Choosing the proper computer

[gabehwkns]

I apologize in advance if this is one of those questions archived somewhere. I read the Music Making with a Computer article, but it stops at choosing between a Mac or PC. I have an above average understanding of PCs, so I have chosen to go that route. That said, my question is, in choosing a desktop PC, what specifications should I concentrate on? What would those of you more experienced in home recording recommend in terms of the right amount of RAM, processor speed, etc.? I greatly appreciate any guidance.

 

[phriq]

Alot of this depends on your needs. Are you going to be recording alot of simultaneous tracks, or is this more for just a projoect studio where you will just be recording yourself (one or two tracks at a time)? Also, do you plan on having a lot of tracks or more simple recordings? Or are you doing mostly electronic stuff with loops, virtual instruments, etc..?

General rule of thumb is more is better. Obviously 8 gigs of RAM will serve you much better than 4. A quad core 2.8 GHz processor will be better than a dual core 2.2 GHz processor. However, if you are doing simple things with not using a ton of plugs or effects and not a crazy amount of tracks, a more simple rig can do. However, if you are looking into purchasing, now days I would have a minimum of 8 gigs ram and would recommend going for one of the core i7 procs (as they are very pretty).

Do you have a decent interface? If so, you won't need to drop a ton of money on an audio card as the interface will do the work for you. I would also recommend (if you are able to) to get a GPU that has dual monitor capabilites (though most do today). Having two screens is SOOO much better than working on one.

I guess, this is a decent starting place for a basic setup. Not knowing your technical level I did not want to get to much into specs...

Hope this helps!

 

[gabehwkns]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I've found a decent computer that will get me started. I'm using the Line 6 TonePort UX2 as my audio interface, and it seems to serve me well; definitely better than the integrated sound on my current computer, naturally. It will have 8 gigs of ram and an intel dual-core processor G620 [2.6GHz, 3MB cache]. My only concern would be the processor. Would this be enough to handle some basic multi track recording, perhaps 2-4 tracks at a time?

 

[somegeezer]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I've found a decent computer that will get me started. I'm using the Line 6 TonePort UX2 as my audio interface, and it seems to serve me well; definitely better than the integrated sound on my current computer, naturally. It will have 8 gigs of ram and an intel dual-core processor G620 [2.6GHz, 3MB cache]. My only concern would be the processor. Would this be enough to handle some basic multi track recording, perhaps 2-4 tracks at a time?

Sounds like a crap ton of RAM it'll never use. 4 gigs will do you fine. Until you at least upgrade your processor to a newer quad core and your interface to something better that can handle more simultaneous sources.