Anderton
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Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
I've often attributed my generally trouble-free history with software (not just Sonar, all my other programs as well) to using a PC Audio Labs computer that's integrated specifically for music. Of course PCAL isn't the only game in town - Jim Rosenberry and Scott over at ADK also have the recipe down - but PCAL went outside of their comfort zone several years ago to make me a laptop that was optimized for video production, and I've been using their gear ever since. However, after a couple years of pretty continuous operation my desktop machine had developed a noise that had me concerned (CPU fan?) so I figured I better get it looked at, just in case. Fortunately there's a PC Audio Labs office in Albuquerque, so I drove down and saw the tech (Brain Lorelle) do all the secret optimization stuff they do for hardware to keep noise down, run cool, etc. as well as some software tweaks he did. He also did in fact replace the CPU fan. I promised I wouldn't tell exactly what he did, trade secrets and all that, but I was kind of surprised at just how much stuff they do to optimize a system...when I first got it, as far as I knew it was Just a Box that Worked. Now I have a better idea of what goes into making a computer that's designed specifically for music production. I solemnly swear I will never buy a $399 computer from Office Depot for doing music
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John
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 01:11:25
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I wish you would tell all the others that seem bent on buying the cheapest bargain they can and then come here with problem after problem.
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keyzs
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 01:14:20
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Thank you Criag...
i just shared this article on my FB page. There are just too many folks out there using "toys" to do professional work.
Cheers!!!
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Teds_Studio
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 01:17:28
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Anderton I solemnly swear I will never buy a $399 computer from Office Depot for doing music ![](http://forum.cakewalk.com/upfiles/smiley/s1.gif)
Yep, I would never try to use a store bought machine for audio or video editing. That's why I build my own machines. They have none of the excess garbage that comes on a store bought machine...and I can pick and choose the components that I want to use. One thing that I would advise anyone to do is add a cooling fan to EACH hard drive in your system. Even the cheap ones made in China on Ebay for $3 each work OK (although you sometimes have to replace them more frequently). A hard drive without a cooler will be so hot within 3 minutes of turning it on that it will burn your finger if you touch it. But a hard drive with a cheap cooler will be cool to the touch even after an hour. I know this for a fact because I have tried it.
ASRock X99 Extreme4 MB....Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4 GB DDR 5.....Intel i7 5820k 3.3 Ghz....Corsair RM850i power supply....3 Seagate 1TB SATA III drives....32 Gig G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3000.....Win 10 Pro.....Sonar X1 Producer Exp & X2, X3...Platinum....Superior Drummer 2 & 3 w/ N.Y. Vol 2 SDX.....Sony VEGAS Pro 11.0 32 & 64 bit Pro 12.....Sony VX2100.....Sony HVR-Z7U....Sony HDR-CX130....Alesis HD24....Behringer X32 console....Focusrite 18i20....JBL LSR2328P studio monitors with LSR2310P sub.
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swamptooth
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 01:45:24
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i was looking at pc audio labs a while ago, but honestly i don't really think i'd be comfortable with any company that's willing to charge over a grand for a 32-bit pentium machine. i've never had bad luck with a laptop from a decent mfr - or any machine for that matter. one key point i think makes a world of difference on my production machine is rarely installing 'cute little apps' or programs that are freeware (if it has 'install these other great programs' prompts during installation i pass). i know what i'm putting on my system and if i'm not sure, i rtfm first. and i NEVER edit my registry unless specifically recommended by someone from tech support as a last resort...
Arvid H. PetersonSonar X3E Prod / X2A / X1PE | Cubase 9.5.1 | Reason 9.5 | Sibelius7 | Pure DataNative-Instruments Komplete 10 Ultimate and a smattering of other pluginsHome-brewed VSTs Toshiba Satellite S855-S5378 (16GB RAM, modified with 2x 750GB HDDs, Windows 8.1 x64) Samson Graphite 49, M-Audio Oxygen 49, Korg nanoPAD2, Webcam motion tracking programs M-Audio Fast Track UltraMember, ASCAP
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Jeff M.
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 03:32:01
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I concur - having a dedicated DAW from one of the audio pros is a great investment. Building your own is a great idea and you end up with a much_better_than_stock PC, but these guys DO have it down, specifically for audio/video. They build hundreds if not thousands of these things. I keep up with the tech for the most part, but these guys do it at a much higher level. Jim, Scott, the PCAL folks (and others) spend a lot of time getting the right recipe for a stable DAW/DVW - so their expertise is something to factor in. Audio interfaces/sound cards have a lot to do with stability is as well. If you're running 60-160+ audio/MIDI tracks with gobs of plugs & synths, the laptop on sale at Best Buy and the $120 sound card may not cut it. Due to my consistent lack of issues, a pro DAW + great sound card is/was at the top of the best music investments I've made. Didn't come cheap, but it was worth it. Note: I only have Sonar, Sound Forge and purchased 3rd party plugs (ok, and reputable freebies like SPAN & Podolski). Also, I'm off the grid unless I need to reg or d/l updates ...and the off-line reg is too wonky to make it worth the effort.
post edited by Jeff M. - 2013/12/01 04:50:57
Platinum 64 RME UCX | Studio Cat Platinum: i7 2700k @ 4.5Ghz | 16Gb DDR3 | Win 7 64Komplete Kontrol S61 Gibson, Jackson, Parker, Suhr, Breedlove, Taylor, Lakland, Peavey, Marshall, Kemper
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Anderton
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 03:32:22
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swamptooth i was looking at pc audio labs a while ago, but honestly i don't really think i'd be comfortable with any company that's willing to charge over a grand for a 32-bit pentium machine.
Huh?!? All their desktop computers use 64-bit Core iX processors. Their $1,299 laptop uses a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7-4700MQ (4 cores, 8 threads) with 8GB of RAM. Their $1,899 laptop uses a 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-4800MQ (4 cores, 8 threads) with 16GB RAM, a 120GB mSATA SSD C: drive, and for a secondary drive, a 750GB SATA2 drive. Hardly a 32-bit Pentium machine...
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mettelus
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 06:10:11
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+1 on the right tools for the job! I was trying to prove this point to a friend while standing in front of a bunch of "generic low-end laptops" and was trying to pull up the "Windows Experience Index" on a Win8 machine and couldn't find it! Sort of shot myself in the foot there, but was trying to make the point of "Never even consider one of these things for something important." LOL... on that note... does Win8 still have the "Experience Index" in it??
ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero (Wi-Fi AC), i7-8700k, 16GB RAM, GTX-1070Ti, Win 10 Pro, Saffire PRO 24 DSP, A-300 PRO, plus numerous gadgets and gizmos that make or manipulate sound in some way.
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wizard71
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 06:13:36
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http://www.youtube.com/SpaceTimeAceshttps://soundcloud.com/space-time-acesSonar Platinum - Win 8.1 x64 - Haswell 4770k - ASrock Z87 pro3 - 32gb ram - Fractal design R4 case - 3x HDD 1 USB 2.0 external 1x cr M4 ssd for samples - Octa-capture - Sontronics Aria - Sontronics STC-1s - BX8 monitors - ARC 2 system - Kawai CA63 piano - Kawai MP6 Stage piano - Fender custom Telecaster FMT - Yamaha LL6 - Fender P bass
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FCCfirstclass
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 07:11:29
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+1 for a home built box. I have been building boxes since 1986 using a new 386 chip and 2 Mb of RAM. Plus DOS 3. I have never had major problems for music or video outside of equipment development.
Win 10 Pro x64, 32Gb DDR3 ram, Sonar Platinum, Cubase 9.5, Mackie MCU Pro, Cakewalk VS 100, Roland Octa-Capture, A 800 Pro, Carver M-1.5t amp & C4000 pre amp, various mics, drums and brass instruments. And away we go!
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swamptooth
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 07:25:50
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Anderton
swamptoothi was looking at pc audio labs a while ago, but honestly i don't really think i'd be comfortable with any company that's willing to charge over a grand for a 32-bit pentium machine.
Huh?!? All their desktop computers use 64-bit Core iX processors. Their $1,299 laptop uses a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7-4700MQ (4 cores, 8 threads) with 8GB of RAM. Their $1,899 laptop uses a 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-4800MQ (4 cores, 8 threads) with 16GB RAM, a 120GB mSATA SSD C: drive, and for a secondary drive, a 750GB SATA2 drive. Hardly a 32-bit Pentium machine...
Then they really need to update their website... http://pcaudiolabs.com/rokbox_CR2H-buynow.asp
Arvid H. PetersonSonar X3E Prod / X2A / X1PE | Cubase 9.5.1 | Reason 9.5 | Sibelius7 | Pure DataNative-Instruments Komplete 10 Ultimate and a smattering of other pluginsHome-brewed VSTs Toshiba Satellite S855-S5378 (16GB RAM, modified with 2x 750GB HDDs, Windows 8.1 x64) Samson Graphite 49, M-Audio Oxygen 49, Korg nanoPAD2, Webcam motion tracking programs M-Audio Fast Track UltraMember, ASCAP
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Sir Les
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 07:32:12
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Hello Anderton...I wish I knew more about those tweaks....so I could say for sure to some others here giving me advise not to tweak...a lesson....which I am following their calls...But it is not going well....and I have pissed them off...cause I do not want to go in circles with suggestions that will cause my system more woe than has been experienced in past...which my tweaks helped solve for some cpu spiking with Protools 9.3 and this system back in 2011 or so...and with sonar x1, x2, and now x3c....the tweaks were re aplied for x2...and left to keep things noiseless on recordings and no dropouts with play back...but it was shotty work done in tweaking, but it reduced the cpu spikes a lot so no noise would be recorded...drop outs persisted , then X3 came out, and I thought maybe some fixes will stop this. So I upgraded...and got x3c...I installed it wrong in the rush for bliss..along side 1x?...2xa...and then the fun began with project corruption ...most likely due to the bad install...which went unnoticed...some crashing of sonar x3c and then x2a opening projects...and the drop outs continued on....some more tips to do this or turn off 64bit engine or delete Aud,ini...resulted in more odd project crashes....and same old drop outs, clicks and pops, no matter the buffer used or maxed out kHz set or bit rate of the waves being created....till it ended up that so much corruption of win 7, brought about a new install of win 7....So all my tweaks are now gone....win 7 fresh, and sonar x3c installed as admin....and some eye candy and adobe reader,, and quick time, and engine 2 library player ...all drivers and my mixing desk Allen and Heath r16 installed...internet onboard nic has issues with the audio desk..and has to be turned off in bios...if it is turned off in win 7 it still seems to cause issues with the desk running. also background apps are running as requested to not tweak em....so they can see the problems.....But this is serious, and I hate going round in circles,....Sonar x3c is now showing spikes of the cpu to max levels...this is not good. And they are frustrated with me and my supposed compulsion to tweak those services using "BLACK VIPERS" SUGGESTION FOR AUDIO SYSTEMS. Could You check that out for us?...and help the formies here and myself know if they even come close to your secret tweaks please....SO I can move forward with this build. Thanks if you can...Just google Black viper...and post your opinion in a new thread if you can.... thanks for letting me know tweaks are needed. Sir Les
1. Intel 5960x 3.5mhz , ASUS x99 deluxe u3.1, Asus Thunderbolt ex II, G skills f4 3000 Memory 32GB , ADATA ssd 250GB Main Drive, Lots of WD Red 7200 Mechanical Drives with Black Drives, 14x multi optical Drive, LG Multi Blu Drive, 2X Extern WD Mybooks usb 3.0, AMD r7 270 video card, Motu 828x TB , Motu Midi XT. 2. USING MAC PRO, as win 10 has damaged 2 x99 systems 8.1 is also to blame for the final burnout trying to roll back! 3. Something Wonderful: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AlHkRy9cXBbYpQNvVBCt8r7fQ5PS
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robert_e_bone
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 08:35:46
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@Sir Les - I think it would benefit you to perhaps post a link to your other thread here, and that way the discussion will all be in one place, rather than in multiple threads. I also have recently replied to your other thread. @Craig, As to the purpose-optimized hardware/software computers that these companies offer for audio processing, they seem REALLY good at making sure everything just 'works'. I happen to build my own - would never buy a pre-built machine from a Best Buy, due to frequently sub-par components and all kinds of bloatware, but as I indicated, those ready-built DAW machines are also a good option, for those not wanting to delve into building their own. Bob Bone
Wisdom is a giant accumulation of "DOH!" Sonar: Platinum (x64), X3 (x64) Audio Interfaces: AudioBox 1818VSL, Steinberg UR-22 Computers: 1) i7-2600 k, 32 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 Pro x64 & 2) AMD A-10 7850 32 GB RAM Windows 10 Pro x64 Soft Synths: NI Komplete 8 Ultimate, Arturia V Collection, many others MIDI Controllers: M-Audio Axiom Pro 61, Keystation 88es Settings: 24-Bit, Sample Rate 48k, ASIO Buffer Size 128, Total Round Trip Latency 9.7 ms
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Teds_Studio
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 11:46:14
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FCCfirstclass +1 for a home built box. I have been building boxes since 1986 using a new 386 chip and 2 Mb of RAM. Plus DOS 3. I have never had major problems for music or video outside of equipment development.
Same here FCC. My first audio PC was a 386 (before I upgraded to the massive 486DX). Those were the days when one MEG of ram was $100.
ASRock X99 Extreme4 MB....Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4 GB DDR 5.....Intel i7 5820k 3.3 Ghz....Corsair RM850i power supply....3 Seagate 1TB SATA III drives....32 Gig G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4 3000.....Win 10 Pro.....Sonar X1 Producer Exp & X2, X3...Platinum....Superior Drummer 2 & 3 w/ N.Y. Vol 2 SDX.....Sony VEGAS Pro 11.0 32 & 64 bit Pro 12.....Sony VX2100.....Sony HVR-Z7U....Sony HDR-CX130....Alesis HD24....Behringer X32 console....Focusrite 18i20....JBL LSR2328P studio monitors with LSR2310P sub.
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sharke
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 11:54:12
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In defense of the store bought computers, My 3 year old Dell has never given me a single problem since I've had it and has run all my audio stuff amazingly well considering the now dated specs. I regularly have 10-20 VSTi's running on it and I've never had to set my buffers above 256 (mostly 128). I'm not dissing audio specific builds and indeed I will be calling Jim very soon for a new rig because I'd quite like to try my hand with an orchestral library and I definitely need more power for that. But it should be said that you can get very good results from a decent quality mass produced machine. When I bought that Dell I didn't even have audio production in mind (that came a couple of years later) but I'm very pleased with the performance it's given me for the price (just over a grand).
JamesWindows 10, Sonar SPlat (64-bit), Intel i7-4930K, 32GB RAM, RME Babyface, AKAI MPK Mini, Roland A-800 Pro, Focusrite VRM Box, Komplete 10 Ultimate, 2012 American Telecaster!
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Paul P
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 12:01:44
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sharke I'm not dissing audio specific builds and indeed I will be calling Jim very soon for a new rig because I'd quite like to try my hand with an orchestral library and I definitely need more power for that. But it should be said that you can get very good results from a decent quality mass produced machine. When I bought that Dell I didn't even have audio production in mind (that came a couple of years later) but I'm very pleased with the performance it's given me for the price (just over a grand).
If you want more power and reliability, you can still go with Dell. Check out their Precision tower workstations. I spent time weighing those against building my own but ended up doing it myself.
Sonar Platinum [2017.10], Win7U x64 sp1, Xeon E5-1620 3.6 GHz, Asus P9X79WS, 16 GB ECC, 128gb SSD, HD7950, Mackie Blackjack
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Paul P
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 12:03:57
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Teds_Studio One thing that I would advise anyone to do is add a cooling fan to EACH hard drive in your system. Even the cheap ones made in China on Ebay for $3 each work OK (although you sometimes have to replace them more frequently). A hard drive without a cooler will be so hot within 3 minutes of turning it on that it will burn your finger if you touch it. But a hard drive with a cheap cooler will be cool to the touch even after an hour. I know this for a fact because I have tried it.
I have seen quite a few mentions of it being possible to have your HDDs running too cool. There is apparently an optimal range. I'm no expert on the matter, though.
Sonar Platinum [2017.10], Win7U x64 sp1, Xeon E5-1620 3.6 GHz, Asus P9X79WS, 16 GB ECC, 128gb SSD, HD7950, Mackie Blackjack
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Splat
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 12:11:22
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Sell by date at 9000 posts. Do not feed. @48/24 & 128 buffers latency is 367 with offset of 38. Sonar Platinum(64 bit),Win 8.1(64 bit),Saffire Pro 40(Firewire),Mix Control = 3.4,Firewire=VIA,Dell Studio XPS 8100(Intel Core i7 CPU 2.93 Ghz/16 Gb),4 x Seagate ST31500341AS (mirrored),GeForce GTX 460,Yamaha DGX-505 keyboard,Roland A-300PRO,Roland SPD-30 V2,FD-8,Triggera Krigg,Shure SM7B,Yamaha HS5.Maschine Studio+Komplete 9 Ultimate+Kontrol Z1.Addictive Keys,Izotope Nectar elements,Overloud Bundle,Geist.Acronis True Image 2014.
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Shambler
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 13:37:06
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It pays to do A LOT of research before buying...I studied different motherboards for weeks and searched the net for known issues.
SONAR Platypus on Win10 64bit. Studio One Pro / Cubase Pro 9.5...just in case. 8GB i7-2600 3.4GHz Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3P Geforce GTX970 Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen Prophet 12/Rev 2/Virus Snow Zebra2/DIVA/NI Komplete 10
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bbach
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 17:33:32
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I am mourning the passing of Rain Computers. I bought an Ion Studio a couple of years ago and it has been a great machine. Their customer support was excellent. I still had a years support left on my Raincare agreement. Quality is a hard principle to maintain in a world run by hedge fund managers.
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mgh
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 17:45:01
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on the other hand, my £400 Ebay PC is still going fine after 4 years...i did make sure of some of the components (i5-750, fanless 1gb graphics card, Win 7 x64), but the hardware is essentially cheap (MSI mobo, no-name PSU etc). use onboard FW with an Echo Audiofire AI. i don't do mega-intensive work, but 20 audio tracks, 5 softsynths, 50 FX+ on most projects, no sweat. and it's also an Internet PC, does video-editing, office work.... so you can make music on cheaper gear!
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mettelus
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 19:56:33
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sharke In defense of the store bought computers, My 3 year old Dell has never given me a single problem since I've had it and has run all my audio stuff amazingly well considering the now dated specs.
DELL does have one of the better business models out, which is why they survived the late 90's. Essentially, to do business with them you have to be one of the top vendors in your area or expertise. Vendors who fall from that ranking then lose business, and DELL continues to stay out in front without spending a dime for R&D (they throw that overhead back onto their vendors). Because of this, DELL is one of the few COTS (customer off-the-shelf) items I would recommend. That said, when this machine was built (6/2011), it exceeded all of the $4000+ "Alienware" builds for 1/2 the price. Also during that period, Intel had shot themselves in the foot by updating "Sandy Bridge" cores with the introduction of the 6-core "Extreme" CPUs (X1 was used in this "audio benchmarking"), and ASUS was the first MB vendor to openly adopt USB 3.0. Because of this, the ASUS MB/i7-2600K option was the ideal choice at that time. For audio applications, this machine is still "excessive overkill." Edit: Bottom line is to research anything you build/purchase.
post edited by mettelus - 2013/12/01 20:05:21
ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero (Wi-Fi AC), i7-8700k, 16GB RAM, GTX-1070Ti, Win 10 Pro, Saffire PRO 24 DSP, A-300 PRO, plus numerous gadgets and gizmos that make or manipulate sound in some way.
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SuperG
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 21:16:57
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Some tweaks are hardware/bios tweaks, (turn off power-saver, etc..) naturally, but IMO; most of them are are OS, services, and software configuration based (get rid of services and auto-loads not needed). The speed of the CPU and memory helps with ultimate performance - but the previously mention tweak categories, if not done (and are needed), can dash DAW performance and introduce those dreaded clicks and pops - even with the fastest beast of a PC you can buy. BTW, most OS and service tweaks apply to both audio and video workstations. Dell generally gets good marks because most of us know better than to buy the lower rated machines, and they're (usually) not too loaded up with gunk-ware (and is easily removed). Didn't know there was a PCAL office in ABQ, it's not listed according to a quick google... ABQ is my neighborhood..
post edited by SuperG - 2013/12/01 21:25:47
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konradh
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 21:38:17
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I have a purpose-built music PC and agree that is the way to go. Although there is way more to it than this, disabling all the crap that Windows wants to run at Start-Up by default and setting up the BIOS correctly make a big difference.
Konrad Current album and more: http://www.themightykonrad.com/ Sonar X1d Producer. V-Studio 700. PC: Intel i7 CPU 3.07GHz, 12 GB RAM. Win 7 64-bit. RealGuitar, RealStrat, RealLPC, Ivory II, Vienna Symphonic, Hollywood Strings, Electr6ity, Acoustic Legends, FabFour, Scarbee Rick/J-Bass/P-Bass, Kontakt 5. NI Session Guitar. Boldersounds, Noisefirm. EZ Drummer 2. EZ Mix. Melodyne Assist. Guitar Rig 4. Tyros 2, JV-1080, Kurzweil PC2R, TC Helicon VoiceWorks+. Rode NT2a, EV RE20. Presonus Eureka. Rokit 6s.
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Vastman
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/01 22:51:08
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swamptooth
Anderton
swamptoothi was looking at pc audio labs a while ago, but honestly i don't really think i'd be comfortable with any company that's willing to charge over a grand for a 32-bit pentium machine.
Huh?!? All their desktop computers use 64-bit Core iX processors. Their $1,299 laptop uses a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7-4700MQ (4 cores, 8 threads) with 8GB of RAM. Their $1,899 laptop uses a 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-4800MQ (4 cores, 8 threads) with 16GB RAM, a 120GB mSATA SSD C: drive, and for a secondary drive, a 750GB SATA2 drive. Hardly a 32-bit Pentium machine...
Then they really need to update their website... http://pcaudiolabs.com/rokbox_CR2H-buynow.asp
Swamptooth... the link above is a historical "saved" webpage/site, and cannot be found on the actual PCA site... that was a loooooong time ago.... I perused the "compare" link and it took me to lots of pentium machines... be real, dude... don't know what cha trying to say but it's bogus...
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Anderton
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/02 01:56:14
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A lot of the tweaks Brian made were hardware ones that related to reducing noise and heat. He also uses Vegas Pro, so he knows how much that can exercise a machine during a long and complex render. He didn't do much with the software, other than get rid of temp files and uncheck some msconfig stuff that had worked its way in since last time I did a mass uncheck. Also, regarding the comments of people here who build their own machines - I should have mentioned that is indeed a great alternative to getting cheapo office supply computers, as long as you know which motherboards etc. have a good track record in music applications.
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Sir Les
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/02 15:08:45
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Is that all...?...well beyond that for some builders as SuperG said...I am on the look out for those kinda tweaks, the ones everyone is told not to touch...especially by Microsoft techs. But we know you can, if you know what to do in there..and do not turn off system services vital to the OS and APPLICATIONS BEING USED...or DEVICES....the redundant stuff should be terminated...is MY understanding...and each system is different for each user and Software being run. This makes for a more robust and stable platform ....AVID Have tweaks for Protools..But they do not delve into Win Services Much if at all...But they do tweak the machines systems... My Build is a bit hard to get going with the desk I bought....So I need some real tweaks to reduce IRQ paging of redundant services...So I can reduce those cpu spikes and issues with Sonar I am having since 1x ,2x, 2xa, and then the most corrupting and hassle of all x3c...which killed off the OS...too corrupted to try to fix. So If you have more input than that , as secret formula...in your pocket...and they are long side the Viper Tweaks...SuperG kinda thinks are happening?...Then I may be doing something in that direction...although not sure...correctly.
1. Intel 5960x 3.5mhz , ASUS x99 deluxe u3.1, Asus Thunderbolt ex II, G skills f4 3000 Memory 32GB , ADATA ssd 250GB Main Drive, Lots of WD Red 7200 Mechanical Drives with Black Drives, 14x multi optical Drive, LG Multi Blu Drive, 2X Extern WD Mybooks usb 3.0, AMD r7 270 video card, Motu 828x TB , Motu Midi XT. 2. USING MAC PRO, as win 10 has damaged 2 x99 systems 8.1 is also to blame for the final burnout trying to roll back! 3. Something Wonderful: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AlHkRy9cXBbYpQNvVBCt8r7fQ5PS
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Sir Les
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/02 15:15:13
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Msconfig...on my system ...does not terminate the services...if you do end task...and check the services turned off in Msconfig...You may see them still running in End task viewer. And that means the app is still running in the background!!!!....the right way to terminate apps is in services and set to manual or disable. And that stop em dead! But we are told not to do this by Microsoft and other techs here....from my knowledge so far!
1. Intel 5960x 3.5mhz , ASUS x99 deluxe u3.1, Asus Thunderbolt ex II, G skills f4 3000 Memory 32GB , ADATA ssd 250GB Main Drive, Lots of WD Red 7200 Mechanical Drives with Black Drives, 14x multi optical Drive, LG Multi Blu Drive, 2X Extern WD Mybooks usb 3.0, AMD r7 270 video card, Motu 828x TB , Motu Midi XT. 2. USING MAC PRO, as win 10 has damaged 2 x99 systems 8.1 is also to blame for the final burnout trying to roll back! 3. Something Wonderful: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AlHkRy9cXBbYpQNvVBCt8r7fQ5PS
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shmuelyosef
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/02 16:04:58
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I, too, have been building my own since the 70s (my first was an Altair 8800 running Microsoft Basic!!) and have actually never bought a 'turnkey' desktop system. In the early 80s some of us at Hewlett-Packard got a version of a MIDI sequencer and Sysex backup going on a few of these. I have had experience with laptops and music and there are a couple of things that are not tweaks, but rather completely mainstream that are important: 1. Don't ever expect good performance with the system load from the vendor with all the advertising, teaser applications, etc. Do a fresh system load from an OEM loader disc...you can use the same Microsoft registration code, if you load up the same system...I have always used the Professional version systems, as there are always a few important capabilities available...mostly around networking/shares 2. Load only what you must....don't put Microsoft Office or Adobe products on the system, as they are ugly culprits. 3. Disable all auto-updates, but make yourself a schedule of updating. 4. Learn about page files, and set up yours as static (i.e. not resizeable) using 30-40% of your RAM. 5. If you are going to use a browser, use Chrome...it is the most secure, and least evil. 6. For me, audible noise is important, so I have, for the last decade or more, used high-tech internal cooling (i.e. heatpipes or monster heat spreaders with low-speed, variable speed fans of large diameter...these are the quietest and coolest. My Shuttle system puts a lot of stuff in a very small box, but it is silent with some of the lowest disk/CPU temperatures that I have managed to see. 7. Get familiar with Mike Lin's startup management tools and use them slavishly to get clean system starts. http://www.mlin.net/StartupMonitor.shtml8. Don't use encryption (you would be surprised how many people don't pay attention to this) 9. Don't make your expectation of building your own to be mainly about saving money...make it about getting the absolute best system you can while gaining the knowledge of why it is the way it is... The list could go on....but these are some of the obvious ones
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musicroom
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Re: Just Got Reminded Why I Use Computers Integrated for Music
2013/12/03 09:39:29
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I have a Jim Roseberry built machine and it has been great. Very fast and quiet. It's almost 4 years old now and still going strong. Jim is a great guy to work for getting the best performance vs price point. Highly recommend.
Dave Songs___________________________________ Desktop: Platinum / RME Multiface II / Purrfect Audio DAW I7-3770 / 16 GB RAM / Win 10 Pro / Remote Laptop i7 6500U / 12GB RAM / RME Babyface
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