Ableton Forum

Hey guys, I'm ready to make the jump into Ableton and I had a couple of different questions.

Does it make a difference what OS system you run ableton on? Like a Mac or PC?

I prefer Mac since I already own one, but if they run "amazingly better omgomg" on PC, then I might consider on buying a new PC.

Can some of you guys post your systems specs so I can get an idea of what everyone else is doing?

What other devices do you have connected to your system? I want to produce electronic music, so a keyboard is a must and maybe a microphone. Maybe even a Monome?

Thanks everyone and I look forward to seeing your responses!

You can always try the demo on your computer

I'm not going to touch the PC vs Mac because in the end it comes down to hardware that makes or breaks the arguments.

I will always run any software that is power hungry on a desktop over a laptop. Laptop hardware needs to be dialed back so heat will not be an issues due to poor air circulation.

Done the demo, so basically what you guys are saying is it doesn't matter as long as the system meets minimal requirements to run the program? K, cool.

It should at least exceed the minimum requirements because there is other things taking up computer resources - operation system, other programs, etc.

If you're going to run Live on a laptop I'd recommend having a laptop dedicated to Live and optimised for audio production (e.g. no wifi, no unnecessary programs, etc.).

And, without getting into the PC vs Mac thing (I can't speak for Mac), Windows XP seems to be the best PC option.

Check out the performance test thread. Should give you an idea of how Live will perform on your system.

Personally, I've never had any trouble running Live on anything, using any operating system. As long as the computer is relatively modern and multicore, you should be good to go.