Helpful ReplyComments on new DAW

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HMusikk
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2017/09/11 12:36:05 (permalink)

Comments on new DAW

Hi,
Planning to build a new DAW now. The one I'm using now is from 2009 (and still working fairly good)
Have put together this system in the "wish list" in the web store.
  • ASUS Prime Z270-K, Socket-1151
  • Intel Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake Processor
  • Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler
  • Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 16GB
  • Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD
  • WD Desktop Black 2TB 3.5"
  • WD Desktop Black 1TB 3.5"
  • Corsair RM850x 850W PSU
 
Also planning to go without a graphic card and use the onboard card on the MB.
Any thoughts about this system?

Gunnar Hustvedt
http://www.h-musikk.no/english.html
 
ASUS X99-E, Socket-2011-3,Intel Core i7-6850K, Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2133MHz 16GB, Samsung 960 EVO 250GB M.2 PCIe SSD (System), Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD (Data), Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5" SSD (Sample), WD Desktop Black 1TB 3.5" (Audio), Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Windforce, Corsair RM750x 750W PSU, Samsung 34" LED Curved C34F791, Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Lynx AES16e, Aurora 16, Sonar Platinum, Pro Tools 12, Studio One 3
#1
Sanderxpander
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/11 14:13:04 (permalink)
I think the i7 6850K is generally considered better "bang for the buck" for DAW use but unless your needs are particularly demanding I doubt you'll run into trouble with tbe 7700K. I run pretty busy projects and haven't managed to max out my 6700 non K with any real world use.
#2
HMusikk
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/12 18:19:08 (permalink)
Sanderxpander
I think the i7 6850K is generally considered better "bang for the buck" for DAW use but unless your needs are particularly demanding I doubt you'll run into trouble with tbe 7700K. I run pretty busy projects and haven't managed to max out my 6700 non K with any real world use.

Thank you for your feedback. 
I don't buy a new DAW that often (last time was 2009) so I'll think I'll go for the 7700k. Hopefully it will last as long 8or even longer) than the system I'm using now :-) 

Gunnar Hustvedt
http://www.h-musikk.no/english.html
 
ASUS X99-E, Socket-2011-3,Intel Core i7-6850K, Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2133MHz 16GB, Samsung 960 EVO 250GB M.2 PCIe SSD (System), Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD (Data), Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5" SSD (Sample), WD Desktop Black 1TB 3.5" (Audio), Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Windforce, Corsair RM750x 750W PSU, Samsung 34" LED Curved C34F791, Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Lynx AES16e, Aurora 16, Sonar Platinum, Pro Tools 12, Studio One 3
#3
HMusikk
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/12 18:35:01 (permalink)
pb7r47sz
The components you list should serve you well for a home studio.  However, it is not evident to me why you need a 850 watt power supply; unless it is already paid for.

Forest.
Thank you for your reply :-).
I have now changed the power supply to a 750w. 
 
pb7r47sz
The CPU cooler selected should achieve a respectable overclock, so your next consideration is the case and fans to minimize the noise your microphones will pick up. Multiply the case volume by 30 to find the total case fan CFM required.  A case filter reduces the manufacturers rated flow by about 25%.  To minimize the number of case fans required spend some time envisioning how the air will flow in the case and what will disturb its flow.  To reduce the static pressure the case fans have to overcome, make the area of the inlet(s) to the case equal to or larger than the outlet(s).  Also the HDD cage should not be in front of the fans.  According to Google's report on their server drives, the optimum operating temperature is 35 to 45 degrees Celsius.  So, they should be vented but not chilled.     

When it comes to the case I plan to use the one I have. It's an Chieftech Big tower with noise reduction "pads" mounted inside. Also, the fans in the case is ok.
My biggest concern when buying a new DAW is the Mother Board. There are too many to choose between, and most of them seems to be for gamers. I'm only using the PC for Music production (and maybe some light film editing now and then)
Last time a renewed my DAW I bought the MB that most people recommended in here (you can see it in my signature) And it has been working perfectly since day one 😊 Hopefully my new DAW will work just as good for at least 9-10 years…
 

Gunnar Hustvedt
http://www.h-musikk.no/english.html
 
ASUS X99-E, Socket-2011-3,Intel Core i7-6850K, Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2133MHz 16GB, Samsung 960 EVO 250GB M.2 PCIe SSD (System), Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD (Data), Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5" SSD (Sample), WD Desktop Black 1TB 3.5" (Audio), Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Windforce, Corsair RM750x 750W PSU, Samsung 34" LED Curved C34F791, Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Lynx AES16e, Aurora 16, Sonar Platinum, Pro Tools 12, Studio One 3
#4
Kev999
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/13 09:02:59 (permalink)
HMusikk
Sanderxpander
I think the i7 6850K is generally considered better "bang for the buck" for DAW use but unless your needs are particularly demanding I doubt you'll run into trouble with tbe 7700K...

...I'll think I'll go for the 7700k...

 
I'm planning a new build too and  I was considering the 7700k versus the 6850k. The 7700 has a faster clock speed whereas the 6850 has more cores. I keep observing that all my Sonar projects display an even spread of activity across the 8 threads. This seems to suggest that more cores would be equally as beneficial to performance as higher clock speed. I therefore came down in favour of the 6850, which has 50% more cores while being only 15% slower. That was my thinking anyway.

SonarPlatinum∞(22.11.0.111)|Mixbus32C(4.3.19)|DigitalPerformer(9.5.1)|Reaper(5.77)
FractalDesign:DefineR5|i7-6850k@4.1GHz|16GB@2666MHz-DDR4|MSI:GamingProCarbonX99a|Matrox:M9148(x2)|UAD2solo(6.5.2)|W7Ult-x64-SP1
Audient:iD22+ASP800|KRK:VXT6|+various-outboard-gear|+guitars&basses, etc.
Having fun at work lately
#5
Shambler
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/13 10:31:30 (permalink)
I always overspec the PSU.
 
This allows for future graphics card upgrades which may need more power or I might want to add more drives.
 
Plus I'd rather have a PSU on half load than at 80-90% of its rating, it's likely to last longer.

SONAR Platypus on Win10 64bit.
Studio One Pro / Cubase Pro 9.5...just in case.
8GB i7-2600 3.4GHz Gigabyte  Z68XP-UD3P
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#6
Mesh
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/13 15:37:49 (permalink)
HMusikk
 I'm only using the PC for Music production (and maybe some light film editing now and then)
 
 




Would onboard graphics be enough for "light film editing"? I don't do any video editing, but from the little I've read, it seems that you'd need a dedicated graphics card that can handle the demands of video editing.
 
Although a lot of MB's are made for gamers, they should work really well for DAW's (solid parts etc...) A little bit of research on MB's (reviews/features/future upgrades) should do you well.
 
BTW, your list of parts looks good.....just make sure your case is big enough for the NH-D14 as it's huge.
 
Good luck!! 

Platinum Gaming DAW: AsRock Z77 Overclock Formula
I7 3770k @ 4.5GHz : 16GB RAM G.Skill Ripjaws X
250GB OS SSD : 3TB HDD : 1TB Sample HDD
Win 10 Pro x 64 : NH-D14 CPU Cooler 
HIS IceQ  2GB HD 7870
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The_Forum_Monkeys
#7
bvideo
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/13 15:59:16 (permalink)
I was considering the 7700k too. Lower power, so less cooling/noise. Also, no graphics card needed, so less cooling/noise. I'm also starting from an i7-920. Also I do light video editing. I'm unimpressed with using high-end graphics cards for rendering, since there are often video anomalies that get the recommendation to "turn off GPU rendering."

W10 pro, Sonar Platinum, Alesis Multimix 16 FW, MOTU Express 128, Gigabyte Z370 HD3P, i7 8700K, 16 Gigs, ssd + 2 X 2T disks, D50-MEX, JV80, A90EX, M1REX
#8
HMusikk
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/13 16:04:35 (permalink)
This sytem is living in the case now:
ASUS P6T SE, X58, Socket-1366, Quad Processor i7-920, Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 CPU Fan, EVGA GeForce 9500GT, Corsair TX 750W PSU, 1 Western Digital Caviar® GreenPowerâ„¢ 1TB, 2 Western Digital Caviar GreenPower 500GB, Corsair Dominator DHX+ DDR3 1600MHz 6GB
 
Hopefully the fans is about the same size...
 
I'm to "lazy" to read a lot of reviews on MB . My plan was to trust you guys :-) 

Gunnar Hustvedt
http://www.h-musikk.no/english.html
 
ASUS X99-E, Socket-2011-3,Intel Core i7-6850K, Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2133MHz 16GB, Samsung 960 EVO 250GB M.2 PCIe SSD (System), Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD (Data), Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5" SSD (Sample), WD Desktop Black 1TB 3.5" (Audio), Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Windforce, Corsair RM750x 750W PSU, Samsung 34" LED Curved C34F791, Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Lynx AES16e, Aurora 16, Sonar Platinum, Pro Tools 12, Studio One 3
#9
Kev999
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/13 21:10:28 (permalink)
bvideo
...I'm unimpressed with using high-end graphics cards for rendering, since there are often video anomalies that get the recommendation to "turn off GPU rendering."

 
As another alternative which tends to get overlooked, there is such a thing as high-end graphics cards that are not for gaming but are more for architectural or medical use. These have the best still-image quality. I believe that they are appropriate for things like audio production.

SonarPlatinum∞(22.11.0.111)|Mixbus32C(4.3.19)|DigitalPerformer(9.5.1)|Reaper(5.77)
FractalDesign:DefineR5|i7-6850k@4.1GHz|16GB@2666MHz-DDR4|MSI:GamingProCarbonX99a|Matrox:M9148(x2)|UAD2solo(6.5.2)|W7Ult-x64-SP1
Audient:iD22+ASP800|KRK:VXT6|+various-outboard-gear|+guitars&basses, etc.
Having fun at work lately
#10
Sanderxpander
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/14 06:42:34 (permalink)
If you mean something like the Quadro cards then those are more for AutoCAD rendering and such. They're even more over specced and pricier than the gaming cards, not to mention largely obsoleted by modern fast "regular" CPU/GPU combos. If you mean something else I'm intrigued!
#11
Kev999
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/14 09:03:36 (permalink)
Sanderxpander
If you mean something like the Quadro cards then those are more for AutoCAD rendering and such. They're even more over specced and pricier than the gaming cards, not to mention largely obsoleted by modern fast "regular" CPU/GPU combos. If you mean something else I'm intrigued!

 
No, I mean Matrox. They make cards for 2D applications rather than 3D.

SonarPlatinum∞(22.11.0.111)|Mixbus32C(4.3.19)|DigitalPerformer(9.5.1)|Reaper(5.77)
FractalDesign:DefineR5|i7-6850k@4.1GHz|16GB@2666MHz-DDR4|MSI:GamingProCarbonX99a|Matrox:M9148(x2)|UAD2solo(6.5.2)|W7Ult-x64-SP1
Audient:iD22+ASP800|KRK:VXT6|+various-outboard-gear|+guitars&basses, etc.
Having fun at work lately
#12
Sanderxpander
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/14 13:08:14 (permalink)
Cool, thanks!
#13
HMusikk
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/29 08:06:38 (permalink)
Just a little update from my side. I have ended up with this spec.:
GIGABYTE GA-X99P-SLI Intel X99 ATX
Intel Core i7-6850K Processor
Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler
Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3200MHz 16GB
Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5" SSD
WD Desktop Black 1TB 3.5"
MSI GeForce GT 730 2GB
Corsair RM750x 750W PSU
Samsung 34" LED Curved C34F791
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
 
(Hopefully it will be good DAW for at least as many years (9) as the DAW I have now)

Gunnar Hustvedt
http://www.h-musikk.no/english.html
 
ASUS X99-E, Socket-2011-3,Intel Core i7-6850K, Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2133MHz 16GB, Samsung 960 EVO 250GB M.2 PCIe SSD (System), Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD (Data), Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5" SSD (Sample), WD Desktop Black 1TB 3.5" (Audio), Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Windforce, Corsair RM750x 750W PSU, Samsung 34" LED Curved C34F791, Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Lynx AES16e, Aurora 16, Sonar Platinum, Pro Tools 12, Studio One 3
#14
pb7r47sz
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/29 11:44:45 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby HMusikk 2017/09/30 07:59:26
Gunnar,
I see that you have changed your mind about a 4 core CPU and gone to a 6 Core.  Cakewalk takes full advantage of all the cores.  However, I do see a few conflicts with this new spec out. 
The Noctua U9S cooler should handle this chip at stock speeds, but overclocking would not be recommended.  A more powerful cooler is needed for overclocking.  Which brings me to the 3200 MHz memory.  Although your MB will handle the "extreme memory profile" it will do so by increasing the core voltage and the CPU will run at a higher frequency and run hotter.  A dog chasing its tale affect is created when increasing the memory frequency.  The stock frequency of 2133 is ample for DAW.  If you want to use this memory frequency, you need to rethink your cooling solution.
The next conflict I see is between the monitor and graphics card.  The Samsung C34F791 looks like an impressive monitor that should serve you well.  However, the GT 730 graphics card will not light up all those pixels.  The graphics card resolution should be equal or better than the monitor resolution.  A minimum of an Nvidia GTX 1070 would be needed.  You can check out graphics card specs and recommended resolutions at game-debate.com in the Hardware tab.  As a side note, the 750 watt power supply selected should handle the 1070 or even a 1080 graphics card.
  

Regards,
       Forest
 
Gigabyte X99m Gaming 5, G.Skills Ripjaws4-32GB, Intel 6800K, SSD & HDD, Win Pro 10, Motu 4 PRE, electric & acoustic guitars.
#15
HMusikk
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/30 07:59:18 (permalink)
Forest,
Thank you very much for your feedback. I will definitely change the memory to 2133!
About the GT 730 graphics (I have to ask because I don’t know anything about this stuff 😊). The resolution in the specification says: 4096 x 2160 at 60 Hz. I thought this was sufficient for the monitor with a resolution at 3440x1440. But there is obviously something I'm missing here?

Gunnar Hustvedt
http://www.h-musikk.no/english.html
 
ASUS X99-E, Socket-2011-3,Intel Core i7-6850K, Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2133MHz 16GB, Samsung 960 EVO 250GB M.2 PCIe SSD (System), Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5" SSD (Data), Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5" SSD (Sample), WD Desktop Black 1TB 3.5" (Audio), Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 3GB Windforce, Corsair RM750x 750W PSU, Samsung 34" LED Curved C34F791, Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Lynx AES16e, Aurora 16, Sonar Platinum, Pro Tools 12, Studio One 3
#16
pb7r47sz
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/09/30 13:18:25 (permalink)
Gunnar,
I was a little melodramatic when I said the video card would not light all the pixels.  I'm just not sure what day it would finish lighting them.  I have just read in many forums of how disappointed people were when they found out their old video card would not handle 4K when the specs said it would.  This is what I do know.  If you are familiar with the movies, there are 24 frames played each second to fool the human eye into thinking things are moving fluidly.  Gaming has set 30 frames per second (fps) as a minimum.   For your video card it has to build a 3440 x 1440 set of pixels 24 times a second to fool your eye.   The Gt 730 series video cards recommended resolution for playing video games is 1366 x 768 to get above 30 fps.  This card is equivalent to Intel's integrated GPU which has been benchmarked at 23 fps at 1080P.  So your monitor images will be jerky with blotchy pixels as the video card  tries to build each image.  The other thing to watch out for is the frequency the the video card and monitor will support at a specific resolution.  You will only find this information in the manual.  Next, to communicate 4k between a video card and monitor, the transmission standard of the video card and the cable needs to either be HDMI 2.0 or DP 1.2.  This is why I go to game-debate.com since they have done all the leg work.  Lastly, a video card that is not straining makes less noise for your microphones to pick up. 

Regards,
       Forest
 
Gigabyte X99m Gaming 5, G.Skills Ripjaws4-32GB, Intel 6800K, SSD & HDD, Win Pro 10, Motu 4 PRE, electric & acoustic guitars.
#17
abacab
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/10/02 17:15:42 (permalink)
The arguments about frame rates only applies to 3D rendering, not the 2D GUI used in a DAW.  If the card can support the resolution of the monitor, it should be good to go.

DAW: CbB; Sonar Platinum, and others ... 
#18
pb7r47sz
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/10/02 18:19:01 (permalink)
Thanks for clearing up my confusion "abacab".  So Gunnar the MSI video card model N730K-2GD5LP/OC will be maxed out at 4k.  However the monitor you spec'd out is more like 2.4K.  So you have your answer.  It is adequate for DAW.  Another potential forum wives tale killed before it could spread.  Thanks again abacab.   Good luck with your build Gunnar.

Regards,
       Forest
 
Gigabyte X99m Gaming 5, G.Skills Ripjaws4-32GB, Intel 6800K, SSD & HDD, Win Pro 10, Motu 4 PRE, electric & acoustic guitars.
#19
abacab
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Re: Comments on new DAW 2017/10/02 19:16:24 (permalink)
I see that the i7-6850K does not support processor based graphics.  So a GPU would be a must in that case.  But just for the record, I believe that Intel has had 4K support for integrated graphics since the 6th generation (Skylake).
 
I am running two monitors with my 3rd gen Intel HD 2500 Ivy Bridge (full HD 1920 support), which works great.  I tested a GT 7xx series GPU and found no advantage to that.  I suppose if you needed higher resolution or extra monitor ports that your motherboard didn't support, that would be a good reason for a discrete GPU in a DAW (or in the case that your CPU doesn't support integrated graphics).

DAW: CbB; Sonar Platinum, and others ... 
#20
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