Getting newer desktop for my studio.

jimistone

long standing member
Just bought one on ebay:
Dell Optiplex 990 Desktop 3.30GHz Core i5-2500 8GB RAM - No Hard Drive

I think I'm going to put a SSD 500gb hard drive in it. Probably load it with windows 10 OS
 
Cool stuff man. What system are you coming from?
Are you new to SSD?

Im coming from a Windows XP system....that I love. I have Windows 7 enterprise on my laptop and love that too. My daughter has Windows 8 on her laptop and I really dislike it.

I bought a computer with no hard drive and no OS. I'm going to put in a SSD (500 gb maybe) and I was planning on windows 10 LTSB (The stripped down business pc version). I'm having trouble getting that though. It seems you have to have a valid volume licensing number to gain access to that version of windows 10. Regular windows 10 home or pro has a bunch of bloatware that I really dont want. I don't want it off some non Microsoft site either. I am going to talk to our company's IT guy and see if I can get it through him I guess. I have cubaseLE and I assume I can upgrade to a version that will work on Windows 10. If not I may look at other DAW options.

A lot of people seem to like reaper.

And yes, I am new to solid state drives.
 
Cool man. Yeah, I stuck on XP for about as long as possible although I don't have many problems with win 7 these days.
I was advised by many not to jump to 10 but I didn't really ask why. I don't know if they had issues or there just wasn't any measurable benefit for the average user....Haven't looked into it.
Either way, 7 is doing just fine for now.
I only really use the machine for code-tinkering/learning.

Man, if you're new to SSD you're in for a treat.
Every time I have a spinning-disk computer on the desk for repair I have to recalibrate my expectations and remind myself that it's meant to be like that! :eek:
SSD is great .:)

I went with two main drives (on my main computer) - 256gb for system and 256gb for sessions/storage.
Right now I have 130 and 100gb free, respectively.

No idea what your needs are, though. just saying.

Good luck with your new machine. :)
 
Well, I'm a dumb ass when it comes to computers. I have a friend who is a jazz pianist and a home recordist. He has made some really great recordings and is a computer geek who is very knowledgeable on all the latest stuff. He recomended windows 10 LTSB. He said windows 10 home edition and windows 10 pro has a lot of bloat ware and things that will pop up and screw with your recording sessions. He said the gaming mode is supposed to keep that from happening but he dosenf 100% trust that it would. He was using a Mac to record with and hated Windows with a passion....but he is really big on Windows 10 LTSB and is using it now. He says it's the first stable OS Microsoft has ever offered. He is big on ssd's too.

He has helped me a great deal...i can leave my machine with him and he will set it up for me or straighten it out if things get out of whack.

I mentioned to him through text "Hey man, since I'm having trouble nailing down this Windows 10 LTSB, maybe it would be better just to go with windows 7 pro huh?"

He texed me back "look bro, if you're going to go with an obsolete out dated OS, that is on the verve of not being supported anymore by microsoft, im not going to help you."

I kind of see his point. He is trying to help me get set up on something that will be supported and updated for a few years.
 
I am still running XP in the studio, but I really need to update, trouble is that some of my software is too old for Windows 10 and I need to sort it out. So I bought a new laptop windows 10 and am nutting it out on that at the moment, when I get windows 10 sussed I will upgrade the studio computer, leaving the XP machine in there as well for a while.

Then the XP goes to live in my gear room along side the Windows 2000, 98, 95 machines. LOL
Alan.
 
Oh yeah, for sure man. 10 makes sense.
I wasn't recommending 7, as such...I'm not in a position to.

Your buddy sounds like an asshole. :p
 
Apart from the layout (which I hate but it's the way of the world LOL) 10 and 7 are pretty much the same.

Alan
 
Oh yeah, for sure man. 10 makes sense.
I wasn't recommending 7, as such...I'm not in a position to.

Your buddy sounds like an asshole. :p

Lol
No, he is really a great guy and a good friend. He just gets really stressed out with windows and always ran linex on a pc or had a Mac machine.
He dissent want to get caught up in older Windows stuff that he loathes.
He would help me even though he said he wouldnt....but he would bitch the whole time about how bad Windows sucks.
Lol
 
Lol. Sounds like someone I know! :p

I have a few pals I used to help with PC stuff. If the conversation started with them saying "I updated the...." it usually ended with me smashing something.
 
Windows 7 will be receiving security updates through January 2020. And if its popularity is any indication, just like with Windows XP that date is likely to be extended further.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

I work in IT and I'm using Windows 7 at home (on my recording PC), if that's any indication. My laptop runs Windows 10 though, and for what I do with it works fine. But as previously (and accurately) explained, I don't personally trust M$'s new Windows Update policy and other tidbits won't screw me in some way, at some point, when trying to get work done. By time Windows 7 is officially defunct, hopefully a newer ('better') Windows OS will be available, or perhaps I'll be able to seriously consider Linux. In my eyes Windows 10 is nothing more than an experiment and a glimpse into Microsoft's mindset for the future.

Don't have any experience with the stripped down business version, and their licensing requirements have pushed a small support company like ours off the Microsoft Partner roadmap so I don't have any keys to toy with it either.
 
Well, I'm a dumb ass when it comes to computers. I have a friend who is a jazz pianist and a home recordist.
he is really big on Windows 10 LTSB and is using it now. He says it's the first stable OS Microsoft has ever offered.
He's wrong. Win 7 is extremely stable. So was XP before that. etc. Shocking as it is to many (including me), there HAVE been good versions of Windows. 10 (pick a flavor) just isn't one of them.

He texed me back "look bro, if you're going to go with an obsolete out dated OS, that is on the verve of not being supported anymore by microsoft, im not going to help you."

I kind of see his point. .
Gee what a guy lol

I don't see his point at all. Trust me you DO NOT want to go to Win 10 just because it's the latest Windows. If you do, remember you were warned :)


Apart from the layout (which I hate but it's the way of the world LOL) 10 and 7 are pretty much the same.
Sorry, that's incorrect. e.g. 10 is obscene in the 800 ways it tries (and will succeed unless you put a LOT of effort into tweaking) to spy on you, under the guise of "improving your experience" :rolleyes: It also forces updates on you whether you want them/need them or not. etc etc
 
It also forces updates on you whether you want them/need them or not. etc etc

This is the biggest issue, I regularly see Win10 machines crippled or taken down by bad Windows Updates. Bad meaning - updates they could have postponed that ended up needing massaging and re-releasing by M$, but couldn't because of the default auto-apply policy. Also seen updates cause wireless issues, networking issues, bootup issues, etc. Make sure you have system protect (restore) turned on so you can at least roll back to a previous date if things get messed up.

Turn On and Enable System Restore in Windows 10

Windows 7 isn't/wasn't immune to similar problems, but it seemed to be on a much smaller more isolated scale. And after years of development and patching, Windows 7 appears to have settled into a similar state Windows XP enjoyed for its final few years - mostly glitch free bliss.
 
I may stay with windows 7 pro. It's what was in that machine and I have windows 7 enterprise on my laptop.

Those wi dows 7 versions have the "XP MODE" that allows you to run 32 bit Xp software on it. That would save me some time and money.
I think I'm gonna give Reaper daw a shot. I have been using Cubase LE for a long time now, but, from the YouTube videos i have seen Reaper looks pretty straight forward. I tried Nuendo and didn't care for it. I liked Cubase LE a lot better. Nuendo has too many choices for everything and it bogs you down IMO. Its like going to a restaurant and the menu is the size of a New York city phone book. Just supposedly simple stuff like routing your inputs and outputs for a recording project was a bitch to do with Nuendo. I would never buy that program...especially at the insane prices they are getting for it.

$60 for Reaper is a hell of a deal in my opinion. So, I'm going to download it and give it a shot.

I also have the free version of studio one that came with my presonus interface. I installed it But have never tried it. Always just go straight to cubase le
 
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