Setting Up Your First 64-Bit Digital Audio Workstation

[noobinberg]

I gotta say, all this talk about having access to more ram is crap...I've never needed more that 2gb of ram...the real problem has always been the CPU...having a song with 6 or more audio tracks and at least 3 plug-ins per track will cripple a low powered CPU and crash...I hate having to bounce to wave just to be able to play back the song to see if my tweaks worked out. And if you use more complex plugins like AutoTune or Amplitube it gets worse...so stress a better CPU not ram...btw that slow AMD chip you used makes this rig laughable.

 

[jrfc]

[citation][nom]Come_on_dude[/nom]Epic fail. I buy a DAW with lots of processing power because I don't want to have to bounce or freeze tracks, ever... Yes, I did it in the single core CPU days because I had to, but since the inception of the quad, I haven't had to ever bounce or freeze a track. So why wouldn't I buy a quad, they're not even that expensive? In the year 2009, the difference between a dual-core and quad-core setup is about $100...[/citation]

Of course! I was merely pointing that even in these days of quad-core processors, people really don't think about what they're demanding from a processor; they hang their CPUs or they notice a latency between striking the space bar and getting the sound, for example. Sometimes, and specially when working with high-end plugins and/or time-based effects like delays and reverbs, there's a limit of what you can or what you can't do. By being efficient on the mix, or when recording, you can save a lot of processing power and have more headroom to run other plug-ins. But i agree with you with your opinion.

Remember also, that you may have access to the latest technology living in the US. We have to import it, and usually, is way too expensive to afford the last Intel/AMD processor...

Regards,

 

[pocketdrummer]

[citation][nom]pcfxer[/nom]http://www.silentpcreview.com/Are you kidding me? 25dB from thermaltake means 25 dB peak! The broadband signature of EVERY one of their fans is tonal and cheap.You want recording? Call up SPCR and order yourself an Antec case and some Nexus case fans...you're welcome.[/citation]

Or if you want to take it a step farther, visit either sweetwater, adk, sonica, or one of the more experienced vendors for something that will truly be silent... and even then, I would still consider an isolation box.

 

[pocketdrummer]

Man, there have been bad articles after bad articles on Tom's lately.... maybe I should look elsewhere. I can't really trust what I read here anymore.

 

[Draven35]

Linux isn't a good choice for audio people that are making music because the software isn't there, very little hardware support, and the VST instruments and effects usually used these days are made for Windows and OSX. In some cases, there are Linux VST hosts to handle them, but the hardware keys don't work under Linux, which puts you back at square one.

Some musicians are using a Sonic Cell for their audio I/O... musicians and audio engineers being not the same thing. Others use Line Pod 6 interfaces, TASCAM interfaces, M-Audio, Emu, Prosonus, Lexicon, etc. It largely depends on how it works with which software you're using, latency issues, and in some cases DSP support. (Especially if you are running Pro Tools.) Heck, some new musicians are using Soundblaster Live/Audigy/Audigy 2 cards in their systems, because they have 'reasonable' latency and ASIO drivers.

Apple hasn't been kind of the hill musically for awhile. Just look at Apple's forums, their 10.5.7 patch broke the USB- midi drivers for alot of very expensive hardware, specifically Korg products where the software editor/librarians ceased working after the patch. Not a good thing when your $2400 M3-88 can't communicate with the editor anymore.

all in all, this article was a good start but didn't go far enough talking about the hardware choices and options. One thing to keep in mind is that you can start with a 'budget' DAW and very quickly go to 'silly' when you buy a good mike and preamp, a vintage (or even modern) analog synthesizer, $500 for your DAW application (assuming you only run one), $100-$500 a pop for your VST instruments and effects...

And if you *ever* gig, you're going to wish this was in a rackmount case, or you're going to move your project over to a primo laptop.

 

[dillon_99]

Here is what I recommend (my 2 cents):
1. The ROOM is 50% of the "listening" equation - take the time to sufficiently silence it with foam.
2. The SPEAKERS are 50% of the "listening" equation - take the time to pick out a good set of speakers (I use Event 20/20).
3. Use FANLESS PSU (http://www.directron.com/fanlessps.html)
4. Use a QUIET Case Fan (http://www.directron.com/zmf1.html)
5. Use a FANLESS video card (ATI X300 or the one mentioned in the article).
6. If you are using a lot of plugins to make tracks, 2GB is NOT enough - make sure your motherboard can handle 16GB (for the future) - and get 8GB to start out. Use a 64Bit OS to allow for large memory hungry VST's. I have my "entire Midi studio" (VST based) which is taking up 4GB of RAM now - so you see why 8GB is recommended for a modern day studio.
7. Keep TWO (2) separate systems, one will be for mixing, the other for making beats. This way, you can set the latency to high on the mixing side, and to very low on the beat making side (and not have to remember to switch settings, etc).
8. Use a good quality Pre Amp (I use an Avalon M5)
9. Use a good quality Microphone (I use a Neumann U87a)
10. Use a compressor / limiter to prevent overloading the audio interface (I use dbx166xL)

My Mix System Specs:
ASUS P5QL Pro / Core 2 Quad Q8200 / 4GB OCZ DDR2 800
3 x UAD-1 / ATI X300 Dual Video / Coolmax CF400B PSU / Zalman ZM-F1 Case Fan
M-Audio 24/96 / Pro Tools 8.0cs2

My Tracking System Specs:
ASUS P5QL Pro / Core 2 Quad Q8200 / 8GB OCZ DDR2 800
ATI X300 Dual Video / Coolmax CF400B PSU / Zalman ZM-F1 Case Fan
M-Audio 24/96 / Pro Tools 8.0cs2

Hope this helps somebody out there.

You young guys will never understand what it was like splicing 2-inch tape on a block with a razor!

 

[dillon_99]

I forgot to mention that I am using Scythe Katana 3 for heatsink / fan on the cpu ($25 at newegg).

 

[Guest]

Agree with most everyone else. Not the best article from TH. First off, Solid State Drives may be quiet, but getting them in the capacities needed for my work would be prohibitively expensive.

I use many VSTi plug-ins (BFD, EWQL Symphonic Orchestra, etc) and these take up about a TB of space on my system, combined. Add in the actual audio you're recording and you're dealing with some serious space.

This build seems to be for a VERY VERY entry level hobbyist. If you're making a 4-track recording with a drum machine, 1 guitar, bass, and vocals, then this system will do the job just fine...but this is the 21st century not Sgt. Peppers.

Can't use Linux...plug ins not available. And it's all about the plug ins these days.

Honestly, your system doesn't even have to be that quiet. The only thing you really have to be careful around are quiet acoustic guitars and vocals. I've had VERY good results with acoustic guitars recorded just a few feet away from my buzzing PC. Check out "Silver" by Laden Angel on iTunes. Gorgeous acoustics, and my PC was just a-humming away about 5 or 6 feet from the mic. Granted, you have to close mic everything, and point away from the computer, but it's not that big a deal.

 

[Nspace]

So its evident...
This article has open the pandora's box which is Computers in the Audio world.
TomsHardware realize it... And hopefully vendors and Manufacturers will realize too, that this sector is not a small niche anymore.
-The article serves to some entry level users (Sgt Pepper's, as one reply names it haha), and it brings very good advice for them.
But the point is that there are plenty of other interested segments.
-There are single Musicians playing live. Using midi controllers, a keyboard, effects, a groovebox, etc.
-There are -also- single Musicians-Producers using live real-time, demanding more processing power via playing out 20 or more tracks at once, running lots of plug-ings, libraries, etc.
-Djs playing live using Traktor basic and PRO (that has 4 virtual decks and each one requires 500MB RAM, hence 64 bit systems are mandatory here). Or alternatively using Ableton's live, Both systems tipically tgoing thru an external midi controller..
-DJ/producers using Reason and/or multitrack software for postproduction, remixes and original music to be played real time (and not).
-Keyboardist./electronic musicians which also mix the rest of the band that performs along.
-Bands, Chorus, church's musicians, ensembles and what not? wanting to record rehearsals, perfomances, etc.
And the needs keep scalating:
-Recording engineers or aficionados that need the highest audiophile sound for complex original recordings. Some will have small rigs while there'll be all kinds and sizes, all looking for pristine recorings..
And I am -surely- missing several types. Each group will have different needs.

Somehow it is understanable that Tomshardware has not focused in the Audio area. With gamers being so far the ones to pursue the lead tech (and being such a huge market). However the progress of the PCs, CPUs, memories, etc The reduction in prices of the Audio gear side of things. It all has come to a point where hardware is being installed and owned by many kinds of Audio-related musicians, DJs, producers, engineers,etc

This is a recent trend because the hardware/software performance wasn´t there, not at accesible prices... and thus many of them would otherwise had relied in professional studios or not would have had a chance at all. Not recording performances. Music being mainly acoustical. Producers + Djs + electronic musicians didn't exist -as today are- or had not dreamt of the tools now at hand....
At the end, it signals the strong need for guidance or dedicated information about the different Audio Workstations to build.

Good for TomsHardware as a start....

 

[Guest]

cubase?buhahahahah only FIRST REAL 64 bit DAW cakewalk SONAR....2007 year release......

 

[tofue]

I'm more interested in disk management myself- I have a separate disk for OS and program installs, a separate disk/partition for sound libraries (I don't have much need for a realtime disk sys for sample libraries when the sounds are loading into RAM) and I also keep the rest of my plugin dir there too. I would see the benefit of SSD for *working* project cache and possibly OS, but beyond that is overkill really if the intention is just storage.. if speed optimizations are the aim, why not (if you MUST have SSD) raid5 OS & raid5 *working* project, mirroring the single b/u drive to the archive drive? I see the benefit of Win7 in this aspect with it's accessible hard alias binding (to route links as working folders).. Would That be optimal? Practical?

So far I've found Sonar to have the best balance of folder managment vs. track management vs. vsti support over PT m-powered (haven't used LE or TDM on windoze). For tracking I'll use m-power, but I'm going to stick w/ Sonar for the vInstrument (and some effects) and have to bounce and switch (sooo tedious, especially when making changes with superior drummer), b/c I also have a few vsti that crashes in pt M-powered... pity..

I run UbuntuStudio in dual boot, but the plugins are real clunky to use, and as stated by others, doesn't support outboard hardware integration well at all (i.e. podxtpro, mbox profire2626) though I think it plays well with EMU and generic usb midi controllers.... after more tweaking than required in other OS.. As for windows being a RT OS.. can it be tuned to that? Is Win7? vista and win7 is *similar* to pulse audio in the ability to have individual vol control on (nearly) Any software sound source...

I'll stop rambling, but my questions still stand..

 

[Anna sui]

In my opinion, the fastest way to become a computer expert is to have a powerful software in your PC, tuneup360 is such a software, have it in your computer, you can handle all the problems by yourself.

 

[Guest]

The article was pretty helpful on a lot of levels, even with the advances which have been made since it was written. Just wondering how he feels about some of these choices now that some time has passed?