New PC?

How does this look for my new audio PC? Should I be concerned with any features? Seems pretty solid for 500 bucks. Well except for the Vista.

Link goes to Dell's site. Thanks

Take a look at Lee Fliers recent thread on building...She built a fire breathing monster for $900 ish..

I would NEVER buy a pre built dell for audio. Sweetwater makes nice custom systems if you don't wanna assemble it yourself.

Any specific reasons why you wouldn't use the Dell? I run a pretty basic setup for a home studio.

Here's my tale of woe. I't not typical (but then nobody has the same computer, software, and application hardware as anyone else) but it's an example of how simple it isn't to switch computers.

I've been talking about getting a replacement for the Pentium II computer in my studio for a few years now, but I continued to frustrate myself and didn't make a move because I wanted to assemble it from parts of my choice, I had difficulty choosing parts, and I wanted to buy everything locally. It just never happened. But when I saw a pile of those Dell 530 models at the local Micro Center store for $400, set up with WinXP, (it had a slower CPU than the model you're looking at, but that was about the only difference) I figured it would do what it needed to do so I took one home.

It was pretty lightly built, but it was quiet enough so that noise wouldn't be a worry (of course I couldn't tell anything about that in the store) and I hooked it up to the Internet, got all the Windows and driver updates, and then started to work on it in earnest. After spending a day delousing it (removing all the installed software that I was never going to use) and updating everything that could be updated, I installed my Lynx L22 audio card and a Firewire card (had to remove the modem to free up a PCI slot) and started installing my audio software.

Things were going pretty well on the workbench including smooth operation of some Firewire audio hardware, but since my old (too expensive to upgrade) version of Sequoia uses a parallel port dongle and the computer didn't have a parallel port, I set out to deal with that. First thing I tried to get was a USB-Parallel adapter, but the only ones I could find locally had a Centronics (printer) connector on the end of the cable so I couldn't plug in the dongle. I found a PCI-E parallel I/O card ($50!!!!!!) and put that in one of the empty I/O slots, but that wouldn't appear as LPT1 and I couldn't get the dongle to be recognized through it. I figured that I could live with using that program on my laptop, or maybe I'd eventually resolve the dongle issue.

The final blow came when I moved it from the shop into the studio and wanted to integrate it with my other operations. I use a Mackie hard disk recorder for my primary tracking, and used a KVM switch to share a keyboard, mouse, and monitor between the HDR and computer. The recorder has PS/2 connections for the keyboard and mouse, and so did my old computer, so I had a PS/2 KVM switch. The Dell has no PS/2 ports, so I tried several different adapters on both ends trying to come up with a combination that let me switch peripherals between the two, including getting a USB KVM switch and trying to adapt on the Mackie end. Nothing worked.

After running with two keyboards and mice and switching the monitor cable manually, I decided that I just couldn't work that way and was about to return the computer, pay the $65 restocking fee, and consider it a not too expensive lesson that you can't teach a new dog old tricks.

Next day I was talking to my neighbor and he said he was going to buy a new computer. I told him my story as a warning to be sure that not only should he determine just what kind of I/O facilities the replacement computer had (yes, I was aware when I bought the Dell that it has no parallel or PS/2 ports, but thought I could get around that knowing that there were adapters). He was just using it for basic stuff like e-mail and pictures to the grandkids, so he offered to buy the computer from me for what I paid for it.

Since then, I've looked at a few on-line sources for parts since Micro Center (the only local store that carries PC building components any more) never seems to have what I need when I'm looking. What I'm finding even with on-line sources is that if you can't make up your mind instantly and wait even a week to do some research, what you thought you wanted becomes unavailable and you're back to finding a suitable substitute. So I still don't have a new computer. One other problem that I'm encountering is that all the cases that have been recommended are 1/4" wider than the compartment in my computer desk so I'll either have to compromise on a smaller (and probably noisier) case or empty out the desk and hutch, take it apart, and modify it to accommodate a wider case. The "updates" just never stop.

Anyway, unless you're a real expert with computer integration (and obviously you aren't, since you felt the need to ask about this particular model) make sure that everything that you want to use will work with the computer as it comes, or be prepared to give up some hardware or software that you're currently using.

If I really needed a new computer (obviously I don't, not that badly anyway) I'd now be tempted to go with a pre-assembled one from one of the places that has a good reputation for building computers for audio applications - ADK, Rain, and Sweetwater are a few that come to mind immediately) but you really do pay a pretty healthy premium for having them select, assemble, and test the hardware, and I have more time than good sense. Your situation may be different.

Buy a pre 1980 Tascam or Otari tape machine. According to highly experienced pros posting in our forum that's still the Plus Ultra for recording music

Well, I think Dells are fine for general use, but I think the advantages of building your own or buying a purpose built machine from a place that knows audio (SWS) outweigh the price advantages. If you build it, you know EXACTLY what is in it, and exactly where everything is. If you model it off the system Lee made, you are getting it sort of pre-flighted if you match it.

I agree, after tying to record on a "stock" computer, I decided to build my own 5 yrs ago, still working for what I do, with no problems.....