Windows vs. Mac recording
Last night I was recording a gig for a client, and it was the first time I'd used a Windows laptop for mobile recording. We'd recorded dozens of podcasts and events with Macs with nary a hitch before that, using otherwise identical hardware and software. Naturally, about an hour and 20 minutes into the recording, everything went haywire for no good reason, and the client lost the final 20 minutes of the program. We'll have to give them a discount on the rate we originally agreed to.
Moral: don't use Windows.
Perhaps "don't use a platform you're not sure of" would be better advice. Sam (of The Bear's Grove) and I always record on Windows, with no ill effects.
Cyn
http://fibrantliving.com/
http://technomom.com/
http://cynthiaarmistead.com/
Posted on October 31, 2006 - 3:10pm
I used Windows machines for about 10 years (and Linux full-time for about a year) before switching to Macs about two years ago, and still use them at work, so I am plenty familiar with them. I've built PCs and installed various versions of Windows and Linux more times than I can count.
It's entirely possible that Audacity is just less stable on Windows, or that the USB preamp failed independently of the OS. But it's also possible that Windows had a hand in it. I've never had a problem with Audacity or the preamp when used on a Mac previously.
We're planning to get a high-quality field recorder soon and hope to record events like that without a computer soon anyway, but I think it's fair to tell people about my experience.
Posted on October 31, 2006 - 3:22pm
Yes, but how often did you record using Windows machines? That's a different thing.
I don't think Windows, Macintosh or Linux machines are perfect - and I, too, have used all three. All of them can be used quite well for a variety of tasks. I just wouldn't use any of the above while doing something for a client unless I was very, very familiar with doing that particular task on that platform. If I did it and had a problem, I certainly wouldn't blame the platform.
Cyn
http://fibrantliving.com/
http://technomom.com/
http://cynthiaarmistead.com/
Posted on October 31, 2006 - 8:26pm
The procedure for recording is no different on a Windows machine than it is on a Mac. It did fine for about an hour and 20 minutes. Then it went haywire (undecipherable sound) without any intervention from me. It was either a hardware or a software failure.
Criticize me if you'd like for going into the field with unproven equipment, but this isn't a perfect world and sometimes there isn't any choice (like when you have to give back a borrowed Powerbook and almost immediately afterward are asked to record an event). The fact remains that this equipment (a modern IBM Centrino laptop with 2GB RAM that's only about six months old) didn't do the job, and I have reason to believe the platform is to blame given past experience with an otherwise identical set-up.
Posted on November 1, 2006 - 12:09am