[ddots-l] Re: Mac support for CakeTalking and Sonar
- From: Bryan Smart <bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:06:13 -0400
Don't think I could have said it better. *smile*
Right now, for a blind person that wants to do as much as possible with a DAW,
it's either Sonar on Windows, or Pro Tools on a Mac. Other options are
available, some at low cost or free, but most of them either are missing lots
of features that are in the pro packages, or else the accessibility, while
workable, isn't complete in all areas.
It's also important to keep in mind that, while Pro Tools is accessible, the
learning curve is far beyond Sonar. If you're planning to work in commercial
facilities, then Pro Tools is a good way to go. If you're trying to record your
own material, then you'll get further, faster, with Sonar. Sonar also will run
on relatively inexpensive Windows PCs. A good starter Pro Tools system, with
appropriately outfitted iMac, external gear (basic audio interface and control
surface), and software will start around $4,000 - $5,000. More professional
systems, with a Mac Pro, typically cost $7,000 and up. Of course Pro Tools HD
systems, used by commercial facilities, can cost anywhere from $20,000 to over
$100,000.
Bryan
-----Original Message-----
From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of D!J!X!
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 1:15 PM
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: Mac support for CakeTalking and Sonar
In terms of results, you could accomplish the same thing with either program,
which is record and make your music. The reason why pro tools is always talked
about and well known is because you could say it is the industry standard for
studios, schools and music professionals. But doesn't really mean much, unless
you'll be interacting with other studios, then you would find a way to have
projects be exchangeable between sonar and pt. The reason why pro tools became
the standard was because it was by far the best recording software on the mac.
The mac became the standard for video recording/editing, audio production,
graphics design etc, because macs by nature and due to apple's limited and
close production with their hardware vendors run smooth. In the apple world,
Steve Jobs says what goes in what will be allowed and what won't. You see it
with the IPhone, IPad, and virtually any apple product. Due to this limited
production model, macs run smoothly. Unlike the pc's where you can have
chipsets made by various manufacturers, components are made by various
companies, the line for errors in a pc system is greater because you have a
greater chance of getting 2 components in a system that don't work well
together, or that will cause bottlenecks etc. This is the only reason that macs
are prefered, and of yes there is some truth to the fact that they are more
stable software wise, but that is in part due to the unix platform (something
that we'll leave there in order to keep the post from getting too much into the
computer science side of things), and because again, windows OS has to be
written with various vendors and components in mind and so much other crap, as
where the apple OS is written for that specific hardware and those specific
components. Windows also has to deal with the legacy issue, where people expect
their 10 year old printer to work with the new windows7. This is why a lot of
code on windows has to be kept, despite it's aging conditions. On the mac, if
the new OS doesn't work with your system or a certain program etc, you just
don't upgrade the OS, or if you do upgrade, you lose that hardware or software
and live without it. Those who are use to this way of things and apple's way
are fine with it, they live with it and move on; Microsoft tries to move on and
leave things behind and the world goes bolistic! Also remember that third
parties (the companies who make your software and/or hardware) have to do their
part and write what we know as drivers or patch updates or upgrades to keep
things working.
This is the main reason why things are the way they are in the computing world.
It's a lot of myths that have been thrown out there, and that people just
assume to be real or take as facts without doing the proper research. The fact
is that you can produce equally good music on proTools or Sonar, or Cuase for
that matter, hek why not even reaper, audacity or NTrack studio. You just need
the tools to do it and learn your software in and out and upside down; get
conftable in the environment you're going to be working in and take off!
In the pc side of things, sonar for us is the best solution at the moment when
it comes to accessibility; you have 2 accessibility packages that can give you
excellent access to various versions and editions of Sonar. Some are also using
Cubase, and depending on your needs other software is coming along that can be
accessed by window eyes and/or jaws. From what i worked with and heard from
others, pro tools on the pc is a definite no go, not accessible, and of course
who knows when digidesign will get around to it; they place priority on the mac
version because that's obviously where the meat and potatos is at. You could
get a custom built DAW on the windows platform that will run smoothly and give
you outstanding performance with sonar, and you can be just as efective as a
producer who uses a mac and pro tools, assuming of course that you know what
you're doing and have taken the time to learn sonar and suck the juice out of
it!
With a custom build you don't have to worry about issues with the system or
bottlenecks or non-working equipment etc. We system builders spend hours
testing, troubleshooting, configuring, optimizing, retesting, troubleshooting,
purchasing different hardware, making diferent configurations etc, so that we
can build the ultimate system; you don't have to worry about all that: putting
the components together, installing delicate stuff like processors, working in
the bios, risking screwing up the pc, working in the windows registry and with
various command prompts etc, you just get the computer from us, turn it on,
install whatever (if not already installed), and get to working!
Pro tools on the mac should be coming out with a more accessible version that
we hopefully can use, and apple should hopefully be getting an accessible
version of logic if not already out, (Bryan Smart is the guy to ask on that
front).
Yes you can install windows on a separate partition of the intel macs and
launch it on something like boot camp etc, not sure how well that'll work, i've
never used it. I've seen it done and the system seems stable, but that wasn't
dealing with audio work and/or heavy and intensive processing software like a
daw.
So you do have options, you just need to balance it all and see where you want
to go with all of it. It's just not fair to say that 1 system is better than
the other, they are close, it's more about the user experience. This is like
the same old argument we had in music theory classes when i was in college,
about which composition software was better, finale or sibelius. It was a never
ending argument, and at the end both were equally as good, it all comes down to
what you are use to using and what are you best on.
HTH, D!J!X!
________________________________
From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Chelsea Dye
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 12:19 PM
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: Mac support for CakeTalking and Sonar
So is Pro Tools to the Mac what Sonar is to the PC? So I could either use a
Windows PC with Sonar, or a Mac with Pro Tools and get the same results? Just
trying to figure all this out. I'd eventually need a DAW--Mac or PC--for a
recording studeo, either my own or in a production studeo.
Thanks,
Chelsea
________________________________
From: Justin Kauflin <blindguy500@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: August 27, 2010 6:29 PM
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: Mac support for CakeTalking and Sonar
Chelsea,
I believe that since Dancing Dots works mainly with Jaws and software that
runs in the Windows environment, the Mac won't do you much good unless you are
running Windows in Boot Camp on the Mac. This is actually what I'm doing now.
I ended up getting a Mac because of the new accessibility features of Pro Tools
and wanted to have the best of both worlds. If your not interested in messing
with Pro Tools, and were looking for a dedicated work station, you might be
better off getting a Windows machine running Jaws.
Hope that helps some,
Justin
On Aug 27, 2010, at 3:00 PM, Chelsea Dye wrote:
Hi list,
I'm considering getting a Mac, and was wondering what support is
available for Dancing Dots products. Also, can Braille displays such as the one
that is part of the Pac Mate work with Macs?
Thanks,
Chelsea
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