I am a PC user looking at changing over to a simple Mac system.

I have been using a fast PC desktop, Cubase 5, with a Firebox, and more recently a TC Electronic Desktop Konnekt 6 (which sounds fine for my uses), along with a Rode NTK.

Now, I want to downgrade a tad. Move to Mac, and to a slightly portable system.

It will be mostly for recording demo vocals (and mixtape tracks), I am looking at going on the road (slowly) and recording people I have met on the net (to do a fun free mixtape release - but obviously reasonably decent quality)

I dont want a laptop (cost issues). And I do want to go with a Mac.

So I was looking at a Mac Mini:
APPLE 2011 Mac Mini (MC815) Special -i5 2.3GHz 8GB Ram (2x4GB) 500GB OS X Lion

Along with a Apogee One (inbuilt mic)

Now, being a from a PC background, I am in very foreign land - will these pair up?
Is the combo going to work? Will the Mac Mini have enough power?

Also, anyone had experience recording aggressive vocals on a Apogee One (I can only find singing demos using the unit online).. will need a pop disk, but with that, will the One handle it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Why not go fully portable for recording with e.g. a Zoom H1 or H2? If a Mac runs the mixing software you prefer, so be it. You know all the arguements.

I want to use the mac mini for other normal computing also..

So after further reading, it seems they all link up ok.

Just wish I could find a One demo with some louder/popping/yelling vox to listen to..

Edited by Brad Deville (01/06/12 01:10 AM)

There is a tasty review here of said device . A lot of answers to your questions there. Nice device BTW!

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Why not go fully portable for recording with e.g. a Zoom H1 or H2?

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My first thought, too. I have the H4n and it can be used together with the mac, like a regular soundcard. Works without installing a driver, also after upgrading to lion (apogee took a couple of months to update their drivers...). Same latency. It has a stereo mic and two XLR inputs. So, why not buy something that can do a lot more than Apogee One, works on all computers, but also can record and layer tracks without a computer? Using Cubase, you could use the more powerful computer and the laptop without hassle. The Apogee devices confine you, but sound great.

I also have a Duet and use it all the time in my studio, but for travelling and recording my concerts I usually bring the H4n.

On instruments, the H4n sounds amazing. I haven't tried it on vocals, though.

Hi, I'm using the One with a Macbook pro and i am totally happy, mostly even with the built in condenser mike.
It is not a stereo recording device, but i consider the audio quality to be brilliant. So you could go for Mini+One or mini+a portable stereo recorder, as mentioned. I can imagine that although the portability of the Apogee thing is limited, the sound quality may be superior. You might also consider the Apogee MiC, which is a larger condenser mike to be used with either an ipad/iphone or a mac computer. In both cases you might consider a windshield if want to directly capture a close miked vocal, to prevent any popping noise.
Regards, welcome to the mac,
Frank Valet

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Macbook Pro C2D, 2,5Ghz, 4gb RAM, Mac Os 10.6.8 750gb int HD, AMT 8, Metric Halo 2882-2d, td-12 V-Drums+Real Drums, Logic Pro 9, Melodyne 3, Live 8, Mikes and a Voice

Although the mac mini is small and portable you would still need to carry around the screen + mouse and keyboard, a laptop or a field recorder would be much more portable and can run from batteries.

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http://www.williammorrismusic.com

Quote Will_m:

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Although the mac mini is small and portable you would still need to carry around the screen + mouse and keyboard, a laptop or a field recorder would be much more portable and can run from batteries.

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You speak the truth. A MacBook pro is the right choice. Wait until the new ones are out in a week or two though..

After buying and trying, remember this: The mac mini should be silent when it's not working hard. If it's not, you should complain and have it replaced in the store. I didn't, but I should have done it. Most of them are very silent.

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I think I am going to bite the bullet and grab a Mac Mini & Apogee One.

I had a play recording some vocals with one over the weekend. Did the trick!

I don't want a laptop.
The Mac Mini is perfect (by portable, I don't need ultimate portability out on the streets -
I can use other artists screen/keyboard etc.. as we will be recording in their homes).

Thanks!

Quote Brad Deville:

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The Mac Mini is perfect (by portable, I don't need ultimate portability out on the streets -
I can use other artists screen/keyboard etc.. as we will be recording in their homes).

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Don't rely too much on this. People aren't going to want to dismantle their systems. And a lot of them will only own laptops anyway. I think you may have got locked into the idea of a Mac Mini without completely working out if it suits your purpose.

Quote Exalted Wombat:

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Quote Brad Deville:

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The Mac Mini is perfect (by portable, I don't need ultimate portability out on the streets -
I can use other artists screen/keyboard etc.. as we will be recording in their homes).

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Don't rely too much on this. People aren't going to want to dismantle their systems. And a lot of them will only own laptops anyway. I think you may have got locked into the idea of a Mac Mini without completely working out if it suits your purpose.

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A stopped clock tells the time twice a day, and in this case womb is right. A laptop is by far the right solution here.

screens are available, thats not an issue.. plus thats the only thing ill need, will travel with keyboard, mouse etc.

the main thing with this system was to limit myself. sounds weird.
i want to be able to record, tweak the vocals, light mix and upload.

im done pissing about with cubase, spending endless houses playing with plugins, mixing...
and i never end up putting out any music. just how it is.

i thought garageband and the apogee one would work for me in this sense.
plus being slightly portable..

Quote Brad Deville:

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screens are available, thats not an issue.. plus thats the only thing ill need, will travel with keyboard, mouse etc.

the main thing with this system was to limit myself. sounds weird.
i want to be able to record, tweak the vocals, light mix and upload.

im done pissing about with cubase, spending endless houses playing with plugins, mixing...
and i never end up putting out any music. just how it is.

i thought garageband and the apogee one would work for me in this sense.
plus being slightly portable..

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Well possibly, but I don't think your music finishing problems are purely down to the choice of platform. For portability you can't beat a macbook pro. The battery lasts ages, the screen is amazing, its very light and very powerful. If you are going to be moving about then you need one, not a mini.

thanks guys, all that aside,

the Mac Mini 2.3GHz DC 8GB 500GB (i5) will handle me recording say 10 tracks of vocals (not all at once), then putting some mixing effects on said vocals, and having a little mixdown?

no stuttering? can handle all the effects on the different tracks and playing back etc..

(sorry im mac illiterate, just dont want to buy something that wont handle it.
also to answer the Macbook debate above, the Mac Mini is 2/3rds the price here, so thats
me spending 900 as opposed to 1600.. id rather save the money, i have a screen etc..

Yes the Mac Mini will be fine for recording that amount of stuff and more.

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

The Apogee One is very portable, maybe too portable? Is it unlikely that you might like to record two sound sources at once, or record anything in stereo? Or record anything through an amp and a line input? If not, then go for the One. I have the duet, and the two input tracks are perfect for my needs.

Without wanting to drag the whole mac mini vs macbook thing too much further(!), even a 2008 / 2009 Macbookpro can easily handle upwards of 10 tracks plus fx. Probably more like 30+. If I were you I'd look on ebay for one of those - might be quite a few people upgrading to the new model and selling their older (but still perfectly capable) machine.