New Computer for Guitar Recording - General Specific - 08:11 18-11-05
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I have been using my computer as a multitrack to record guitar for
years. The experience has been interesting, some computers and
peripherals performed better than others. So far my old Soundblaster
16 was the best for recording while playing multiple tracks without
lag. Some modern systems had a terrible lag between playback and
recording.
A less computer-savvy friend is interested in building a small studio
and has asked that I recommend a new computer for multitrack recording.
With the speed and capacity of new computers, would just about any
loaded new system do as a base platform?
>From there I would add multitrack card (Gina?), or a firewire external
multitrack input.
Anyone have any suggestions?
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording -
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To put it bluntly - No! Some chipsets can wreak havoc with digital
audio. I had a AMD system with a VIA chipset that was terrible after I
upgraded to Sonar. I ended up building an Intel system with an Intel
motherboard. The motherboards for the retail market tend to be geared
toward gamers and the such. Digital audio requires absolute stability.
I think the Intel processor/Intel mobo without any onboard peripherals
is the way to go. The other components (video card, 10/100, etc)
shouldn't be bleeding edge or even cutting edge. That way, any driver
problems will have been worked out and ,especially with video
performance, you don't need anything blindingly fast, just something
that works. Also, forget the pci soundcard and get a usb 2.0 or
firewire audio interface, not soundcard. You won't spend any more for a
decent entry-level interface and the sound quality will be much
better.What software is going to be used on this computer?
Good Luck,
Thomas
www.yourhomestudio.com
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording - RichCI - 08:48 18-11-05
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General Specific wrote:
> I have been using my computer as a multitrack to record guitar for
> years. The experience has been interesting, some computers and
> peripherals performed better than others. So far my old Soundblaster
> 16 was the best for recording while playing multiple tracks without
> lag. Some modern systems had a terrible lag between playback and
> recording.
>
> A less computer-savvy friend is interested in building a small studio
> and has asked that I recommend a new computer for multitrack recording.
>
> With the speed and capacity of new computers, would just about any
> loaded new system do as a base platform?
>
> >From there I would add multitrack card (Gina?), or a firewire external
> multitrack input.
>
> Anyone have any suggestions?
I work as a web designer and formerly as a programmer; I've been doing
it for over eight years now. Prior to that, I spend a few years trying
to make a living as a studio and live sound engineer. Ironically, I've
never gotten around to using a computer for recording at home. That
said, I don't have much advice for you, but here are some general tips.
I would put RAM at a higher priority than processor speed if you're
looking to cut corners to keep costs down. Audio files are large and if
you don't have the RAM to deal with them, your system will use the disk
as temporary memory space and that creates a huge hit in performance; I
would go with at least 1 GB of RAM. If using Windows XP, set aside 256
MB just for it to be happy and what you have leftover is for whatever
software you have running and the data files you have open.
Since you mentioned a "loaded system," a lot of high end systems that
come loaded include very cool video cards that are great for gaming and
3D rendering where a lot of calculation go on. For your purposes, you
don't need a video card that powerful so that's an area where you can
keep costs down. You might consider a slightly upgraded video card
with it's own memory and processor just to take some of the work off of
the CPU, but I would stick to something low end as long as it isn't an
integrated video card that shares system memory - not a high priority
for your purposes unless you're looking to squeek out every last drop
of power out of the system.
Get a computer that can be upgraded as your needs change so you're not
replacing an entire system every few years. Avoid department store
offerings (Compaq immediately comes to mind...) where parts like sound
and video cards are hardwired to the motherboard. Local custom
computer builders and even Dell, to an extent, build systems that are
easy to upgrade as the parts, particularly the motherboard, are
standard sizes.
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording - Daniel Dreibelbis - 08:59 18-11-05
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In article <1132319468.415111.53160@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"General Specific" <brad_pitstain@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I have been using my computer as a multitrack to record guitar for
> years. The experience has been interesting, some computers and
> peripherals performed better than others. So far my old Soundblaster
> 16 was the best for recording while playing multiple tracks without
> lag. Some modern systems had a terrible lag between playback and
> recording.
>
> A less computer-savvy friend is interested in building a small studio
> and has asked that I recommend a new computer for multitrack recording.
>
> With the speed and capacity of new computers, would just about any
> loaded new system do as a base platform?
>
> >From there I would add multitrack card (Gina?), or a firewire external
> multitrack input.
>
> Anyone have any suggestions?
if he's running PC software, look into a PC designed especially for
use with digital audio. The Canadian-based XPC company is making some
really good computers for use in studios these days, and they include
all the proper hardware for stable and clean recording.
But don't overlook the possibility of a Mac if he doesn't have the
software currently - the Mac Mini, when coupled with the proper
recording interface and an external Firewire drive, represents some good
bang for the buck. Plus it's the platform to consider if he wants to run
Logic.
--
Dan Dreibelbis, Guitar Nerd - Better Living Through Home Recording
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=121942
Current song - "Hello (Again)"
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording -
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Alienware also makes some PC's that are designed for media production
but they are pretty pricey. If you don't mind digging around the inside
of a computer, you can order all the components from Newegg.com or
Tigerdirect and put it together yourself. It's really easy. Just don't
skimp on the mobo or the power supply.
Thomas
www.yourhomestudio.com
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording - General Specific - 11:09 18-11-05
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trabalais@sport.rr.com wrote:
> What software is going to be used on this computer?
>
> Good Luck,
>
> Thomas
> www.yourhomestudio.com
Thanks!
I like Cool Edit Pro 2, but I noticed that many of the firewire input
devices come with multitrack software. Likely, I would try the bundled
software first. Who knows, it just might be good.
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording - General Specific - 11:12 18-11-05
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Daniel Dreibelbis wrote:
> In article <1132319468.415111.53160@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
> "General Specific" <brad_pitstain@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> don't overlook the possibility of a Mac if he doesn't have the
> software currently
I agree, I have no Mac experience and the end user has NO computer
experience. Also, he s over a hundred miles from me. I'm afraid that
if he gets a Mac, I won't be able to help him with it.
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording - Patrick Keenan - 14:26 18-11-05
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"General Specific" <brad_pitstain@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1132319468.415111.53160@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> I have been using my computer as a multitrack to record guitar for
> years. The experience has been interesting, some computers and
> peripherals performed better than others. So far my old Soundblaster
> 16 was the best for recording while playing multiple tracks without
> lag. Some modern systems had a terrible lag between playback and
> recording.
>
> A less computer-savvy friend is interested in building a small studio
> and has asked that I recommend a new computer for multitrack recording.
>
> With the speed and capacity of new computers, would just about any
> loaded new system do as a base platform?
>
> >From there I would add multitrack card (Gina?), or a firewire external
> multitrack input.
>
> Anyone have any suggestions?
I acutally just built one myself, as my P3/500 just wasn't up to it anymore.
I used an Intel P4 model 630, 3gHz; an Asus "P4GDC-V deluxe" board (intel
chipsets), 2 gig DDR2 ram, and SATA drives. Also, chose an Antec Sonata II
case, which is remarkably *quiet*. It's working great. The cost was
about CDN$900.
I chose that particular board because it has a built-in Firewire port. I
have been using an M-Audio Firewire 410 for some time and have been quite
happy with it. I have a couple of Apex condenser mics, and use Cubase SE.
I would not suggest using an ordinary sound card, for noise and latency
issues. I would suggest looking at USB2 external audio interfaces, as they
seem quite adequate and don't carry the extra couple hundred dollar premium
that Firewire devices seem to.
HTH
-pk
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording - Roger Houston - 16:09 18-11-05
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Re: New Computer for Guitar Recording - Patrick Keenan - 17:51 18-11-05
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