Is Anyone Using a Rack PC?
- Thread starter Axe
- Start date
I’m using a rack PC. Don’t remember the specs right now but it’s pretty robust @ 4?rack units high.
As yourself, I’m running windows 7 .
I’m running windows 10 and have all the plug ins I could need, and it’s all running strong.
For me, this computer never goes on line. So windows not being supported any more doesn’t mean any thing for me.
No software upgrades that tend to screw other things up, nothing new I need to download and install, no internet to give me viruses. Everything just works.
That’s my experience, yours may be different.
As yourself, I’m running windows 7 .
I’m running windows 10 and have all the plug ins I could need, and it’s all running strong.
For me, this computer never goes on line. So windows not being supported any more doesn’t mean any thing for me.
No software upgrades that tend to screw other things up, nothing new I need to download and install, no internet to give me viruses. Everything just works.
That’s my experience, yours may be different.
I need a lot of usb connections and I have ton of plugins. Windows based and I love my 42" monitor.. Makes editing wav files easier on these old eyes.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
Unlike us old folks, computers don't really get weaker and slower just because they are old.
If the machine is getting "wonky", why not just replace the hard drive (keep the old one as a backup) and reinstall Win7 fresh. As long as you have the code, it should activate just fine. In my experience, the OS doesn't get wonky unless there has been a fair quantity of changes/updates/additions to the OS and programs, often leaving unused bits of junk in the registry file, pointing to places that don't exist any longer, and slowly bloating the system. An OS refresh should remove all of that, leaving a crisp and lean machine.
Also, if you've got an old spinner drive, replace it with a nice SSD. It will make things fly.
If the machine is getting "wonky", why not just replace the hard drive (keep the old one as a backup) and reinstall Win7 fresh. As long as you have the code, it should activate just fine. In my experience, the OS doesn't get wonky unless there has been a fair quantity of changes/updates/additions to the OS and programs, often leaving unused bits of junk in the registry file, pointing to places that don't exist any longer, and slowly bloating the system. An OS refresh should remove all of that, leaving a crisp and lean machine.
Also, if you've got an old spinner drive, replace it with a nice SSD. It will make things fly.
Axe
New member
My concern is that 7 hasn't been supported in a long time now. So I think it's inevitable that I'll have to replace this dedicated machine before too long and as you can see by my 25lbs in a 10lb sack studio pic, space is at a premium. So I got to thinking about a rack DAW machine and wondered what the pros and cons where. I don't relish the thought of a changeover.
Farview
Well-known member
I used a rack computer for my studio. (Had two over time) The biggest difference is they can be made quieter because of the size of the case. Other than that, there is plenty of space for multiple hard drives and slots for cards that can add usb or other things.
Other than that, a computer is a computer.
Other than that, a computer is a computer.
+2 on what Rich said. A SSD will make a huge difference. If you have the original W7 install disc, do that and reinstall your other software. If possible, leave it off line so you don't have to worry about security. A clean install of everything will help make it run better also.
If you do decide to build a new computer, why would it not fit in the space you have the current computer in?
If you do decide to build a new computer, why would it not fit in the space you have the current computer in?
TalismanRich
Well-known member
If you aren't adding new software, you should be good to go. On the flip side, upgrading MIGHT cause an issue. I've got numerous programs that won't run under Win10, like my old Lotus Smartsuite, old Photoshop, a bunch of games. If you have any software that was written more in the XP era, you might find it won't run under 10 or 11.
On the other side, the computer (not really used anymore) that still has WIn2000 on it, will easily run all of those programs. If there was a reason that I needed to run Smartsuite, I could fire that one up. Heck, I have my old Win95 machine with a 486-66, tape drive and SCSI card. It still runs, I fired it up about 2 months ago after I replaced the BIOS battery.
famous beagle
Well-known member
I didn't even realize rack PCs were a thing. 
wmalan
Member
I looked at those and asked the question here a ways back. For price and performance I think the old box config wins out. Also pointed out to me on this forum was cooling... Racks tend to not run as cool as boxes (or so I was told).
I have two. A 4 space running protools, and a single space SSD computer running reaper. Not coming from Sweetwater, but custom built by a friend of mine who’s a hardware tech at google.
No problems with either.
rob aylestone
Moderator
I bought a Carillon rack mount music computer a long time ago, then another. The cases are amazing - steel and cast fronts - I have bought more cases when they went bust and now they are resurrected again people can still but them. Frankly, inside all mine are quite normal PCs, but the cases are really tough and survived touring easily. The only sad part is the early ones had tape transport buttons, or banks of rotary knobs in the old floppy sized 'holes' that were MIDI controllers and while I still have some of them, the drivers are long gone.