For over twenty years I’ve been a diehard Mac user. Windows machines just weren’t as good. The only person who succeeded in getting me to switch to the “dark side” is Les Bateman. The MusicXPC computer I got from him just works-no driver incompatibilities, no software weirdness, no arcane interface commands, unbelievably fast processor speeds, drive space for days and a software recovery program that I frankly wish my top of the line Mac G5 had. Les has supercharged and tweaked my machine so well that the Windows music software I use performs flawlessly. It’s fast! I spend more time writing and no time trying to figure out why my damn computer doesn’t work. Did I mention it was fast? It’s frankly amazing. Dare I say it? My MusicXPC is better than my Mac! I’m now resigned to running both computer universes.

In my life, I can only say I’ve met one genius and that’s Les. Watching him work on a computer is like watching a brilliant orchestra conductor. He’s able to wrangle all the disparate hardware and software into a unified musical whole. I can only stand back and watch admiringly. He incorporates the latest cutting edge technologies into his machines that I didn’t even know I needed-until I started using them. Now I can’t imagine working any other way. He’s my Yoda. Thanks Les.

Bruce Fowler
Television music composer/producer
Modular Music Inc.

My name is Eddie Bullen and I have been a producer for a number of years, in fact you could say that I have been using Steinberg products with an Atari Computer, from since 1985 -- 86 when it used to be Pro 24. Actually I purchased one from the very first batch that came into Canada. Needless to say I was very excited at the prospect of playing a instrument, then having your performance recorded by the computer and also making edit to the performance on a computer monitor. However I soon got to find out that it also had its challenges as well. The computer will be crashing in the middle of a great performance, and all sorts of other hills to get over. Then discovered the Mac classic which was very portable, but again challenges. I moved on to the Power Mac which was much better but not without its problems as well, then the G3 came along. So I decided to get my Power Mac update it to a G3. (Don't get me wrong the Mac served me well over the years that I was a user, but it just say it's alive there was always issues). So then the G4 came to the rescue and that was good for a couple of years, however with all the new plug-ins that was coming out at the time it was really taxing on the CPU. So I went shopping around to all different stores checking our prices and stats and trying to zero in on the exact one that will meet my needs. But then my assistant at the time recommended that I checked out the MusicXPC line of computers.

I must admit I was a bit cautious because this was a PC formats and I have heard horror stories in the industry. So I went in for a demonstration and was completely blown away by what the computer and what it was capable of doing, and in particular the attention to detail the technicians put into the MusicXPC, for music producers and arranges like myself. Needless to say I was hooked, I had to have one. That was three years ago and I have never had a problem with my MusicXPC. It is such a wonderful thing when you can go into your studio every morning push that power button and know that everything is safe and is going to boot up and work the way it's supposed to. Also the tech support is amazing it's so reassuring for me as a producer to have a concern about some technical issue and all I have to do is just whip off an e-mail the tech-support and in couple hours I can get my problems solved. About a month ago I picked up the MusicXPC laptop, so in my travels I am able to do anything that I will normally do in my studio, this makes me really happy. I will just like to give nuff props to the folks at MusicXPC. Keep up the great work.

Regards

Eddie Bullen

Hello Les, "Buying a MusicXPC means peace of mind because it performs flawlessly!". Actually "miraculiously" comes to mind. I've jammed Sonar, Sibelius, Garriton Personal Orchestra & samplers into my M2. From MIDI/Audio projects to full orchestral arranging (500+ measures per file) this M2 hasn't blinked an eye or flinched a muscle! Five Star all the way! To you Les and your entire staff and crew, thanks! Victor Ralys, Los Angeles CA

Hey Khai,

Thanks again to all of your help with my C2. I was actually quite amazed. Even though I had problems, you were very patient to wait it out over the phone and even send me the information the second time after I could not find the original. This is the best machine I have used to date, and I will continue to use it for a long time. It has been used for a lot of video and picture editing and it is way better than anything I have used. It's great for Pro Tools as well.

People often ask me how such a small box can be a good computer... And well, I don't have to say anything. I show them and let the computer do the talking. I have already, and will definitely keep on recommending Music XPC to everyone I know. The service is excellent!! Thanks again for making such a great product!!

Dallas Clifford
REGINA, SK, CANADA

My story is not one you’d conventionally see as a testimonial, but it proves what kind of company Music XPC is to work with when things DON’T go well. Not long after I got my C2, the audio hard drive failed. NOT a good start. Fortunately, I had backed up only days before and didn’t lose and crucial data. But, I was disappointed. Here was this new machine I had JUST purchased and already I’m having problems? I knew that Maxtor made the drive and not Music XPC, but still, it was tough.

The service, attention and support I got from Khai at Music XPC was above and beyond. He paid to have the drive shipped back to them and supplied me with a brand new replacement within a week. Not only that, he took a lot of time on the phone helping me properly remove the old drive, install the new one and make sure everything was configured properly. And once that was done, Khai checked in with me via email a few times just to make sure everything was going OK.

The S2 is quiet. Very quiet. It is at the heart of my studio. This box is optimized for audio production and has enough giddy-up in CPU and RAM resources to fly with NASA. Even with 400 Gigs of HD space, there is room for additional hard drives when that becomes a necessity. It’s basic premise of having separate drives for operating system, library, audio means these functions are now optimally utilized in the system. Talent and creativity are about the only things not included. I understand that qualified people are looking at that oversight.
Did I mention this thing is quiet?

Les Bateman designed and built this system and he is a one-of-a-kind. He’s meticulous in his attention to detail and considers caffeine a member of two major food groups. There is no real evidence that he sleeps at night anymore. Most importantly, his knowledge of computers is as vast as his knowledge of music production. Both are considerable. A conversation with Les about recording acoustic instruments is like a lesson with a master. He has designed and built systems for some of the top movers and shakers in the recording industry. If you ever get a chance, ask him about recording bands live-off-the-floor for TV shows in the late 60’s.

All in all, the S2 is a superbly designed system, built by a master craftsman. I'm very impressed with its performance.
Aubrey Agard

http://www.manmakingmusic.com

Dear MusicXPC

I thought I would let you know about a concern that I have with your system… It’s too easy! How can this be? No long hours of configuration, extreme frustration, or endless support phone calls trying to get your PC to work with my Digi002 board and ProTools LE system. No sub-par performance issues because of unknown tweaking secrets that I’d never be able to implement even if I were inclined to take the many hours to search them out. It was so easy that I thought that I did something wrong! I simply installed the software and plugged the board in and I’m up and running, no hassles. I can actually now do what I purchased the system for, use it and not spend all my time working on getting it to function properly!

Thank You,
Tony Parks
percussionist for TRUST

http://www.trust-theband.com

I have recently bought an S2 for my recording studio and I must say that it is the most amazing smooth, quiet running and fast computer I have ever used. I have a business associate that is running a Mac G5 dual processor and we bench tested his Mac against my new S2 and he is now thinking of getting an S2.
As an orchestrator, most of the time I am running 60 tracks of MIDI plus Audio all at the same time - so computing power is very important to me. As well I am running many heavy load plug-ins and I have yet to max out the CPU!

I would recommend this computer to all serious music composers and programmers. I also plan in the very near future to buy the laptop version of this amazing machine and also to buy another 2 or 3 S2's for my other music suites in my recording studio.

David Nelson
Composer/Arranger
Orchestral Illusions

Dear Les,

I would like to express my appreciation for the terrific service you recently provided on our MusicXPC S2 computer. You went “above and beyond” in not only repairing the system in such a short turnaround time, but restoring all the data from what appeared to be a dead drive. We totally rely on this machine as our primary studio computer and your tremendous customer service has demonstrated that we made the right choice in selecting the MusicXPC.

We will be recommending your products as the opportunities arise. Thanks so much for building a great PC and keeping as up and running.

Sincerely,

Geoff Bagg
President
Late Gig Productions

http://www.lategig.com

Dear Khai

Thanks for the excellent customer service provided by you and the MusicXPC team. It's one thing to claim you stand behind your product but something entirely different to actually see the words being backed up with action. Thanks again for an outstanding machine and for your quick response and solution when I needed it most. It's great to know I can stay focused on making music without being sidetracked with technical issues.

Great company - Great product!

Christopher Dykes

The C2 is a great machine! It's very quiet and runs like lightning. I am very, very impressed. We love it - it is the best platform for digital editing that we have ever used. It was worth every penny.

William Blakeney
Musicworks

After constantly suffering system crashes, read/write buffer speed problems, and overall pathetic plug-in performance with a business style PC for 2 years, I bought a MusicXPC computer. My MusicXPC has performed reliably, fast, and effectively right out of the box. When the hard drive failed, the technical support was impressive in that they immediately focused on troubleshooting the problem to its logical conclusion, which was to replace the hard drive. A new drive arrived a couple of days later and the PC has been working flawlessly. My MusicXPC has made recording fun again!

Joe Papa

Last year I purchased the Digi 002 rack and Pro Tools LE software. I hooked them up to my E*Machines P4 1.6 ghz machine. It couldn't handle it. On Digidesign's recommendation I purchased the Music XPC. It has worked very well. While using the E*Machines PC, every once in awhile, after extensive work on a recording, I will have to shut down and restart due to Pro Tools error messages. I have never had the MusicXPC freeze up on me and I have never lost any data due to computer error.

The extensive ports came in handy: I never thought I would fill up 3 FireWire and 4 USB ports, but I have! Also, the compact size comes in handy, and the quiet operation is nice as I do not have an isolation set-up for use with my condenser mic. Finally, when I did have a hardware problem with my CD drive, tech support was fast and courteous and sent me a replacement promptly and without hassle. I would definitely say I am happy with my purchase!

Gordon Kahan
Oakland, CA

I was glad i went PC rather than Mac with the Music XPC; this little thing has and does everything i want. The support is excellent, they have been there since my first steps, kinda like a second mother. My questions, concerns, and problems were well taken care of. Best of all, you can take it as a carry-on while traveling!"

thanks again



Roy

I was a Mac guy for 7 long years running Cubase from XT to VST32 5.0 r2. On my Mac, 3 to 4 crashes per day was average at best. This is from OS8.1 thru 9.2.2. Reluctantly, I decided to go PC. I eventually ended up with the MusicXPC, running SX 1.0.6 and I could not be happier, so far. (Touch wood….where’s my rabbit's foot ?) You buy it configured, tweaked and ready to rock. No muss no fuss. Buy it and "forget" about the computer and make music. I finally am.”

Dave Tkaczuk
D&D Music

http://www.d-dmusic.com

Hello MusicXPC

The MusicXPC computer I purchased from you is well designed and configured. What a switch from most other systems out there. I blast my way through music nirvana. You folks at MusicXPC have the best of the best and I would definitely purchase another system from you in the future when technology changes and the need arises. In regards to the other offerings out there, FORGET ABOUT IT! Every musician - amateur or pro - should own a MusicXPC. THIS BOX ROCKS!

Richard S
E-Flat Studios

When I buy a product from a company, I demand two things...respect towards the customer...and knowledgeable technical support.

After searching for "the Perfect Recording PC," I didn't know whether to purchase a stock computer, such as one at the electronics store, or get one custom made.

I also had a hard time deciding whether to go PC or Mac...

While looking at the DAW's website of my choice, I found a link that showed two options. One link was for people who were interested in the DAW, and the requirements to run it, along with the option on how to build a custom computer from scratch...the other was a list of recommended PC's that would run the DAW.

I looked at the link and noticed a company named MusicXPC.

I clicked the link. I read through everything that was on MusicXPC's website.

I read the FAQs, and the FAQ's really got me interested. Then I saw that the company was based in Canada...That was very scary...and almost a downfall, as I was afraid that eventually, after purchasing this "recording investment," I would be on my own, in term of hardware/technical support, and that I would have to handle all problems with the computer, should they ever arise, to a local computer technician, who would cost plenty of money to diagnose, and repair...and who knows if he could fix it!

Let me tell you something...MusicXPC, has one of the best customer support!

The support is very positive and respectful.

My biggest fear was going to pay the long-distance toll charge to Canada, back-and-forth, in exchange for technical support.

One of the technicians, who I emailed about a monitor issue, asked me for a "phone-number" and a "convenient time to call me."

I thought to myself, "Let's see if this companies really gonna call..." I've dealt with too many companies, music hardware related, where you would call them up, and they would try to get you off of the phone in the quickest way possible...

The technicians at MusicXPC are NOT AT ALL LIKE THAT!

One of the MusicXPC staff, Khai, called me the next day, and I asked him questions about the computer, the software, installation, CD's included in the box, and anything else that I could think of to make sure that I do everything right for me and to this computer!

I've talked to Khai, many times, and he IS the definition of what customer support SHOULD be!!...honest, patient and respectful toward the customer or future-client...

This makes me proud to purchase a MusicXPC computer. The computer is great! The support is great! What more can I say?

One more thing though...the computer is really, really, spoiling me, as I can't wait to wake up in the morning, turn on my computer, Load my DAW, import my audio files, and start mixing and having fun with the PC...I didn't think there was such a thing as the "Perfect Recording PC" but now MusicXPC has opened up my eyes and ears to a flawless digital recording PC!

And All I have to say is "Thank You!"..."Thank you MusicXPC, for a reliable, fast computer, and wonderful technical support."...and Khai..."Thank you personally, for being an honest friend, to all the customers who purchased a MusicXPC computer throughout the years." ...We need people like you, who are patient, when we have questions to ask, or thorough, when we have problems with our new purchase..."Please keep up the good work!"

All I can say now is "I'm very proud to own a MusicXPC computer, and I'm definitely glad about my new computer purchase!"

"Please...Keep up the good work over at MusicXPC!!!"

Just a quick note to let you know how pleased I am with the support you have provided. Hard drives do fail. And when my system drive did — at the worst possible time — you were there to guide me through the procedure for installing and preparing a new drive. Prompt response, pleasant courteous attention, and knowledgeable assistance are crucial at times like this, and your help made the “disaster” a lot easier to endure. I adore my little C-1 computer. It’s fast, incredibly quiet and “transparent,” allowing me to concentrate on the audio I’m editing and mixing, rather than on the machine I’m using in the process.



I’ve always maintained that, in this industry, as excellent as an item of equipment may be in terms of its operation, it is ultimately the quality of the people who back it up that makes the difference. In that and every other respect, MusicXPC is superb.

The MusicXPC S2 is great!! It's truly a pleasure to be able to work a session without worry if the machine will crash or freeze, etc...

Suggested upgrade: Can the MusicXPC serve dinner? As you can appreciate, working crazy hours on a session makes it very difficult to step away. Just a thought. :-)

Take care,
Gary C. Huff
NYC, NY

http://www.garyhuff.com

MusicXPC is the ULTIMATE Recording Package on the PC Market. You’ll see a confident machine that can take on any recording task. Its streamlined ingenuity makes it a solid machine. Anyone that is serious about music recording and producing should look into the future of recording systems…MusicXPC.”

Thanks again!!!!
Marcel Tirado
Mamma T Studios
Palm Harbor, FL

http://www.mammatstudios.com

Hi Lucas:

I want to thank you and the staff at Music XPC again, for the kind and efficient way you help me out when I needed support. I will say that even though Music XPC is disigned for musicians, I found it to be a great PC for any purpose. I love the feature built in, that lets you bring it back to the original factory settings. I've use it recently to get rid of a virus, and the beauty of it is that you don't loose anything you have in the Audio or data drives.

Whenever we have to replace any of the other computers, Music XPC will be the choice.

Thanks again,

Paul Vinas

I was glad to be able to purchase this type of machine (S2) off-the-shelf, with everything tweaked for music production right out of the box. I would rather spend my studio time working with music and not worrying about whether or not my PC is up to the task. Customer service at Music XPC has been great, from pre-purchase consultations to questions after installation.

Keith Modugno
Spiritworks Productions, LLC

To Whom It May Concern,

I have been extremely happy with my Music XPC computer and especially with the tech support that I received yesterday. Until now, my MusicXPC had been 100% reliable for the past 1-2 yrs since I purchased it. When I had my first issue (the computer was getting stuck on the Bios screen during start-up), I feared that I would have to either pay an exorbitant amount of money for phone technical support (I have heard rates of $3/minute) from somebody who wasn't familiar with the XPC, or that I would need to bring my computer to a Circuit City type store and wait for some guy to charge at least $60 for just looking at the computer regardless of whether he could fix it.

Desparately needing to use my computer, I emailed the Music xpc support using my girlfriend's computer, and within 12 hrs received a reply from Khai to call their phone number. (I am not the most computer literate person, and have frequently emailed xpc support with little questions, which they have always been very prompt --less that 12 hrs response time-- in answering.)

There was no long phone prompt where I had to press buttons to be directed to the right number. Rather, before I knew it, I was talking with CTO Les Bateman, who actually designed the music xpc computer! Les seemed to know exactly what the problem was from the start. He was very patient in explaining to me (again, not a computer person) how to open my computer and test the power in the various drives. Furthermore, he spent OVER AN HOUR on the phone with me, and even offered to call me back so I wouldn't waste my cell minutes!

Before this experience, I was afraid to know what's inside the XPC, nevermind take it apart and risk breaking something. But it turned out to be very simply and easy to do, with Les explaining to me, and I felt like a computer pro at the end of the experience. Then after fixing the problem, Les continued to work with me for another 20 minutes and showed me some regular computer maintainance actions which will increase the functioning of my XPC.

I sure hope that the xpc support continues in this way, as right now I would never think of ever buying anything but a Music XPC (even if I wasn't a musician) and I will recommend this computer to every one of my friends who ever needs a new computer.

Dan Cousin

New York