Looking to buy a new computer(PC)...

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plingativator

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Hello,

As the title suggests, I am looking to buy a new computer. I am here because I need advice on the best parts to get for recording. I am considering getting a custom made computer, because I will be able to choose exactly what I get.

I already have an E-MU 0404 soundcard, and cubasis vst. I think everything else I will have to buy. Speakers are not an issue, as I will be running the E-MU out into my stereo pre-amp.

This store, http://www.a-power.com/ , is the place that I am looking at for purchasing the custom computer. They have all the lists of parts that I can choose from. I was wondering if anyone could be so kind as to look through everything and design me a fully operational computer that would fit all my recording needs. My budget is around $500 to $700, unless if someone really thinks an extra hundred or so would be totally worth it.

I realize that I am asking for a lot, so if no one wants to design a whole system, I will understand. Advice on individual parts would be okay too. If someone does decide to take on this challenge, because maybe they enjoy that kind of thing, I would be really grateful.

Thank you for reading this. If you have any questions, just post them.
 
Well, I am up for your "challenge" although I have some questions:

Do you need a monitor? If so... cheapie, or $200 one?

That site you have your heart set on seems a little pricey... why you want to buy from there?

How's This:

From www.newegg.com:

Case: Linkworld ATX Mid Tower w/400 watt PSU .........................$ 27.00
Motherboard: ASUS A8v Deluxe socket 939 ................................$125
Processor: AMD 64 3000+ w/Fan and Heatsink ............................$146
Hard Drive: Western Digital SATA 80 GB .....................................$ 60.50
RAM: Rosewill DDR400 PC3200 1GB ............................................$.92.99
DVD Burner: Rosewill Double Layer ............................................$ 49.99
Keyboard/Mouse: Microsoft Wireless Optical Combo .....................$ 45.99
..........................................................................................$547.47

Need Monitor add about $100 - $200
Need Microsoft Windows $100 - $200
 
80 gig HD? I've thrown out drives that small. Well, not quite, but....

On PriceWatch, I can double that size for only an extra $15.... or for an additional $3 if you don't mind going parallel ATA (and there's no real reason to care yet). :)
 
Thanks for your input. The reason that I was looking at the original place was because I live nearby, so shipping wouldn't be an issue.

I'm also assuming that the site you showed me would send everything separately and I would need to assemble it myself, which I could do, but it also freaks me out.

Is it really worth the DVD burner? If the cd drives are cheaper, that would be better, because I will only be recording music.

Thanks again.
 
plingativator said:
Thanks for your input. The reason that I was looking at the original place was because I live nearby, so shipping wouldn't be an issue.

I'm also assuming that the site you showed me would send everything separately and I would need to assemble it myself, which I could do, but it also freaks me out.

Is it really worth the DVD burner? If the cd drives are cheaper, that would be better, because I will only be recording music.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
I recommend having a couple of firewire ports(preferably the newer 800),
then you could always add an external DVD burner(e.g.,Sony).
I would just get a internal Plextor CD burner-DVD ROM drive.
 
M-audio has awesome recording gear.

If you are in Canada you can get awesome pricing if you call www.silicondirect.com, they usually beat pricing if you make a call. I picked a pair of BX8 monitors from M-audio and they sound awesome and dont break the bank.

Nice midi controllers too...
 
plingativator said:
Thanks for your input. The reason that I was looking at the original place was because I live nearby, so shipping wouldn't be an issue.

I'm also assuming that the site you showed me would send everything separately and I would need to assemble it myself, which I could do, but it also freaks me out.

Is it really worth the DVD burner? If the cd drives are cheaper, that would be better, because I will only be recording music.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

The only reason I'd really suggest the DVD-RW would be for backup purposes. You can back up several GIGs of Data onto one DVD, perhaps an entire project. When working in raw formats, this comes in very useful. Just a thought on the matter. I back things up like the world is going to end tommorow.
 
Okay, I see the advantage to a DVD drive now. Seems logical.

Another note, the site I originally posted is all in Canadian dollars, I think.

What exactly are the benefits of firewire. I know video editing uses it, but what type of music stuff is it good for?
 
I just bought two brand-new Dells off if Ebay for $400.00

Dell 8400
2.8 gig P4
160 gig hd
512 MB ram
DVD RW

They have more.

I also got two Dell 17" LCDs for $200.00 each
 
If you are serious about recording you will stay far away from a Dell, Hp, Compaq... etc. They are great deals for home use and word processing etc but they limit your upgrade ability and tweaking abilities. I have to be honest, at least have of the PCs that I am called to fix are Dells. Many times it is just a case of pushing to PC too far, ie. 3-d Gaming, and not have efficient RAM or CPU power. Not to mention all of the annoying "dell Help" stuff that clogs up your Windows.

Don't be freaked about building it dude, it's not that hard :) Just search this forum, read the manual, and make sure you don't shock anything! If you need detailed help on assembling it and can't find the info you need just let me know and I would be glad to help. I am A+ certified and have my own Web Design/PC repair business.

As dedicatedlist stated, the DVD RW is a means of backing up your projects. It is nice to have a 200 GB drive or 2, but is actually more efficient to keep all your projects on DVD... much safer too :) 4.7 GB for a normal single layer or even 8.4 GB for double layer is pretty nice to have! As a rule of thumb, after I get my final tracks for a tune recorded I back up the entire project to DVD. Then mix and add stuff, and delete stuff. If I need to I can always load the original tracks from the DVD and start over. Great archiving ability.
 
What I can tell you...

After several years I found that for a PC, SCSI works best for your harddrives.
My opinion. I have been a supporter of Digital Audio Labs products for a long time and if I could build a new machine I would have 3 CardDeluxes chained or maybe 4. The one thing that I am about to find out is if I max my memory on my Motherboard will it matter for Cakewalk version 6. I cant go to 1 gig. I can upgrade to just about 800 meg of SDRAM 100 bus speed. I am not sure if this will improve my Polyphony on playback but that is where issues occur at least for me.
 
deepwater said:
I just bought two brand-new Dells off if Ebay for $400.00

Dell 8400
2.8 gig P4
160 gig hd
512 MB ram
DVD RW

They have more.

I also got two Dell 17" LCDs for $200.00 each
Click to expand...

I REALLY hate to go here, but if you want a quiet cool budget PC then you really should go with Dell. Mind you, I do NOT endorse Dell as the best box, only the best box if budget is a issue. Do NOT get the home boxes, look at the bottom-of-the-line servers. Built like tanks and built to be cool.

Newbies (and I know that nobody likes to think of themselves as a newbie, specially if they have built up several computers) often spec out PCs with relatively cheap cases that toss in the power supply. God knows I have done it enough! The problem is that this is a recipe for heartache and stress, and if you have valuable creative content on your PC, financial ruin. Cheap cases fry HDD (been there, done that), and cheap power supplies cause problems too in addition to dying at the worst time possible (been there, done that TOO). I know this is not a popular point of view, but your case NEEDS several fans, one blowing directly over the HDD array, and your power supply should set you back at least $50 bucks all by itself. Power supplies are REALLY undervalued and overlooked.

When you toss in the need to keep things quiet, in addition to keeping things cool, the price tag can really climb fast. Music workstations should be among the most expensive computers in the marketplace, but for some reason people have no problem tossing several grand at a good mic and pre, but feel like they are paying too much when the PC goes over a thousand.

The music PC that I spec'd out used a rack mount case with (7) 5 1/4 bays. Four of those bays were filled with Kingwin KF-83 mobile SATA racks. Also available for PATA drives, these puppies dedicate three 40mm fans to each HDD and you can pull them at the end of a session and lock them in a fireproof safe. Very very cheap for what they buy you. The case had three 120mm fans, and two 80mm fans, and the power supply (a very very quiet model with a huge heatsink and a fan that only came on when it absolutely had to) cost $150 all by itself. Naturally with this many fans you need a fan controller, but far better to have large fans turning slowly (and quietly) than small fans straining like crazy.

Absolutely use DVD-R/W, and absolutely get a good UPS.

No question you can go a little bit crazy with this stuff, but if you livelihood depends on it, then quite frankly you should.

Luck.

Edit... I am going to have to take a step back on recommending the Dell. They have modified their server lineup since I bought mine. The price has also climbed significantly. Dell posts the 'come on' price as just over $400 for their bottom-of-the-line server, but to get something usable the cost starts at about $1,700, and that is with just 80GB of storage!

Shame.
 
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