Does this Carillon Pc setup sound good?

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jamtheguitarman

jamtheguitarman

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Hey all,
it sure is nice to be hear!

Hey
I am looking to do instrumental guitar recordings. do drums on the pc, keys and stuff like that also use some samples.
Does this look good to anyone. Many say Carillon are overpriced. that dosnt look to bad to me. Your opinions are really helping me out.
Anyone out there into recording this type of music too? if possible can you post a sample of what youve recorded using pro tools Le or cubase SL?


Does this sound any good.

Carillon Tower

Intel P4 3.2GHz,
Intel 865 micro m/b,
64MB Intel Graphics,
1024MB DDR RAM,
200GB Serial ATA Drive,
80GB IDE Drive,
CDRW/DVDROM Combo,
Windows XP,
Zalman 7000 Ultra Quiet fan
Pro Tools M-box.

£1259.00

Possibly reason to do some midi as well.
Then all i need is some a screen/monitor and some monitors/speakers and a mike.

The other setup he recommended was:

AC-1 Core 1
Intel P4 3GHz HT,
Intel D865PE motherboard,
Radeon 7000 Dual Head 64 MB,
1024MB DDR RAM,
120GB IDE Drive,
CDRW/DVDROM Combo,
Windows XP,

Native Instruments Guitar Rig Pedal & Software package http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?guitarrig_us

M Audio Firewire 410 Soundcard http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_gb/FireWire410-main.html

Steinberg Cubase SL http://www.steinberg.de/ProductPage_sb.asp?Product_ID=2013&Langue_ID=2

http://www.carillondirect.com/clnweb/ac1.jsp?country=UK
£1875.00

Thanks

Jamie
 
I wonder if anyone would be willing to pay me a flat fee to recommend systems????

The cost for this system is $1,613 US. Built into an Ahanix case (the case features sophisticated temperature control) with a Thermaltake 480 watt power supply and running WinXP Pro w/SP2.

  • ASUS K8N-E DELUXE nVIDIA nFORCE3 250 CHIPSET SERIAL ATA150 ATX FORM FACTOR 1xAGP(8X)/5xPCI/3xDDR W/SATA RAID,LAN(Gb),1394,USB 2.0 & AUDIO (CPU TYPE:AMD ATHLON 64 - SOCKET 754) Details (AMD ATHLON 64 3000+; NO EXTRA COOLING FAN; 1GB DDR400(512MB X 2))
  • ASUS EN5750 TD128MB NVIDIA PCX5750 PCI EXPRESS W/TV & DVI (supports two displays)
  • LITE ON SOHW1633S BLACK 16X DVD REWRITABLE DRIVE W/SW (2 of these... write both CD-RW and DVD-RW)
  • WD 74GB 740GD SERIAL ATA 150 10,000RPM 8MB BUFFER HARD DRIVE (only 1 of these)
  • WD 2000JD 200GB SERIAL ATA 7200RPM 8MB HARD DRIVE (2 of these in a RAID-1 array)
  • M-AUDIO 1010LT

So, what you'd get is a MUCH FASTER box, 200GB in a RAID-1 array (or 400GB if not mirrored), with a 74GB 10,000 RPM drive for your music, dual monitor support, dual CD-RW/DVD-RW drives, a soundcard with MIDI, S-PDIF, 10 in, 10 out. With the extra money buy a great pre and microphone!

You can buy these components (don't know about international shipping) from Multiwave or, most likely, NewEgg.

Bottom line, I think that you are paying WAY too much for what you are getting.
 
Thanks for your response.

first things first. I am no computer buff, far from it so building my own is out of the question. Is thier a computer on those sites already built with those specs you gave me or do i have to do it myself? Also it must cost alot to import a computer to Scotland from America, import tax is a basterd. what does this mean aswell (Sorry for my ignorence!!!!)
200GB in a RAID-1 array (or 400GB if not mirrored), with a 74GB 10,000 RPM drive for your music Thanks alot for your help.
I dont want to get ripped off!

Jamie
 
RAID, set up the way meitioned allows you to mirror one of your hard drives so if you have "an accident" and one of your drives dies, your stuff is still protected on the other. There are different kinds of RAID. I don't think the first option you posted was too bad. A good price for a decent machine. Not sure about the motherboard and the grapchics card is pretty outdated though. I also don't like the M-box just cause i don't like pro tools but that is completely my preference only and has no basis whatsoever except that i just don't like using pro tools.
 
The Carillion PC's are overpriced.

But they're rock solid, and present a good option for people concerned about noise (is the pc in the same room you track in ?), and for people who don't have the knowledge or inclination to 'roll their own'...

If you have the PC in a different room than your mic's, and are willing to learn a bit about PC maintainence...there are better options IMO.
 
I wouldnt say the Carillion units are overpriced. Anyone familiar with Soundscape's early days will recognize some faces and voices at Carillion

I have "done business" probably ten times with Carillion. Each time cost them at least an hour, with them calling me back on their dime a few times. Each time ended with me NOT BUYING ANYTHING.

The systems I wanted to spec out were so fraught with unknowns that they couldnt in good conscience sell me a system fitting the bill. They sure in hell put me in touch with people most knowledgeable in my particular problems though.

If Carillion specs you a system, count whatever money extra you think you spent as a TINY fraction of the R&D time and shithead customer ( wink wink ) time they had to spend. They are HARDCORE behind what they sell, and you can be damn confident in their reccomendations.

top notch
 
I don't quite understand what makes the Intel motherboard and Intel cpu in a Carillion different than a custom built machine with an Intel motherboard and Intel cpu.

I still think they are overpriced, and their unwillingness to go to AMD 64 is now leaving them undergunned.

You can get a custom, quiet system built from start to finish from Monarch, for a lesser price, that would annilihate any Carillion.

Unless they have some mystical component in their computers besides motherboard/hard drives/cpu/ram/video/case/fan/optical drive.

There comes a point where it really is still a computer, and it really is still Windows XP.
 
jamtheguitarman said:
Thanks for your response.

first things first. I am no computer buff, far from it so building my own is out of the question. Is thier a computer on those sites already built with those specs you gave me or do i have to do it myself? Also it must cost alot to import a computer to Scotland from America, import tax is a basterd. what does this mean aswell (Sorry for my ignorence!!!!)
200GB in a RAID-1 array (or 400GB if not mirrored), with a 74GB 10,000 RPM drive for your music Thanks alot for your help.
I dont want to get ripped off!

Jamie
Click to expand...

MWave will build the system for $80 more, but I cannot speak to the import issues (don't you have someone in the US who can send you a 'gift'?). As this is a very generic box you could most likely get it serviced anywhere, but keep in mind that service is always an issue. EVERYTHING breaks at some point.
 
AC1 Core 2:

Intel P4 3GHz, Intel D865PE motherboard, Radeon 7000 Dual Head 64 MB, 1024MB DDR RAM, 80GB IDE Drive, 120GB Serial ATA Drive, DVD/RW, Windows XP

$1999

Monarch A64 system, 3yr warranty:

Athlon 64 3500+, Abit motherboard, Radeon 7000 dual head, 1024MB DDR ram 120gig SATA, 250gig SATA, DVD/RW, Windows XP Pro Lian-Li PC-V1000 case, Zalman 400w PS

$1627

Hmm......tough decision.
 
Thanks for replys.

i have been looking at this system that was recommended on the digidesign website forum.
The Allenstein Machine


Aspire X-Dreamer II case with 350W PSU 63.00

Asus K8V SE Deluxe Motherboard-Retail 115.00

Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2Ghz (heatsink not included) 289.00

Micron PC3200 512 MB DDR SDRAM CT6464Z40B x2 (1GB total) = 177.98

ATI Radeon 9200 64Mb DDR 8x Dual Video Card 44.00

Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM 8MB CACHE Hard Drives 69.99 x 2 = 139.98

Lite-On DVD/CDRW Combo Burner 67.00

Total = $895.96

Enermax EG365P-VE (FMA) 350W PSU (optional but highly recommended for low noise)

Zalman Quiet Heatsink/Fan for Athlon 64 Processors required for OEM CPUs

What does everyone think? Looks pretty good to me. Can anyone suggest anything else to make it better,staying around the same price?
 
jamtheguitarman said:
Thanks for replys.

i have been looking at this system that was recommended on the digidesign website forum.
The Allenstein Machine


Aspire X-Dreamer II case with 350W PSU 63.00

Asus K8V SE Deluxe Motherboard-Retail 115.00

Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2Ghz (heatsink not included) 289.00

Micron PC3200 512 MB DDR SDRAM CT6464Z40B x2 (1GB total) = 177.98

ATI Radeon 9200 64Mb DDR 8x Dual Video Card 44.00

Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM 8MB CACHE Hard Drives 69.99 x 2 = 139.98

Lite-On DVD/CDRW Combo Burner 67.00

Total = $895.96

Enermax EG365P-VE (FMA) 350W PSU (optional but highly recommended for low noise)

Zalman Quiet Heatsink/Fan for Athlon 64 Processors required for OEM CPUs

What does everyone think? Looks pretty good to me. Can anyone suggest anything else to make it better,staying around the same price?
Click to expand...

Looks good to me, as long as you feel comfortable putting it together.
 
Polaris20 said:
AC1 Core 2:

Intel P4 3GHz, Intel D865PE motherboard, Radeon 7000 Dual Head 64 MB, 1024MB DDR RAM, 80GB IDE Drive, 120GB Serial ATA Drive, DVD/RW, Windows XP

$1999

Monarch A64 system, 3yr warranty:

Athlon 64 3500+, Abit motherboard, Radeon 7000 dual head, 1024MB DDR ram 120gig SATA, 250gig SATA, DVD/RW, Windows XP Pro Lian-Li PC-V1000 case, Zalman 400w PS

$1627

Hmm......tough decision.
Click to expand...

You can do better than that.

Here's a system from newegg I posted on another thread

Asus P4C800-deluxe $158
P4 3.0E 1mb cache $189
Corsair XMS xtreme 2x512MB $228
Seagate Barracuda 2x120GB $178
Gigabyte ATI radeon 128MB 8xAGP $ 73
NEC 16X double layer cd/dvd burner $ 68
Case + 400W PS $ 35
ADIDAV 17" LCD 16ms monitor $262

All up $1191

Haven't included XP in there though
 
Bulls Hit said:
You can do better than that.

Here's a system from newegg I posted on another thread

Asus P4C800-deluxe $158
P4 3.0E 1mb cache $189
Corsair XMS xtreme 2x512MB $228
Seagate Barracuda 2x120GB $178
Gigabyte ATI radeon 128MB 8xAGP $ 73
NEC 16X double layer cd/dvd burner $ 68
Case + 400W PS $ 35
ADIDAV 17" LCD 16ms monitor $262

All up $1191

Haven't included XP in there though
Click to expand...

My point was that even coming in over $350 less, I configured a machine with more HD space and a chip that will stomp the Carillion's balls.

And it will be quiet too.
 
Settings, and card placement shouldnt be overlooked. There are a LOT of hidden SNAFU's involved. I personally like finding them myself, and finding ways around it.

There is SO much more to building a hardcore audio PC than just picking the parts, and more still than putting it together. Two vendors or users can build PC's with identical parts. They could both be competent techs, yet one could easily smpoe the other one into dust
 
i have made a few changes, what do you think?

case is now a :Thermaltake Tsunami VA3000BWA
memory is :1 GB DDR 400 A-DATA Dual Channel Kit
Hard drive is 1:Maxtor Serial 80 GB 7200 RPM
2:Maxtor Serial 160 GB 7200 RPM

What version of Windows should i go with for that Allenstien pc?
 
guitarman. in my area decent amd systems start around 350 bucks.
eg: canadasys.com and there are many others.
you dont need to spend lots of money these days to get a lot of tracks.
it would help to know two things. what are the max number of tracks
you anticipate recording and max number of plug ins you will run at one time,
and max number of tracks you will record at one time.
if its around 24 to 32 tracks with not many plug ins.
prolly a cheap amd barton system will more than suffice.
just an idea.
 
I would say around 24 to over 30 but i will use alot of plugins probley. i also want this system to last a long time. i have had a look at building it myself. is it as easy as it looks, just a matter of slotting some things in the back of the case, then configuering the system. what else is involved?
 
if you havent built before i would seriously advise you to get a tech to put it together and pay him the money. some charge a modest amount.
maybe watch him as he does it so you can learn. there are also adult courses in some areas that teach how to put one together.
it sounds like you want to run a lot of plug ins at once.
it would be really informative to know the max number.
all this has a bearing. are you going to be recording one track at a time ?
4 ? 8 ?
 
Yes, youre probley wright about someone else building it. As for plug-ins i really cant say as this is my firs expieriance of recording by myself on a home computer but i want a highley polished sound so it will be alot probley. i have been thinking of getting an pro tools m-box for audio(only 2 inputs) for audio and then running reason through pro tools for midi. is this a good idea or would i be better of with sonar or cubase? ive heard cubase aint good for audio. The only thing is i am already familier with cubase sl as i use it at college, but not pro tools.pro tools seems to be the way everthing is going though so i think i should learn how to use it. it dosnt bother me lerning it though.
 
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