Is a Virus TI for me?

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by ttoxique

I really, really don't know why I won't use softsynths. Maybe getting a dedicated softsynth MIDI controller would help as opposed to clicking and tweaking knobs, but there's still something in my subconscious that doesn't like that.

I have to have knobs to tweak. I have a Novation MIDI controller, and sometimes use Automap (comes with it), which makes it easy to map your knobs so that they function the same for each synth. Sometimes in haste I just use the DAW's controller link feature to map whatever parameter I want to tweak to the mod wheel, and do it one at a time. Zebra has some live mode X-Y pads that might change the way you feel about how useful a mouse can be in this scenario, although admittedly I dont use it much.
In short though, you can definately still keep your hands on the music keyboard & knobs instead of the computer the same way you would with hardware.

About the single-core Mac... well there's a reason I'm still PC based... Every time I look at the cost of a Mac that's in the same league as my PC, I am horrified. Usually Apple doesn't even offer the latest and greatest processors, and they are dodgy on their website about actual specs ("oh don't worry, its a 2.8ghz quad core but we reserve the right to not tell you exactly which Intel model CPU it is"), which stinks because not all CPUs with equal cores and equal clock speed perform the same.