Recording Software for Windows

Pastasauce · Post by **Pastasauce** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:50 am

I'm potentially moving from an older iMac to a newer Windows laptop. My wife needs a laptop for her studies this year, and our iMac was feeling a bit slow anyway. I was considering stretching to a 15" Macbook but I'm not convinced the extra cost is worth it. (Not wanting to start a Mac vs PC war... I use products by both and like tech stuff in general).

Does anyone know of any decent recording software for Windows?

We were using Garageband before, but I have no idea about similar Windows programs. Some light googling tells me there isn't really a mirror to Garageband for Windows but I do see people mentioning things like Mixcraft and Audacity.

Thoughts?

sopachrga · Post by **sopachrga** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:54 am

Audacity is a bit basic, I'd look at reaper or Mixcraft.

Reaper is free and pretty decent for basic needs.

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:00 pm

reaper.its the same on windows and pc.

Pastasauce · Post by **Pastasauce** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:03 pm

Reaper looks like the ticket. Thanks.

bender · Post by **bender** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:05 pm

Another vote for Reaper here. If I was to switch away from Pro Tools that's probably where I'd end up.

slash-ed · Post by **slash-ed** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:06 pm

Here's my vote... http://www.nzguitars.com/forum/search.p ... g+software

Conway · Post by **Conway** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:10 pm

Pastasauce wrote:I'm potentially moving from a brilliant iMac to a Windoze laptop.

Insanity!

hamo · Post by **hamo** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:08 pm

Conway wrote:
Pastasauce wrote:I'm potentially moving from a brilliant iMac to a Windoze laptop.
Insanity!

The only insanity is in the quote edits...

Post by **Capt. Black** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:28 pm

There's not enough choice amongst macs... I think the Pasta needs something more to agonise over when he is weighing his purchase options.

Pastasauce · Post by **Pastasauce** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:33 pm

Actually there is TOO much choice with Macs. I've spent way to long putting together different upgrade options in the Apple Store. Unfortunately to get anything resembling the specs of the Windows laptop my wife bought there's a roughly $700-1000 Apple tax.

I loved our iMac (though it is getting long in the tooth) but that's too much for me!

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:47 pm

well using the apple store is your first mistake-i upped my Imac to 16g of ram for 140 bucks on trade me,apple would have charged 3x that for the same item....

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:49 pm

and i'll add i've had less than a handful of crucial crashes since i switched.no way i'd go back to windoze.

but as you were.

Pastasauce · Post by **Pastasauce** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 1:58 pm

Kris wrote:well using the apple store is your first mistake-i upped my Imac to 16g of ram for 140 bucks on trade me,apple would have charged 3x that for the same item....

iMacs are by far the best value computers from Apple, I reckon. But we need a laptop, for various reasons. And the 13" ones are too small for me, especially coming from a 21.5" iMac. 15" is the minimum.

So, while admittedly I'm being quite specific, I can have a 15.6" Window 8 laptop with a Core i5 processor, 8gb of RAM, 1TB of hard drive space and a 2gb discreet graphics card for around $1370. I can add in a 23" screen for the study and I'm still sitting at just over $1600.

The entry level 15" Macbook Pro is $2600, and it has half the RAM, half the hard drive space, and a quarter of the graphics card capability. It does have a Core i7 which would make a difference, and of course it's a beautiful machine. I like OS X a lot too, so there's that.

But that's quite literally twice the price. If someone wanted to give me a 15" Retina Macbook Pro, I'd take it any day of the week, but in real life a PC makes more sense right now. Especially with a family, and especially since I'm not doing any hardcore video or graphics work. I bought the iMac when I was younger and less responsible, with some money my Grandma left me anyway.

Post by **Capt. Black** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:28 pm

Still, windows.

rickenbackerkid · Post by **rickenbackerkid** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:35 pm

I’d just get a 13’ MBP and a big screen for desk use . . .

NZGuitars.com : Filling you with GAS since 2003