are you building a new DAW? maybe consider this

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http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116402,tk,dn060904X,00.asp

I know a lot of this has been talked about already but i figured i would give people some bathroom material to read. One thing i found particularly interesting is the new integrated audio support. 192 KHz and 24 bit support? frig that's better than my dedicated tascam! Also the PCI express seems very cool as well but how long will it take for manufatures to make a PCI express compatible sound card? and by that i mean one that is really an improvement over the old PCI versions, not just a remake that is compatible with the new technology.

Since i'm on the topic of new technology. the new apple G5's look dang impressive as well. WHY??? HERE WE GO AGAIN. I'm right back to where i started about Mac or PC. I think i'll still go with PC based on cost alone.

Any comments?
 
The audio will still suck. My current mainboard audio card is capable of 44.1K/16b, but it's sound quality fails even to rival a $20 cd player.

Current hardware will not be able to take advantage of PCI-X, so if you are holding off for the purpose of getting "something better" for audio recording, you may have a longer wait ahead of you than you think.
 
Now I'm not a fancy big city DAW user but it seems to me that the new technology just won't be worth it for quite some time, it not being compatible with the current standards and all.
 
God, I just love this shit. 'PCI Express'. Yeah yeah yeah. Got a video card to plug into that? Know what it is going to cost?

Let us stroll down memory lane. Are you old enough to remember how cool you thought the first 486 was?? How that Pentium just flew? Woah! A 600MB hard disk drive!! And only a thousand dollars!!

My church's thrift store just bought a 2.8e P4, half gig of RAM, and 80gig of HDD to access eBay!!. It's like being able to buy a supersonic jet for a $1K to fetch your mail in front of your house. The reason the specs are so high was because everything was so CHEAP. Sure, you could get a 40 gig HDD... and save $5. Why bother?? There is simply a boatload of untermensch who buy into the concept that faster, bigger, is better. Why?? How many people out there need to model weather patterns or render 100,000 sq. ft. buildings in under five seconds??

Give me a break!!!
 
a 2+ghz processor with 1 gig + of ram and a nice hard disk seems to be able to keep up with several channels of 24 bit audio recording simotaniously, or so far as ive read.......
 
agreed, although this new fancy technology looks bright, we all know that state-of-the-art gear will cost you an arm and a leg. Personally i would be leary of being the first lab rat to try out the new stuff with a DAW since they are picky enough. Actually what i'm hoping fgor is that the old pentium chipsets, which are top of the line now, will come down in price. I'de love to pick up a 3.0 Ghz P4 and a 875P chipset and call it my DAW. I agree with Wheelema, in the thinking of why do you need the most current model of computer to do tasks that don't require that much power.
 
Technology/Gear Frenzy

I've always been somewhat of a technophile. I was specifically interested in the uses of technology as a creative tool. We've come a long way since the early 80s, to be sure. Now even the basic home computer user has access to tools that will allow him to record and edit audio/video, create graphics, animations and communicate with the world. I agree with the previous posts in that the most basic system today, possesses more power than most people will ever use. In the creative arena there will always more features to be had sure... but it's easy to get caught up in the desire for more computing power.

We must remember that this persistant "I gotta have the latest technology" desire is fueled by the hardware and software industry. Not only do the hardware manufacturers need to push their latest product, but the software companies are always pushing the limits of the available hardware. To cut development time and keep up with the pace, software is developed as quickly as possible. Long gone are the days of writing efficient code so that new software with new features will run on a user's existing machine. The industry has observed that users are all too willing to toss out their old machine and spend their hard earned cash on a new one. Essentially this fuels the hardware/software industry and puts money in many pockets.

Despite having passion for technology, I pride myself on being a conservative technophile. Sure, the desire to build a new machine with the latest bells and whistles always arises in me, but generally I've exercised enough self control to hold off. Now I only upgrade when I feel that my existing machine cannot handle what I need it to handle. Most of the time, the features that I'm upgrading for, aren't even vital.

This desire for gear can get in the way of what is truly important - creating. Before eyeing that new sexy piece of gear we must ask ourselves if we are truely maximizing the potential of what we already have and not just taking part in the frenzy. Perhaps that money might be better spent on a nice vacation to help free the mind and inspire ourselves to create better music. Because, in the end, the things most important to the process cannot be purchased in an attractive new box.

Grigorios
 
Grigorios said:
I've always been somewhat of a technophile. I was specifically interested in the uses of technology as a creative tool. We've come a long way since the early 80s, to be sure. Now even the basic home computer user has access to tools that will allow him to record and edit audio/video, create graphics, animations and communicate with the world. I agree with the previous posts in that the most basic system today, possesses more power than most people will ever use. In the creative arena there will always more features to be had sure... but it's easy to get caught up in the desire for more computing power.

We must remember that this persistant "I gotta have the latest technology" desire is fueled by the hardware and software industry. Not only do the hardware manufacturers need to push their latest product, but the software companies are always pushing the limits of the available hardware. To cut development time and keep up with the pace, software is developed as quickly as possible. Long gone are the days of writing efficient code so that new software with new features will run on a user's existing machine. The industry has observed that users are all too willing to toss out their old machine and spend their hard earned cash on a new one. Essentially this fuels the hardware/software industry and puts money in many pockets.

Despite having passion for technology, I pride myself on being a conservative technophile. Sure, the desire to build a new machine with the latest bells and whistles always arises in me, but generally I've exercised enough self control to hold off. Now I only upgrade when I feel that my existing machine cannot handle what I need it to handle. Most of the time, the features that I'm upgrading for, aren't even vital.

This desire for gear can get in the way of what is truly important - creating. Before eyeing that new sexy piece of gear we must ask ourselves if we are truely maximizing the potential of what we already have and not just taking part in the frenzy. Perhaps that money might be better spent on a nice vacation to help free the mind and inspire ourselves to create better music. Because, in the end, the things most important to the process cannot be purchased in an attractive new box.

Grigorios
Click to expand...
Phew I'm glad you posted that.

I was on the verge of buying an AMD64 system for no good reason until now ;)

Actually I have a personal rule that I try not to break. Only upgrade when what you are upgrading to is at least 2x as fast as what you have already.
I also never buy new tech until it has been out at least 6 months.

Yes - I had a Sinclair QL ;)
 
very noble

I know a guy who spent $3000 dollars to have his guitar custom-made by some guy. It sounds amazing with his Marshall Tube Half-stack until HE starts playing it. Then it isn't so good. Whenever his band plays, everyone complains and covers their ears. He just doesn't understand whats wrong. Afterall, he has expensive equipment.

Think of how much wonderful music one could record in the six months waiting for this new technology to come down in price. Do the best you can with what you have and remember what EVERYONE used to record on in the 60's and 70's in professional studios. Yes, it's the 21st century, and we're all spoiled with our 24/96khz sound cards on our personal computers right in the comfort of our own homes. Life is good, but don't forget about the outside world! It's a beautiful place, step outside for some fresh air once in awhile. ;)
 
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