cmon give amd a break!(jK). big issue w em is the heat and fan noise... which is a huge issue in a studio, but these can be overcome. It used to be true that you would encounter issues with amd vs intel but that's all changed with new architecture.
afa - go to a studio... most of them use a pc or mac nowadays. yeah, a good sound engineer can be a great asset... don't get me wrong... but you'll never get that 'it was in my head at 3 am and I sat down and had the best take ever' at the commercial studio, + no pressure, + you own it and can use it as long as you like. both have there ups and downs. I've heard plenty of pro studio recordings that suck and plenty of home studio recordings that rock...
afa specific software... check out cakewalk... the one thing it has going for it is an easier user interface: and for a beginner that's gonna be the big limitation.
afa - go to a studio... most of them use a pc or mac nowadays. yeah, a good sound engineer can be a great asset... don't get me wrong... but you'll never get that 'it was in my head at 3 am and I sat down and had the best take ever' at the commercial studio, + no pressure, + you own it and can use it as long as you like. both have there ups and downs. I've heard plenty of pro studio recordings that suck and plenty of home studio recordings that rock...
afa specific software... check out cakewalk... the one thing it has going for it is an easier user interface: and for a beginner that's gonna be the big limitation.