purchasing a computer
Home > Home Recording Forum > Computers & Software > purchasing a computer
Posted on Feb 04, 2003 09:39 am
fortymile
Member Since: Jan 18, 2003
o! the vicissitudes of computo-lingo!
i'm about to switch from 8-track to PC-based recording and i have $1000 to work with. i noticed in an earlier post that blueninjastar got a powerful-sounding dell for around $1k: "I recently purchased another P4 2.4GZ machine from Dell to use as a dedicated recording computer. With 768MB of RAM and 2 7200 RPM hard-drives (120BG and 40GB), this new one really kicks!" hey BNS, can i ask you about where you got it and what the model was? sounds perfect for me. also, if you had to 'skimp' on some of those stats, which would you be willing to reduce?
here's what i HAD been thinking (i am still trying to get my thinking straight on this stuff...there is so much to learn):
was gonna get:
1 ghz processor or more.
512 mb ram and more if i could find it (or else upgrade later. or else not).
40, 60, or 80 Gb dedicated audio hard drive.
a soundcard that is basic. does the job, no frills...now there's something i dont know the first thing about. can i use the soundcard that comes with a higher-end computer? or must i purchase one separately?
is my thinking straight here?
and by the way has anyone ever had success in building a laptop studio or is that destined to just be a pipe dream of mine?
[ Back to Top ]
Feb 04, 2003 09:52 am Laptop studios are very possible, but very expensive.
I don't even think you could order a 1 Ghz PC anymore from anyone like Dell, but I might be wrong.
Even if you go to Dell and ask for their best soundcard it will still be a very low-end card for studio purposes. For sound card you are best of going to Musician's Friend or you local gear shop and getting a real sound card.
"high-end" Sound Disasters cost about $200 in the big box stores, and very nice recording cards from pro manufacturers like M-Audio cost about that or a few bucks more, and for that money you will get a much higher-performance card.
The stats you mention will make a nice studio computer when combined with a decent sound card. When you go shopping for a sound card, DO NOT go to your local electronics store and look at Live's and Audigy's go to your music store and look at real sound card. You WILL notice the difference.
Feb 04, 2003 11:14 am hey fortymile,
The Dell that I bought actually came to $1050. Of course, you have to consider tax and shipping as well so that sort of blows that cost up another 100 bucks or so. However, it's a very nice machine and is wroking extremely well for me. A couple of noteworthy things about my machine in relation to the cost... 1) I added RAM to it after the fact. It actually only came with 256MB. And 2) I added the 40GB hard-drive as well. That having been said, my friend bought almost the same machine as I did. He configured it slightly different and got 500MB RAM for the same price. You just have to play with the configuration a little. Take the cheapest sound card they'll give you. db is right, you're going to have to replace it anyway.
Dell has changed their prices again so I'm not sure if you'll be able to get quite as much for as little, but go to their website and play around. The other option would be to build a computer yourself. A lot of the guys on this site go that route. It can seem a bit daunting at first, but it's really pretty easy. The only big down-side to building your own is the lack of tech support which you would get if you bu a Dell or some other name brand computer. You can also look at some of the other manufacturers to see if you can get a cheaper computer. Just be careful about hardware compatibility issues. Some of the soundcards that you will be wanting to consider may be incompatible with some computers.
I hope this gives you some direction and let me know if I can tell you anything more to help.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Feb 04, 2003 06:06 pm Just two cents for building your own. Not to diminish what was said about technical support. It can be a lifesaver for general technical computer problems, but once you mention that it is a special application computer i.e. studio, tech support is unavalable. They will not understand what you are doing. Beyond the "game boy" vidio and audio card, they are lost. Some sites like www.tcwo.com sell real sharp bundles which can save you a mint and make building a specialized computer a lot easier in the long run. No "bundled" software and crap to have to get rid of and fight with. A lot of nice options too, like $25.00 hard drive cassets that make swaping work drives a joy. Something to think about.
Feb 04, 2003 07:17 pm what about mixers? am i correct to surmise that i do not need an external mixer if i'm using pro sequencing software? seems obvious to me. but why do so many people have mixers in thier setups?
(im doing one-man band stuff exclusively)
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Feb 05, 2003 11:36 am Well ya kinda, It's true that most do not play the recorded tracks back through a mixer and use the mixer to create a final mix down. That is done in software. You will need, however a way to amplify mic and line signals to a level acceptable to the sound card inputs. You will also need Phantom power for condensor mics should you use them. Some of us also like to use some compression, and effects on incoming signal prior to becoming recorded tracks. There is also the point of being able to listen to incoming tracks. A mixer can offer a very nice organized method to accomplish these tasks. There are other ways to accomplish all of them, but a mixer is very convienent.
Feb 05, 2003 06:12 pm well as far as getting line signals up to 'acceptible levels,' (keep in mind i dont know everything i need to know to be building this studio) my signals will be coming exclusively from a line 6 POD and a korg triton and that is all. those devices have quarter inch outs, which , if i'm not mistaken, won't present a problem for the soundcard. right?
as for vocals...i don't know. youre saying that i cant just plug a mic into my soundcard. i can run it through my POD i guess...that has a clean tube preamp built in. i also have a boss br-8 eight-track recorder...it has line outs and an optical out, whatever that is. i take it that i cant use the boss as a mixer because it puts out a line signal. correct?
Feb 05, 2003 06:26 pm am i correct to avoid sound blaster sound cards? some people have said good things about them. i do not want to pay a lot of $ for my sound card. but neither do i want one that is going to suck.
Feb 05, 2003 07:53 pm another option for me is to upgrade my existing computer. however, i have learned there is no way to upgrade the processor, which is an intel celeron 565 mhz chip. the reason i cant upgrade the CPU has to do with it being an older pin configuration. is the 565Mhz celeron an acceptible processor for recording work, or should i get a new computer?
if i can keep this one, i would then upgrade by getting some new hard drives and a good sound card, and kick up my RAM to 512.
i would rather save money, obviously, if i'm not going to screw myself in the process. this computer runs slow in its current state. i am hoping that this is because my hard drive is very full and i always have a lot of stuff running. so, basically, i'm asking you guys about your opinion of the celeron 565 CPU for recording work.
thanks
j
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Feb 06, 2003 04:40 am Eeee Gad! Too many questions have you, yes, too many indead! Read some of the recording tips on gear and etc. and see if that helps. You are confusing me with all of the questions all at once. Basic signal chain for a guitar direct: Guitar to pod (now pick ups are preamped) to Mixer (now you can control the amplitude hitting A/D converters) to recording sound card (good quality A/D converters) to software (mixing). As far as the puter, pick your software first and that will give you min specs on the puter. And yes the less you put on the thing the better! This software and hardware are both hi end specific to recording and often do not play well with other non specific stuff.
Feb 06, 2003 02:18 pm now hang on a second.
why in the world isnt a POD enough? why do i also need a mixer? the POD has left and right quarter inch outputs. the POD has a gain knob. i would think that that right there would mean i could control the amplitude.
as far as software, i already own a ton of high end stuff (dont ask where i got that stuff before having a computer that can run it).
i've done a bit of reading. enough to know that what i need are live humans to help me get this thing down straight. its so hard to know what to do--you can find opinions everywhere, and theyre all different.
Feb 06, 2003 02:53 pm the POD is fine. i didn't have a mixer for two years and got by, but now that i have a mixer i don't know how i ever lived without it. Alot of things work, there's just usually a better way to do it.
And the intel chip should be fine. I've only got a PIII running at 700MHz, the machine is two and half years old, but i've got 384 MB of RAM and that makes all the difference. Computers are getting cheaper and faster. The longer you wait to upgrade, the more you'll get and the less you'll pay!
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Feb 06, 2003 09:49 pm Wow, maybe the "unfortunate" aspect is that this is art. Although some of us precieve that to be fortunate. One member posted a tune with awsome vocals the other day done with a low quality mic and less than optimal equipment. I could not believe the sound he got! I have also heard folks with an inordinate amount of fabulous equipment turn out things that I would not care to listen to. In large opinions are what this is all about. In fact the writings in the recording tips are of the members of this fold and will reflect the same "opinions" that are aired in these threads. The "right" way is an illusive concept. Sound engineering is not liken to collecting stamps. It is the difficulties we thrive on.
Good luck! I'm otta here!
