Computer Studio Setup...

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Uladine

Uladine

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Hello, this is a long one...

I am looking to upgrade my home studio from a Roland VS-1880 to a PC based system. I am looking into building a PC from scratch and use it solely for recording. First off, my goals are to be able to record up to 8 tracks at a time and maybe be able to upgrade later with dual 8 I/O interfaces allowing me to record 16 tracks at once if thats possible.

I plan to have maybe a 20gb hard drive for the OS and maybe a few other music related programs (fruity loops, etc.) and another 20 or 30gb hard drive for audio data. I want way more processing speed and RAM than I need. What kind of computer parts should I get?

As for software Nuendo and Pro Tools are a bit out of my price range (besides pro tools LE but I dont want to be limited to 24 tracks). I would like to be able to use a lot of plugins and effects too if possible. So now I have my eyes on Cubasis VST. Is this a good program? Is Cubase VST/32 much better than the standard VST? In other words is it worth paying the extra money? On Steinbergs website it said something about needing an ASIO compatible soundcard/interface. How do I find out which cards are compatible?

I am looking at the Delta 1010 8-I/O for my audio interface. Would it work with Cubase? Later in the future I might want to expand by getting another Delta 1010. Would this allow me to record 16 tracks at once with Cubase or would the software limit me to less?

Basically I am looking to have a studio with which I will RARELY fall short of capabilities and PC recording seems to be the least expensive way to achieve this. Any help or advice is much appreciated.
 
Gee, you're sure in the right place to be asking these questions. Afraid I can't answer any of 'em too well, but I'll have a shot at the computer itself:

Intel platforms provide a lot of security and safety, as most software/hardware is first tested for Intel chipsets and processors. Having said that, I've never used Intel because I get waaay more bang for the buck with AMD processors and associated mobos. Tons of processing power, and so long as the heatsinks don't fall of, the new breed of XP processors are pretty reliable, too.

I would recommend:

Athlon XP (at least 1600+, even a 1900+ is not that expensive now)
A good DDR mobo, based on the VIA KT266A: Asus, Soyo and Soltek are currently the best around, according to www.tomshardware.com
At least 512 MB CL 2.5 Crucial DDR SDRAM
Plextor IDE CDWriter W2410TA
A very comfortable mouse or pointing device
A 20 GB Hard Disk for programs, and a 40/60/80GB for audio. 20 GB really ain't too much for audio files. I positively love the new Seagate drives, no matter what anyone says about the brand. IBM currently make some killer drives as well.
A really good power supply. enermax I believe is a good one.

Ciao

Sangram
 
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