Hardware/Software dilema

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edward0328

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Hey guys so i have a situation here. I am currently running Pro Tools MP 9 on a very standard home computer (250 Internal Hard Drive, 2GB of ram, Pentium dual core) Not the best music computer i know..Lately when i run pro tools ive been getting many error messages specifically memory issues and not enough drive space. So ive been deciding on either switching to a different DAW or upgrading my computer system. IMO i feel like just upgrading my comp is a more viable option at this point. What do you guys think? Will upgrading RAM and adding a external hdd improve my performance?
 
2gb of ram is just enough to run the operating system and some basic office-type programs, not recording.

Recording audio moves massive amounts of data. You need some more ram.
The best setup for audio uses multiple disk drives, too.

Chance are you'd be better off getting a new computer tho...
 
I understand that getting a better computer or upgrading it is better. But getting a new DAW won't really make a huge difference rogt?
 
With most digital systems, your computer is the central hub of your hardware. It requires a lot of power to run such a taxing program like Pro Tools. Besides just upgrading your ram, you will want a more powerful processor, and a faster hard drive. A lot of people forget that size is not the only factor when buying a hard drive. Speed effects how quickly you can write information to the drive; the faster the speed the faster you can write. Solid state drives are even faster, but they can get expensive. Why does this matter in Pro Tools? Every time you add a new file from recording/mixing, or every time you send a file to your computer disc, you are writing on the disc. If you have plans on upgrading your version of Pro Tools you should get a computer that will be compatible with the extra hardware requirements.
 
edward0328 said:
But getting a new DAW won't really make a huge difference rogt?
Click to expand...

No. There may be daws that are a little less taxing, but the first time you start adding plugins, all bets are off.

You need to save your money and get a new system.

Last year I went from a six-year-old 2.8ghz single-core laptop with 2.5gb ram to a new quad-core system with 12gb ram and the differences are staggering.
 
If money's an issue, I would recommend buying an external hard drive and upgrading the RAM before a new computer for a few reasons.
The first, you should be recording to an external (or separate from system) hard drive no matter what computer you use, so that's never money wasted.
The second. Ram is cheap, and if it doesn't solve your problem your old computer is probably that little bit more sellable for having 4gb or whatever. ;)

If you problem solely comes down to running out of drive space then definitely just get a 2nd drive and tidy up your system drive a bit.
Run the usual suspects. defrag, dskchk etc.
 
And why is this in the 'Studio Building" section of the forum?
 
LOL! I have no idea!

But I agree with Tim.

I still piddle with PT, Cubase, & other audio software... but we are running AutoCAD 2014 for all of our design work and upgraded last year to i7 processors, gaming motherboard, 16GB RAM, Raid 1000GB HDs, SSD for the main programs... And let me tell you - the difference is NIGHT and DAY!
Thanks to my IT guy that helped this old man link these two identical monster machines together. FYI, I built them myself for about $1000 each - it's the 27" LED displays that will set you back.. haha!

Save your money - especially if music is 'what you do'. It's worth it and it will save you DAYS of headaches.

cheers,
John
 
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