Advice for DAW build

B

BigBlueToe

New member
Greetings. I'm currently building a backyard studio. When it's finished I want to build a computer for recording. I'm a noob so any advice would be appreciated. I'm not sure what information I can provide that would help, or what questions to ask, but here goes.

Most of my recording would be of myself. I play several instruments, sing, and have some sound modules which I like to program in MIDI. I have a Tascam US-800 interface and Cubase 6 software. I have a couple of AKG C 1000 condenser microphones, as well as a Shure SM58 and SM57.

I would like to record lots of tracks - I don't know how many. So far I've made do with a Tascam 788, but I need lots more tracks - 24? 30? More? Cubase has lots of VST instruments available and I'd like to try them. I don't want to be limited by how many I can use at once - isn't this an issue sometimes?

I'm looking to build a desktop computer - music only, no internet, word processing, no nothing; I've got another computer for that. I want to have two monitors (at least?). I've been experimenting with the Cubase on my laptop, and the small single screen makes it really difficult.

I'm thinking of a SSD for my software and a 7500 rmp hard drive for storage. I'm thinking 8GB of RAM - would 16 be worth the investment? I'm happy with Windows 7. Do you need W7 Professional for 16GB of ram?

I don't understand SATA, PCI Express, or any of the terms I hear when looking at motherboards. I'm thinking of an I5 or I7 processor. I doubt if I'd want to get into overclocking. (Would I?)

Advice please?
 
Unless you hunger for the experience of rolling your own PC don't do it. You're far better off and money ahead to pick up a PC on sale and mod it to suit.

For example (courtesy of DealNews RSS feed) these recently crossed the wire-

  • ASUS Ivy Bridge i7 Quad PC w/ 16GB RAM for $700
  • Lenovo C340 Ivy Bridge i5 Quad 2.7GHz AIO 20" PC for $649
I just scored a Lenovo i3 3.4GHz/4GB/1TB desktop w/Win 8 for $275. I couldn't have built that up for much less then $500.
 
SATA just means Serial ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) and has become the most popular connection for hard drives. The next step up, I believe, is SSD (Solid State Drive), which you know about (it has no moving parts; no spiinning disk to go wrong). They can be connected via SATA and sometimes PCIe.

PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is basically there to mount motherboard accessories, such as sound and video cards - and sometimes drives. Just a case of making sure any components you buy match the connections on your motherboard. I think much of it is pretty standard now, if you're buying brand new parts.
Do you need W7 Professional for 16GB of ram?
Click to expand...

I doubt it. I think the point is that Windows 7 supports more than 3GB as opposed to XP, which won't recognise it. I personally think 8GB to begin with should be fine. People ran these DAW applications long before that much was available. Try it and see how you go.

Whatever you do, don't get into overclocking. At least - not just for the hell of it. It's largely a gamers' and extreme enthusiasts' hobby and isn't necessary for running a DAW at all. Also, because overclocking causes processors to run hotter, you might start requiring bigger & faster fans (unless you want water cooling) - which can just generate noise - the last thing you need in a recording studio. Most modern computers today will be fast enough to run the average DAW.
 
wheelema said:
Unless you hunger for the experience of rolling your own PC don't do it. You're far better off and money ahead to pick up a PC on sale and mod it to suit.

For example (courtesy of DealNews RSS feed) these recently crossed the wire-

  • ASUS Ivy Bridge i7 Quad PC w/ 16GB RAM for $700
  • Lenovo C340 Ivy Bridge i5 Quad 2.7GHz AIO 20" PC for $649
I just scored a Lenovo i3 3.4GHz/4GB/1TB desktop w/Win 8 for $275. I couldn't have built that up for much less then $500.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking that an off-the-shelf PC comes with the operating system pre-installed. I want Windows 7, not 8, and I don't want Internet Explorer or any other unnecessary programs installed that might cause conflicts or slow things down. I also want to put the operating system on an SSD. How hard would it be to reconfigure a computer the way I want it? I was thinking that building my own computer and doing a clean, custom install of the operating system would be desireable.
 
If the PC comes with Win 8 Pro you can step down to Win 7 Pro. Likewise if you have a copy of Win 7 already a clean install on a new SSD/HDD is reasonably straightforward.

There are some 'gotchas' in modding a factory system... if you're tossing in an external video card be sure that there is a slot for it and that the power supply will support it. Likewise keep an eye on devices that depend on USB power as that pulls from your power supply. Know how much memory the box can support (for example my new toy 'only' goes to 8GB). The number of additional storage devices is dependent on (a) the case, (b) the power supply, and (c) the number of SATA ports available on the board. Going back to my latest box there is a power connector available for the SSD, a space available for the SSD, and TWO SATA ports available (even though the other constraints limit the expansion to a single drive).

I'm long gone from the system builder game but once upon a time modding a Dell box was problematic because Dell used non-standard power supplies/voltages (presumably to lock the customer into their peripherals). Back in the bad old days of Tandy PCs you actually had to cut the traces on the motherboard if you were going to add an additional peripheral.

We've come a long way but better safe then sorry. Call the manufacturer if you have doubts.
 
BigBlueToe said:
I'm thinking that an off-the-shelf PC comes with the operating system pre-installed. I want Windows 7, not 8, and I don't want Internet Explorer or any other unnecessary programs installed that might cause conflicts or slow things down. I also want to put the operating system on an SSD. How hard would it be to reconfigure a computer the way I want it?
Click to expand...

Very easy, if you're used to PCs and using Windows. Even if you don't and willing to put in a little time, it's not that difficult.

I have reconfigured factory PCs before. My method is to do a clean install of Windows to avoid the free trials and other bollocks you don't need. Then install all my hardware and programs one by one. I don't normally bother to uninstall Windows Explorer, but you can.
How do I install or uninstall Internet Explorer 9?
I just delete the icon and set it to offline mode. You may want it in case any 3rd party VSTs happen to use HTML for their help files. Or simply access them from your internet PC. I install Adobe Reader for any documentation that uses PDF.

If you go factory - avoid brands like HP and any others who do not supply you with actual disc copies of Windows and motherboard software. All too often buyers are duped with the infamous, brand-specific 'Start Up/ Recovery Disk' which always restores the PC to their factory/ 'Toy Town' defaults. You want your OWN, unique copy of Windows on disc and the same goes for the motherboard drivers & utilities.

I was thinking that building my own computer and doing a clean, custom install of the operating system would be desireable.
Click to expand...

Yes, quite desirable. Though, if this is your first and you're a bit unsure, then it would be wise to commission a private build from a local independent dealer. I've found that for a modest mark up, a local High Street shop can put together a new system according to your exact requirements - and configure Windows how you want it. This way, you're involved in the planning & budgeting, but not left on your own to assemble a big, expensive puzzle. You may find that during this process you start gaining an understanding of what's going into your computer and why.

This is, in my experience, by far the best and friendliest way of getting a system together, without the worry of making mistakes. If you can find yourself a friendly, trustworthy dealer, then you have a personal port of call for any aftermarket concerns, rather than a helpline situated in India or the Philippines.

I hope this helps.

Regards

Dr. V
 
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