Members cryptosonic Posted August 14, 2012 Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 lol@get a mac Is your current PC a white box or brand name unit? This will determine how many components such as power supply and case can be carried over to the new build. Are you having trouble with x1 on your current machine? On my system sonar prefers to run on a minimal os install with as few drivers and services running as possible while reaper doesn't really give a {censored}. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TravvyBear Posted August 14, 2012 Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 So if you disagree, give some good reasons to have to buy a much more expensive system, learn a new operating system, buy all new software and cables and peripherals? When now all I need to do is spend some cash on a new PC and away I go, no issues? What advantages would I gain that would more than outweigh the disadvantages? "But for an experience well entrenched PC user there is really no advantage today switching to Mac." I'm just saying you don't know until you try. I like Windows 7, I was a Windows user/PC builder for years. I made the switch to Mac and like many other, I don't plan on going back. It's just a simple, more streamlined OS. I don't hate Windows or PCs, but I'm glad I made the switch. You never know until you try it, or test it out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I would also like to build a computer for recording.From what I understand there are soundproof cases, solid state hard drives, big price differences for small gains on some components etc.So lets spec out a decent PC for recording for a broke musician on a budget.GO! If you're broke, I'd stay clear of SSDs. At least for now, they are expensive and have low capacity. As a system drive they might be a viable option (they load software FAST!) but I'd avoid them as your audio recording drive. And if it's an audio computer, you NEED a secondary drive dedicated to just audio recording / playback. I have a third one for just samples too. My recommendation is to get the absolute fastest CPU you can afford. Make sure the motherboard you get has the features you need as well as a good overall rating. I've had good luck with ASUS boards, but others have reported good results with MSI, Gigabyte and others. Today, for a DAW PC, I'd want to get a quad core i5 as a minimum. Quad core i7 is even better. Start with AT LEAST 4GB of RAM. RAM is cheap, and you should get as much as you can afford - 8-16GB is a nice place to be, but you can always add more later. A good case can last several "upgrade cycles", so don't skimp there! As far as "soundproof" cases, there's really no such thing. A case may attenuate sound to X degree, but it will depend on the design. My Thermaltake case is fairly quiet, and has lasted several years now. There are some good cases and tools that will help quiet your PC. Mine has rubber iso mounts for the hard drives, quiet fans (the larger, the better - they can spin slower and quieter while still providing good airflow), a heat pipe CPU cooler with quiet fan, etc. Here's a couple sites with some things to give you some ideas: http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/std/category=Quiet_Computer_Cases.html?id=wz9w8jos http://www.quietpcusa.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Also, it's really going to depend on what DAW you want to use. Pro Tools gets pretty picky. It can, although it seems less so today than it was in the past. However, you should ALWAYS look closely at any system requirements for your DAW to check for compatibility with your audio interface and any computer hardware you're considering using it with - BEFORE you make the purchases! You don't want to buy a mobo with a VIA chipset if that's a "known issue" with the latest version of the DAW software you want to run... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 Thanks Phil. I have found 120gig SSD Sata III drives for around $100-$120. I think that is do-able for the additional speed and quiet. I would get a 2 TB drive for storage. I would also get 16 gigs of ram here for $90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Well, let's talk CPU and mobos for a minute. I like to make a list of the things I want / need. Do you use several PCI-e cards? Need an onboard firewire controller? USB 3? What peripherals do you already have? You'll need to be able to use them, or you'll have to replace them. Same with existing parts. No need to buy a DVD-RW if you already own one (or never use them to burn CDs, etc.), and no need to buy a new power supply if your current one is fairly recent, of sufficient power, etc. Anyway, make a list - it will help you narrow down the list of possible motherboards. Then it's a matter of searching over at Tiger or Newegg. What CPU are you considering? I'm glad to see you're considering getting a good amount of RAM. The SSD should be fine too if you stick to using it just for the OS and programs. I'd recommend writing to it as little as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 I will be buying everything new... I will get the i7 unless I find out the i5s are close and much cheaper. Yes I will need firewire and usb of course. Does everything usb 2 work on usb3? Why should a ssd not be used for writing to? I am also looking for a very quiet power supply. I was told intel motherboards work pretty good for music pcs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cryptosonic Posted August 14, 2012 Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 I was told intel motherboards work pretty good for music pcs. They also cost more and might not represent a better feature set or value than another manufacturer. Mobo is the component you really need to research the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted August 14, 2012 Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 I already have a core2 duo with 4 gigs of ram and 2 hard drives. It is quite capable of recording, so the tascam thing is a waste of money.I thought this thread would be about actually creating a build list but I guess it is about telling me everything but that. Actually I get the impression that some people are telling you not to go and waste a {censored}load of money on a PC and equipment you really don't need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 They also cost more and might not represent a better feature set or value than another manufacturer. Mobo is the component you really need to research the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 Actually I get the impression that some people are telling you not to go and waste a {censored}load of money on a PC and equipment you really don't need. You think what I have is quick enough? I was wondering about just boosting the ram to 16 gigs... I usually buy pc's 2 at a time in identical pairs so I have one that is at my desk and used for music. The other is being used upstairs to watch movies etc. on. The 1st one is choking but the 2nd one is a fairly clean machine so I might try it... I also make my living doing graphics and The files can get really huge so a new PC would be nice for that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted August 14, 2012 Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 ^^A graphics-specific computer presumably will need a big graphics card and those usually mean more fan noise. If you get older software with less CPU demands, you will find it way more than quick enough. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cryptosonic Posted August 14, 2012 Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 EDIT: Wait you do graphics work on your own computer for a living? Dude just build a screaming PC for your work and it will be more than adequate for audio duties. I live in the country, and I am fairly isolated...but I get what you mean. I can always use a hum eliminator plugin as well...Do you recommend any quieter power supplies? Not really, as I mentioned in the other PC build thread there are like four OEM's in the PSU business. Shop for spec and reliability. Your PSU fan will run more slowly and quietly if it isn't being taxed to {censored} so shop for adequate wattage, nothing excessive or underpowered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 ^^A graphics-specific computer presumably will need a big graphics card and those usually mean more fan noise. If you get older software with less CPU demands, you will find it way more than quick enough. I I work with photo or still images not video so much so I hve a fairly normal graphics card. I think it is a 512 and I was sure to get it without a fan required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 14, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 14, 2012 Not really, as I mentioned in the other PC build thread there are like four OEM's in the PSU business. Shop for spec and reliability. Your PSU fan will run more slowly and quietly if it isn't being taxed to {censored} so shop for adequate wattage, nothing excessive or underpowered. OK thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members manymanyhaha Posted August 15, 2012 Members Share Posted August 15, 2012 I agree with Phil, you would serve yourself better if you eliminate the SSD and use the savings for the fastest CPU you can afford, especially if you want the leeway to go "hog wild" as you say. And those vst instruments use lots of memory, probably need at least 8 gigs and you might want more. Memory is cheap right now though. It's the CPU where you to invest. I have a project that I was working on today that has close to 100 tracks with one to five plugins per track and 6 gigs of memory, no vst instruments and I have maxed out the cpu a couple of times (i7-980, not the 980-x) and have had to go in a get rid of some of the heavier plugins and work with alternatives. I use Sonar X1 as well. I still suggest the i7-3930 which if you look here (http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html), you will see it is the fastest non-extreme edition and non-xeon processor you can get and they are, relatively speaking, relatively cheap, at least in comparison to the older 1176 cpu's. And I still can't tell what kind of sound card you are using. If it is firewire, I'm not sure what the latest is but not long ago, it was highly suggested to get a firewire card with TI chipset. Anyway, obviously everyone has an opinion on this subject, haha. That was mine. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 15, 2012 ^^^ Thanks for the info... Yes I am using a Presonus Firepod which is firewire. I would definitely get 16gigs of ram. I will look into the i7-3930 as well. As far as the SSDrive goes, I don't think $140 for a 120gig drive would break me either. When I said a budget I just cannot get up into the $2-10,000 range if you know what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 15, 2012 Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K BX80667i73770K Processor - Quad Core, 8MB L3 Cache, 3.50GHz (3.90GHz Max Turbo), Socket H2 (LGA1155), 77W, Fan, Unlocked, Retailhttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2372989&CatId=1969 $339.97 Ram: Patriot PGD316G1333ELK Gamer 2 Series Desktop Memory Kit - 16GB (2 x 8GB), PC3-10666, DDR3-1333MHz, 1.5V, 9-9-9-24 CAS Latency, XMP Readyhttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1736427&Sku=P33-7253 $89.97 Solid State C: Drive: OCZ AGT3-25SAT3-240G Agility 3 Series 2.5" Solid State Drive - 240GB, SATA III, 6Gbpshttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=557373&Sku=O261-8202 $159.97 2 TB 2nd Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB Serial ATA Hard Drive - 2TB, 7200RPM, 64MB, SATA 6Gb/shttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=744345&CatId=4357 $114.97 Mother Board: ***I really don't know motherboards, I picked this one because it was on sale, and not the cheapest one... ASUS P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 Motherboard - ATX, Socket H2 (LGA1155), Intel Z68 Express, 2200MHz-DDR3 (O.C.), SATA 6.0 Gb/s, RAID, 8-CH Audio, Gigabit LAN, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, CrossFireX Readyhttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1124769&Sku=A455-3505 $129.97 Graphics Card: * I don't really know graphics cards, but it has 1 gig and no fan and looks like it might support 2 monitors XFX Radeon HD 5450 HD545XZQHV Video Card - 1GB, DDR3, PCI-Express 2.1, 1x Dual-link DVI-I, 1x VGA, 1x HDMI, DirectX 11, Heatsink, Low Profilehttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3488645&CatId=7005 $51.99 Power Supply: DiabloTek PHD650 ATX Power Supply - 650W, 140mm Fan, 20+4 Pinhttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4252528&CatId=1483 $36.99 Case: Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower Case - ATX, Micro ATX, 120mm LED Fan, 4x 5.25 Bays, 5x 3.5 Bays http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5520044&Sku=T925-3018 $34.97 Firewire + USB: Ultra U12-41833 PCI Express Card - 3x External USB 2.0 Ports, 3x external 1394 Ports, PCI-Express x1http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/category/guidedSearch.asp?CatId=109&sel=Detail%3B263_1418_518_518 $45.99 Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64BIT Operating System Software - OEM DVDhttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5213934&CatId=306 $139.99 Keyboard + Mouse: Logitech 920-003198 MK100 Keyboard and Mouse Combo http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=849298&CatId=1482 $14.97 CD/DVD R: Samsung SH-222BB/RSBS 22X Internal DVDRW Burner - 22x / 16x, SATA, 1.5MB Buffer, Retailhttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1822529&CatId=1624 $34.99 TOTAL IN CANADIAN $$$= $1197.74 Pretty good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Yeah, I like a good 600-800W power supply... but I have a bunch of stuff attached to my computer. Enermax makes good ones that are reasonably quiet, as does Corsair. I believe I have a GS800 in my DAW at the moment. If your motherboard offers both USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, that would be good. If not, you may need to add a USB 2.0 PCI card to your setup for your audio interface... unless you're using a firewire audio interface. Speaking of which... what interface are you using / planning on using? What software? A fan-less graphics card is a good idea due to the lack of noise... and DAW software is typically not heavily graphics intensive software. An SSD is fine for your boot drive - OS and programs... but they become slower and less efficient the more they're written to, so until they get around that issue, I'm steering clear of them for my own systems, although their speed makes them very tempting as a boot / program drive... at the moment, you shouldn't use them for recording any audio data. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 That motherboard doesn't look too shabby, but it doesn't have firewire onboard... not many will anymore probably. Your overall parts & price list looks good / reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 As far as the video / graphics card, that looks good to me. HDMI is very popular, and will let you hook it up to your big screen flat panel TV. Yes, it's fanless, which is good, and supports multiple monitors, which is essential IMO. I've had good luck with Radeon cards over the years... but again, check your DAW software and interface manufacturer's website for compatibility on all this stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 15, 2012 I did not notice if the mother board has usb but the Firewire card I specified also has usb: Ultra U12-41833 PCI Express Card - 3x External USB 2.0 Ports, 3x external 1394 Ports, PCI-Express x1 I am using for now my el cheapo Presonus Firepod which is firewire, and I have a legit copy of Sonar Producer X1... I also like the Izotope Ozone5. Graphics card is fanless... I did not know the SSDs got slower as time goes by... that sucks. But I guess it will be a risk at $160 for 240gigs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cryptosonic Posted August 15, 2012 Members Share Posted August 15, 2012 Do a lot of research on your firewire card. The chipset makes all the difference. You're looking for Texas Instruments. SIIG has some models, beyond that I don't know much as I am on PCI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Player99 Posted August 15, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 15, 2012 I would be on PCI as well...the card I specked was the only firewire they sell. There was 1 review and it was someone happy about their music hookup. I will dig deeper though. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eti Posted August 15, 2012 Members Share Posted August 15, 2012 One of their bottomline items is: the i7 processor's HT (hyperthreading) capability is not necessary unless you are doing multiple things that require multip-processing.Yeah, like playing two sounds at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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