PLEASE, I'M BEGGIN ! Help me design a Intel 3GHZ, 8GB RAM PT DAW -Component Selection

anppilot

anppilot

Never Act Like U Know All
Guys, Guys, Guys... and ladies :D

I've on this board for a long, long time. Mostly reading as you can see my 'join' date and how many post I have. I've learned a lot from you folks. :D

Most people say I don't want to break the bank, but I dont care. I want to do this one time and one time only.

I prefer to have:

A. 3+ GHZ Dual core to have 6GHZ+ cpu power and 8GB RAM - Yes on Vista-64.

B. 1-4 M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R (8-32 inputs so I can sell my Yamaha MG-32 Analog board and be all digital)

C. A Digidesign MIDI I/O 10 MIDI I/O ports (my serial unitor-8 wont work w/PT only USB) - I couuld go with a AMT8 or Unitor-8 USB, but I want to be guranteed everything is compatible. You hear alot about incompatibility problems with PT.

I have an idea what rack case I want: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811182566 which is very sweet for the price.

I like Segate drives, but will seriously take to heart your opinions on HDD's

the main thing is the motherboard, processor and RAM.

Please, I've read the digidesign website, as far what to use, but to me its still vague.

I would like from you guys to tell me what mobo + processor and ram.

I appreciate your input and I am more than sure others will also as alot of people are switching to PT and want to build a system also.

Maybe if possible this thread can be a sticky for new PT builders.

Cheers
 
anppilot said:
the main thing is the motherboard, processor and RAM.
Click to expand...

That's correct, anppilot. Get the best computer you can afford, load it with Reaper, Cakewalk Sonar, or something similar and forget about Protools. The Digidesign system involves dedicated hardware and a load of proprietary features.

Are you sure you want Digidesign? There are tons of better options that will serve you just as well without all of the headaches.
 
anppilot said:
I prefer to have:


B. 1-4 M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R (8-32 inputs so I can sell my Yamaha MG-32 Analog board and be all digital)
Click to expand...


if you need this many inputs, you better choose something else, M-powered only allows you to use one interface....I have 2 delta 1010's and I can only use 1 of them with PT....Im able to use them both just fine with Adobe Audition, so I know they are connected fine and drivers are installed....when I asked someone on the board why I couldnt get the second one setup in PT, they posted a link from Digi's site where it said you can only use one interface.....
 
Steve Moser said:
Are you sure you want Digidesign? There are tons of better options that will serve you just as well without all of the headaches.
Click to expand...

That's a bit subjective, don't you think?

Pro Tools doesn't have to be full of "headaches". The main problem is that people think they know better than Digidesign technical support and ignore the qualified systems, and ignore the hardware recommendations; so it's no wonder when their systems fall down. It's akin to buying a software package designed for Windows XP then complaining that it doesn't run on Windows 2000 - it wasn't tested to run on Win2k so why would you assume it to work?!

anppilot: there's one MASSIVE problem with the system you're proposing. Pro Tools does not run on 64 bit operating systems at current. Pro Tools 8 will run on 64 bit operating systems as a 32 bit application - but not in the initial release.

Do you really need that much midi connectivity? Any USB Midi interface will be supported in Pro Tools; provided it's compatible with whatever operating system your using. Plus this product is no longer available. Where did you hear that you can't use your serial interface? That's not correct.

Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please read the Digidesign support web pages and look into purchasing a qualified system. It will save you heartache [and the afore mentioned headaches] in the long run.

Which country are you in? Digidesign have a dedicated Pre-Sales support team who can advise you on the best hardware choices for your needs. It'd be a good idea to give them a call.

Failing that: how many inputs/outputs do you actually need? How many midi inputs/outputs do you need? What is your budget for a machine? And for hardware?

Hope that helps,

Will
 
anppilot said:
Guys, Guys, Guys... and ladies :D

I've on this board for a long, long time. Mostly reading as you can see my 'join' date and how many post I have. I've learned a lot from you folks. :D

Most people say I don't want to break the bank, but I dont care. I want to do this one time and one time only.

I prefer to have:

A. 3+ GHZ Dual core to have 6GHZ+ cpu power and 8GB RAM - Yes on Vista-64.

B. 1-4 M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R (8-32 inputs so I can sell my Yamaha MG-32 Analog board and be all digital)

C. A Digidesign MIDI I/O 10 MIDI I/O ports (my serial unitor-8 wont work w/PT only USB) - I couuld go with a AMT8 or Unitor-8 USB, but I want to be guranteed everything is compatible. You hear alot about incompatibility problems with PT.

I have an idea what rack case I want: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811182566 which is very sweet for the price.

I like Segate drives, but will seriously take to heart your opinions on HDD's

the main thing is the motherboard, processor and RAM.

Please, I've read the digidesign website, as far what to use, but to me its still vague.

I would like from you guys to tell me what mobo + processor and ram.

I appreciate your input and I am more than sure others will also as alot of people are switching to PT and want to build a system also.

Maybe if possible this thread can be a sticky for new PT builders.

Cheers
Click to expand...


I spec out and only use Intel motherboards and processors for my factory. Intel are among the only ones that get Microsoft Certification. I have had really bad luck with Dells, Hps and other India made junk. If in doubt, whatever you pick, go to Microsoft's website and see if the motherboard is on their list. If it is not, you may end up with a computer that will have all kinds of issues that will not be easily fixed.

Window Hardware Compatability List is Here:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx
 
That system idea is really not good.

Go over to the DUC and see what others are using, follow suit. Pro Tools is not something you want to run on untested hardware. Its all about compatability. If you're looking for pure power, try building a Xeon 8 core setup and running XP Pro.
 
pezking said:
That's a bit subjective, don't you think?l
Click to expand...

Pezking, I was thinking more along the lines of a noob. Anppilot would probably be better served by a simpler set of applications like Cakewalk, etc. to get a feel for recording. ProTools is really only necessary if you have an immediate need to share the sessions with other PT users. It's expensive, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to someone who's just starting out.
 
just my opinion here but 3ghz dual core (do you mean core2duo) might be a bit of a waste,financially..

i bought an e6600 2.4 and overclocked it to 3.2 with standard cooling,,and it runs at a very healthy temperature <25degrees idle>

also,the 8gb ram? really necessary?

i run 4gb,,and i've never felt the need for more..


if this interests you,, i run a gigabyte p35ds4 with core2duo e6600 and 4x1gb generic cheap ram with zero protools issues..

anyway,,hope that helps.
 
Ok, sorry I havent replied to this in a while but here it goes.

I have been recording since 1994. Started off with real2real. them a fostex 280 4 track, then in 1996 with Cubase 3.5, then 3.7, and now 5 vst.

Yeah, I've been recording for a while. Now, heres the issue. Cubase to a point couldnt care less what you used for mobo, processor, ram. Cubase 3.0 would hang horribly if you used a Cyrix chip. So, I understand the concept for making sure you have the right equipment.

Steve Moser: "Anppilot would probably be better served by a simpler set of applications like Cakewalk, etc. to get a feel for recording."

Sorry if I somehow seemed like a noob. Highly not the case. Just new to Digidesign.

Besides, I have had clients who want to work with multiple studios. And I understand that. Like I said, I'm working with Cubase 5. Hell, it's like 8 yrs old or roughly so now. but I mostly used 3.7 because I know it inside and out.

I need to A. Aquire a DAW approved by digi, B. learn pro tools in fairness for my clients to give them something universal amongst most major studios using PT.
 
MCI2424 said:
I have had really bad luck with Dells, Hps and other India made junk.
Click to expand...

I disagree. All motherboards, like every other product out there, are made by a few small companies that get re-branded by the outer case.

As my plastic surgeon always said, it's what's inside that counts.
 
Hopefully we've evolved as a forum society and risen above the Mac-vs-PC comparisons. There are battles here and there that each machine will win but in the end the war will be lost.

As a life long Mac guy, working in a sea of Mac production facilities (Hollywood) I've recently added a PC to my Mac Pro Tools rig to handle softsynths.

http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?t=165760

is the thread that I've mentioned here before and it's CERTAINLY worth trying to bring it up again. It's a large read but is everything you could possibly want to know about Pro Tools and PC's. As I said before I consider a couple of these guys THE BEST in the business and you simply won't go wrong wrapping your brain around their ideas.

My PC took about six months to master as I had NOT been familiar with the general XP/PC landscape. I had always hoped to be as proficient on PC's as I was with Mac's and this situation provided me with that opportunity.

The machine is rock solid now and for RTAS processing simply leaves the older HD machine in the dust.

Mac or PC for Pro Tools either...or both will work just dandy.
 
Im glad someone finally mentioned mac, because I was possibly considering one, but I've never used mac os, and to be honest - i'm a little nervous learning a new os for some weird reason.

The budget I would like to spend for a PT computer is 1200 - 1600. Preferably on the 1200 side. Example, this fella: http://cgi.ebay.com/QUAD-CORE-DAW-P...14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318 has been selling 'digi approved" systems for a while and his prices are phennominal. This is what I've been considering.
 
anppilot said:
Im glad someone finally mentioned mac, because I was possibly considering one, but I've never used mac os, and to be honest - i'm a little nervous learning a new os for some weird reason.

The budget I would like to spend for a PT computer is 1200 - 1600. Preferably on the 1200 side. Example, this fella: http://cgi.ebay.com/QUAD-CORE-DAW-P...14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318 has been selling 'digi approved" systems for a while and his prices are phennominal. This is what I've been considering.
Click to expand...

Yow :) So I'm confused. One paragraph you say you're considering a Mac. The next paragraph you say you're considering a PC.

I'm gonna guess you're just not sure yes??
 
Joseph Hanna said:
Yow :) So I'm confused. One paragraph you say you're considering a Mac. The next paragraph you say you're considering a PC.

I'm gonna guess you're just not sure yes??
Click to expand...

LOL Oh man and how. I keep reading about all these problems with PC's & PT.

Yet rarely ever hear of problems with a MAC. Like I said I'm afraid for some weid reason about using a mac. And I'm a computer guy, lovem all.

However, I've built DAW's for years now that will run Cubase, Gigastudio, Cakewalk, etc but, never for PT. The freaking program is so picky. I dont want to blow money of wrong components however I really want to build it myself like I always have to save money. BUT for the price in the ebay link I posted in my last post, the guy is selling a quad 2.4ghz 2gb ram for $1200? good deal, whats the catch? Hey, I spec'd out a daw, but for that price, I'll buy it from him in a flash.

So, I would consider a MAC (SHUTTER) if I could get those ebay specs in a mac for the same price:D
 
After 20 years of working with Mac's..I built my own PC. It was a struggle to master XP and the PC in general and the bios ect...but fun none the less. It was right around $1400.00 from newegg. You can't get a Mac that has those specs for that price which indeed is why I've now integrated a PC into my Mac HD rig


PLEASE read the Digi link I've provided and you'll get an idea of just how blazingly fast these machines are.

If a Mac was $1400.00 it'd be a NO brainer as I'll ALWAYS be a Mac guy.....but their not.

Read the link
 
Yeah, I've been reading for a while now, and I think I've settled on what to get - unless someone else tells me otherwise, I'm gonna email this spec sheet to digi, and see

A. if they will respond to me, and
B. if they will approve it.

I went to a particular few popular music's store/DAW builders and looked at their spec sheet on a quad core system, and their price was $1900 to $3000 :eek:

Now, they ALL claim to be the all mighty "Digidesign Approved" systems.

So I took their specs, and went to Newegg.com and speced out EXACTALY what they are using and I came up with: Subtotal: $1,542.11

Now this is sad, the guy on ebay who claims to have sold 100 last year at average sale of $1200, which is $120,000 in DAW sales, who has a recording studio in PA - has roughly the same DAW for sale as I posted below and he is selling is for roughly $1200? How is this?

Now I'm not sure to build or buy from someone else?

Anyway, Heres the revised list. Memory was dumbed down to 4x1gb sticks. And yes PT will work with a quad core system. I know this for a fact.

ASUS P5K PRO LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - $102.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W -$319.99
ZALMAN CNPS 9700 NT 110mm 2 Ball Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler - $79.99 CORSAIR Dominator 4GB (4 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Quad Kit Desktop Memory Model QUAD2X4096-8500C5DF -$ 199.00
ARK 4U-500-CA Black 4U Rackmount Case - $89.99
SIIG Two-port FireWire 400 PCI Express x1 card Texas Inst. -$79.99
Seagate Barracuda ES.2 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Qty3 - $269.97
ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA - $35.99
SIIG JU-MR0012-S1 All-in-one USB 2.0 Bay Media Card Reader - $24.99 Logitech Value 100 Black PS/2 Standard Keyboard - $9.99
Logitech 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical Mouse - $10.25
Microsoft Windows XP Professional with SP2 - $269.99
XFX GeForce 8400 GS 512MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 - $52.99
Antec EA650 650W ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - $99.99

Subtotal: $1,542.11

Now remember, every single component in this list is taken from many popular DAW builders specs.

Cheers :D
 
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I may be wrong but..

How can you run 8gig ram with PT..as far as I know your computer will not recognize anything over 3gig unless you use a 64bit OS..and PT will not run on 64bit OS...If I am wrong please tell me so I can upgrade my ram!!!1
 
The original post states he wants to run a 64 bit OS.

You're correct Pro Tools won't run on 64 bit OS's.

Some 32 bit OSs can have more than 4GB of RAM, but each processor core is limited to 4GB; such is the case with Leopard and the Mac Pro hence a total possible 32GB of RAM (across 8 cores) using Leopard. Not sure how windows xp 32bit handles this, though I believe it will only be able to access 4GB (3GB without the extended memory function enabled).
 
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