OS for Studio Recording

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carlosbeans

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hello, i'm new here. been recording music at home for about 4 or 5 years in some shape or form.

i'm gathering research to build a custom PC strictly for home studio use, and i've gotten some good suggestions from people as far as hardware is concerned (i'm still pretty happy with my CEP 2.0 as far as software goes. :) )

i'm not sure how relevant this would be, although i would think it would be somewhat important,but does anyone have any suggestions as to what type of OS to use for the studio environment?

i've been using Windows XP for a few years now, and of course as is the case with Windows, it's never as stable as you'd like. i know that the MAC OSX system is based off of the Linux platform which in turn would provide more stability as i understand it.

does anyone have any thoughts as to whether a program like Red Hat or some other operating system would be optimal for recording?

just curious...
 
I have NO "stability" issues with XP. It has NEVER crashed on me. This computer is my "do-it-all" computer too. Internet, office apps, photo manipulation, video editing, audio recording/editing/mixing/mastering.

I don't know how you can make a statement like "never as stable as you like". Almost everybody I know who uses XP finds it to be extremely stable, and have very few problems with it.

Lack of stability comes from not so good hardware, and junky software. Almost NEVER is it XP's fault.

MAC and OSX will increase your system/software cost for the same "bang for the buck" performance as a PC, and I can assure you, I have seen QUITE a FEW problems with the Mac OS. It can be just as problematic as the PC.

Linux? LOL....you are joking of course right? ;)
 
If you have stability problems with XP then you have a poorly designed computer that is probably using incompatible hardware and software.

I also have never had any problems with XP Pro and I use this computer for everything.
 
I haven't had any issues with XP and am going on a year and a half since install. I agree with the above posts.
 
I have my slackware 11 machine set up for recording with an Edirol FA-66... rock solid... however... it requires that you think about how your software interacts with everything differently. There no 'All-in-one' software package... you get specialized programs that have to interact over another peice of software called JACK. like using a patchbay...

Generally if you have a PCI recording card like a Delta1010 I would suggest going with an audio distribution like Dyne http://dynebolic.org/... I used DeMuDi for a while before going to slackware but the DeMuDi project seems to have died after it lost it's funding from the EU... Dyne is a very "light" OS so though it will run on practically anything it will require more familiarization with whatever desktop environment it uses... no actual 'linux' knowledge needed...it's also generally a LiveCD so no actual installation of anyhing is required either... however performance is definatly increased in installed.

I went back to slackware because thats what I like... however configuration was fairly intensive...
 
danny.guitar said:
If you have stability problems with XP then you have a poorly designed computer that is probably using incompatible hardware and software.
Click to expand...

Everything about this is 100%, completely, absolutely correct.
 
JazzMang said:
And please remember never to put this studio PC on the internet.
NEVER!
Click to expand...

Why? You can disable your network connection at anytime. I've been recording for years with my DAW connected to the net. I have at times disabled it but I've never had any problems. Only a dumbass is going to get a virus. My firewall has been rock solid.

Now I wouldn't surf porn sites with your DAW computer. :D
 
Because its just less trouble in the long run. Have a home use PC for well... home use, and a seperate studio PC thats only for recording.
Some people (whose business relies on the studio PC working) will tell you first hand that there is no need to have a studio recording PC on the net at all.
 
Actually you'll be suprise......... all the mac's at the studio is connected on the internet. Of course with precautionary measures installed. So you guys who have NEVER had a problem with windows.... have never had ANY freezes, ANY hiccups, while doing ANYTHING?? Even I have the occasional "running 4 programs at once and windows crashes". And I'm around computers for a living. Not talking about major disasters, I'm talking about minor things. No Internet Explorer messing up? No debugging issues come popping up? It's kind of hard to believe. Windows XP is a good OS if you take care of it, but EVEN if you take care of it, there's still bugs in there that will cause memory dumps, registar issues, etc.
 
Those are Macs? I am talking about Windows PCs, in general.
 
JazzMang said:
And please remember never to put this studio PC on the internet.
NEVER!
Click to expand...

NEVER? To each his own I guess. Many do it and it's not a major issue - including myself. To someone who might not have multiple machines (maybe they've sunk all their $$$ into one killer PC), etc. saying "NEVER" might be a bit too discouraging and I feel unnecessary. While it could be (and is) argued that it's not a good idea, I'm successfully doing it and that's thanks in part to those here that have offered advice and tips and not just saying "NEVER".
 
warble2 said:
NEVER? To each his own I guess. Many do it and it's not a major issue - including myself. To someone who might not have multiple machines (maybe they've sunk all their $$$ into one killer PC), etc. saying "NEVER" might be a bit too discouraging and I feel unnecessary. While it could be (and is) argued that it's not a good idea, I'm successfully doing it and that's thanks in part to those here that have offered advice and tips and not just saying "NEVER".
Click to expand...
JazzMang said:
Because its just less trouble in the long run. Have a home use PC for well... home use, and a seperate studio PC thats only for recording.
Some people (whose business relies on the studio PC working) will tell you first hand that there is no need to have a studio recording PC on the net at all.
Click to expand...
My advise was only intended for those that have the ability to have seperate PCs in a studio. If one 'standard use' PC can be on the net, keep the recording PC off the net. Theres just no reason to have it there. Especially when that little computer is how you make your living. Anti-blahware or not, being on the internet increases the chance of downtime. Not worth it.
 
I've built a lot of computers over the years. While there are lots of things that contribute to crashing, the following two things seem to be at the top of the list.

My general experience has been that each time I use a cheap (budget) power supply and/or cheap memory, then the machine tends to be less stable and more prone to crashing. When I build with more higher-end components, those machines are clearly more stable.

Also heat seems to play a major role in instability. If the computer case is too small or has inadequate ventilation, is left in service for years without ever having the dust cleaned out, or is used in a warmer environment (like a rack,) then they tend to be less stable.

Too much installed software can also lead to a messy OS.

RD
 
I am a big mac fan, but I run both a Mac and an XP PC and neither of them gives me any problem. What you need to do is figure out which app you want to use for recording, there are a lot of great ones out there now for just about any budget. Once you do that, then figure out which OS to use. Many apps only work on Mac, and some are PC only. If your favorite app does both, then choose the OS you are most comfortable with, because you will be working with it every single day.
 
JazzMang said:
Because its just less trouble in the long run. Have a home use PC for well... home use, and a seperate studio PC thats only for recording.
Some people (whose business relies on the studio PC working) will tell you first hand that there is no need to have a studio recording PC on the net at all.
Click to expand...

Really? Often, while I am mixing a song, I am also chatting, and sending mixes to people to take a listen for me.

I am ZERO issues being online WHILE I am working on audio.

Try updating your windows PC offline! ;)
 
JazzMang said:
And please remember never to put this studio PC on the internet.
NEVER!
Click to expand...


This is plain ignorance talking. I can tell people don't know JACK when they say things like "Don't PUT it on the Internet" There's no, putting involved.
 
i've been using Windows XP for a few years now, and of course as is the case with Windows, it's never as stable as you'd like. i know that the MAC OSX system is based off of the Linux platform which in turn would provide more stability as i understand it.

does anyone have any thoughts as to whether a program like Red Hat or some other operating system would be optimal for recording?

just curious...[/QUOTE]

Just for the record Mac OSX is based on UNIX not Linux. :)
 
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