Is DP8 faster on a PC than on a Mac?

[Sergievsky]

"Is DP faster on PC?" YES!!
"Is it really?" I don't know! & I don't care! Just go along with it so hoards of PC users swarm to DP so our user base gets even bigger! Which translates to a healthier Motu which translates to a healthier DP and support!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

In which case: I hear DP is so fast on PC that you need to install seat beats on your work chair.

[cuttime]

So when he has to decide if he wants to "trash preferences" vs. "edit registry", we'll see.

[NazRat]

So when he has to decide if he wants to "trash preferences" vs. "edit registry", we'll see.

Preferences on the PC are located in ~\AppData\Local\MOTU\Digital Performer\Preferences, so no registry editing involved. Most of the cross platform stuff I've seen uses similar folder/directory structures.

[cuttime]

So when he has to decide if he wants to "trash preferences" vs. "edit registry", we'll see.

Preferences on the PC are located in ~\AppData\Local\MOTU\Digital Performer\Preferences, so no registry editing involved. Most of the cross platform stuff I've seen uses similar folder/directory structures.

Good call Naz, I stand corrected.

[Sergievsky]

yeah, see?! DP-PC is da BOMB!!

[James Steele]

MOTU just put up a new video on Facebook with Chad going into more detail on his system. He says he built PCs for years as a kid.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201859204944575

"In my opinion, PCs are just faster than Macs. They've got faster buss speeds, SATA speeds, better RAM performance."

[Michael Canavan]

I know it's MOTU's marketing that decides these things, but I don't think it's a wise choice to edit an interview on someone's new Windows setup with so much "IMO" diatribe focusing on the OS instead of DP. The "OS wars" conversation is old and tired.

[James Steele]

I know it's MOTU's marketing that decides these things, but I don't think it's a wise choice to edit an interview on someone's new Windows setup with so much "IMO" diatribe focusing on the OS instead of DP. The "OS wars" conversation is old and tired.

Agreed. I know they're trying to woo PC users into the fold, but I think they need to be more diplomatic and avoid the appearance of knocking the Mac. It's a tad unsettling to see that kind of thing in an official video from a company that built itself around the Mac.

[Dan Worley]

Now I know why I missed those five deadlines.

[dewdman42]

yep, agree with you both. Well they are wanting to attract lots of PC users.....so bring it. Let's get everyone in love with DP. Although this ad may unnecessarily downplay Apple hardware, it definitely makes no mistake that Chad is very happy running a very massive setup on a single PC using DP. I noticed his little endorsement for Windows8, and I know several people holding out on Windows7 for decent reasons...so some of this is planned out posturing. Its nice to hear though he is able to do massive projects on DP for windows, hopefully lots of PC users will join the Motu ranks..it will bring DP much more onto the map for a lot of people that don't know much about it today.

I am interested in one thing he said though and I seriously want to know if its true. He said that PC's have faster bus speeds, faster SATA, etc and I'd like to know if that is really true.

I mean for either platform, most of us are not actually running on the very top of the line hardware...so for the vast majority of us, we could move from platform to the other and get comparable hardware....disregarding price difference of course.

But at the very top end....is PC hardware slightly ahead of the very top Mac hardware? Realize we are talking about very expensive systems here that most of us cannot afford or justify really anyway so its mostly a moot point, but I would just like to know if the PC side is in some way slightly ahead of the game in terms of the very top hardware and also what is the price difference when you get into that top level stuff?

My own observation is that generally speaking you can indeed get more bang for the buck with PC's, but not as much more as some would like to say and there are still many advantages to OSX. Its really more of a question about whether you're willing to pay a premium for it.

But I admit, the main reason I came to OSX to begin with was to run DP. However now that I've gotten into OSX, I cannot imagine going back to editing the registry or reinstalling windows once a year, as I used to have to do. Everything about MacOS I find more enjoyable and easier to deal with, all the way down to the shell scripting I sometimes do. Having CoreAudio built in, CoreMidi with IAC built in, with MIDI timestamping, built it, etc.. There are many advantages. In my mind the main advantages of windows has always been that there are a few programs and plugins that are only available for windows, and if they are important to you then its frustrating to be on a mac. And its more expensive for comparable hardware.

[Shooshie]

Macs are plenty fast enough, and PCs are not Macs. Windows is not OS X.

Don't forget that when we switched to Intel architecture, we basically switched to a PC. The difference is that we run OS X. The difference between OS X and Windows is like the difference between DP and Cubase. They both get the job done. One of them, however, is actually pleasant to use.

Theoretically, using DP should be the same experience on either OS. If we're here to support DP, we'd do it best by not pitting the OS's against each other.

The speed of either machine is dependent on how much you spend and how you configure it. How much is enough? Are you getting your work done? Then your machine is fast enough.

Shooshie

[bayswater]

But at the very top end....is PC hardware slightly ahead of the very top Mac hardware? Realize we are talking about very expensive systems here that most of us cannot afford or justify really anyway so its mostly a moot point, but I would just like to know if the PC side is in some way slightly ahead of the game in terms of the very top hardware and also what is the price difference when you get into that top level stuff?

That would be likely. You have to buy a Mac that Apple figures they can sell to a lot of people and add only compatible options. You can build a one-of PC with whatever you want. Once or twice a year Ars Technica build a low, medium and high end PC from parts. The high end model is done with no compromise (other than the OS which has to be Windows), and they often cost well over $20K, even before the really over the top options are added.

As for bang for the buck, I don't know. If you look at the things Ars builds, the low and medium end models they put together, they don't look like they'd do as well as a Mini or basic iMac, but they usually cost more.

[dewdman42]

PC's don't have that many options though actually. There are various motherboards currently available, some will have the latest greatest technology that cost mint, some will be using caches, buses and cpu sockets from last year or the year before. Most people are using something from last year or the year before. I suspect most Apple hardware is slightly behind the curve also, but then again, who buys the latest greatest anyway? All the ram will be more expensive too at the latest bus speeds.

Then there are the latest CPU's to choose from, also pricy for the latest and greatest. one thing though, on PC's you can overclock and that is not to be underestimated for those that are willing.

The funny thing is, no matter what you buy, if you buy top of the line, middle of the line or whatever....you'll probably be using it a few years and in a year or less it will already be out dated by something else...apple or not.....so...its kind of silly to worry about. Get a machine that has enough juice and be happy with it for as long as you can.

mac Mini's are today quite good for the price and considering their awesome form factor I personally would buy one intentionally even to run windows! hehe But make no mistake, for the same cash you can build a PC with 30% more horsepower, especially after some mild over clocking. That claim is not without merit. I just don't like that general blanket statement that "PC's are faster". Bah...

[Michael Canavan]

At the begining of the switch to x86 it was based on Intel, if a new chip was coming out the Mac Pro would have it first. In between upgrades to the line PC's would be faster. Then Intel hit a wall with the Xeon chips and Apple has ever since decided not to play the speed game, well that may be coming again when the new Mac Pro comes out.

Mostly though, it's not an issue of OS, but of SSDs, CPU's etc.