot win7 64 and XP Pro 32 due to the stability issues I was having when using VST instruments. A pain in the ass but at least it works... and I keep up with trends by always being able to switch back to Windows 7 64 bit as and when it becomes stable (I can test it on a regular basis)

Going through the exercise I can say that when it comes to a PC for music, nothing beats a PC that is dedicated for music creation.

When we use computers as virtual synthesizers, as we do, we are definitely "pushing at the limits" of our gear. It is actually quite reasonable (although unpleasant...) that a 32-bit to 64-bit transition would likely cause problems for something like a VST.

I therefore heartily agree that you want to have a dedicated hardware/software environment that you can use for this intended purpose, but otherwise leave studiously untouched. "Unmolested by the winds of change."

Microsoft eventually will make Win7 happen ... they're good, smart people (some of the very best in the business, actually), and of course, they have no choice. But it is going to be a rocky road for Windows users. (It's actually not a paper-smooth ride for anyone. It is a big change.)

[Roflcopter]

Good thing I am not making music on a Nintendo...

Quote:

The 128-bit era is sometimes known as the "Handheld Era" and the "Nostalgia Era."

[FinnArild]

re-voted

[BigBubbaBrown]

Linux for direct MIDI input since Vista won't support the MIDI port on my sound card anymore, but since I've started hosting my own site I have to use scoring software on Windows to keep the site running.

[IKObi]

Rocking an i7 870 with Win 7 64 and 16 gb of ram. Rock solid with 3.1 ms latency.

[Steve]

Amiga A1200. Workbench 3.0

[Retrosaurus Rex]

Amiga A1200. Workbench 3.0

Old skool, yo!

[TapperMike]

If your sound card isn't supported you can still use asio4all As well steinberg has released a new asio driver which deals with many of the problems associated with windows. (multiple programs all wanting access to the sound driver) The link escapes me.

Some hosts and software limit your ability to access different drivers. They only give you wmd (windows media diver/direct x) or asio.

I've always experienced problems with asio using two host environments at the same time. Oddly everyone tells me asio is faster but I've gotten very very fast and stable results with windows media driver.

Most newer software has bridges for 32 to 64 or 64 to 32 bit compatiblitiy. The one thing 98 shines is "stream from disk" which wasn't adapted in vista or windows 7. This drove me insane. I kissed away so many great sound libraries

[crossthenoughts]

BFD2.0 + Trillian and I pretty much hit that 3.2gig ceiling without loading anything else, still waiting for Ableton to go 64 bit.......

[Just1L]

I bought my Mac for all of my graphic design work never even thinking about recording music. It was only after I realized Garage Band was on there and could record me playing that I started playing guitar again and trying to record music. I know Garage Band isn't all that great but it's what got me started.

[socrates]

Hi John! Great topic... Would you consider including iOS to the list? Lots of great iPad/iPhone apps out there for on-the-fly music creation and even some pretty power ones available as well. I use GarageBand & Fire Studio on there pretty often. You've also got great apps like Figure that are handy idea generators or quick beat creators.

[Retrosaurus Rex]

Interesting point. When this poll was created 2 years ago (!?!) nobody took mobile platforms seriously for music creation, in fact, few were aware that it could be possible. However, with the increasing ubiquity of smart phones & tablets, a lot of companies are jumping on the bandwagon, and even prioritizing mobile over the modern 64-bit environment (I'm lookin' at you, Amplitube...).

[Rudi]

I tried with Mac osX and also Windows 98. I wasted a wedge of money trying to get 98 working, but was compelled to give up on both.

 

I doubt I will try again.