Do I need a faster processor to basically match a current DAW like X1?

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syntheticpop
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2012/03/28 02:03:09 (permalink)

Do I need a faster processor to basically match a current DAW like X1?

OK, I know this is a dumb question but why can't I use a computer that was on the market or custom built 10 years ago? Because a lot of artist were able to use whatever system they had and were able to release great sounding albums. How did they manage to tackle latency which seems to be a big issue, even with today's current processors and components - users are running into that problem over and over but how did those artist from a decade and prior get by with a system like an Atari 1040ST or an Amiga?


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    Kalle Rantaaho
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    Re:Do I need a faster processor to basically match a current DAW like X1? 2012/03/28 02:51:27 (permalink)
    Software and hardware develop hand in hand. Theres always software designed to push the hardware to it's limits and vice versa. Of course you can use a computer that was built 10 years ago, but then you can't be sure you can use todays software. My PC (specs in signature) is nearly ten years old, and I'm not thinking about replacing it in the near future.

    Earlier everything was much much much more expensive in real costs than today. To do something you can easily do with one PC today, you needed to chain several top rank PC's in the 90's.


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    slartabartfast
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    Re:Do I need a faster processor to basically match a current DAW like X1? 2012/03/28 04:15:34 (permalink)
    How did they manage to tackle latency which seems to be a big issue, even with today's current processors and components

     
    Some pretty decent music recording/processing was being done before computers were involved at all. A lot of what we do now with a cheap PC was being done with tape machines dubbing, bouncing tracks and even cutting tape with razor blades and splicing the pieces together again, and with many thousands of dollars worth or analog gear. Not very long ago we were doing a couple of  tracks at a time in DAW software, then saving/freezing the track and working on another one until we had a mix ready to stitch together. That required a higher level of abstraction i. e. keeping the sound you wanted and the sound you had  recorded in your mind in order to bring it all together at some point. The ability to run multiple tracks and effects in real time has the advantage of relieving the brain of a lot of that abstraction, and letting the "ears" do a lot of that mental processing. I, for one, am not an abstract musical genius, and would never go back to that process. But I am also not capable of hearing dozens or hundreds of tracks and making ideal decisions with my "ears." So state of the art computer power is probably more than I can really use.
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    Jim Roseberry
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    Re:Do I need a faster processor to basically match a current DAW like X1? 2012/03/28 12:04:25 (permalink)
    users are running into that problem over and over but how did those artist from a decade and prior get by with a system like an Atari 1040ST or an Amiga?

     
    As was mentioned above, what can be accomplished "in the box" nowadays with a fast PC is a *whole* lot different than what could be accomplished 10 years ago. 
    ie:  We're currently running quad/hex core CPUs at ~4.5GHz... compared to a single core CPU running at 1GHz.
    Now factor in improvements in architecture...
     
    Expectations are *much* higher now... and rightfully so.
    The ability to effectively work with software based input monitoring was made possible with the i7 CPUs.
    Yes, you could do it prior to the i7, but not when running heavy loads.
    Doesn't matter what PC you're talking about, this wasn't possible 10 years ago.
    I remember teching a session at a studio in Nashville, where we were multing the signal off mic preamps... (running a line straight to console - for monitoring while tracking) so the vocalists wouldn't have to deal with rediculously high round-trip latency.  We had to work around the limitations of that time... there was no other choice. 
     
    You could use a 10-year old computer to run Sonar...
    BUT... don't expect performance/capabilities to be anywhere close to what's possible with a current generation Sandybridge based DAW.
    IOW, If you can live with the expectations (limitations) from 10 years ago... you won't be disappointed. 
     

    Best Regards,

    Jim Roseberry
    jim@studiocat.com
    www.studiocat.com
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    syntheticpop
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    Re:Do I need a faster processor to basically match a current DAW like X1? 2012/03/30 20:12:53 (permalink)
    Yeah, I wasn't around a recording studio 10 years or earlier so I always wondered how they managed to get great recordings out of the PC's and Macs that were available at the time. I had no idea about some of those processes that were involved like Slartabartfast mentioned. It must have been more work and took more time for a good recording. What baffles me today, is users with their decked out systems, with all the ram, additional hard drives and a faster processor to boot, have a bunch of issues that I didn't hear about when I was flirting with the idea of making music years a go. Perhaps it's because forums like these weren't around to display all the problems those older generation musicians had? One thing for sure, I definitely won't invest in an older PC, Sonar Pro Audio and whatever else was out 10-15 years a go. It just makes a lot of sense to build a good machine to house X1. Unless, there's something about Sonar Pro Audio or Sonar 1, 2 or 3 that I don't know about.


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    spacealf
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    Re:Do I need a faster processor to basically match a current DAW like X1? 2012/03/30 22:07:06 (permalink)
    It was one note MIDI programs like with my Apple IIC in 1980. (well maybe more than one note, but all computer games were MIDI music till about the year 2000).

     
     
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