Would This PC DO THE JOB

  • Thread starter Thread starter reflexa
  • Start date Start date
R

reflexa

New member
Would this system work with Sonar, Pro-Tools(The Inexpensive Version Of course) Cu-Base..Etc. Etc..
I'm thinking about this PC. The price seems right, but is the Intel 850E Chipset good for PC Recording. I will update the soundcard to a dedicated card in a few months for Home Recording in the meantime I'll go through the USB at 24bit/44 or 96. If anybody has any opinion pro or con about this system let me have it. THANKS

Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.0GHz with 512K L2 Advanced Transfer Cache *400and something FSB

Memory: 1024MB RDRAM® PC800 (2-512MB Modules)

Hard Drive: 40GB UATA100 7200RPM Hard Drive

Additional Hard Drive: Additional 40GB 7200RPM Ultra ATA hard drive

Floppy Drive: 3.5" 1.44MB diskette drive

CD-ROM or DVD: DVD-RAM/DVD-R Drive and 40x/12x/48x CDRW with Movie Creator (Windows® XP ONLY)


Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional

Application Software: Microsoft® Works Suite 2002 - Including Microsoft® Word and Encarta

AntiVirus Software: Norton AntiVirus 90 day Introductory Offer

Monitor: 15" LCD Flat Panel Display (15" viewable)

Video: 128MB NVIDIA™ GeForce4 MX440G Graphics with TV Out


Sound System: SoundBlaster Audigy Audio w/ IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and Pinnacle Express



Expansion Slots: 5 PCI and 1 AGP

External ports: (6) USB (2 in front and 2 in back are version 2.0, 2 more in back are version 1.1) Parallel, Serial and (2) PS/2

Controller: Integrated Ultra ATA Controller

Modem: 56K PCI Voice Modem

Network Adapter: 10/100 Ethernet Adapter


Thanks Again, Pete
 
Just one thing

You didn't say how much it should cost but it doesn't look like it's going to be cheap.
If you can spend the money on a monster like this, I'd say you should consider a bigger monitor.
A 128MB Geforce4 for recording is... well, overkill is an understatement. So you can cut that corner to free some money.
But if you want to play games on it as well a Geforce4 is paradise.

Apart from all that... it will kick butt.
 
Does that mean you are going to buy a USB audio interface now? Why waste your money on something that is more expensive and does not perform nearly as well as an internal PCI soundcard?
 
I'll second the suggestion for a larger monitor. I use Cubase, and the difference in working on a 17" monitor is incredible. Better yet, as it looks like you have a fair bit of money to work with, get a PAIR of 17" monitors, and you can split up your views between two screens. ie. your mixer on one, and your arrangement window on another!!

The biggest flaw in your system is your sound card. You're running a Ferrarri on a Hyundai transmission, in a way. For not a lot more money, check out the Delta 44 or the M-Audio 24/96. They're much better cards. (though you will have to have another card in your computer for midi, but there's no rule that says that you can't use two cards...(

FWIW, here's my setup for Cubase. Humble though it is, I get 24 tracks (+/- depending on EQ, effects, etc.) with effects, EQ, VST instruments, etc. all running simultaneously, running at 44.1khz/24bit.:

PII Celeron processor 466Mhz - not overclocked
384MB Ram
Quantum Fireball 7200rpm HD / 20gig
Delta 44 audio card
D-Man PCI soundcard (2ins, 2outs - 20bit, used mostly for midi)
Win98

From what you list, you have more than enough for adequate performance. For comfort/convenience update the monitor, and for the sake of audio quality, get a better soundcard.

I might also suggest making sure that you have as few things as possible running in the background when you are doing audio work. It sounds like you have some pretty "large" software packs here, so don't have them running (or any components thereof) in the background. (task managers, calendars, etc.)

**The Soundblaster/Audigy/Creative cards have outstanding outputs. The inputs, however, are not so good. They're OKAY, and will give you fair results, but if you can at all afford it, get something better for not a lot more money. Another thing to consider with the Creative cards is that you are locked in to recording at 48Khz, which has been problematic for a lot of people in a lot of situations. Certainly something to consider....

Chris
 
dang that would kill my system. . .but I built it for $400

1.3ghz intel
maxtor 7200rpm 40gig harddrive
512MBRAM
17" monitor
. . but I have an Aardvark Q10 so HA!
I haven't worked out my memory management in SONAR 2.0 XL and I don't trust recording 24bit 44.1 khz in more than 8 tracks at a time but thats mostly harddrive dropouts so I don't think it's adequately makeing use of my RAM but hey the Q10 only has 8 in anyway and I mix everythind down to one scratch track to force it. . .need to spend the next week screwing with buffers which I think I have maxed out I had it reading 24 bit ok last week at like 23 tracks but I want to record at 24 bit 88.2 khz in the next month or so as I figure it out. . . . but hey I do hardcore bands they are perfectly happy with 16bit 44.1khz. . .they just want it loud. . .

so I spent :

computer = salvage + $400 (bought processor, mobo, harddrive, videocard, case) oh video card is ATI Radeon VE DDR. . .bairly adequate
soundcard= $700
winXP Prof=$300
SONAR 2.0 XL = $400 (bought 1.3 off of ebay for $200 and then upgraded for $200

so thats $1800 or so not includeing mics and cables and stuff

for "everything" I spent about $3000

peace
sam
zekthedeadcow@hotmail.com
http://www.Track100.com

oh and I don't run anything in the background. . . I can't even open device manager :) went into msconfig and shut it all off except my aardvark card manager
 
Last edited:
Pete, ummm, ya, you wont have any trouble with that, provided you get a good sound card and a 19" monitor.

I have an Ancient 566 celery running Sonar with 256 RAM. I am selling tunes now. You will be fine:)
 
Why would you configure one of the best systems possible (on paper) and then come here and ask if it'll be "ok"? Methinks you're just here to brag! :)

On paper that system is of course adequate. I do 24 tracks of 24/44 audio with lots of effects on a little ol' Celeron 800Mhz processor with 256MB running Win2k.

Ditch the Norton antivirus right away.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Slackmaster2K said:
I do 24 tracks of 24/44 audio with lots of effects on a little ol' Celeron 800Mhz processor with 256MB running Win2k.

Slackmaster 2000
Click to expand...

Wow, 24 tracks. I can't even play one single track with logic (1000Mhz AMD Athlon, 512MB Ram, Audiophile 2496)! Life is unfair... ...I've sended questions to M-audio and audioforums but no answers.
 
Just speculation, but that looks like a Dell system. If it is, get all those parts yourself and save a ton of money.

MB ASUS P4T533-C 850E/ICH2 INTEL (Qty=1,Price=161.00)
HD 60G|MAXTOR MX6L060L3 72R ATA133 (Qty=1,Price=92.00)
MNTR SMSNG|19" CRT 955DF WHITE (Qty=1,Price=225.00)
FD 1.44MB|PANASONIC JU-257A-827P WH (Qty=1,Price=9.00)
DVD|PIONEER 16X 106S 16X SLOT OEM % (Qty=1,Price=46.00)
CASE ENERMAX|10BSERVERATX FS710B RT (Qty=1,Price=98.00)
SOUND BLASTER|LIVE! (SB0102) 5.1% (Qty=1,Price=32.00)
VGA CARDEX|GF3TI200 TI450 64M RT (Qty=1,Price=113.00)
CPU P4/2.4BGHz 533M 478PIN/512K RTL (Qty=1,Price=398.00)

Total:1,174.00

A Dell system with these specs would be at least $300 more. But if it's not a Dell...smokin'
 
Only the free version of Pro Tools can work with other sound cards. Otherwise, you'll need a digidesign interface. Mad loot $$$
 
Reflexa, are you building this system yourself or are you ordering it?
If you are putting it together yourself I would get a Special Edition Western Digital HD that has 8mb cache. It's much faster than a regular 7200 rpm hd, it even outperforms most SCSI drives... and they are very reasonably priced.

Heres a review

http://www6.tomshardware.com/storage/02q1/020305/


Just a suggestion.
-DAN
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top